Egypt's Sisi says Israel's war in Gaza a ‘systematic genocide'
CAIRO : Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Tuesday Israel was pursuing 'a war of starvation and genocide' in Gaza, and denied accusations Cairo prevented life-saving aid from entering the Palestinian territory.
'The war in Gaza is no longer merely a war to achieve political goals or release hostages,' Sisi told a press conference in Cairo along with his Vietnamese counterpart.
Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas's Oct 7, 2023 attack, vowing to crush the Palestinian rebel group and to free hostages.
To Sisi, 'this war has long since surpassed any logic or justification, and has become a war of starvation and genocide'.
'There is systematic genocide to eradicate the Palestinian cause,' he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday Israel must 'complete' the defeat of Hamas to free hostages held in Gaza, a day after Israeli media reported the army could occupy the entire territory.
Israel has heavily restricted aid into Gaza which is slipping into a catastrophic famine 22 months into the war.
It has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.
Following mounting international pressure on Israel, in late May aid has only began trickling into Gaza, which borders Israel and Egypt.
In response to what Sisi said were 'bankrupt' accusations of Egypt's complicity in the siege, the president reiterated that the Rafah border crossing with Gaza was 'never closed'.
The crossing at Rafah was a vital entry point of aid in the early months of the war, until Israeli troops took over its Palestinian side in May 2024, forcing it shut.
'The crossing was able to bring in aid as long as there were no Israeli troops stationed on the Palestinian side of the crossing,' Sisi said, adding that there are 5,000 trucks loaded with aid waiting to enter Gaza.
He also defended what he said was Egypt's consistently 'positive' role seeking an end to the conflict.
Since the war began, Cairo has undertaken a delicate balancing act, retaining its position as a mediator between Israel and Hamas – along with the US and Qatar – while repeatedly criticising Israel's assault.
Cairo has also repeatedly refused US plans to displace Palestinians into Egypt, lobbying for a reconstruction plan for the territory that has fallen by the wayside as truce talks repeatedly folded.
'Egypt will always remain a gateway for aid, not a gateway for the displacement of the Palestinian people,' Sisi said on Tuesday.
'We are prepared to allow aid in at any time, but we are not prepared to receive or displace Palestinians from their land.'
Last week, Sisi urged US President Donald Trump – who had touted the plan to displace Palestinians into Egypt – to intervene, saying he 'is the one capable of ending the war, brining in aid and ending this suffering'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
2 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Trump and Putin: a strained relationship
DONALD Trump styles himself as a strongman. And that's exactly what he sees in Vladimir Putin. Their complicated relationship will be put to the test at a summit in Alaska on Friday, where the two leaders who claim to admire each other will seek to outmaneuver one another over how to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While the two were close to a bromance during Trump's first term (2017-2021), their relationship has grown strained during his second term. The US president has expressed anger with Putin for pressing on with his brutal three-year-old war in Ukraine, which Trump calls "ridiculous." Trump describes the summit as "really a feel-out meeting" to evaluate Putin's readiness to negotiate an end to the war. "I'm going to be telling him, 'You've got to end this war,'" Trump said. The two leaders notably have radically different negotiating strategies: the Republican real estate magnate usually banks on making a deal, while the Russian president tends to take the long view, confident that time is on his side. Referring to Trump's meeting with Putin, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that Trump needs "to see him face to face... to make an assessment by looking at him." Trump praised Putin for accepting his invitation to come to the US state of Alaska, which was once a Russian colony. "I thought it was very respectful that the president of Russia is coming to our country, as opposed to us going to his country or even a third place," Trump said Monday. It will be only the second one-on-one meeting between the men since a 2018 Helsinki summit. Trump calls Putin smart and insists he's always "had a very good relationship" with the Kremlin leader. But when Russian missiles pounded Kyiv earlier this year, Trump accused him of "needlessly killing a lot of people," adding in a social media post: "He has gone absolutely CRAZY!" For his part, Putin has praised the Republican billionaire's push to end the Ukraine war. "I have no doubt that he means it sincerely," Putin said last year when Trump was running for president. Since returning to the White House in January, the American president has forged a rapprochement with Putin, who has been sidelined by the international community since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Trump and Putin, aged 79 and 72 respectively, spoke for 90 minutes by phone in February, both expressing hope for a reset of relations. But after a series of fruitless talks and continued deadly Russian bombing of Ukrainian cities, Trump has appeared increasingly frustrated. "I am very disappointed with President Putin," Trump told reporters last month. "I thought he was somebody that meant what he said. And he'll talk so beautifully and then he'll bomb people at night. We don't like that." Trump and Putin have met six times, mostly on the sidelines of international events during Trump's first term. In his recent book "War," Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward wrote that Trump spoke to Putin seven times between leaving the White House in 2021 and returning there earlier this year. The Kremlin denies this. But the defining moment in their relationship remains the July 16, 2018 summit in the Finnish capital Helsinki. After a two-hour one-on-one meeting, Trump and Putin expressed a desire to mend relations between Washington and Moscow. But Trump caused an uproar during a joint press conference by appearing to take at face value the Russian president's assurances that Moscow did not attempt to influence the 2016 US presidential election – even though US intelligence agencies had unanimously confirmed that it did. "I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today," Trump said. "He just said it's not Russia. I will say this: I don't see any reason why it would be." Given this history, Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen is worried about what could happen at the Trump-Putin summit. "I am very concerned that President Putin will view this as a reward and another opportunity to further prolong the war instead of finally seeking peace," she said.
