CAIRO

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday renewed his country’s rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinians, saying Cairo is seeking to reach a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

“Egypt’s position is clear from the first moment that it rejects any displacement of Palestinians from their lands to Sinai or any other area in order to preserve the Palestinian cause and protect Egypt’s national security,” he said in a speech marking the Sinai Liberation Day.

Egypt opposes a planned Israeli ground attack on Rafah in the southern tip of the Gaza Strip, where more than 1.4 million Palestinians have taken refuge from Israel’s ongoing offensive on the enclave.

Cairo is worried that any Israeli offensive in Rafah will push thousands of Palestinians into the Sinai Peninsula near the border with Gaza.

Sisi said his administration is working to reach a cease-fire in Gaza, allow access to humanitarian aid, and advance efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state.

“Egypt is keen on maintaining peace, security, stability and development in the region to serve the best of its peoples,” he added.

Israel has waged a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

More than 34,300 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 77,300 others injured, according to local health authorities.

More than six months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala