In a joint conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, held on Wednesday at the Ettihadiya Palace, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told him that if he were to ask Egyptians to take to the streets to reject the resettling of Palestinians in Sinai, millions would be marching out.
“Our discussions dealt with the military confrontations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides and the Israeli escalation that claimed the lives of thousands,” Sisi mentioned.
“Egypt has not closed the Rafah crossing since the start of the escalation,” he said.
Sisi also spoke about the violence taking place in the Gaza Strip, at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces, explaining that what is happening in Gaza is an attempt to push civilians to seek refuge and migrate to Egypt.
The president previously said that his nation “does not and will not delay in helping the Palestinians, but their exit from their country means liquidating the Palestinian cause,” which he called the cause of all Arabs.
While Egypt hosts nine million people who have been displaced from their countries due to ongoing unrest, Sisi explained that the situation is different in Gaza, as Palestinians must remain in their country and stay steadfast in order to preserve their cause and land.
“It is imperative that Egypt does not abandon them”, he stressed.
Escalation into war
The Israeli military on October 7 declared that Israel was in a ‘state of war’ after Hamas militants fired rockets and sent forces into Israeli territory.
“If you have a gun, get it out. This is the time to use it – get out with trucks, cars, axes, today the best and most honorable history starts,” Hamas military commander Muhammad Al-Deif said in a recorded message as reported by CNN.
The “Al-Aqsa Storm” operation was a series of coordinated attacks launched by Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip and Israel on Saturday.
The Izzedine al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced on Sunday morning the killing of the commander of the communications battalion in the Israeli army – amid the escalation of clashes taking place since Saturday.
The Palestinian group also reported that artillery units are supporting its fighters with rockets in Ofakim, Sderot, Yad Mordechai, and more.
