Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi
As diplomatic efforts intensify to end the conflict in Gaza, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi has voiced strong support for former U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan.
During a nationally televised address on Monday, al-Sissi thanked Trump for his role in initiating a ceasefire after what he described as “two years of war, genocide, killing and destruction.”
Speaking on the occasion of Egypt’s Armed Forces Day—a commemoration of the October 6, 1973 war against Israel—al-Sissi expressed cautious optimism. He pointed to the ceasefire, ongoing hostage and prisoner exchanges, and renewed steps toward Palestinian statehood as encouraging signs. “We are on the right path to lasting peace and lasting stability,” he said.
The timing of the speech was symbolic. On this day in 1973, Egyptian and Syrian forces launched a surprise offensive to reclaim territory lost to Israel in the Six-Day War. That conflict eventually led to the Camp David Accords and the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty.
Amid the current violence in Gaza, Egypt is increasingly mindful of its own security situation. The latest round of negotiations, taking place in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, initially centered on a proposed exchange—freeing the remaining 48 hostages in return for a ceasefire.
Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners have also been released under the agreement. However, key issues remain unresolved, including calls for Hamas to disarm and demands for an Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza—both of which remain points of contention.
