French President Emmanuel Macron called for the immediate resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza during a visit to the Egyptian city of Arish, located in northern Sinai near the Rafah crossing, on Tuesday. The visit, was conducted jointly with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and aimed at assessing humanitarian efforts to support Gaza residents.
Al-Sisi and Macron’s visit to Arish, a city overlooking the Mediterranean Sea that serves as the logistical base for humanitarian aid destined for Gaza, emphasized France’s solidarity with Egypt’s efforts to care for wounded Palestinians.
According to Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, the official spokesperson for the Egyptian Presidency, Al-Sisi and Macron toured the Arish General Hospital and met with Palestinian patients, particularly women and children. They also visited the Egyptian Red Crescent’s logistics centre, which gathers humanitarian aid from Egypt and other countries destined for Gaza.
During the hospital visit, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Egypt’s Vice Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population, outlined Egypt’s efforts to provide healthcare to Palestinians arriving from Gaza. He stated that Egypt has received approximately 107,000 Palestinians for medical examinations and vaccinated 27,000 Palestinian children. Egyptian hospitals have treated over 8,000 wounded Palestinians, accompanied by 16,000 attendants, and performed more than 5,160 surgeries. Palestinian patients have been received in 300 hospitals across 26 Egyptian governorates, with 176 hospitals in 24 governorates currently providing care. Accommodation and sustenance are provided to all attendants.
Al-Sisi emphasized Egypt’s unwavering support for Palestinians and noted the country’s intensive diplomatic efforts to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and deliver necessary humanitarian aid, protecting civilians and the Palestinian people from the consequences of the conflict.
Al-Sisi and Macron emphasized the need for an immediate ceasefire, the importance of accelerating the delivery of humanitarian aid, and ensuring the protection of civilians and aid workers. They also reiterated their categorical rejection of any attempts to displace Palestinians from their land.
The French President stated that the resumption of humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip is “the top priority.” Speaking from Arish, Macron said that the situation in Gaza today is intolerable and “has never been this bad.” According to Agence France-Presse, he added, “We demand first of all the resumption of aid entry as quickly as possible.”
Earlier, Macron said that France supports a plan to rebuild Gaza and establish a Palestinian government led by the Palestinian Authority.
In a post on X, Macron called for an immediate return to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and expressed his condemnation of the resumption of Israeli attacks on the enclave.
The French President also called for the release of all detainees, noting significant Egyptian-French coordination and intensive efforts since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza.
Macron affirmed that the Egyptian-French position on Gaza has been consistent since the start of the conflict, emphasizing that peace will be achieved through political means.
Moreover, thousands of Egyptians gathered on Tuesday in the city of Arish, located on the border with the Gaza Strip. Reports indicated that crowds assembled from early morning, chanting slogans rejecting displacement and demanding an immediate ceasefire and the allowance of humanitarian and relief aid to enter the Gaza Strip.
Participants in the gatherings waved Egyptian and Palestinian flags, along with banners supporting the Palestinian cause and Gaza, bearing phrases in Arabic, English, and French. The banners featured messages such as “No to Displacement,” “No to the Liquidation of the Palestinian Cause,” “We Are All With the Palestinian Cause,” and “Gaza is a Red Line,” in support of the Egyptian President’s position against the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
The visit to Arish was the final stop on an official three-day visit by the French President to Egypt, which focused on the war in Gaza.
On Monday, the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, and France called for an immediate return to a ceasefire in Gaza to protect Palestinians and ensure they receive urgent humanitarian aid fully and immediately.
