Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has accused Israel of evading efforts to secure a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Addressing Arab leaders at a summit in Manama on Thursday, Al-Sisi, whose country has played a mediating role, criticised Israel for continuing its military operations in Rafah, a city on the southern border between Egypt and Gaza.
Al-Sisi highlighted that Israel is utilising Rafah’s border crossing from the Palestinian side to tighten the siege on the enclave. This crossing has become a critical route for aid to the coastal territory, where a deepening humanitarian crisis has left many at risk of famine.
The closure of the Rafah Crossing has sparked a blame game between Israel and Egypt. On Tuesday, Israel insisted that reopening the crossing and allowing humanitarian relief into Gaza was Egypt’s responsibility. Cairo, in response, condemned what it described as Israel’s desperate attempts to deflect blame for the aid blockage.
“We found Israel continuing to escape its responsibilities and evade efforts exerted to reach a ceasefire,” Al-Sisi stated.
He further remarked, “Those who think that security and military solutions can secure interests or achieve security (are) delusional.”