Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Friday stressed the need to expedite the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip as soon as a ceasefire is reached.
In a phone call with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, al-Sisi reiterated Egypt's firm stance rejecting attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land.
According to presidential spokesman, Mohamed al-Shennawy, the call touched on various aspects of the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
Al-Sisi reviewed Egypt's unwavering efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and ensure the urgent and sufficient entry of humanitarian aid.
The President also highlighted endeavors to secure the release of hostages and captives and to create an environment conducive to resuming the political process.
The aim is to implement the two-state solution and establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, along the June 4, 1967 borders, as the only path to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region, he said.
Egypt plans to host the Early Recovery and Reconstruction Conference in Gaza, in collaboration with the United Nations.
In March, an urgent Arab League meeting in Cairo adopted Egypt's Gaza reconstruction plan, which calls for the enclave to be rebuilt over five years.
Speaking at a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in April, al-Sisi stressed the significance of reconstructing the Gaza Strip in coordination with France, in addition to holding a conference for the reconstruction efforts in the war-torn enclave following the ceasefire deal in Gaza.
During the phone call on Friday, the Dutch prime minister expressed his country's appreciation for Cairo’s diligent efforts to secure a ceasefire, release hostages, and provide humanitarian aid to the Strip.
For his part, al-Sisi emphasized the necessity of respecting international law and relevant international agreements, which obligate countries to provide security protection for diplomatic missions and not to harm foreign embassies operating on their soil. This matter was affirmed by the Dutch prime minister.
This week, dozens of protesters gathered outside Egyptian embassies in several countries to demand the “immediate reopening of the Rafah border crossing to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza”.
In return, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry has rejected allegations targeting Egypt regarding the Rafah crossing and the access of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
It said demonstrations in front of Egyptian embassies undermine Egypt's historical role in supporting the Palestinian cause and the sacrifices Egypt has made since the Nakba.
“They serve the Israeli occupation entirely, offering it a free gift,” the Ministry said.
“This contributes to distracting international and Arab public opinion from the real culprit behind the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip and easing the recent mounting international pressure to halt the blatant Israeli violations committed against the Palestinian people,” it added.
The Rafah crossing has been a main conduit for humanitarian aid entering Gaza, and an exit point for medical evacuees from the territory, where a humanitarian crisis has deepened and some people are at risk of famine.
Israel took operational control of the crossing and has said it will not compromise on preventing Hamas having any future role there.
Egypt has refused to coordinate with Israel on the Rafah crossing not to legitimize the occupation of Tel Aviv.
