Ahmed Asmar
20 February 2025•Update: 20 February 2025
ANKARA
Egypt and Spain called Thursday for alleviating the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip after Israel’s deadly war and rebuilding the enclave without displacing its inhabitants.
In a joint statement issued following President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s visit to Spain, the two countries underlined the necessity to turn the Gaza ceasefire into a permanent cessation of fighting to allow a massive distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza and the release of the remaining captives in the territory.
Cairo and Madrid also urged donor countries to “strongly engage" in a conference being planned by Egypt for Gaza reconstruction.
No date has yet been set for the planned Gaza conference.
On Wednesday, Sisi held talks with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid where they discussed issues of mutual concern, including the situation in the war-torn Gaza Strip.
US President Donald Trump invoked outrage after suggesting taking over the Gaza Strip and relocating Palestinians elsewhere to develop the enclave into what he called “the Riviera of the Middle East.”
Trump’s plan for Palestinian resettlement has been rejected by the Palestinians, Arab countries, and Washington’s Western allies, who say it amounts to ethnic cleansing.
His controversial idea came amid a ceasefire agreement that took effect in Gaza on Jan. 19, pausing Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed at least 48,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.
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 on the enclave.
