Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty is aggressively promoting the US-brokered peace plan for Gaza, framing it as the only viable path to avert further devastation. In an interview with “Der Spiegel”, Abdelatty stressed the urgency of the situation, declaring that “failure is not an option.
The plan, widely criticized for its perceived bias towards Israel and lack of Palestinian representation, is being presented by Cairo as a necessary, if imperfect, solution to the escalating crisis. A key component involves Egypt’s current training program for up to 5,000 Palestinian police officers, with a projected increase to 10,000, intended to provide security and law enforcement capabilities within the Gazan Strip. Critically, Abdelatty envisions the disarmament of Hamas modeled after the Northern Ireland experience, overseen by a Palestinian or Arab-Islamic governing body – a detail likely to encounter significant resistance from both Hamas and factions within the Palestinian Authority.
An international stabilization force is also proposed to secure the ceasefire, external borders and crucial transit points. While the mandate, participating nations and command structure are still under negotiation with the US, Egypt is positioning itself as the central coordinator of these efforts.
Abdelatty offered unequivocal support for the Trump administration, asserting that a ceasefire in Gaza would be “impossible” without US involvement and specifically praising President Trump’s engagement as “crucial” for implementing the plan. This endorsement signifies a deepening alignment between Cairo and Washington on regional policy.
However, the Egyptian official also levied sharp criticism against the international community, expressing “deep frustration” with what he described as their inaction. He condemned the two-year period of “systematic killing of people” and the creation of a “man-made famine” in Gaza, accusing the international body of a shameful failure to intervene. This accusation highlights a growing rift between Egypt, increasingly reliant on US backing and a wider international community perceived as hesitant to confront the underlying causes of the conflict. The effectiveness and long-term viability of Egypt’s initiatives remain contingent on securing broader international buy-in and overcoming the inherent challenges of imposing a top-down solution to a deeply entrenched conflict.