Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty (R) receives former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (L) in Cairo. Photo: Egyptian foreign ministry
Speaking after a meeting with former United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Cairo, Abdelatty said Egypt is working in coordination with Qatar and the United States to broker an agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The minister condemned what he described as “blatant violations” of international and humanitarian law by Israel, which have contributed to what he called a “catastrophic” crisis inside the Strip.
According to a statement from the Egyptian foreign ministry, Abdelatty reiterated Cairo’s support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for the UN's broader role in preserving global peace and promoting development.
During the meeting, Abdelatty also praised Ban’s ongoing international advocacy through his role in The Elders, an independent group of global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela.
The talks come as international concern mounts over the escalating humanitarian toll in Gaza, with aid agencies warning of shortages in food, fuel, and medical supplies amid continued Israeli bombardment.
"Gaza is the hungriest place on Earth," said Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), on Friday.
"It's the only defined area -- a country or defined territory within a country -- where you have the entire population at risk of famine. 100 percent of the population at risk of famine."
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