Egyptian Foreign Minister: We faced pressures and large financial offers to deport the Palestinians

The Egyptian Foreign Minister, Badr Abdel Ati, revealed that Cairo was subjected to pressures and large financial offers in recent times, in the context of attempts to pass a plan to deport Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, confirming that the Egyptian state dealt with these pressures with the logic of international law and rejected any bargain that affects Palestinian rights or national security.

Abdel Ati explained that some of these offers included waiving huge financial debts on Egypt, in addition to other economic incentives, in exchange for accepting arrangements related to the deportation of Palestinians, but Cairo categorically rejected those proposals, considering that accepting them represents a violation of the rules of international legitimacy.

The minister affirmed that Egypt's position is known and clear to all parties, including the Israeli side, noting that long years of diplomatic relations have established a mutual understanding of the nature of the red lines that cannot be crossed.

Regarding the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Abdel Ati emphasized that Israel, as an occupying power, bears full legal responsibility for opening the crossings and ensuring the flow of aid, accusing Tel Aviv of ignoring its international obligations, and added that abandoning the international law system will lead the world to the logic of chaos and "the law of the jungle."

The Foreign Minister addressed the Rafah crossing file, confirming that Egypt rejects its unilateral operation, and that any talk of dividing the Gaza Strip or imposing new paths and borders is completely rejected. He also indicated that there is a conviction in Washington of the need to quickly move to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, with continued Egyptian efforts to push towards a fair settlement.

On the energy front, Abdel Ati denied any political dimensions to gas import agreements from the Israeli occupation, saying they are purely commercial deals between international companies, and confirmed that Egypt's ownership of two liquefaction plants in Idku and Damietta gives it a pivotal position as a regional center for gas collection and re-export, whether from Israel or Cyprus, alongside new discoveries that support local production.

On the Syrian file, the minister affirmed Cairo's support for the unity of Syrian territories and its stability, pointing to continuous communication with the new Syrian administration, and advised it not to provide pretexts for foreign interventions. He also emphasized the importance of combating terrorism and preventing Syria from becoming a platform threatening neighboring countries.

Abdel Ati also addressed the refugee file, confirming that Egypt bears heavy burdens without sufficient international support, warning that the continuation of this situation requires the international community to bear its responsibilities, especially in light of the escalating regional crises.

In conclusion of his speech, the Foreign Minister reiterated that the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam file represents a national security issue that does not tolerate negligence, stressing that Egypt will defend its water rights by the means guaranteed by international law, while maintaining balanced relations with the Nile Basin countries except for the ongoing dispute with Ethiopia over unilateral policies.