By Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi expressed his strong opposition to the forced displacement of Palestinians into Sinai, a move that could set a concerning precedent.
He made these remarks during a joint news conference in Cairo with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The border between Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip is a critical crossing for Palestinians not controlled by Israel.
President Sisi vehemently rejected any attempts to resolve the Palestinian issue through military means or the forced displacement of Palestinians from their homeland.
He argued that such actions would adversely impact the entire region and the Palestinian state’s prospects. Sisi warned that if Palestinians were displaced from Gaza to Egypt, a similar fate could await those in the West Bank, specifically in Jordan.
He stated, “Subsequently, the Palestinian state that we are talking about and that the world is talking about will become impossible to implement—because the land is there, but the people are not. Therefore, I warn of the danger of this matter.”
This warning echoes the sentiments of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, who likened the displacement of Gazans to a “second Nakba,” referencing the mass displacement of Palestinians in 1948 during Israel’s creation. The majority of Gaza’s population consists of descendants of these refugees.
President Sisi proposed a temporary solution where Palestinians could be relocated to Sinai until Israel’s declared operation to eliminate armed groups in Gaza is completed. However, he emphasized that it should be a reversible process, allowing Palestinians to return when desired.
Sisi asserted that the Egyptian people would vehemently protest any attempts to displace Gaza’s residents to Sinai. Hamas official Osama Hamdan echoed this sentiment, calling for support of the Egyptian stance to protect the Palestinian people.
One of Egypt’s primary concerns in this matter is the potential for increased insecurity near its border with Gaza in north-eastern Sinai. The region has faced an insurgency over the past decade, which has escalated tensions.
President Scholz of Germany emphasized his country’s commitment to avoiding a broader conflict in the Middle East and issued a warning to Hezbollah and Iran, urging them not to intervene in the ongoing conflict.
The disagreement over the forced displacement of Palestinians into Sinai has significant regional implications. It underscores the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the potential for a ripple effect in the Middle East.
The potential forced displacement of Palestinians is a contentious issue with far-reaching consequences. The Egyptian and Palestinian leaders are adamant that such a move could undermine the prospects for a Palestinian state, making the land available but rendering the population in disarray.
This situation highlights the urgency of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through peaceful means, rather than through the forced relocation of people. The international community continues to closely monitor these developments, as any escalations could have serious repercussions for the region.
