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European Council President Calls For Egypt Assistance Amid Gaza Attacks


FILE — European Council President Charles Michel addresses a press conference after an extraordinary European Council focused on the war in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas militia, Oct 17, 2023.
FILE — European Council President Charles Michel addresses a press conference after an extraordinary European Council focused on the war in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas militia, Oct 17, 2023.

WASHINGTON — Charles Michel, the President of the European Council Thursday said he will travel to Egypt on Saturday where he will call for support for the North African country in handling crisis at neighboring war-torn Gaza Strip. Gaza has been at the focal point of the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hamas militants which claimed the lives of thousands of poeple.

Speaking from Washington where he was in attendance of a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Michel said "Egypt needs support, so let's support Egypt."

Michel added that he was scheduled to meet Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi this weekend.

Ecaterina Casinge, Michel's spokesperson said the European Council leader accepted Sisi’s invitation to attend a "conference on the current developments in the Middle East, Palestine and the Peace Process."

Accompanying Michel to Egypt will be Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, Casinge added.

Speaking on Biden's recent visit to Israel where Washington announced Cairo's permission to allow some 20 trucks carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza, Michel said he supports the U.S. president's stance.

The EU supports Israel's right "to defend itself" in accordance with international law, Michel added.

Long-awaited humanitarian aid for Palestinians stranded in the Gaza Strip was expected to start flowing on Friday, Egyptian media reported on Thursday, the 13th day of a deadly war between Israel and Hamas.

Michel stressed the "challenge" posed by the potential influx of refugees into Egypt, and said he expects an "important exchange of information" on the subject on Friday at an U.S.-EU summit in Washington.

Asked whether Europe was speaking with one voice, he replied, "the answer is yes," citing the unified position expressed by European leaders during a videoconference on Tuesday evening.

The informal European summit aimed to clarify the European position after a series of criticisms of the message sent by the President of the European Commission during her recent visit to Israel.

"We stand with Israel," Von der Leyen said in a speech to the Hudson Institute think-tank in Washington Thursday, repeating that the nation had a right to defend itself in the face of the "horror" committed by Hamas in its attack.

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