The conference comes amid the ongoing, unprecedented humanitarian tragedy faced by the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip as a result of the continuous, brutal Israeli war, he added.

“This tragedy has exacerbated their long-standing humanitarian suffering, which has persisted for decades due to the ongoing occupation,” Abdelatty asserted.

The situation in Gaza is further aggravated by the inability of the international community institutions and global legal system to take decisive actions to uphold the blood of the Palestinians and halt Israel's grave violations against international law and international humanitarian law, he noted.

Israeli violations include attempts to create new realities by displacing Palestinians from their lands and obstructing their legitimate right to establish their independent state on all territories occupied in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

"The Israeli aggression on Gaza has surpassed all limits, as Israel continues to commit atrocities in plain view of the world for over a year without pause, in horrifying scenes beyond description,” Abdelatty affirmed.

“Israel uses starvation and blockade as weapons and mass displacement as collective punishment against Palestinians, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and international law," he continued.

For over 14 months, the international community has remained silent as heinous acts unfolded, including killing children and women, displacing civilians, and destroying schools, hospitals, mosques, churches, and even ambulances, he emphasized.

This aggression, he said, has led to the killing of more than 43,000 Palestinians, 70 percent of whom are women and children, and the displacement of over two million people due to the evacuation orders covering over 85 percent of Gaza.

Moreover, humanitarian workers, including UN staff, have not been spared. Over 173 individuals, the majority of whom are UNRWA personnel, have lost their lives.

Additionally, more than 2,000 UNRWA facilities in Gaza, including over 65 schools, have been destroyed, he clarified. 

Egypt's top diplomat also explained that Israel has further worsened these violations by preventing the entry of essential humanitarian and medical aid into Gaza, imposing unjustified and unlawful conditions and obstacles.

"The limited aid that enters after immense pressure is woefully inadequate to meet the enormous needs caused by continuous bombardment, displacement, the spread of diseases and epidemics, harsh winter cold, and looming threat of famine," he expressed.

Abdelatty further clarified that even the aid that entered encountered significant challenges in reaching those in need, including theft, sabotage, and other risks that hinder humanitarian workers from performing their duties effectively.

He also condemned Israel’s adoption of illegal legislation to ban the work of UNRWA.

Abdelatty said stranded aid deliveries face theft and sabotage.

“The disaster intensifies with the ongoing attacks on UNRWA and the efforts to undermine and even destroy its operations,” he continued.

According to the foreign minister, this situation has led to the complete collapse of the humanitarian response within Gaza.

In this context, Abdelatty expressed Egypt’s strong condemnation of the unlawful Israeli legislation banning UNRWA, which he said represents a dangerous precedent of a UN member state prohibiting the work of one of its agencies.

This “reflects an unacceptable disregard for the international community and its institutions,” reiterated Abdelatty.

“The agency is irreplaceable and indispensable within the sector. No other party, whoever it may be, can replace it or perform its role,” he noted.

Egypt’s relief efforts
 

The top Egyptian diplomat said that, since 7 October, Egypt had provided approximately 70 percent of all aid delivered to Gaza.

“The Egyptian government has facilitated the logistics of air, sea, and land shipments to ensure the swift delivery of humanitarian aid to the strip,” he explained.

The foreign minister also highlighted Egypt's role in hosting thousands of injured Palestinians, offering comprehensive healthcare services, and vaccinating thousands of Palestinian children to address urgent health needs.

Egypt has also facilitated Palestinian students’ enrolment in local educational institutions, including those affiliated with the education ministry and Al-Azhar.

“This is a responsibility and duty that Egypt bears towards its Palestinian brothers, as directed by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi,” he stressed.

Minister Abdelatty also cited the establishment of the first shelter camp in southern Gaza in cooperation with the Palestinian Red Crescent.

He further highlighted Egypt's role in facilitating the establishment of four field hospitals in Gaza and receiving two floating hospitals in Arish City to treat the injured.

Abdelatty stressed at the meeting that Egypt is prepared to facilitate the daily entry of substantial aid convoys into the besieged Gaza Strip, provided that field conditions are met to ensure the safe delivery of supplies and the protection of relief agencies.

He underscored the country's readiness to scale up humanitarian efforts while calling for the urgent Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing and the Philadelphi corridor.

Int’l role
 

Abdelatty said the international community and the UN Security Council “has a clear responsibility to pressure the Israeli occupation to open its crossings and operate them at full capacity.”

“This is a fundamental requirement and even the bare minimum needed to mitigate the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, for which the occupation is fully accountable,” he asserted.

Abdelatty held the occupation responsible for the humanitarian catastrophe faced by Gaza amid the unprecedented destruction caused by its continuous aggression over more than a year.

“The scale of this devastation will require decades to repair, necessitating the concerted efforts of the international community to ensure the immediate and sustained delivery of urgent humanitarian aid and the implementation of early recovery plans,” he said.

He explained that these plans must address essential humanitarian needs, including food, water, shelter, and basic infrastructure, such as sanitation.

Abdelatty explained further that these efforts should prioritize the restoration of roads, public facilities, electricity, and water infrastructure, alongside revitalizing the local economy to facilitate reconstruction once the aggression and occupation end.

Financial pledges needed

FM Abdelatty urged participating at the conference to pledge practical, immediate financial support for Gaza to address the humanitarian crisis and enable early recovery and reconstruction.

“Let us not fail them in humanity as we have failed them politically,” he demanded.

“We call on international legal institutions to demand an immediate ceasefire and compel the occupation authority to facilitate humanitarian aid access and provide civilians with food supplies and medical assistance per international humanitarian law,” he added.

The foreign minister reiterated the critical importance of ending the Israeli aggression and violations in the West Bank and rejecting the forced displacement of the Palestinian people, whether from Gaza or the West Bank.

The Egyptian foreign minister reaffirmed Cairo's rejection of any notion that a state can exist above the law and remain unaccountable.

“We salute the steadfastness and continuous struggle of the Palestinian people in Gaza and all Palestinian territories,” he added.

He said that Egypt reaffirms its steadfast support for an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the 4 June 1967 borders, rejecting any efforts to undermine the Palestinian cause or forcibly displace its people.

He also asserted that Egypt will continue to collaborate with Arab partners, Qatar, and international allies to secure a ceasefire, facilitate the release of hostages and detainees, and ensure the consistent delivery of humanitarian aid.