On Tuesday, Egypt firmly denied rumours suggesting a phone conversation between President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and former US President Donald Trump regarding the situation in Gaza, according to the State Information Service.
"A high-level source refutes media reports claiming that Presidents Sisi and Trump spoke over the phone," the statement read. Trump had recently proposed a controversial plan to "clean up" Gaza, which has endured 15 months of devastation. He suggested relocating the territory’s residents to Egypt and Jordan as a path to peace—remarks that sparked outrage across the Arab world.
The former US president likened Gaza to a "demolition site" and claimed he had already spoken to Jordan’s King Abdullah II about the situation, adding that he intended to do the same with the Egyptian president. However, since his statements, neither Washington nor Cairo has confirmed any such conversation, despite media reports on Monday suggesting otherwise.
"I hope they take them in. We've helped them a lot, and I’m sure they’ll help us," Trump said, referring to Sisi. "He's a friend. He lives in a very tough part of the world, to be honest. But I think he’ll do it, and I think the King of Jordan will too," he added.