The Sun
2 minutes ago
- The Sun
Iran security chief pledges ongoing support for Lebanon amid Hezbollah disarmament plans
BEIRUT: Iran's top security chief Ali Larijani reaffirmed Tehran's commitment to supporting Lebanon during a visit on Wednesday, as the Lebanese government ordered its army to draft a plan to disarm the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Larijani's trip follows Iran's vocal opposition to Lebanon's efforts to disarm Hezbollah, a group once considered better armed than the Lebanese military before its 2024 conflict with Israel. 'If the Lebanese people are suffering, we in Iran will also feel this pain and we will stand by the dear people of Lebanon in all circumstances,' Larijani, head of Iran's National Security Council, told reporters upon arriving in Beirut. Dozens of Hezbollah supporters lined the airport road to welcome Larijani, who briefly stepped out of his car to acknowledge their chants of solidarity. During his visit, Larijani is set to meet Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key Hezbollah ally. Iran has faced setbacks in its rivalry with Israel, including a 12-day war in June, while Hezbollah's influence has waned since a November 2024 ceasefire with Israel. The US-backed Lebanese government has since taken steps to curb Hezbollah's power, part of Iran's 'axis of resistance' alongside groups like Hamas and Yemen's Huthi rebels. The fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, a key conduit for Iran-Hezbollah arms transfers, has further disrupted supply routes to Lebanon. Iran has condemned Lebanon's disarmament push, with Hezbollah denouncing the move as a 'grave sin'. – AFP
Malay Mail
2 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Madonna's birthday wish for son Rocco? Save Gaza's children
WASHINGTON, Aug 13 — Madonna has called on Pope Leo to make a humanitarian visit to Gaza to help save starving Palestinian children, saying 'there is no more time' to act. The American superstar, who was raised Roman Catholic, appealed directly to the pontiff in an August 11 Instagram post. 'Most Holy Father. Please go to Gaza and bring your light to the children before it's too late. As a mother, I cannot bear to watch their suffering. The children of the world belong to everyone. You are the only one of us who cannot be denied entry.' Madonna said she was reaching out to the pope because she believes political solutions alone are insufficient. 'Politics cannot affect change. Only consciousness can,' she wrote. Her plea was timed with a personal milestone — her son Rocco's birthday. 'I feel the best gift I can give to him as a mother is to ask everyone to do what they can to help save the innocent children caught in the crossfire in Gaza,' she said. The 65-year-old singer stressed she was not taking sides in the conflict. 'I am not pointing fingers, placing blame or taking sides. Everyone is suffering. Including the mothers of the hostages. I pray that they are released as well,' she added. Pope Leo, who took over the papacy in May, has been outspoken in his criticism of Israel's military campaign in Gaza and has repeatedly voiced concern for Palestinian civilians under bombardment. The Vatican has not yet responded to Madonna's appeal. It is also unclear if Israel would allow the pope to enter Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has sealed off access to the enclave, including to media workers and even humanitarian aid groups. Other artistes who have spoken out about the crisis in Gaza, where thousands face acute food shortages amid ongoing fighting, include U2 and Massive Attack.
