Egypt never closed Rafah crossing, 'Israel' hindered aid delivery: FM
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The Egyptian Foreign Minister calls on the United Nations to fulfill its obligations and lift the suffering of the Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
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Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shokry gives a speech in the capital Cairo, on July 24, 2022 (AFP)
Egypt is actively collaborating with its partners to secure a ceasefire in Gaza before the start of the holy month of Ramadan, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stated on Friday.
Giving an address during a specialized session at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) 2024 in Turkey, he touched upon the Israeli plans to invade Rafah, highlighting the dangerous repercussions of the attack on the small city with a 1.4 million population.
He warned that any aggression on Rafah would further deteriorate the catastrophic humanitarian conditions faced by Palestinians in Gaza.
Read more: History will not forgive Arab silence on Gaza genocide: ANC
The United Nations and other international organizations sounded the alarm earlier on the starvation policy imposed by "Israel" on the population of Gaza, as the entity continues its inhumane seige for almost 5 months.
Just in the past week, at least 13 children have lost their lives in the Strip due to malnutrition and hunger, causing global outrage about the disastrous situation Palestinians are facing.
Since the war on Gaza started, Egypt has kept the border crossing with Rafah open to deliver humanitarian aid, but the country's efforts have been hindered by the Israeli entity, the Egyptian foreign minister said.
The international community must take on its responsibilities in Gaza and put an end to the suffering of its civilians, he said, urging the United Nations to invoke mechanisms designed to facilitate entry of aid into the destroyed Strip.
'Unparalleled in the twenty-first century'
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry emphasized that donor countries' decisions to suspend contributions to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) hinder its operations and worsen humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
He also expressed Egypt's concerns about the escalating situation in the occupied West Bank due to increased Israeli military aggression, warning of the regional threat from the war's expansion.
Read more: 'Israel' freezes aid workers visas despite dire situation in Gaza
On the conference's sidelines, Egypt's top diplomat talked to Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency, reaffirming Cairo's determination to stop the catastrophe in Gaza.
He further emphasized Egypt's commitments to provide aid to the Strip and continue to work on an agreement for a prisoner-captive exchange deal.
“We are doing everything we can to end this devastating war, unparalleled in the twenty-first century, in which more than 20,000 women and children have lost their lives,” Shoukry said.
