Egyptian president appeals to Trump to end Gaza war, facilitate humanitarian aid

By Hussien Elkabany and Rania Abu Shamala

CAIRO/ISTANBUL (AA) – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on his US counterpart, Donald Trump, on Monday to stop Israel’s destructive war on the Gaza Strip and ensure the entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged territory.

“I am making a special appeal to President Trump, given my personal appreciation for his capabilities and stature,” Sisi said in a televised speech.

“I see Trump as the one who can stop this war. I urge him to do everything in his power to end the war in Gaza and allow aid into the territory. I believe the time has come to stop this war,” he added.

The Egyptian president called the situation inside famine-ravaged Gaza “tragic” and “unbearable.”

“A maximum amount of food, medical aid, and all necessary supplies must be allowed in to end the suffering of the Palestinian people,” he said.

Egypt “is playing a sincere, honest, and principled role in delivering aid to Gaza, and this will continue without change. Egypt is keen on finding solutions to end the war in Gaza,” he added.

Gaza’s hunger crisis has spiraled into a humanitarian catastrophe. Harrowing footage shows severely emaciated residents, some reduced to skin and bone, collapsing from exhaustion, dehydration, and prolonged starvation.

Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza for 18 years, and since March 2 has shut down all crossings, worsening humanitarian conditions in the territory’s 2.4 million population.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 147 Palestinians, including 88 children, have died from starvation and malnutrition since October 2023.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.