CAIRO, Egypt – Egypt has firmly rejected a proposal by Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid suggesting that Cairo take control of Gaza after the ongoing war, calling it “unacceptable” and contrary to longstanding Egyptian and Arab policies.
Foreign ministry spokesman Tamim Khallaf dismissed the idea on Wednesday, saying any proposal that bypasses the establishment of an independent Palestinian state amounts to a “half-solution” that would only prolong the conflict.
His remarks, carried by Egypt’s state-run MENA news agency, came a day after Lapid floated the proposal, which suggested that Egypt govern Gaza for at least eight years in exchange for massive debt relief.
“The Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, are integral parts of the Palestinian territories and must be under full Palestinian sovereignty and management,” Khallaf stated.
Egypt has consistently opposed any attempt to shift the responsibility for Gaza onto its shoulders.
It has also rejected proposals for the forced displacement of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents, calling such ideas a “red line.”
Earlier this month, Egypt led diplomatic efforts against another controversial plan, reportedly backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, which proposed relocating Gaza’s population to Egypt or Jordan while Washington would take control of the enclave.
Cairo has maintained that any resolution to the crisis must be based on a two-state solution, with a fully sovereign Palestinian state—a position aligned with broader Arab consensus and international diplomatic efforts.