Sisi: 'Egypt never closed Rafah border with Gaza'

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi announced on Wednesday that his country had not closed the Rafah Border Crossing with the besieged Gaza Strip amid Israel’s devastating war on the enclave, which led to nearly 30,000 people being killed.

“Egypt has never closed the crossing, but in order to provide assistance in conflict situations, it is essential to ensure that no problems arise during its implementation,” Al-Sisi asserted at a public event in Cairo.

The Egyptian president expressed hope that: “A ceasefire is agreed upon in the Strip in the coming days and for a genuine relief operation for the population to take place,” stressing that Egypt would continue to support the Palestinian cause until the establishment of a Palestinian state on the June 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

Negotiations are currently taking place between the Palestinian Hamas movement and Israel, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the US, to reach a truce in Gaza, including a ceasefire, an exchange of prisoners and hostages and the introduction of intensive humanitarian aid.

Media reports suggest a truce agreement will soon be reached based on discussions in the French capital, Paris, with the participation of the concerned parties, before the advent of the holy month of Ramadan next March.

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