Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi sharply condemned Israel's recent strike on Qatar during a video conference hosted from Doha on Monday, warning that Israel had crossed "all red lines" and risked plunging the Middle East into deeper instability. The meeting, convened at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of an Arab-Islamic emergency summit, gathered leaders and top officials from Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Britain, Canada, and France. The discussions focused on Israel's widening military campaign and the fallout from its unprecedented assault on Qatari territory. In a forceful intervention, Sisi expressed Egypt's "full solidarity" with Qatar's leadership and people, describing the attack as a "heinous aggression" and a "gross violation of international law and the UN Charter." He warned that Israel's actions were part of a broader strategy to block a ceasefire deal in Gaza, allowing it to push forward with regional designs that undermine peace efforts. The Egyptian leader reiterated that the Palestinian issue remains "the central cause for the Arab world," insisting that no lasting peace can be achieved in the region without a just and comprehensive resolution. He praised Saudi Arabia and France for co-chairing a high-level international conference on Palestine in New York in July, and expressed hope that the upcoming September 22 Two-State Solution Conference would serve as a turning point. Sisi welcomed moves by France, Britain, and Canada to recognise Palestine, calling on other countries to follow suit. "Expanding recognition of the Palestinian state is essential to preserving the two-state solution," he said, framing it as the only viable path to a durable peace. The Egyptian president issued a stark warning against any proposals to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza, calling them "baseless" and "unacceptable." He said such a scenario would risk "unimaginable consequences," destabilising the region and triggering waves of mass migration and irregular flows toward Europe. "The first step to prevent displacement," he added, "is an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, which requires a firm and united European and international stance." Sisi closed his remarks by urging closer coordination among Arab, Islamic and international partners at a time of "grave regional circumstances." The meeting concluded with an agreement to intensify joint efforts to prevent further escalation and to press for urgent steps toward a negotiated peace. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
