Badr Abdel Aty and a Friendly Talk: On Ending the War in Gaza and the UNESCO Elections

Inside the halls of the Egyptian Embassy in Paris—once the majestic palace of French nobleman “Larousse Vicot,” who sold it in 1922 to his friend King Ahmed Fouad—I met Dr. Badr Abdel Aty, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. It was a reunion after a long absence; we had only met face to face once before, most likely in 2018, when he was Egypt’s ambassador to Germany, although our friendly relationship has spanned more than a decade.

In the office of the esteemed Ambassador Alaa Youssef, we had a warm and friendly conversation, not a traditional press interview. The minister’s schedule was packed, especially since his visit to Paris was primarily to support Egypt’s candidate for the post of UNESCO Director-General, Dr. Khaled El-Anany. Naturally, I asked him about the latest developments in Gaza, Egypt’s plan for the next stage, its role in Hamas’s acceptance of Trump’s proposal, and the factors Cairo is relying on to ensure the success of the U.S. president’s plan.

Our conversation also touched on the chances of the Egyptian candidate winning the UNESCO elections, particularly after France officially announced its support, along with the Arab League’s unanimous decision to endorse Dr. El-Anany—something that has never happened before in the history of these elections.

The Recovery Phase

The minister began by saying that Egypt’s primary concern was to stop the war, ensure the Palestinian people remain on their land, and block any attempts at displacement or annexation. “That is why we welcomed President Trump’s initiative,” he explained, “because it placed these three factors at the forefront. It is only natural that, over time, we will discuss how to implement the other provisions with our partners. But the priority now is to stop the war and launch the recovery phase.”

He clarified that this phase involves providing temporary housing for the people of Gaza whose homes were destroyed by the Israeli invasion, as well as setting up educational institutions—whether by using UNRWA facilities, constructing quick wooden structures, or linking students to online learning platforms. It also includes the immediate entry of sufficient food aid to save Gaza’s population from famine, in order to revive hope and strengthen their attachment to their land ahead of the next steps.

The minister added that Gaza’s tragic situation had to end one way or another, regardless of other issues that can be addressed later. Hamas and the Palestinian factions realized this when they announced their preliminary acceptance of President Trump’s plan.

He went on to explain that the coming stage will involve comprehensive discussions about all aspects of the plan, but what matters now is carrying out the first stage: a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and a partial Israeli withdrawal, paving the way for the completion of a full withdrawal. This would create the opportunity to form a technocratic Palestinian team to administer Gaza, under the direct supervision of President Trump and his international team overseeing the reconstruction process.

 The Security Phase

On restoring security, the minister noted that there are 18,000 Palestinian Authority troops in Gaza, from whom 5,000 under the age of 40 could be selected to maintain security, prevent chaos, and deter destabilization attempts.

As for the guarantees to ensure Israel fulfills its obligations after receiving the hostages, Dr. Abdel Aty stressed that the main guarantor is President Trump himself. Egypt trusts his ability to compel Israel to honor its commitments, including full withdrawal and the release of Palestinian prisoners in parallel with the hostage exchange. He added that this matter will be the subject of urgent talks in Cairo between Hamas and Israeli delegations.

The minister praised Hamas’s wisdom in accepting the principle of a ceasefire without raising reservations at this stage, so that the first phase of the agreement can move forward and the people of Gaza can be saved from famine and displacement. “Naturally,” he added, “there will later come a time for detailed negotiations on the rest of the plan. These may be lengthy, but they must ultimately lead to comprehensive peace and the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the two-state solution.”

 UNESCO

Regarding the UNESCO elections, the minister emphasized that Egypt had previously sought to put forward candidates but had not succeeded for various reasons. “Now,” he said, “it is time for an African and Arab figure to lead this international organization, as it would have a positive impact on its performance.”

He explained that Egypt has exceptional assets enabling it to represent both the Arab and African sides, in addition to its accumulated civilization that reflects a unique diversity—Pharaonic, Coptic, Arab, Islamic, and modern—forming a distinctive cultural alloy. Adding to this, the Egyptian candidate Dr. Khaled El-Anany is a highly respected Egyptologist of proven competence, making this round different and bringing us closer than ever to victory.

The minister stressed that this is the first time in UNESCO election history that the Arab League has unanimously endorsed an Egyptian candidate, alongside the host country France’s official support. He concluded: “We hope to bring the Egyptian people the good news of victory in this prestigious international position next Monday, God willing.”