As the Middle East navigates across a critical and volatile period, Egypt asserts that the only viable path to countering risks and threats to regional and international peace — stemming from the recent aggression on Gaza and its repercussions – is for the international community to adopt an approach rooted in justice and respect for peoples’ rights.
Chief among these is the right of the Palestinian people, who continue to face severe injustices, including their fundamental right to live securely in their homeland.
For decades, Egypt has maintained a firm stance against the forced displacement of Palestinians, playing a key role in preventing any attempts to expel them from their lands.
Since the 1948 Nakba, Egypt has consistently opposed displacement efforts, advocating in international forums for Palestinians to remain on their land.
It has also supported the right of return and worked to improve the conditions of Palestinian refugees through diplomatic initiatives and humanitarian relief efforts.
Egypt calls on the international community to unite behind a fair political vision for resolving the Palestinian issue, one that addresses the historical injustices inflicted on the Palestinian people and restores their inalienable rights.
Egypt firmly rejects any infringement on these rights, particularly the rights to self-determination, territorial sovereignty, and independence, in alignment with human rights principles, international law, UN resolutions, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Egypt warns that disregarding international legitimacy in addressing regional issues risks undermining the foundations of peace built over decades of effort and sacrifice.
It remains committed to working with regional and international partners to achieve a comprehensive and just peace, ensuring the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international law.
Within this context, during discussions in Washington with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty emphasised the urgent need for early recovery efforts, debris removal, and reconstruction in Gaza, while ensuring that Palestinians remain on their land and rejecting any forced displacement.
The meeting also covered the strong bilateral relations between Egypt and the US, exploring ways to enhance their strategic partnership, which has spanned four decades and serves mutual interests.
The Egyptian foreign minister reaffirmed the unwavering Arab and Islamic stance on the Palestinian issue, emphasising the necessity of fulfilling the Palestinian people’s legitimate aspirations.
He underscored the importance of coordinating with the US administration to advance a just peace in the Middle East that upholds the Palestinian people’s rights, foremost among them the establishment of an independent state on their full national territory.
A clear political horizon is essential to reaching a final settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in line with international legitimacy, ensuring security and stability in the Middle East, and bolstering prospects for a lasting and just peace.
Mohamed Fahmy is the editor-in-chief of The Egyptian Gazette and Egyptian Mail newspapers
