The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Saturday that she was opposed to the “forced displacement” of Palestinians after meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi in Cairo, against the backdrop of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. “I discussed the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza with President Sissi, thanked Egypt for its role in providing and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid to vulnerable Palestinians,” he said. Ursula von der Leyen on X (ex-Twitter).
Visit to Sinai
“We agree on the principle of non-forced displacement of Palestinians and on a political horizon based on a two-state solution”, Israeli and Palestinian, she added. The President of the European Commission then went to Sinai, the governor of this region bordering Israel and Gaza announced in a press release. “The President of the Commission arrived at Al-Arich airport, she will go to the Rafah crossing point, inspect humanitarian aid and visit injured Palestinians in hospitals” in this eastern region of Egypt, according to the same source.
It is in this airport that international aid has been piling up for weeks, before reaching Rafah, the border post between Egypt and Gaza, the only opening into the small ravaged Palestinian territory which is not in the hands of Israel and from where aid trickles in. “To strengthen our relations, we are working on a strategic partnership,” Ursula von der Leyen also said.
In 2022, during Ursula von der Leyen’s last visit, the EU, Israel and Egypt signed a memorandum of understanding to supply Europe with natural gas. Cairo has invested billions in natural gas in recent years and wants to become a major exporter.