The Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a statement announcing Cairo’s opposition to the exodus of Gazans, whether short- or long-term. “We reiterate Egypt’s firm adherence to the principles of a political settlement for the Palestinian cause which is a central issue in the Middle East,” the statement stressed.
The Foreign Ministry said that the delays in resolving the conflict, which include the end of the Israeli occupation and the restoration of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, are the causes of instability in the region. “We reject any action that undermines those rights,” the statement said, criticizing the expansion of Israeli settlements, the annexation of land in the occupied territories, or the displacement of its population. “We urge the world to take concrete steps to implement the two-state solution, to create an independent homeland for the Palestinians, including East Jerusalem,” it said.
Trump announced at a press conference on Sunday aboard Air Force One that he had spoken with Jordanian King Abdullah II, whom he asked to welcome the Palestinian population of Gaza while the Strip is being rebuilt. He specified that he would raise the same issue with Egypt, although an official Egyptian source rejected that possibility, hours later in statements to the Al-Hadath television network.
In response to the president’s statement, the Egyptian embassy in the United States, published Ambassador Motaz Zahran’s opinion on Sunday, rejecting such a proposal. “Egypt cannot be part of any solution that involves the transfer of Palestinians to the Sinai Peninsula,” the writing stressed. “Let us be clear, we do not accept any initiative that dilutes the Palestinian issue,” the official said, defending Cairo’s historic stance.
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