Palestinian cause not population, geographical issue but struggle to restore legitimate rights: Egypt parliament

Al-Ahram Weekly

27-01-2025

Egyptian parliament speaker Hanafy El-Gebaly said the Palestinian cause is not a population issue or a geographical dispute, but rather the struggle of a people asserting their historical and legitimate rights.
In a statement delivered during Monday's session, El-Gebaly said no one can 'imagine that the Palestinians, who have sacrificed thousands of martyrs, would accept relinquishing their land and holy sites for any alternative."
The Palestinian people are not just a group seeking shelter, he stressed, referring to US President Donald Trump's proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza.
'They are people with a rich history, a sacred land, and an enduring right that does not diminish over time. They will never relinquish this right, and the Arab nation will not abandon it either,' the statement added.
On Saturday evening, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he had told Jordan's King Abdullah II: "I'd love you to take on more because I'm looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and it's a mess, it's a real mess."
The US president said he planned to present the same proposal to the Egyptian president on Sunday.
"You're talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing," he stated.
Moreover, El-Gebaly described these proposals as attempts to circumvent the rights of the Palestinian people, which not only threatens the Palestinians but also poses a significant danger to regional security and stability.
'Such proposals may impede efforts to maintain the current truce and reach a permanent ceasefire. Furthermore, the displacement of Palestinians risks transferring the conflict to other territories, with disastrous repercussions for the entire region,' he warned.
He asserted the Egyptian parliament categorically rejects any arrangements or attempts to alter the geographical and political reality of the Palestinian cause, adding that the only viable path to lasting peace is the implementation of the two-state solution.
He also called for a serious and comprehensive political process that enables the Palestinian National Authority to fulfil its responsibilities in Gaza and the West Bank while supporting reconstruction projects and facilitating the flow of humanitarian aid.
El-Gebaly reiterated that the international community must shoulder its historical responsibilities toward the Palestinian people, as 'this is not solely an Arab duty, but a moral and humanitarian obligation for all of humanity."
The recently achieved ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip is only the first step toward peace.
This agreement came at a critical stage as the Palestinian people have tasted the bitterness of siege, starvation, and oppression for more than fifteen months amid a suspicious international inability to confront a serious threat to regional peace and security.
Egypt, he added, will always be committed to defending the rights of the Palestinian people. It firmly rejects all attempts to undermine the Palestinian cause or infringe upon the rights of this great people.
In a statement on Monday, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Sunday that Cairo categorically rejects any displacement of Palestinians from their land, be it "short term" or "long term."
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