“It would be difficult for the Rafah crossing to continue operating without Palestinian administration on the Palestinian side,” Shoukry said during the conference.
"This is naturally a component of any solution to the current situation,” he added.
FM Shoukry noted that the Rafah crossing is the only link between Palestinians and the outside world, as the rest of the crossings were closed by Israel.
The US ceasefire proposal is worth acceptance to stop the ongoing killing of the Palestinian people in Gaza, Egypt’s top diplomat noted.
He stressed that the proposal “includes elements that would make the ceasefire comprehensive and [ensure] the return of captives and entry of aid in the quantities needed by the Palestinian people.”
Shoukry urged both Hamas and Israel to accept the proposed deal, while Egypt and other mediators like Qatar and the US are waiting for Israel’s response.
“Hamas’ initial statements indicate that [the group] has received the US proposal positively,” Shoukry said. “We are now awaiting the Israeli response,” he added.
Egypt will continue to coordinate with other mediators and European partners to help reach a deal that ends the Gaza war, which killed and injured more than 120,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, he emphasized.
He affirmed that the Israeli presence in Gaza is rejected not only by Egypt but also by the international community.
The Israeli war has caused catastrophic repercussions on the Palestinian people, Shoukry continued.
Furthermore, he said the Palestinian cause must be resolved based on the two-state solution, which ensures establishing a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Shoukry also expressed his appreciation for Spain's position in support of the Palestinian cause, especially after it recognized the State of Palestine.
He praised the move as a “moral” decision that restores confidence in its consistency with international law and desire to establish peace and stability.
FM Shoukry also urged compliance with the international law rules and respect for the International Justice Court decisions calling for halting the Israeli war.
On 7 May, Israel launched its assault on Rafah, taking over the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt for the first time since Israel pulled out its soldiers and settlers from the strip in 2005.
Since that time, no humanitarian aid has entered to a population facing famine in Gaza through the Rafah crossing.
Jordan announced it would jointly organize with Egypt and the United Nations an emergency international conference on 11 June on the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
Short link: