President Sisi Urges International Recognition of Demilitarized Palestinian State

 


Nov 24, 2023. Posted by  Balkan Periscope - Hellas

Cairo.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called on the international community to recognize the Palestinian State and admit it to the United Nations, during a press conference with the Prime Ministers of Spain and Belgium on Friday 24/11/2023.

Sisi said that the revival of the two-state solution idea over 30 years hasn't yielded significant progress. 

"There is a need for a different approach, one that involves the international community's recognition of a Palestinian state and its entry into the United Nations," he added.

The State of Palestine attained recognition as an observer state of the United Nations General Assembly in November 2012.

"The only solution to the Palestinian issue," as explained by El-Sisi, is "the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, within the borders of 4 June (1967), with East Jerusalem as its capital."

El-Sisi expressed readiness to accept a demilitarized Palestinian state, potentially with the presence of international forces—whether from NATO, the United Nations, or American or Arab forces—to guarantee security for both the Palestinian and Israeli states.

Regarding Egypt's stance on Palestinians' displacement from Gaza, El-Sisi adamantly reiterated, "We will not permit the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip."

He emphasized, "I sensed a genuine and real understanding by the international community on our rejection of the displacement issue."

The Egyptian president, whose country brokered a ceasefire in Gaza alongside Qatar and the United States, voiced his hope for the extension of the ceasefire in Gaza, emphasizing the importance of continuous humanitarian aid to the strip.

El-Sisi detailed that his tripartite discussions with the Prime Ministers of Belgium and Spain focused on the provision of adequate aid to Gazans and the establishment of safe zones across the Strip.

The President also explained how Egypt has helped citizens from over 30 countries exit the Gaza Strip, contributing significantly to regional stability.

He proudly declared, "Cairo has provided 70 percent of the aid that entered the Gaza Strip, underscoring the nation's substantial role in supporting the humanitarian needs of the Palestinians."

El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to the continuous operation of the Rafah border crossing for the delivery of aid. "Rafah Crossing has not and will not close," he stressed.

For his part, the Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez asserted that a permanent truce must be achieved in Gaza alongside the continuous flow of humanitarian assistance into the Strip.

Sanchez emphasized the importance of reaching a two-state solution, explaining that it will not be easy to achieve, but is essential to pursue to resolve the century-old Israeli-Arab conflict.

The Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander De Croo also stressed the importance of achieving a permanent truce in Gaza and providing more humanitarian aid to the Strip.

He thanked Egypt for evacuating more than 100 Belgians from the Gaza Strip.

Moreover, he demanded Israel open more border crossings for the entry of more humanitarian aid.

De Croo also announced that he will visit the Rafah border crossing along with Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez on Friday.

 

Ahram Online