Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa has praised Egypt’s stance on Gaza, describing it as “an impregnable barrier” against Israeli plans to forcibly displace Palestinians.
Speaking alongside Egypt’s foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, at the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, Mustafa said Cairo was under “immense pressure” but continued to resist attempts to push Palestinians out of Gaza.
He highlighted Egypt’s role in trying to end the war, lift the siege, prevent displacement, and prepare for reconstruction under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
He condemned Israel’s seizure of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, saying: “This crossing must be a gateway to life, not a tool for Israel to besiege the Palestinian people.”
Israel’s refusal to allow thousands of aid trucks into Gaza, he said, aimed to “starve over two million Palestinians” as part of a broader strategy of displacement.
The Palestinian leader stressed that the PLO remained the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and that his government was the only body authorized to govern Gaza as well as the occupied West Bank.
He said a Cairo conference on reconstruction would be convened once a ceasefire was in place, adding: “We are not creating a new political entity in Gaza. Instead, we are reactivating the institutions of the State of Palestine and its government in Gaza.”
He also urged Palestinians to consolidate unity and warned that administering Gaza in the postwar period “is not a source of profit, a desire for power, or a gain from the cessation of aggression, but … a great responsibility to thwart displacement schemes.”
Mustafa’s visit to Egypt included meetings with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Abdelatty, as well as tours of logistical hubs in North Sinai and Arish hospital, where wounded Palestinians are being treated.
