CAIRO – 18 August 2025: Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty held a joint press conference on Monday with the Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa in front of Rafah border crossing.
According to Abdelatty, this move aims to send a strong message of solidarity to the Palestinian people: ‘we are with you and feel your suffering and pain.’
There is no doubt the unprecedented humanitarian tragedy the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip are experiencing for nearly two years is a ‘grave violation of international law,’ He added.
The Foreign Minister also noted that the whole world witnessed the starvation policies used against children in Gaza leading to deaths, spread of disease and epidemics.
He affirmed that Egypt's position on the Palestinian cause is firm and unchanging, ‘Egypt categorically rejects any displacement plans and any schemes that would impose a new demographic reality that would end the Palestinian cause and all the illusions of the so-called Greater Israel,’ Abdelatty said.
He reminded of what President Abdel Fattah al Sisi has previously stated, that Egypt cannot participate in any historical injustice to the Palestinian cause.
He also added that political wise; Egypt is participating in all mediation efforts with Qatar and the United States, and cooperating with all regional partners to stop the war, reach a ceasefire, resume negotiations, and put an end to the systematic starvation and killing.
Abdelatty stated that Egypt alone has contributed to the entry of 70% of the total humanitarian aid that has entered the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the crisis. The total amount of aid that have entered so far is 550,000 tons.
He stressed that due to the crisis, Gaza Strip must be flooded with urgent aid without any obstacles imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities.
“There are many aid trucks waiting to cross, but the delays are due to the obstacles imposed by Israel. The occupation authorities have destroyed the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing four times, and Egypt has subsequently re-paved it each time to allow aid to pass.. As everyone knows, there are five international crossings into the Gaza Strip, Egypt’s FM said.
He added that the occupation authorities do not open these crossings, however, because unfortunately, there is insufficient international pressure to open them, and the focus is solely on the Rafah crossing, which is designated for the passage of individuals only.
This visit, according to Abdelatty, aims to inform the Palestinian Prime Minister of Egypt's efforts and to inspect the conditions of the injured Palestinians in Egyptian hospitals.
“We also met, Sunday, with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly to discuss the details of the international conference that Egypt intends to host in a few weeks, following the ceasefire agreement reached in the Gaza Strip,” the Foreign Minister said.
He welcomed all declarations by countries of their desire and intention to recognize the State of Palestine, and he called on all countries seeking peace to do the same.
He also saluted the Egyptian civil society, led by the Red Crescent and all the volunteers for providing all kinds of assistance to the Palestinian people, in addition to the efforts of the Ministry of Solidarity and UNRWA, whose efforts are indispensable in the Gaza Strip.
‘We will not despair, nor will we tire of restoring life to the Gaza Strip and a dignified life for the Palestinian steadfast people’, Palestinian Prime Minister said in the joint press conference.
He added that everyone knows that what the Palestinian people are facing is ‘unprecedented’ in modern history. ‘This crossing should not be a tool of siege, but rather a lifeline. Israel must open the crossing so that the aid trucks lined up here on the Egyptian side can pass.’
“Here, we appreciate Egypt's steadfast stance, which has stood as a bulwark against displacement plans despite the intense pressures. We highly value Egypt's historic and unwavering stance on the issue and its efforts to prevent displacement, stop the war, and deliver aid. We also thank all our brotherly and friendly countries and international organizations that provide aid and support our political rights,” he added
“However, the Palestinians need more international pressure to deliver aid and halt Israel's policy of starvation, We will not rest until we restore a dignified life to the Palestinian people and establish an independent Palestinian state,’ the Palestinian PM noted.
He confirmed that the government of the Gaza Strip is capable of fulfilling its duties despite all the pressures, and we will do so in cooperation with all our brothers and friends.
He also stressed that Gaza Strip is an integral part of the Palestinian state, and internal national unity must be upheld after the end of war. Administration of the Gaza Strip after the cessation of hostilities is not a profit or a desire to rule, but rather a unification of national institutions.
“We continue working with our brothers in Egypt to prepare for the reconstruction conference in Cairo as soon as possible, to rebuild the Gaza Strip, based on the Arab plan for the recovery and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, adopted by Arab and international powers. During our meeting with Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Sunday, we reviewed the implementation plans we recently prepared, which will be presented at the conference when it convenes,” he revealed
The Palestinian Prime Minister affirmed that the entire Palestinian cause is targeted today more than ever. Therefore, the continuation of Israeli aggression must not give any party, local or international, the legitimacy to impose superior arrangements on the Gaza Strip, as ‘Gaza is an integral part of our homeland’.
Mon, Aug. 18, 2025
