Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry spoke on the phone with his Jordanian and Saudi counterparts, Ayman Safadi and Prince Faisal bin Farhan, on Sunday to coordinate Arab efforts to address the escalating violence in Gaza and the attacks on Palestinian civilians. He also urged them to work together to achieve an immediate humanitarian ceasefire that would save lives and ease the suffering of the people in the besieged enclave.
Ahmed Abu Zeid, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the phone calls were part of the ongoing consultations among Arab countries to deal with the unprecedented military aggression in Gaza, which has killed more than seven thousand Palestinians in three weeks.
Shoukry also met with David Satterfield, the US Special Envoy for humanitarian issues in the Middle East, on Sunday and stressed the need for serious and coordinated international action to end the bloodshed and protect civilians from further harm. He rejected the false justifications of “self-defense” or “fighting terrorism” that are used by Israel to continue its offensive.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid said that the meeting discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the need to increase coordination among all parties to ensure the swift and sustainable delivery of humanitarian aid. He also mentioned the Egyptian efforts in cooperation with the UN agencies and relief organizations to send aid to Gaza through the Rafah crossing, which faces obstacles from the Israeli side.
Shoukry emphasized that providing aid is only one aspect of addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and that it should not be accompanied by an expansion of the Israeli ground operations inside the Strip. He warned of the grave consequences of such a move on both humanitarian and security levels and its potential impact on spreading violence and threatening peace and stability in the region.
The US envoy expressed his appreciation for Egypt’s important role in facilitating humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and the bilateral coordination with UN organizations. He stressed the need to continue working together to ensure the sustainable and complete delivery of aid, and to ease the suffering of civilians in Gaza.
In another meeting, Minister Shoukry discussed with his Belgian counterpart Hadja Lahbib the serious risks of Israel’s ground operations in Gaza. He urged coordinated international efforts to stop the war and protect civilians, based on the Cairo peace summit. He warned of the dire humanitarian and security consequences of Israel’s policies against the Palestinians in Gaza, such as bombing, siege, and displacement, which violate international humanitarian law. He rejected any attempts to undermine the Palestinian cause at the expense of the region.
The Belgian Foreign Minister acknowledged the challenges faced by Egypt due to the crisis and expressed her interest in Egypt’s vision for supporting the Palestinian cause and reviving the peace process. She praised Egypt’s leadership in achieving peace in the region and its experience in mediating between the Palestinians and Israelis.
Later, Shoukry received a phone call from Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the coordination of international efforts to provide aid. Shoukry emphasized the role of the international community and the UN agencies in alleviating the suffering of the Palestinians under collective punishment from Israel, such as bombing, siege, and displacement, which violate all international and humanitarian law.
