“The continued inability of the Security Council to issue a resolution demanding a ceasefire [in Gaza] after more than five months of this brutal war and the unprecedented numbers of civilian and child casualties is no longer acceptable,” he said.
Shoukry’s statement came hours before the UNSC’s meeting to vote on a newly drafted resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza during the holy month of Ramadan.
On Friday, the UNSC failed to adopt a proposed ceasefire resolution put forth by the United States due to vetoes from Russia and China.
Shoukry condemned the lack of respect for UNSC resolutions and the measures called for by the International Court of Justice to address the crisis, including those related to the UN supervision of the entry of aid to Gaza.
In late December, the UNSCE approved the establishment of a UN mechanism to accelerate aid consignments to Gaza, a step aimed at bypassing the obstructive Israeli measures.
The mechanism has not yet been able to carry out its mission, according to a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry.
Shoukry also voiced Egypt's rejection of and warning against any Israeli military operation in the Palestinian border city of Rafah.
Israel's plan to storm the overcrowded city would result in “a humanitarian catastrophe that would spiral out of control and have unprecedented complications,” he noted.
Shoukry urged the international community to put pressure on Israel to ensure the full entry of humanitarian aid, open land crossings between Israel and Gaza, and remove obstacles to the arrival of aid to all areas of the Gaza Strip, including northern Gaza.
The German minister, who is on a Middle East tour to call for more aid to the famine-threatened Gaza, emphasised the importance of opening all crossings between Israel and Gaza and removing obstacles preventing the entry of aid.
Shoukry also stressed the necessity of reaching an immediate ceasefire in the strip, where Israel has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians and injured almost 75,000 since 7 October.
Egypt, Qatar, and the US have been attempting to mediate a ceasefire and detainee swap agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Shoukry and Charlotte also addressed the unstable security situation in the Red Sea amid the military operations against US and Israeli ships.
The Egyptian foreign minister urged a solution to the Palestinian issue that takes into consideration the underlying causes and ends the long-term Israeli occupation, based on the two-state vision.
Shoukry called for a change in the international approach to the Palestinian cause, advocating for the serious recognition of the Palestinian state and its full membership in the UN.
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