Prabowo, El-Sisi reaffirm Gaza stance, call for de-escalation in Middle East

President Prabowo Subianto and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met on Sunday to reiterate their backing for a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict and urge de-escalation in the Middle East, as regional tensions escalated. In a joint press conference at Merdeka Palace, the two leaders reiterated their support for a Palestinian state, with Prabowo stating that "a two-state solution is the only path to peace."

Both emphasized their commitment to the Palestinian struggle for self-determination and peace, with Prabowo condemning illegal Israeli settlements and El-Sisi rejecting any displacement of Palestinians, insisting on guarantees for humanitarian aid reaching Gaza. Concerning the wider Middle East, Prabowo cautioned that further escalation would jeopardize civilians and global stability, following intense violence involving the United States, Israel, and Iran that spilled over into Saudi Arabia.

The attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, which left 12 dead and over 300 injured, prompted Saudi-led forces in Yemen to blame Iranian-backed Houthi fighters for the assault. UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, warned that the country had descended into "full-scale war." El-Sisi expressed gratitude to Indonesia for joining the United Nations-led Board of Peace in January, which oversees Gaza's reconstruction efforts.