Pushing Palestinians into Sinai Will Bring Security Repercussions to Egypt: Sisi
President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi asserted Egypt’s rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinians into Sinai, which he said would create security repercussions in Egypt and set a precedent for displacing Palestinians from the West Bank.
“Displacing Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Sinai means transferring the conflict and the killings from Gaza to Sinai,” Al-Sisi explained during a speech on 18 October, appearing to diverge from his speech manuscript.
“Sinai becomes a base for launching operations against Israel, and in this case, Israel will have the right to defend itself, so it directs its strikes on Egyptian lands.”
Al-Sisi’s statements came during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, leveraging his speech to speak candidly of Egypt’s stance on the current Israel-Palestine escalation
Al-Sisi added that the forced displacement would also set a precedent that would lead to displacements from the West Bank into Jordan.
The president – who began his speech by expressing his sorrows and condolences over the brutal bombing of the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital – also affirmed Egypt’s continuing support for the Palestinian cause and establishing a Palestinian state in accordance with the borders set prior to the 1967 War.
The Egyptian leader refuted claims that the Rafah border crossing was closed, clarifying that it had always been open. He confirmed that humanitarian aid remains stuck at the borders as “repeated Israeli strikes on the Palestinian side of the crossing obstructed its operation.”
Al-Sisi, continuing his candid speech, highlighted that Egypt’s rejection of displacing Palestinians from Gaza is a collective decision by the Egyptian people.
“If I ask the Egyptians to express their views, then you will see millions of Egyptians ready to demonstrate their rejection of the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza,” asserted the president.
Al-Sisi concluded his speech by underscoring the precariousness of the situation, and the risks of it expanding into a regional conflict, stressing the need for Egypt’s proposed peace summit to address the worsening humanitarian situation.
Al-Sisi was initially set to meet with US President Joe Biden on 18 October in Amman along with Jordanian King Abdullah Al-Hussein and President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas. However, Israel’s attack on the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital caused Jordan to cancel the meeting.
Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi later clarified that the meeting would be rescheduled at a time when the parties could agree to end the “war and the massacres against Palestinians,” faulting Israel’s military offensive for pushing the Middle East to “the brink of the abyss.”
Since the beginning of the conflict at the beginning of October, Egypt’s stance has been to de-escalate the ongoing attacks and deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The latest attacks by the Israeli bombing campaign, which has created international outrage and sparked demonstrations worldwide, have so far resulted in the deaths of over 3,300 Palestinians and at least 1,400 Israelis since the start of the conflict.
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