By: Mohamed Abdel-Azim Al-Shimi
The Egyptian state has played a decisive and influential role since the Israeli occupation forces attacked innocent people in the Gaza Strip, as Cairo has and will continue to play a pivotal role in all important and existential events in the Arab region.
The Egyptian state asserted at the beginning of the crisis that the escalation will be met with an escalation if the Israeli occupation forces remain stubborn in allowing food and medical aid to enter to our brethren in the Gaza Strip.
Indeed, a few days later, aid entered from the Rafah crossing in order to save the lives of innocent people in the Gaza Strip.
Therefore, no one can deny the support of the Egyptian state - government and people - to the Palestinian Cause throughout history.
It is important to note here that Egyptian-European relations have witnessed over the past years progress at the political, economic, and strategic levels.
The political leadership during the era of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has been keen to develop and strengthen these Egyptian-European relations in various fields and at various levels.
Thanks to the strong and wise leadership of President El-Sisi, Egypt has played a major role in bringing about a change in the positions of European countries to resolve the Palestinian Cause.
This came about through a clear vision and political will from Cairo that had a significant impact on European policies, pushing European partners to support its vision for a solution.
The pivotal and influential role played by Egypt succeeded in changing the European view of the Palestinian Cause, especially during this difficult stage amid the ongoing attempts to liquidate the Palestinian Cause and obliterate its identity through forced displacement.
All along, Egypt has emphasized the necessity of preserving the rights of the Palestinian citizen like any other citizen in the world.
Since President El-Sisi took office in 2014, Egypt has played an important role on the regional and international arenas, which has made everyone keen to restore, crystallize and strengthen relations with the Egyptian state given its prominent role in settling conflicts in the region and contributing to international efforts to establish peace.
Egypt achieved this through various channels of diplomatic communication, including consultations bilateral talks, and participation in international conferences and summits, which helped change the positions of European countries and garnered their support.
The Egyptian state gained the attention of European countries because of its ability to analyze reality and provide concrete practical solutions to the problems and issues facing the region.
Indeed, Egyptian diplomacy played a major role in bringing the Egyptian and European viewpoints closer together.
The Egyptian state used these abilities effectively to help Europe embrace all the issues facing the region, and, most recently, to clarify the Egyptian vision for the resolution of the Palestinian Cause.
A number of official meetings and talks were organized with officials of European countries to explain Egyptian views.
Cairo enjoys strong bilateral relations with European countries through economic, political, and cultural exchange.
Therefore, Egypt has become an indispensable strategic power in ensuring the stability of the region.
Cairo: To the rescue
Egypt has succeeded in imposing its will to save the lives of the people of Gaza and alleviate their suffering by addressing the humanitarian conscience of the world and calling on it to push for reopening the Rafah land crossing after coordination with the parties to the crisis in Gaza.
Within the framework of its non-stop communications to support the Palestinian Cause, Cairo succeeded in extracting an agreement with the United States, Israel, and the Palestinian side, to bring in humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, transport critically wounded people, including children, to Al-Arish to receive treatment - in return for allowing foreign nationals and dual nationals to cross from Gaza to Egypt.
The Egyptian political leadership has activated humanitarian diplomacy for the benefit of the people of the Gaza Strip in order to facilitate the entry of aid and increase the number of trucks loaded with food and medicine to the population living under a barrage of brutal Israeli bombing.
This reflects Egypt’s ability, led by President El-Sisi, in utilizing its diplomatic and strategic weight for international influence towards achieving humanitarian goals and advocating for the rights of civilians.
Egypt sought to receive batches of wounded Palestinians to receive treatment in Egyptian hospitals, ensure the passage of aid convoys into Gaza, and send ambulances to transport the wounded to the hospitals of Al-Arish, Sheikh Zuweid, and Bir al-Abd.
Egypt has also opened its doors wide open to receive all forms of support and assistance that can be provided to the Palestinian people through the Rafah crossing,
Cairo has intensified its efforts to mobilize international and regional public opinion towards increasing humanitarian and relief aid by receiving 66 aircraft at Al-Arish Airport from various countries of the world.
Since the first moment of the aggression on the Gaza Strip after 7 October, and until now, Egypt has been leading all Arab, regional, and international efforts - from a humanitarian, patriotic and pan-Arab standpoint - towards sparing the blood of the brethren in Gaza, preventing the shedding of more innocent blood, and calling on the international community for a ceasefire and delivering aid to Gaza.
However, in light of the continuing brutal crimes of the Israeli occupation against civilians, an imperative necessity arose to reach a humanitarian truce in order to expand the scope of humanitarian aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip.
This comes at the forefront of a Cairo vision that aims to end the current humanitarian tragedy and revive the path of peace.
President El-Sisi is keen to continue his efforts to support the Palestinian cause through several axes, starting with the full, safe, rapid, and sustainable flow of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza; de-escalation and ceasefire; and, then, the urgent start of negotiations to revive the peace process, leading to the implementation a two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the basis of international legitimacy decisions.
Egypt has not and will not spare any effort to alleviate the suffering of the brethren in the Gaza Strip and is keen to extend the Egyptian efforts aimed at addressing the worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
History will attest that Egyptian diplomacy, led by President El-Sisi, was able to extract international positions to prevent the liquidation of the Palestinian Cause, including US President Joe Biden’s assurances during his recent discussions with President El-Sisi that there will be no displacement of Palestinians from Gaza to any place, and his country’s rejection of the displacement of Palestinians outside their lands.
Hence, Egypt has succeeded in protecting the Palestinian Cause from being emptied of its content, and strongly protecting its national security, as Cairo stood as a strong barrier against the conspiracy to displace and liquidate the cause.
All this indicates that Egypt will continue its usual humanitarian role to protect the lives of civilians and alleviate their suffering by treating the wounded and injured among our Palestinian brethren who were subjected to brutal Israeli bombardment.
Indeed, the National Alliance for Civil Development Action has succeeded in bringing 108 trucks into Gaza and 40 ambulances that transported the injured from Gaza to receive treatment in Egypt.
All this reflects the historical commitment and great responsibility that Egypt has placed on itself since 1948 until today in safeguarding the Palestinian Cause and the right of the Palestinian people to have an independent state with east Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the terms of reference of international legitimacy, thus guaranteeing the right of the Palestinian citizen to live in dignity and security.
Thu, Jan. 4, 2024
