By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has again rejected efforts by Israeli authorities to transfer Palestinians out of their ancestral territories in the Gaza Strip, warning that it could trigger a wave of refugees across the globe.
“I emphasise the necessity of halting the systematic practices against the Palestinian people in their occupied land and rejecting any attempts or efforts to displace them from their homeland,” he said on Saturday at the Police Day in the capital, Cairo.
“I warn that the exodus of approximately two and a half million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, and what this implies in terms of the liquidation of the Palestinian cause, will lead to the displacement of hundreds of thousands towards Europe and Western countries, with grave security, economic, and social repercussions that no one can bear,” he cautioned.
Since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, Egypt has warned that displacing Palestinians from Gaza would undermine their demands for statehood.
Earlier this week, el-Sissi while speaking at World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland said the issue of Palestinian statehood is key to regional stability and “a cornerstone to achieve a just and comprehensive peace.”
On Saturday, the Egyptian leader said his country rejects any attempts to divide the countries of the region or seize parts of their territories.
“Egypt considers these practices a red line that it will not allow to be crossed, as they directly threaten Egypt’s national security,” he said.
Sissi also called for the implementation of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire and the reconstruction of the enclave.
Egypt has accepted to serve in the US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace that will oversee the process.
