Egypt’s FM, Rubio discuss Gaza crisis amid Israeli starvation tactics
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Despite Israeli bureaucratic and logistical obstacles, Egypt is intensifying coordination with international partners to help avert Gaza’s deepening famine.
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Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on July 31, 2025 (Social media)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stressed to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio the urgent need for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and immediate humanitarian relief amid what he described as "Israel’s systematic starvation policy.”
He called for renewed efforts toward a just political solution, ensuring Palestinian self-determination and statehood based on the 1967 borders with "East al-Quds" as the capital.
Productive meeting between FM Badr Abdelatty and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington D.C. Discussions covered strengthening Egypt - U.S. strategic partnership, key regional crises including developments in Gaza, Sudan, and Egypt’s water security. pic.twitter.com/FJeS4TpYbJ
— Egypt MFA Spokesperson (@MfaEgypt) July 31, 2025
Abdelatty also reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to working closely with the US for lasting Middle East peace. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Egypt airdropped tons of aid to hard-to-reach areas in Gaza.
Despite Israeli bureaucratic and logistical obstacles, Egypt is intensifying coordination with international partners to help avert Gaza’s deepening famine.
Read more: Israeli PR fails; not a single aid truck entered Gaza today
Witkoff, Huckabee to visit Gaza
Later, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff and Ambassador Mike Huckabee held a “very productive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other officials today in Israel on the topic of delivering much-needed food and aid to Gaza."
She confirmed that both officials will travel to Gaza tomorrow "to inspect the current distribution sites and secure a plan to deliver more food and meet with local Gazans to hear firsthand about this dire situation on the ground."
They are expected to brief US President Donald Trump following the visit, after which a final aid plan will be approved.
Abdelatty, Rubio discuss Sudan
Abdelatty and Rubio also discussed the escalating crisis in Sudan, emphasizing the urgent need for a ceasefire and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid. Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s support for Sudanese state institutions and stressed the importance of preserving Sudan’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.
Turning to water security, Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s long-standing concerns over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), calling for a swift, legally binding agreement on its operation. He rejected Ethiopia’s unilateral moves, warning that Egypt will take all necessary steps under international law to safeguard its water interests.
The ministers also discussed bilateral ties, with Abdelatty conveying President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi’s greetings to President Donald Trump and highlighting Egypt’s desire to deepen cooperation across political, security, military, and economic fronts, especially amid current regional turmoil. He advocated for continuing the Egypt-US Strategic Dialogue to support shared regional goals.
On economic matters, both sides agreed on the importance of boosting trade and investment. Abdelatty praised the successful Egypt-US Business Forum held in Cairo in May, which welcomed over 50 American companies, 12 of which were entering the Egyptian market for the first time. He underscored Egypt’s commitment to attracting more US investment and called for organizing another round of the Joint Economic Commission meetings and a follow-up business forum to further strengthen economic ties.
Witkoff, Abdelatty discuss stalled Gaza ceasefire talks
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed the need to intensify pressure to reach a Gaza ceasefire and a captives release deal as soon as possible, according to a readout from Cairo about a phone call the pair held on Tuesday.
The call was held before Witkoff departed for "Israel", where he will meet with officials in occupied al-Quds on Thursday to discuss efforts to secure the release of the captives, end the war, and alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Witkoff and Abdelatty “exchanged views on the joint efforts of the three guarantor parties—Egypt, the United States, and Qatar—to secure a ceasefire by intensifying pressure so that an agreement to be reached as soon as possible,” the Egyptian readout said.
Abdelatty stressed that the “humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip resulted from blatant Israeli violations and the use of starvation as a weapon against Palestinians,” the readout added.
