Egypt to exert utmost, unyielding efforts to bring end to hostilities in Gaza: Sisi

By Ibrahim Khazen

CAIRO (AA) – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Saturday that his country is making every effort to stop the ongoing Israeli war in the Gaza Strip, which started over half a year ago.

His statement came in a speech on the occasion of Laylat al-Qadr, which fell on Friday/Saturday night, in the presence of several officials and religious figures at Al-Manara International Conferences Center in eastern Cairo, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency.

The Egyptian president spoke about the virtues of the blessed Night of Decree and its significance among Muslims with its great religious and spiritual meanings.

Sisi addressed the situation in Palestine, saying: “I will not miss the opportunity to reiterate our unequivocal and steadfast solidarity with our Palestinian brothers in the Gaza Strip, reaffirming that Egypt will exert utmost and unyielding efforts to bring an end to the hostilities and ensure the unfettered delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid and relief into the sector.”

“I also underscore Egypt’s unshakable commitment to tirelessly strive toward attaining the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and the establishment of their independent state along the June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital,” he added.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack in early October by the Palestinian group, Hamas, killed less than 1,200 people.

More than 33,100 Palestinians have since been killed and over 75,800 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which last week asked it to do more to prevent famine in Gaza.

* Writing by Rania Abu Shamala.