Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Monday, Egypt categorically rejects any Israeli military operation in Palestinian Rafah, as it would cause a humanitarian catastrophe resulting in unprecedented complications.
This came during Shoukry meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters with German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, where they held extensive discussions, most of which dealt with the situation in Gaza and efforts to stop the ongoing war.
The discussions also addressed various aspects of the crisis in Gaza and the international efforts made to reach a ceasefire and reduce the worsening humanitarian suffering of the residents of the Strip.
Shoukry stressed the necessity of enforcing the ceasefire in Gaza as soon as possible, reviewing the communications and efforts made by Egypt at all levels, including communications with the US administration and mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel with the aim of reaching a truce that leads to a permanent ceasefire.
He pressed the need for concerted international efforts to put pressure on Israel to ensure the full entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, open land crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip, and remove obstacles to the arrival of aid to all areas of the Gaza Strip, including northern Gaza.
For her part, the Baerbock highlighted importance of opening all crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip, and removing obstacles that prevent the entry of aid.
Shoukry told his German counterpart it was no longer accepted that the UN Security Council continues to be unable to issue a resolution calling for a ceasefire after more than five months of this brutal war and the resulting unprecedented numbers of civilian death toll and casualty, especially of children and women.
The discussions dealt with the unstable security situation in the Red Sea as a result of the escalation of military operations targeting freedom of navigation in this important navigational course, as the German top diplomat expressed her aspiration for coordination to establish a joint assessment of the nature of the threats and ways to confront them.
The two ministers also touched on the path of the political horizon for dealing with the Palestinian issue, where Shoukry stressed the importance of resolving the crisis from its roots, and ending the long-term Israeli occupation, based on the vision of the two-state solution.
The consultations touched on the bilateral aspect of relations between Egypt and Germany, where the two ministers stressed the common desire to strengthen and develop such relations in various fields, and to build on the momentum generated by the path of upgrading bilateral relations between Egypt and the European Union to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership.
For her part, the German top official stressed the importance that her country attaches to enhancing aspects of cooperation with Egypt, appreciation for the pivotal role that Egypt plays in promoting stability in the region.
She noted the importance of moving forward with the implementation of the projects agreed upon between the two sides, and building on the success stories achieved by German companies in the fields of transportation, and energy in Egypt, as well as continuing the dialogue between Cairo and Berlin to overcome any obstacles to developing economic and investment cooperation between the two sides.
