Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Photo: AFP
Egypt's Sisi: We won't allow Sinai to become base for attacks on Israel
Amid crackdown on Sinai militants, Gaza-border region, Egypt's president says he will not allow area to become threat to neighbors, says Palestinian statehood would prevent terror.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said he would not allow Sinai to "become a base for attacks against Israel" and said Palestinian statehood would defuse many regional tensions and prevent terror. He made the comments in an interview with France 24 as Egypt cracked down on the border region between Sinai and the Gaza Strip.
Egyptian forces along Gaza border (Photo: AFP)
Egypt closed Rafah, the only crossing point between Egypt and the Palestinian territory, on Oct. 25 after attacks by Islamist militants which killed 33 Egyptian soldiers, an assault that prompted Cairo to declare a state of emergency in the area.
It is also pressing ahead with a one-km (0.6-mile) buffer zone with Gaza, partly to clamp down on the smuggling of arms and other goods across the border, a business that helps finance Hamas, the Islamist group that dominates the enclave.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (Photo: Reuters)
Despite the comments, Sisi also sounded veiled criticism at Israel as violent tensions continued to spread across the Israel and the West Bank, saying "you cannot defuse the current problems in the area… without a large positive move."
According to him, Israel must instill hope in the Palestinians that they will eventually reach statehood, and said "I believe that this will solve many problems currently forcing themselves on the region. We must not forgot one of the reasons for terror is the Palestinian issue."
Sisi with Palestinian President Abbas (Photo: AFP PHOTO/HO/ EGYPTIAN PRESIDENCY)
Sisi also commented on ongoing tensions in Jerusalem, which saw a record high number of terror attacks this last month, and already has some claiming that a third intifada (uprising) has started.
"There is no doubt the Palestinians are flustered, they have no hope. When I spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu I told him they need hope and they need a state in which they can leave peacefully and in security alongside Israel," Sisi said.
"I urge all peace-minded countries to make any assurances needed to both Israel and the Palestinians. The Palestinian state will not be a threat to Israelis and Israelis will not be a threat to the Palestinians. (I told Netanyahu) Who would have believed 40 years ago that peace like this would rein between Egypt and Israel."
Trapped in Sinai
One of the unintended consequences of Egypt's security clampdown is that some 6,000 Palestinians are now stuck in Egypt or third countries waiting to get back into Gaza.
Another 1,000 people suffering from medical problems including kidney failure, cancer and blood-related diseases seek urgent treatment or further diagnosis in Egypt, said Ashraf al-Qidra, a spokesman for the Gaza health ministry.
"If the closure continues, their health conditions will deteriorate and we may start to witness some deaths," he said.
Israel often takes in urgent cases from Gaza, but Qidra said people are increasingly reluctant to go to Israel because they fear they will be interrogated or asked to become an informant for the government about events in Gaza.
Egypt is keen to regain full control in Sinai, where Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, a militant group allied to Islamic State, is gaining influence, but also to put pressure on Hamas, which has long had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood ousted from power in July 2013.
Cairo has destroyed scores of tunnels running from Gaza into Egypt, some up to a kilometer long, that are used to shift everything from weapons to medical equipment, building supplies and consumer goods. All the trade is taxed by Hamas, providing a steady income.
Analysts said while Egypt's moves might well hurt Hamas in the short term, it would not resolve problems in Sinai.
"The security crackdown in Sinai may complicate things for Hamas and other factions in Gaza who bring in weapons to fight Israel," said Hamza Abu Shanab, an expert in Islamist groups.
"It may complicate it, but it will not stop it," he said. "The army's crackdown is fuelling hatred among residents of Sinai. Unfortunately, the impact is being felt in Gaza, whose people are paying the price for an internal struggle."
Eyad al-Bozom, a spokesman for the Gaza interior ministry run by officials loyal to Hamas, said: "Internal incidents in Egypt are an internal Egyptian affair that has nothing to do with Gaza. It is illogical to make our people pay the price for these incidents or be the victim of Egyptian security measures."
Reuters contributed to this report
