Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi suggested Wednesday that displaced Palestinian civilians in Gaza could be relocated to a desert area within Israel while the current conflict continues.
El-Sisi was speaking alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at a news conference in Cairo.
“I would suggest Israel to relocate civilian Palestinians to the desert in Nakab in Israel till it finishes its operations with Hamas and other Islamist militias,” President El-Sisi said. The Nakab is also called the Negev desert.
The president emphasized that his country currently hosts 8.5 million refugees and cannot accommodate more while voicing concern over the potential security risks of a significant influx of Palestinians into Egypt.
“If we allow Palestinians to cross in large numbers potentially there could be terrorist operations against Israel and Israel can strike back,” El-Sisi added.
Sisi condemned the killing of civilians and highlighted the importance of the Palestinian cause among Arab states.
