Egypt rejects annexation, displacement, calls for Palestinian state

Egypt on Wednesday reiterated its rejection of Israeli efforts to annex occupied Palestinian territories and displace Palestinians, while calling for the full implementation of US President Donald Trump's plan for the Gaza Strip.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly made the remarks on behalf of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during a summit on Palestine and the two-state solution held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, according to a statement by the Egyptian Cabinet.

Madbouly thanked the UK, France, and Canada, which co-chaired the summit, saying it was held at an "important time."

He said Egypt's vision for the Palestinian issue and peace in the Middle East is based on the view that peace in the region "cannot be achieved except through a political settlement that ends the occupation."

He said the desired settlement must lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

"The foundations of the two-state solution face unprecedented challenges," Madbouly said, citing Israeli settlement expansion, land seizures, and increasing settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

Madbouly welcomed measures taken by the UK, France, Canada, and other countries "to confront illegal settlement activities in the occupied territories."

The Egyptian premier also stressed the need to support the Palestinian Authority and preserve its ability to carry out its responsibilities, including restoring its role in Gaza, in a way that preserves the unity of Palestinian territory and institutions.

On Gaza, Madbouly stressed the need for the "full implementation" of Trump's plan, as well as UN Security Council Resolution 2803, including respect for the ceasefire, facilitating humanitarian aid deliveries, an Israeli withdrawal and the restriction of weapons to authorized bodies.

He also called for the deployment of an international stabilization force, enabling the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza to operate and launching reconstruction efforts.

On July 31, Trump's "Board of Peace" announced a roadmap for implementing the next phases of the ceasefire, which Hamas later said it accepted, while calling for Israel to be bound by its terms.

Israel has not agreed to the deployment of the international force or allowed the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, which has been operating from Cairo, to enter the Gaza Strip, according to the Egyptian statement.

"Egypt will continue working with various partners to protect the two-state solution and achieve peace in the region," Madbouly said.

The current UN General Assembly session began earlier this month, with its high-level segment and general debate opening Tuesday and scheduled to continue through Sept. 28.