President Abdel Fattah El Sisi affirmed on Tuesday that Egypt remains, and will always be, a gateway for humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip — not a route for the displacement of the Palestinian people. He warned against the continued deterioration of the situation. Speaking at a joint press conference with Vietnamese President Lương Cường, President Sisi said the war in Gaza is no longer about achieving political goals or releasing hostages. "It has long exceeded any logic or justification," he said, describing it as "a war of starvation, genocide, and an attempt to eliminate the Palestinian cause." Addressing the global public, Sisi said, "I am speaking to world public opinion. The lives of Palestinians in Gaza — and potentially also in the West Bank — are being used as political bargaining chips, while human conscience and the international community remain spectators to what is happening in Gaza." He clarified that Gaza is connected to the outside world through five crossings — one of which is Rafah, while the others are with Israel. He stressed that Rafah crossing was not closed by Egypt during or even before the war. Sisi said Egypt had worked for 20 years to prevent escalation and conflict between Gaza and Israel, understanding that any outbreak of violence would be devastating for the Strip. He added that Egypt's efforts did not end with the latest war — the fifth in which Egypt has played a positive role to end hostilities. He reiterated Egypt's commitment to maintaining a constructive and peaceful role in regional conflicts, noting that since the start of the current war on October 7, Cairo has made intensive efforts to halt the fighting, facilitate the entry of aid, and secure the release of hostages and detainees. Commenting on protests outside Egyptian embassies abroad, Sisi described them as a form of "bankruptcy," saying accusations that Egypt is blocking aid are baseless. "The Rafah crossing was never closed. It was destroyed four times during the war, and Egypt repaired and restored it," he said. Aid entered whenever Israeli forces were not stationed at the Palestinian side of the crossing, which remains the key issue, he added. Sisi said Egypt's coordination with partners in Qatar and the United States has focused on stopping the war, ensuring aid access, and securing hostage releases. He stressed that Egypt's role is ongoing, with over 5,000 aid trucks currently stationed on Egyptian territory — carrying supplies from Egypt and other countries — and called on the media to report this more prominently. Over 70 per cent of all aid delivered to Gaza over the past 21 months has come from Egypt, he said. "The issue now is delivering the maximum possible amount of aid to our Palestinian brothers, because we are witnessing a systematic genocide aimed at eliminating the Palestinian cause," Sisi said. "I have called on the entire world — and the Europeans — and I repeat my appeal to President Trump. I will continue this appeal until the war ends and aid reaches Gaza." He revealed that before the war, 600 to 700 trucks entered Gaza daily from Egypt to meet the needs of 2.3 million Palestinians. That number of trucks has now dropped to zero. "The current situation is not because Egypt is withholding aid or participating in a blockade," he said. "Egypt is ready to send multiple times the current volumes to help the Palestinian people. We have called for a ceasefire again and again — and we will continue to do so." Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
