CAIRO: Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has restated Egypt’s warning about the risks of Israeli military operations in the Palestinian city of Rafah.
He emphasized the potentially catastrophic humanitarian impact on over 1.4 million Palestinians, as well as the security implications for regional peace and stability.
Shoukry made the remarks during his meeting in Brussels with Josep Borrell, the high representative of the EU for foreign affairs and security policy.
He also met with the British Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon.
The talks took place on the sidelines of the Brussels EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting.
Discussions between Shoukry and Borrell focused on the humanitarian, security, and political aspects of the crisis in the Gaza Strip.
Shoukry highlighted the important role of international parties, such as the EU, in supporting efforts to halt the conflict in Gaza.
During the meeting, the two sides affirmed the necessity of reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and halting military operations in Rafah, as well as ensuring full and safe access to humanitarian aid to meet the urgent needs of people in Gaza.
The meeting highlighted the importance of Israel respecting and protecting relief workers, as well as ensuring access and freedom of movement for relief crews in line with international humanitarian law.
Shoukry called for Israel to remove all obstacles to aid access, and open all land crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
He restated Egypt’s opposition to Israeli control of all crossings in the Gaza Strip, saying this is being used to tighten the siege and deprive people in Gaza of essential supplies.
Egypt also rejects any attempts to displace Palestinians from their territories or eliminate the Palestinian cause, he said.
Shoukry and Borrell explored the Arab vision and paths of action with the EU to end the conflict by advancing the political path to support the implementation of the two-state solution.
Both sides stressed the need for international legitimacy resolutions to support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state that can live in peace side by side with Israel.
Separately, Egyptian and British officials exchanged views and assessments regarding the humanitarian and security conditions in the Gaza Strip.
They stressed the necessity of reaching a ceasefire in the Strip, swapping hostages and detainees, and ensuring the protection of Palestinian civilians, as well as the inevitability of ensuring humanitarian aid access to the population.
Shoukry and the British minister affirmed the importance of supporting the path of a political solution based on the two-state solution to address the roots of the crisis.
The two sides agreed to continue consultation and coordination to curb the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and explore means to provide the necessary support to the Palestinian Authority and prevent the deterioration of the situation in the West Bank.