In a phone call on Monday, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry and his Australian counterpart Penny Wong also voiced full rejection of any Israeli military operation in Rafah city in southern Gaza.

They affirmed that such an operation would exacerbate the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and result in more heavy loss of life.

Shoukry extended condolences to Australia’s government over the killing of an Australian humanitarian aid worker in a recent Israeli airstrike in Gaza.

The airstrike last week targeted and killed a team of seven foreign aid workers from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) delivering food aid in Gaza. The attack drew global condemnation and caused the nonprofit to suspend its operation in the strip.

During the call, Shoukry affirmed the need for Israel to comply with international law by halting violations against Palestinian civilians as well as global relief workers.

He highlighted the effective efforts made by those workers in addressing the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Shoukry praised Australia’s decision to resume funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), highlighting its pivotal role in tackling the deteriorating situation in Gaza.

Pressures for ceasefire
 

Over the past months, the international community has been pressuring Israel to implement a ceasefire in Gaza to allow sufficient aid delivery and stop the bloodshed.

The war, which has entered its seventh month, has killed over 33,000 Palestinians including hundreds of aid workers, starved many children to death, and put the strip at substantial risk of famine.

Israel has continued its war in Gaza despite a resolution adopted by the United Nations Security Council late in March, demanding an immediate ceasefire during Ramadan.

Rounds of talks between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States over the past weeks, have not yet generated a deal, with significant gaps persisting between both sides.