Sisi Urges Israel to Halt Its Expansion in Gaza

SadaNews - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi urged Israel on Tuesday to abandon its plan to control 70 percent of the Gaza Strip during his participation in the G7 summit in France, according to "Agence France-Presse".

Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the army to take control of more land in the Gaza Strip, disregarding the terms of the ceasefire that came into effect in October.

Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces had controlled about 50 percent of the strip under the truce, before advancing to roughly 60 percent, and then aimed to control 70 percent.

According to the ceasefire, Israeli forces are supposed to withdraw behind what is known as the "yellow line," which separates areas controlled by "Hamas" from those under the control of the Israeli army.

Al-Sisi said: "As attention is focused on the crisis with Iran, the scope of the yellow line in the Gaza Strip has expanded to include about 70 percent of the strip, effectively leaving only 30 percent of the area for the Palestinian people."

He added: "This approach must cease immediately, and annexation of the West Bank must not be allowed."

He viewed that "there is no alternative to achieving a fair and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution," and urged the implementation of former U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Gaza Strip.

Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza, plays a pivotal role as a mediator between Israel and "Hamas" since the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, which ignited the war in the strip.