Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has publicly criticized Israel, asserting that its actions are actively impeding efforts to achieve lasting peace in the volatile Middle East region.
“What is happening right now hinders the future of peace, threatens your security and the security of the peoples in the region, and adds obstacles to chances for any new peace agreements and even aborts existing ones,” he stated at the Arab-Islamic summit in Doha, as seen on Reuters.
El-Sisi’s remarks highlight a widespread sentiment among numerous observers that Israel’s approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its broader regional policies are counterproductive to stability and diplomatic resolution.
In August, reports indicated that Egypt was considered a key mediator in the Gaza conflict, with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi receiving Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in Cairo as a result.
Then the reports were that there was a potential breakthrough in the fight between Hamas and Israel, after Hamas expressed consent to a cease-fire in Gaza.
Unfortunately, the fighting since then has only intensified, with Israel launching an unprecedented strike on Qatar’s soil in an attempt to target Hamas members.
As a result, an emergency meeting of Arab and Islamic states was called, scheduled to be held in Qatar in response to the strike, where the Egyptian president gave the aforementioned remarks.
The meeting seeks to resolve what has been called “hostile acts including genocide, ethnic cleansing, [and] starvation.”
Israel has vehemently refuted these claims.
Reported parameters for peace between Israel and Gaza in August
Last month, the development sparked cautious optimism among diplomats who have spent months navigating deadlock discussions.
According to the stated terms of the agreement, Hamas would release half of its remaining hostages from the October 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the current crisis.
In exchange, Israel would free several Palestinian prisoners and withdraw its forces from parts of Gaza.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty expressed cautious hope, telling Al-Qahera TV that a deal might be achieved “very soon,” if Israel has “political will and good intention.”
Additionally, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee told Israel’s Army Radio that conversations “have apparently started again,” possibly because Hamas “heard that the Israelis are determined to go in very hard.”
He restated the US stance, which is consistent with Israel’s, that Hamas has “no future in Gaza” and must be dismantled as an armed, governmental entity.
“I don’t know what their motivation is, other than maybe to delay things,” Huckabee said, referring to Hamas. “But we just have to keep the focus.”
War between Israel and Palestine
The Gaza War is an ongoing violent conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group that rules the Gaza Strip.
It escalated dramatically on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a massive surprise attack on Israel. Israel retaliated with massive bombing campaigns and eventually a ground invasion of Gaza.
The conflict claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people, predominantly Palestinian civilians, and destroyed infrastructure in Gaza.
Israel claims its purpose is to eliminate Hamas’ military capabilities, but Palestinians and many international observers view the campaign as excessive and deadly.
