Skip to main content

Egypt's Sisi, Trump discuss Gaza ceasefire; no mention of Palestinian transfer in statement

1 min Mena Today

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed on the need to consolidate the Gaza ceasefire deal in a phone call on Saturday, the Egyptian presidency said, but it was unclear if they discussed Trump's call for the transfer of Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks while meeting with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York City, New York, U.S., September 23, 2019. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks while meeting with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York City, New York, U.S., September 23, 2019. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed on the need to consolidate the Gaza ceasefire deal in a phone call on Saturday, the Egyptian presidency said, but it was unclear if they discussed Trump's call for the transfer of Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan.

The presidency said in a statement they had a positive dialogue which stressed the importance of fully implementing the first and second phases of the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and the need to step up humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza.

However, the statement did not mention if they discussed Trump's statement last week that Egypt and Jordan should take in Palestinians from Gaza following 15 months of Israeli bombardments that have left most of its 2.3 million people homeless.

Critics have called his suggestion tantamount to ethnic cleansing.

Sisi rejected the idea on Wednesday, describing it as an "act of injustice". However, on Thursday Trump reiterated his call, saying that "we do a lot for them, and they are going to do it," in an apparent reference to U.S. aid to both Egypt and Jordan.

Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo on Saturday also rejected a transfer of Palestinians from their land, saying such a move would threaten regional stability, spread conflict and undermine prospects for peace.

In their call, Sisi and Trump also expressed their keenness to achieve peace and stability in the region, the Egyptian presidency statement said.

Sisi invited Trump to visit Egypt as soon as possible to discuss problems in the Middle East, the statement added. The two presidents also discussed the need to strengthen their economic and investment ties, it said.

Reporting by Mohamed Hendawy, Ahmed Tolba and Enas Alashray

Related

Sudan

Sudan war enters fourth year: What to know

On April 15, 2026, the war in Sudan entered its fourth year, a grim milestone that passed largely unnoticed, overshadowed by conflicts elsewhere. Yet the United Nations has called it unequivocally the world's worst humanitarian crisis. 

Sudan

Germany seeks $1 billion in aid for Sudan to ease hunger crisis

Germany pledged a further 20 million euros ($23.6 million) to Sudan this year, the development ministry said on Wednesday, ahead of an international aid conference hosted in Berlin that is aiming to gather more than $1 billion in funding commitments.

Libya

Two arms brokers face UK trial over Libya weapons deals

Two arms brokers arranged illegal deals to supply ex-Soviet surface-to-air missile systems to South Sudan and fighter jets to Libya during its civil war, British prosecutors told a London court on Tuesday.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Mena banner 4

To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.

  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.