By Abida Kahlun
Bureau Chief Helsinki
Snn News Finland
Cairo/Helsinki Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has said Egypt will not accept “popular normalization” with Israel unless a just peace is achieved that ends the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The Statement
Speaking on Saturday, Sisi said normalization would remain impossible without “a just peace that ends the occupation, puts an end to injustice and aggression”, arguing that lasting stability in the region depends on restoring Palestinian rights and guaranteeing security for everyone involved.
the occupation, puts an end to injustice and aggression, restores rights to their rightful owners, and provides security for all.”
He added that such a peace would give the peoples of the region “an opportunity to live in stability and prosperity.”
Where and When He Spoke
Sisi made the remarks during a speech at the inauguration ceremony for the State Strategic Command headquarters in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital, east of Cairo, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.
The new facility was the primary occasion for the event, with his comments on Israel and the Palestinians forming part of a wider address.
Sisi described the State Strategic Command as a major advancement in Egypt’s command-and-control and operational management capabilities, saying it includes advanced technological infrastructure, secure communications systems, intelligence-gathering and analysis capabilities, and a unified structure connecting the country’s political and military decision-makers.
Gaza Ceasefire and Regional Diplomacy
Sisi also called for support for the Gaza ceasefire, which took effect in October 2025, as well as for a recent framework deal between Iran and the United States to end their conflict, urging that attempts to undermine either arrangement be prevented.
Part of a Wider Regional Position
Egypt’s stance echoes positions taken by other regional powers.
Saudi Arabia has taken a comparable stance, with its leadership repeatedly signaling that it won’t move toward formal ties with Israel unless there is a firm, unreversible commitment to eventual Palestinian independence.
That position places Egypt and Saudi Arabia at odds with calls from Washington for broader regional normalization.
U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Muslim-majority nations to join the Abraham Accords, the U.S.-brokered normalization agreements first launched during his administration in 2020, which brought Israel formal ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco but not Saudi Arabia or Egypt.
within the “Gaza Ceasefire and Regional Diplomacy” section, first mention of the ceasefire
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