UPDATE - Egypt’s foreign minister visits Gaza border crossing, rejects ‘Greater Israel’ vision

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS

By Hussien Elkabany and Betul Yilmaz

CAIRO/ISTANBUL (AA) - Egypt’s foreign minister rejected on Monday Israeli official statements about the so-called “Greater Israel,” as he visited the Rafah border crossing with the blockaded Gaza Strip.

“We reject any Palestinian displacement from Gaza,” Badr Abdelatty told a press conference as he visited the Rafah crossing with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa.

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a news channel that he feels “very attached” to the vision of a "Greater Israel." He said he considers himself “on a historic and spiritual mission” with “generations of Jews that dreamt of coming here and generations of Jews who will come after us.”

"Greater Israel" is a Biblical term used in Israeli politics to refer to the expansion of Israel’s territory to include the West Bank, Gaza, Syria’s Golan Heights, Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, and parts of Jordan.

Abdelatty also noted that Israel is restricting the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Egypt “is ready to flood Gaza with humanitarian aid as soon as the Israeli restrictions are removed,” he added.

The top diplomat said the Egyptian and Qatari mediators are working to reach a Gaza ceasefire and hostage swap deal between the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel based on US envoy Steve Witkoff’s 60-day truce proposal.

“Our position on the Palestinian issue is firm and unchanging. We reiterate our rejection of all policies aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause.”

Abdelatty said Egypt will attend a planned emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on the Gaza Strip in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

Israel has killed more than 61,900 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for 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.