Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi took a clear stance on relations with Israel, declaring that there can be no real normalization without a fundamental solution to the Palestinian issue. Sisi delivered this message in a speech at the inauguration ceremony of the State Strategic Command Center in the new administrative capital.
Recalling that Egypt was the first country to sign a peace agreement with Israel in 1979, Sisi stressed that the path to lasting peace and stability lies through a comprehensive agreement that establishes an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. "Without a just peace that ends the occupation, stops oppression and aggression, and restores rights to their owners, there will be no normalization at the popular level," he said.
Call for support for Gaza and Iran ceasefires
Pointing to the fragile peace efforts in the region, Sisi said that the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and the agreement to stop the war between the US and Iran must be supported. He called for preventing attempts to undermine these agreements.
Recalling that more than 73,000 Palestinians were killed and over 173,000 injured in the two-year war that Israel launched on October 8, 2023, Sisi stated that Israel continues its bombardments despite the ceasefire in effect since October 10, 2025. He also noted that the US and Iran are conducting negotiations to end the war that began on February 28, within the framework of the memorandum of understanding they signed on June 18.
Impact of regional crises on Egypt
President Sisi explained that Egypt has faced successive crises in recent years, from the fight against terrorism to the coronavirus pandemic, from the effects of the Ukraine war to the genocide in Gaza and tensions involving Iran. He noted that these crises have caused heavy financial losses.
He stated that due to attacks in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Suez Canal revenues suffered losses of over 10 billion dollars, and that Egypt faced consequences such as rising energy and food prices, disruptions in supply chains, and the migration of millions of people to Egypt. Sisi stressed the need to insist on the full implementation of the "Sharm El-Sheikh Agreement" reached in October 2025 through the efforts of former US President Donald Trump, as well as the Washington-Tehran agreement.
Defense doctrine and domestic policy messages
Saying that the newly opened Strategic Command Center is a fundamental pillar in the state's struggle against extraordinary circumstances as well as military situations, Sisi said, "Egypt's borders are a red line protected by the will of its people." He added that they are for peace for those who want peace, but they will only bow before God.
Also making assessments on domestic politics, Sisi noted that after the 2011 events, the dollar exchange rate rose from 6 Egyptian pounds to 50 pounds, and the state lost 450 billion dollars. He announced that he had instructed the government to pave the way for an objective media dialogue that includes different views.
He also gave instructions to revitalize party life, train political cadres, and complete the necessary preparations for local council elections, which have not been held since 2008. In Egypt, all local councils were dissolved by judicial decision in 2011.
