Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has called for immediate and unified Arab and European action to halt the Israeli war on Gaza and address the escalating humanitarian crisis in the region.
Speaking at a joint meeting of the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council and Arab foreign ministers in Brussels on May 27, Shoukry emphasized the urgent need to uphold human values and rights, protect the Palestinian people, and stop the bloodshed.
Shoukry warned that the situation in Gaza has reached a critical point, with an unprecedented death toll exceeding 35,000, most of whom are women and children. He stressed that the international community bears a legal and humanitarian responsibility to address the crisis and that history will judge its response.
The Foreign Minister condemned Israel’s continued targeting of civilians, imposition of a blockade, and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza.
He cited UN reports detailing the collapse of services and civilian infrastructure, as well as the discovery of mass graves, as evidence of a severe humanitarian catastrophe and war crimes committed against civilians.
Shoukry expressed shock and regret that some countries have not adequately condemned Israeli violations of international and humanitarian law, nor have they supported holding perpetrators accountable. He urged the international community to overcome the current stalemate, take decisive actions to achieve a ceasefire across Gaza and stop the killing of innocent Palestinian civilians.
Egypt has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to ensuring the full and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza. Since the crisis began, Egypt has opened the Rafah crossing to allow aid to enter, facilitated airlift operations, received injured Palestinians, and set up field hospitals and shelters to alleviate the suffering of displaced persons.
Shoukry called on the international community to fulfil its legal and humanitarian responsibilities by ensuring the full implementation of UN and Security Council resolutions regarding the Israeli war on Gaza, including Security Council Resolution 2720.
He urged the activation of the UN mechanism to coordinate, monitor, and facilitate aid delivery to Gaza.
He highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, exacerbated by the expansion of Israeli military operations in the Palestinian city of Rafah and around the Rafah crossing. Shoukry warned of the severe humanitarian consequences and the impact on regional peace and stability.
He urged the European Union to press Israel to reverse its policies aimed at creating unlivable conditions in Gaza and to implement the International Court of Justice’s decisions to halt military operations. He firmly rejected attempts to displace Palestinians from their land, upholding the principle of land for peace.
The Foreign Minister asserted that Israel bears full legal responsibility for the humanitarian and security conditions in Gaza and the West Bank under international law, as the occupying power. He demanded that Israel immediately stop its war on Gaza, cease using control of crossings to enforce the blockade and starvation of the Palestinian people, and open the Rafah crossing and all land crossings between Israel and Gaza. He also called for safe conditions for international relief teams to receive and distribute aid in Gaza.
Shoukry concluded by urging all European Union member states to recognize the State of Palestine as a crucial step towards implementing international legitimacy resolutions based on the two-state solution. This would support the peace process and achieve a fair and comprehensive solution between Palestinians and Israelis. He called for serious measures to realize the Palestinian people’s right to establish their independent state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living in peace and security alongside Israel.
