Egyptian president calls for European pressure to reach Gaza cease-fire

By Ibrahim al-Khazen

ISTANBUL (AA) – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on Wednesday for European pressure to reach a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

Speaking during a joint press conference in Cairo with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Sisi underlined the importance of piling pressure by the European countries to strike a cease-fire deal in Gaza.

He also affirmed his country's rejection of Israel's use of hunger as a weapon against Palestinians.

For months, Egypt, Qatar and the US have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and a cease-fire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. But mediation efforts have been stalled due to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’ demands to stop the war.

The Egyptian leader said his talks with his German counterpart also dwelt on a dam project being built by Ethiopia on the Nile River, which Cairo sees an “existential threat” to its water share from the Nile.

Wednesday’s visit by the German president is the first to Egypt in 25 years, according to Egyptian media.

His visit comes as Israel continues a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 41,000 people, mostly women and children, have since been killed and nearly 95,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

An ongoing blockade of the enclave has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar