Egypt will not accept changes to pre-7 October status of Philadelphi Corridor, says Abdelatty

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Wednesday said that Cairo will not accept changes to the "rules of operation" in the Philadelphi Corridor that were in place before 7 October, particularly regarding the rules governing the operation of the Rafah crossing on the Palestinian side.

During a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Abdelatty emphasised Egypt's complete rejection of any military presence on the other side of the crossing or in the corridor, which is the narrow strip of land over the entire 14 km border between Egypt and Gaza.

Abdelatty added: "We cannot hold the future of stability in a vital region like the Middle East hostage to the absence of political will on the part of some parties. Therefore, we will continue our efforts to exert influence and pressure until we can reach an agreement that ensures stability in the region."