Egypt Rejects Displacing Gaza Residents: Abdelatty to US Envoy Ortagus

The Egyptian Foreign Minister affirmed Egypt’s rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza under Trump’s plan during a meeting with US Envoy Morgan Ortagus.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met on Tuesday with US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus and Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Tim Lenderking, and they discussed the strategic partnership between Egypt and the United States, as well as ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in pursuit of shared interests.

Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Tamer Khalaf stated that during the meeting—held on the sidelines of the Middle East-America Dialogue conference in Abu Dhabi—the two sides exchanged views on recent developments in Gaza and the West Bank amid “Israel’s” dangerous escalation in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Khallaf noted that “Abdelatty stressed the importance of restoring calm, solidifying the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, and ensuring the implementation of its three-phase plan. He also emphasized the critical need to facilitate the entry of humanitarian, medical, and shelter aid into Gaza to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.”

He also emphasized that “Egypt refuses displacing the Palestinians from their lands.”

The spokesman added that Abdelatty outlined the Gaza reconstruction plan, which has been approved by Arab and Islamic states and enjoys support from the European Union, Japan, and other international actors.

The Egyptian Foreign Minister also stressed the necessity of fulfilling the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, expressing Egypt’s hope to “enhance coordination with the US administration to work toward achieving the desired just peace in the Middle East.”

In this context, he noted “Egypt’s commitment to convening an international conference for Gaza’s reconstruction in cooperation with the United Nations and the Palestinian government, with participation from key international stakeholders.”

He emphasized the imperative of “establishing a political horizon leading to a final settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions; one that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, to achieve security and stability for all peoples of the region.”

Egypt forwards new proposal for Gaza ceasefire: Israeli media

This closely follows after Egypt put forward a new proposal, described as a “mediation for mediation,” in an attempt to reach an agreement between “Israel” and Hamas, Israeli media reported on Saturday. 

The Israeli Kan 11 channel reported that the Egyptian proposal represents a middle ground between the previous two, although the details cannot be disclosed so far. 

It is worth noting that one of the previous proposals suggested the release of five living captives, while the other suggested the release of 11 of them. 

According to Israeli sources, Israeli officials still believe that “military pressure could contribute to shifting the Hamas movement’s stance.” However, Kan 11 said it was still unclear whether the reality or Hamas’s position would change with more pressure.