CAIRO, (Palestine Foundation Information Center) Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi strongly rejected on Wednesday the displacement of the Palestinian people, describing it as an injustice that Egypt cannot participate in. This statement comes in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for Egypt and Jordan to accept Palestinians from Gaza.
El-Sisi added that the rumors surrounding the displacement of Palestinians can never be tolerated or allowed due to their impact on Egyptian national security.
A statement from the Egyptian presidency quoted el-Sisi as saying, “Egypt is determined to work with U.S. President Donald Trump to achieve the desired peace based on a two-state solution.”
For his part, Hazem Qassem, the spokesperson for Hamas, praised President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s position in rejecting any ideas or steps to “displace our people in the Gaza Strip or transfer them anywhere under any pretext.”
Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Badr Abdel Aty confirmed on Wednesday his country’s support for the rights of the Palestinian people, rejecting displacement or transfer outside their lands.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Tamer Khalaf stated in a press release that the minister’s remarks came during his meeting with a Palestinian delegation headed by Hussein al-Sheikh, Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization. The minister emphasized Egypt’s efforts to implement all provisions of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza in its three phases, reiterating the continuation of communications aimed at solidifying the agreement and ensuring compliance with its terms.
Abdel Aty stressed the unity of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, also emphasizing Egypt’s support for the Palestinian government and its reform plans, as well as the importance of empowering the Palestinian Authority politically and economically.
On Tuesday, the Egyptian media denied the occurrence of a phone call between el-Sisi and Trump amid American efforts to displace Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan.
No official announcement has been made by Washington or Cairo regarding a conversation between the two presidents, but Israeli journalist Barak Ravid—reporter for the American site Axios and the Israeli site Walla—attributed to Trump the statement that he spoke with el-Sisi on this matter.
According to the Israeli journalist, Trump told reporters aboard his presidential plane during his flight from Miami to Washington early Tuesday that he wants “the people of Gaza to live in a place free of violence. Gaza has been hell for many years, and they can live in much better and more comfortable areas.”
Despite the announcements from Egypt and Jordan rejecting the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, Trump emphasized—according to Ravid—that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is his friend, saying, “I have helped him a lot, and I hope he will help us. I believe he will, and King Abdullah of Jordan will do so as well.”
This comes in light of statements made by Trump a few days ago aboard the presidential plane when he spoke about his desire to “cleanse” the Gaza Strip, stating that he would ask Egyptian President el-Sisi for what he requested from King Abdullah II of Jordan: to allow up to 1.5 million Palestinians from Gaza to enter Egyptian territory.
