British Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, visited Egypt today amid his regional tour dedicated to deescalating the conflict and preserving peace and stability in the region.
Cleverly engaged in high-level discussions during his visit, including a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, where he welcomed Egypt’s coordination with the United Nations (UN) to establish a logistics hub in Al Arish and facilitate humanitarian access into Gaza.
A central topic of the discussion was ways to ensure the Rafah crossing opens to deliver crucial humanitarian aid to Gaza and allow the safe passage of British and other foreign nationals returning to their home countries.
Additionally, he commended Egypt's initiative to host an international summit this Saturday, to address the ongoing crisis and co-ordinate international efforts in de-escalation, a subject that also arose during Cleverly's meeting with the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit. They explored the League's perspective on the next steps for a pathway out of the conflict.
During his visit, Cleverly met with Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza and UN initiatives designed to safeguard civilian lives.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly expressed his views on the significance of Egypt's role in the current conflict, stating, "Egypt is a key player in the current conflict, and together, we are aware of the importance of de-escalation, promoting peace and stability in the region, and protecting civilian lives. Our top priority in today's meetings was to facilitate humanitarian access into Gaza so aid can reach those in need, while enabling the safe return of foreign nationals across the border. It is in the interest of no one – neither Israeli, Palestinian, nor the broader Middle East – for this conflict to draw in others."
Earlier this week, a £10 million aid package was announced by the Prime Minister in response to the escalating conflict in Gaza – with funding now being made available to agencies helping vulnerable civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs).
This is an increase of more than a third on existing UK support to the OPTs. Half the new funding will support an appeal by the UN Works and Relief Agency for Palestine (UNWRA), which is responding to critical food, water, health, shelter and protection needs in Gaza.
A further £2.75million is being made available to the UN agency responsible for coordinating the international humanitarian response, while up to £1million will be available for positioning humanitarian supplies in the region to ensure they can be distributed as quickly and effectively as possible.
The UK remains committed to mitigating the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and closely coordinating with Egypt and regional partners on addressing the conflict.
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