Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty with UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed during a joint press conference. Al-Ahram.
FM Abdelatty made these remarks during a joint press conference with UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed on the sidelines of the Cairo Ministerial Conference to Enhance the Humanitarian Response in Gaza.
He pointed out that the goal behind the displacement plan is to liquidate the Palestinian cause, a scenario that "Egypt will not accept under any circumstances."
Moreover, Abdelatty noted that Cairo is working on securing a deal for the exchange of prisoners and detainees between Hamas and Israel while mobilizing all available international parties and resources to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.
In this regard, he emphasized that Egypt's efforts are ongoing, with the primary goal of "saving the lives of the Palestinian people."
He highlighted that there are proposed solutions for the release of all Israeli hostages as well as several Palestinian political prisoners.
Hamas-Fatah
FM Abdelatty noted that delegations from both Hamas and Fatah are currently in Egypt for consultations concerning the situation in Gaza.
He stated that the discussions aim to quickly reach a mutual agreement on managing daily life in Gaza under the full control of the Palestinian Authority, while also implementing recovery projects and empowering the authority to take over once the occupation ends.
In his speech during the press conference, Egypt's top diplomat explained that there is a clear plan for moving towards the establishment of a Palestinian state.
He added that there are specific plans to enable the Palestinian Authority to manage the Gaza Strip, reiterating the demand for Israel to withdraw and hand over the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing to the Palestinian Authority.
Delivery of humanitarian aid
FM Abdelatty highlighted Egypt's ongoing efforts to open the Rafah crossing on the Palestinian side to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The Egyptian foreign minister stressed that halting the Israeli aggression on Gaza has become an urgent necessity and that the occupation must take responsibility for ensuring the full delivery of aid to Gaza.
Abdelatty pointed out that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening due to the ongoing military operations, Israel’s crimes, collective punishment policies, and continuous violations of international and humanitarian law.
The Israeli occupation is targeting civilians and using starvation and siege as weapons against innocent Palestinians, Abdelatty added.
He emphasized that the suffering of the Palestinian people is worsening with the spread of diseases, a lack of medical supplies in hospitals, and Israel's prevention of humanitarian aid from reaching those in need.
He further clarified that the Egyptian and Palestinian Red Crescent have outlined Gaza's urgent humanitarian needs, particularly with the onset of winter and the worsening conditions.
Egypt’s foreign minister also stated that the Cairo Ministerial Conference is concentrating on the need for early recovery in Gaza, aiming to make the region habitable and livable again.
He praised the courageous efforts of the United Nations leadership in supporting the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
End the nightmare in Gaza!
For her part, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed stated that "there is no justification for the genocide" in Palestine.
She highlighted the significance of the Cairo Ministerial Conference in strengthening the humanitarian response for Gaza, focusing on the urgent needs of the strip, especially given the ongoing suffering of its people.
Mohammed pointed out that more than 44,000 people have been killed, and thousands have been internally displaced from their homes due to forced displacement policies by Israel.
Additionally, she highlighted the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with food security becoming a "nightmare," and the Israeli blockade hindering the entry of essential humanitarian aid.
At the Gaza aid conference, Egypt urged participants to make actionable financial pledges to support Gaza, stressing that immediate relief is essential to prevent a worsening humanitarian catastrophe.
The conference brought together foreign ministers from 17 countries and senior representatives from international organizations to address the urgent crisis in Gaza, where millions are facing severe shortages of food, water, and medicine amid the ongoing brutal Israeli war.
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