Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry participated on Saturday, 17 February 2024, with the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia and Belgium in the discussion session entitled ‘Towards Stability and Peace in the Middle East: Challenges of De-escalation,’ which was held on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (MSC).
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry warned of the serious consequences surrounding any military operation in the Palestinian city of Rafah, as the last refuge for approximately 1.4 million displaced Palestinians, and its repercussions to the international laws and norms.
He noted that the occurrence of such a scenario would affect Egyptian national security and lead to irreparable damage to peace and security in the Middle East, spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid said.
The top diplomat highlighted the threats of the collapse of the humanitarian system in the Gaza Strip, and the legal, humanitarian and political responsibility the international community bears.
He denounced the inability of the internationa
l community to stop the Israeli war against the residents of the Gaza Strip, in complete disregard and flagrant violation of all provisions of international humanitarian law.
He also drew attention to the current challenges facing the Middle East region as a result of increasing tensions against the backdrop of the Israeli war against Gazans, including in Lebanon and Iraq, and threats to navigation security in the Red Sea, pointing to the necessity of reducing the crisis in Gaza and establishing ceasefire.
Egypt is engaged in many discussions aimed at resolving this crisis from its roots and achieving peaceful coexistence among the peoples of the region, he said, stressing that comprehensive peace will only be achieved through implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent Palestinian state, based on the 1967 borders, with al-Quds (East Jerusalem) as its capital.
Source: State Information Service Egypt