Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry received Wednesday a phone call from Lord Tariq Ahmed, the British Minister of State for Middle Eastern and North African Affairs. They discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip and the humanitarian crisis facing the Palestinian people.
Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesperson for the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Minister Shoukry and the British Minister talked about the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza and the need to end the Israeli violations and attacks that have caused them.
Minister Shoukry emphasized to his British counterpart the legal, humanitarian, and moral responsibility of the international community to stop the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to comply with international law. He also mentioned the resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly and the temporary measures of the International Court of Justice regarding the situation in Gaza.
Furthermore, Minister Shoukry stressed the urgency of delivering humanitarian and relief aid to the Strip, given the worsening humanitarian crisis. He also called for international pressure on Israel to remove the obstacles it imposes on the delivery of aid.
He noted that the Palestinians are suffering from starvation, indiscriminate attacks, and the destruction of their services and infrastructure. He said that this exceeds all the bounds of humanity and raises questions about the credibility of the international community and the effectiveness of the international system.
Minister Shoukry also expressed his regret over the high-level activities of the Human Rights Council meetings, which resulted in some international parties ignoring the human suffering of the Palestinian people.
Minister Shoukry criticized the double standards and selectivity in dealing with the human rights situation in Gaza. He said that this is shameful for the history of those parties.
He and the British Minister exchanged views and assessments on the efforts to reach a new deal to calm the situation in Gaza. They agreed on the need to continue working to implement the calm as soon as possible and to exchange prisoners and detainees. They also agreed on the goal of achieving a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which is one of the main objectives of their efforts.
Minister Shoukry also warned of the serious risks of any ground military operations in the Palestinian city of Rafah. He said that such operations would have disastrous humanitarian consequences for the residents of the Gaza Strip and would threaten the stability of the region.
The two ministers agreed to continue consultations in the coming period on reducing the crisis in Gaza, containing its repercussions, and ensuring the full delivery of humanitarian aid that meets the urgent needs of the Palestinian people.
