Egypt's FM Calls for Joint Arab-European Efforts to Halt Gaza War

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry emphasized the critical need for combined Arab and European actions to stop the ongoing war in Gaza. His remarks were made during a joint meeting of the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council with several Arab foreign ministers and the Secretary-General of the Arab League in Brussels. The meeting focused on the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and discussed collaborative efforts between the Arab and European sides to mitigate its impacts.

Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesperson and Director of the Public Diplomacy Department at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, conveyed Shoukry’s urgent call for united Arab-European actions in light of the delicate situation regarding the Palestinian issue and the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Shoukry underscored the importance of promoting humanitarian values and human rights, stressing the need for intervention to halt the Israeli war on Gaza and to provide protection for the Palestinian people.

The situation in Gaza has reached an unprecedented level of devastation, with over 35,000 casualties, the majority being women and children. Shoukry highlighted that these grave circumstances place significant legal and humanitarian responsibilities on the international community, which will be judged by history based on its response to this humanitarian crisis.

Shoukry pointed out that Israel has persisted in its systematic targeting of civilians and maintaining a stringent blockade that has led to severe starvation in Gaza. He cited alarming UN reports that detail the near-total collapse of civilian services and infrastructure in the region. Additionally, the discovery of numerous mass graves signals the extensive humanitarian catastrophe and the scale of crimes committed against civilians.

The Egyptian Foreign Minister expressed dismay that some countries still fail to adequately condemn Israel's violations of international law and humanitarian law, nor do they support accountability for these actions. He called on the international community to overcome the current stalemate and adopt decisive measures to enforce a ceasefire across Gaza and prevent further civilian casualties.

Ambassador Abu Zeid also highlighted Egypt's unwavering commitment to delivering humanitarian aid and relief supplies to the Palestinians in Gaza without impediments. Since the outbreak of the crisis, Egypt has kept the Rafah crossing open for aid deliveries and has facilitated airlifts, welcomed injured Palestinians, and established field hospitals and shelters to alleviate the suffering of displaced individuals within Gaza.

Minister Shoukry emphasized the necessity for the international community to uphold its legal and humanitarian obligations to ensure full implementation of United Nations and Security Council resolutions related to the Israeli war on Gaza, including Security Council Resolution 2720. He stressed the importance of activating the UN mechanism for coordinating, monitoring, and facilitating the delivery of aid to Gaza.