Screenshot of Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan during a presser in Cairo after presiding over a meeting of the Egyptian-Saudi follow-up and political consultations committee on Sunday, January 28, 2024.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a presser on Sunday in Cairo after presiding over a meeting of the Egyptian-Saudi follow-up and political consultations committee.
Shoukry called upon the international community to fulfil its responsibility in lifting Israel's blockade on Gaza, ending the occupation's policies of starvation and collective punishment, and preventing the displacement of Palestinians from their lands.
He warned against the prolonged Gaza crisis, emphasizing that it would place the international community at a critical juncture where the fate of the region and its people would be left in the hands of extremists and proponents of war and violence.
Shoukry said the world is before two paths.
The first is to allow Israeli practices to continue without deterrence and allow the Israeli government "to ignore all the rights and duties imposed by international law and UN resolutions." Such a path, he said, "would lead us further into the tunnel of escalating conflict, dragging us deeper into the cycle of violence and counter-violence."
The second is to reach a rapid and decisive international consensus to stop the violence and war, allow the entry of all humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, and implement Security Council resolutions, Shoukry explained.
He also tackled the escalation in the Red Sea, stressing that freedom of navigation and international trade are principles to which all sides must adhere.
Shoukry reiterated, however, that the tension in the crucial maritime route is a result of the Israeli practices in Gaza and called for addressing the root causes of the issue rather than merely treating its symptoms.
Furthermore, Egypt’s top diplomat stressed the need to raise the voices of reason and work to reach genuine peace that leads to a two-state solution and puts the region on the path of peace and cooperation.
For his part, Bin Farhan agreed with Shoukry, stressing that priority now should be given to achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and allowing unhindered aid into the strip. He also advocated for a binding resolution from the international community to end the crisis.
In addition, Bin Farhan described the Israeli practices in Gaza as a clear violation of international law.
Israel's war in Gaza has killed over 26,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom were women and children, and wounded thousands of others.
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