Jacquelyn Martin/Pool/Reuters
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi admonished Israel for its response against Hamas while speaking with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, calling the assault on Gaza “collective punishment.”
“The reaction went beyond the right to self-defense, turning into collective punishment for 2.3 million people in Gaza,” el-Sisi told Blinken on Sunday, according to Reuters.
The remarks are some of Egypt’s strongest public statements since last week’s massacre at an Israeli music festival turned the conflict between Israel and Palestine into an all-out war. Egypt has emerged as a middle ground between Israel and Palestine, with the U.S. and Israel negotiating with the country to allow U.S. citizens and foreign nationals to enter Egypt from Gaza.