Egypt says Italy supports Arab plan for Gaza reconstruction without displacing Palestinians

CAIRO/ISTANBUL

Egyptian Foreign Minister Bedr Abdelatty said Thursday that Italy fully supports an Arab plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip without displacing Palestinians.

Abdelatty’s remarks came during a news conference with his Italian counterpart, Antonio Tajani, in Cairo.

The Italian Foreign Ministry said Tajani confirmed “the support for initiatives for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and its reconstruction.”

Abdelatty said they discussed the regional developments in Palestine, stressing the urgent need to provide the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

He said they also evaluated the developments in the Red Sea region and agreed on “the necessity of reducing escalation in the Red Sea and ensuring freedom of navigation in it.”

“To achieve stability in the ME, we stressed joint efforts to counter irregular migration and safeguard maritime traffic via the Suez and the Red Sea,” Tajani said.

A statement by the Egyptian presidency following President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s meeting with Tajani, said they addressed “the importance of cooperation between the two countries in combating illegal immigration, as well as cooperation in the area of regular migration.”

It highlighted “the need to support Egypt in this regard, given its success in preventing any boats carrying illegal migrants from departing from its coast since 2016, and hosting approximately 9.5 million foreigners displaced by the crises facing the region.”

The talks also included a review of “Egypt's efforts to achieve a ceasefire, exchange hostages and detainees, and deliver humanitarian aid.”

Other topics discussed included “developments in Syria, Libya, and Sudan, maritime security in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and developments pertinent to negotiations between Iran and the United States regarding the Iranian nuclear issue.”

The Italian foreign minister “praised Egypt's tremendous efforts to restore regional stability,” stressing his country's “commitment to continuous consultation and coordination with Egypt in this regard,” according to the statement.

On March 4, an emergency Arab summit in Cairo approved Egypt's $53 billion reconstruction plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing Palestinians from their homes.

Israel resumed its offensive on the Gaza Strip on March 18, abandoning a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January. It has killed nearly 51,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in the enclave since October 2023.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war that has left the territory on the brink of famine.