Egypt's Sisi says Israel's war in Gaza a 'systematic genocide'

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi said on Tuesday that Israel was pursuing "a war of starvation and genocide" in Gaza, and denied accusations Cairo prevented life-saving aid from entering the Palestinian territory.

"The war in Gaza is no longer merely a war to achieve political goals or release hostages," Sisi told a press conference in Cairo along with his Vietnamese counterpart.

According to Sisi, "this (Gaza) war has long since surpassed any logic or justification, and has become a war of starvation and genocide".

"There is systematic genocide to eradicate the Palestinian cause," he said.

Rafah border crossing 'never closed'

Israel has heavily restricted aid into Gaza which is slipping into a catastrophic famine 22 months into the war.

Israel has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

Following mounting international pressure on Israel, in late May aid has only began trickling into Gaza, which borders Israel and Egypt.

In response to what Sisi said were "bankrupt" accusations of Egypt's complicity in the siege, the president reiterated that the Rafah border crossing with Gaza was "never closed."

'Gateway for aid'

The crossing at Rafah was a vital entry point of aid in the early months of the war, until Israeli troops took over its Palestinian side in May 2024, forcing it shut.

"The crossing was able to bring in aid as long as there were no Israeli troops stationed on the Palestinian side of the crossing," Sisi said, adding that there are 5,000 trucks loaded with aid waiting to enter Gaza.

Cairo has also repeatedly refused US plans to displace Palestinians into Egypt, lobbying for a reconstruction plan for the territory that has fallen by the wayside as Israel repeatedly defied truce agreements.

"Egypt will always remain a gateway for aid, not a gateway for the displacement of the Palestinian people," Sisi said on Tuesday.

Appeal to Trump

"We are prepared to allow aid in at any time, but we are not prepared to displace Palestinians from their land."

Last week, Sisi urged US President Donald Trump – who had touted the plan to displace Palestinians into Egypt – to intervene, saying he "is the one capable of ending the war, bringing in aid and ending this suffering."