Sisi speaks to Dutch PM after Hague embassy protest over Gaza

Egyptian President Abdelfattah al-Sisi held a phone call with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof to discuss bilateral ties and the protection of diplomatic missions, following a protest at the Egyptian embassy in The Hague last month.

The 21 July protest was led by Egyptian activist Anas Habib, who locked the embassy’s doors while staff were still inside, in a symbolic act denouncing Egypt’s continued closure of the Rafah crossing with Gaza.

The stunt was live-streamed on social media and showed an embassy employee attempting to physically confront Habib before retreating.

Habib said the protest was meant to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to highlight Egypt’s role in maintaining the blockade. He also mocked Cairo’s repeated claims that Israel, not Egypt, is solely responsible for keeping the crossing shut.

Days later, Dutch activists staged a similar action, again locking the embassy doors. Police cut the locks and briefly detained the protesters both times.

According to a statement from Egyptian presidential spokesperson Mohammed el-Shenawy, Sisi used the call to stress the need to uphold international law and protect foreign diplomatic premises. Schoof reportedly affirmed his country’s commitment to securing diplomatic missions.

The call also touched on broader areas of cooperation between the two countries, including trade, energy, investment, agriculture, and water management, according to Egypt’s presidency and Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Schoof was said to have praised Egypt’s "efforts" in curbing irregular migration and "fighting terrorism," and welcomed its support for a Gaza ceasefire.

The exchange came as Sisi renewed his calls for urgent humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and reiterated his opposition to the displacement of Palestinians. He also repeated his call for a permanent ceasefire and a two-state solution with East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.