Egyptian president reaffirms rejection of any displacement of Palestinians

CAIRO, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Friday reiterated Egypt's "firm and categorical rejection" of any displacement of Palestinians, calling the war in Gaza a "humanitarian catastrophe," according to a presidential statement.

Speaking in a televised address marking the anniversary of the liberation of the Sinai Peninsula, Sisi demanded an "urgent and immediate ceasefire" in the conflict, the release of hostages and detainees, and the unhindered delivery of sufficient humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip.

He described the ongoing war, which has killed tens of thousands according to health officials in the Hamas-run enclave, as an event that "will shamefully scar the records of history."

Sisi stated that Egypt remained committed to preventing the "liquidation of the Palestinian cause" and said a lasting peace could only be achieved through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on "resolutions of international legitimacy."

The speech marked Sinai Liberation Day, commemorating the withdrawal of Israeli forces in 1982 following the Camp David Accords peace treaty signed with Israel in 1979.

Almost 2,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 5,200 others injured since Israel renewed its air and ground assaults on March 18 across Gaza, while the total Palestinian death toll since October 2023 has topped 51,000, according to recent data by Gaza-based health authorities. Israel has also blocked the entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza since March 2. ■