FM Abdelatty stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire leading to a comprehensive end to the war, warning against policies that have forced more than one million people to flee their homes.
He condemned what he described as Israeli systematic airstrikes, ground incursions in the south, and the targeting of UNIFIL positions, calling them grave violations of international law.
He also underlined the importance of fully implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 without selectivity, while supporting Lebanese state institutions, particularly the army, in extending authority across all national territory and ensuring that arms remain exclusively in state hands.
Abdelatty welcomed a recently announced Lebanese negotiation initiative, describing it as a constructive basis for advancing a political settlement to the crisis.
On the broader regional front, the minister said Egypt is intensifying diplomatic efforts to contain escalation, noting that Cairo is facilitating communication between the United States and Iran to open channels for negotiation and reduce tensions.
He added that a ministerial-level meeting is expected early next week to discuss the Iranian file, with coordination underway with partners including Pakistan and Türkiye.
He stressed that Egypt is mobilizing all diplomatic channels to prevent the region from descending into wider instability, underscoring ongoing coordination with international and regional actors to achieve de-escalation in the Middle East.
These remarks were made at a press conference following talks between the Egyptian Foreign Minister and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at Baabda Palace.
Egypt also delivered 1,000 tonnes of aid at Beirut port, in line with directives from President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to support Lebanon amid a deepening humanitarian crisis.
The delivery, attended by Lebanon’s Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rassamni and Social Affairs Minister Hanine El-Sayed, is aimed at helping authorities cope with worsening health and humanitarian conditions and supporting more than one million people displaced by the war.
The shipment, prepared with contributions from Egyptian state institutions and civil society, includes medicines, shelter supplies, and food baskets, reflecting what the foreign ministry described as longstanding Egyptian solidarity with Lebanon.
Since 2 March, two days after the start of the US-Israel war on Iran, Israel launched strikes across Lebanon, killing at least 1,100 people, nearly 3,000 others, and forcing over a million people from their homes, while sending ground troops into the country's south, in what Beirut fears could lead to an occupation in the south of the country.
Israeli strikes have devastated towns and villages across the country and heavily damaged civilian infrastructure, including bridges, roads, hospitals, and schools, particularly in Beirut’s southern suburbs and in southern and eastern Lebanon.
Before the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran, the Israeli occupation army had violated the terms of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement on hundreds of occasions, with strikes that killed nearly 500 people, while maintaining the occupation of at least five areas in the south.
Egypt has maintained its position demanding Israel stop its violations and withdraw from Lebanese territories so that the Lebanese government can implement its full control on the South of Lebanon, including the disarmament of Hezbollah.
During the meeting, FM Abdelatty conveyed El-Sisi’s greetings to the Lebanese president and stressed Egypt’s readiness to provide all forms of urgent assistance, describing the aid shipment as a “practical message of solidarity” and reaffirming Cairo’s firm support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
President Aoun, in turn, asked that his appreciation be relayed to El-Sisi, praising Egypt’s “swift and supportive” response to the crisis and its longstanding positions backing Lebanon.
A Foreign Ministry statement said Aoun described the assistance as reflecting deep-rooted ties and underscored Egypt’s central role in supporting regional stability.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Tamim Khalaf said Abdelatty noted that the visit, his fifth to Beirut in less than two years, highlights Egypt’s sustained engagement with Lebanon.
He also commended Lebanese institutions for their efforts to shelter and assist those affected, expressing confidence in the country’s ability to overcome the crisis.
Talks also addressed field developments, with Abdelatty condemning Israeli military actions, including airstrikes, ground incursions in southern Lebanon, and reported targeting of UNIFIL positions, describing them as violations of Lebanese sovereignty and international law.
He also rejected what he described as “collective punishment,” including infrastructure destruction and evacuation warnings that have displaced more than one million people, warning against the use of humanitarian suffering as a tool of pressure.
Khalaf added that Egypt will continue contacts with regional and international actors to de-escalate tensions and prevent wider conflict, calling for immediate international action to curb ongoing violations in Lebanon.
In recent weeks, escalating tensions between Israel and the United States from one side and Iran from the other side, following strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites and subsequent retaliatory attacks from Tehran, have led to a marked increase in Israeli strikes on Lebanon, deepening the country’s humanitarian crisis.
Sustained airstrikes, artillery exchanges, and targeted operations have damaged homes, infrastructure, and essential services, expanding displacement beyond border communities and pushing many into temporary shelters, schools, or overcrowded housing, further straining already fragile public services.
The crisis has added to Lebanon’s long-running economic and financial collapse, weakened state capacity, and left hospitals struggling with shortages of supplies, staff, and funding.
Aid agencies have warned of rising demand for emergency care and growing vulnerability among displaced populations, particularly children, the elderly, and those with chronic conditions.
Egypt’s humanitarian intervention is part of a broader, dual-track approach that combines relief efforts with active diplomacy.
Alongside aid deliveries, Cairo has stepped up high-level contacts with regional and international actors to contain the escalation and prevent a wider spillover of the conflict.
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