Egypt’s foreign minister, EU foreign policy chief reject Israeli plans to invade Rafah

By Ibrahim Khazen

CAIRO (AA) - Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell reiterated Sunday their opposition to Israel's planned invasion of Rafah, a city in southern Gaza.

This came during a meeting on the sidelines of a two-day World Economic Forum event in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, an Egyptian Foreign Ministry statement said.

According to the statement, Shoukry and Borrell were keen on “exchanging assessments and the results of their contacts with various regional and international parties to end the war in Gaza and put an end to the humanitarian tragedy experienced by the residents of the strip.”

Borrell also learned from the Egyptian foreign minister “about the developments of the ongoing negotiations between Hamas and Israel to achieve an immediate cease-fire and swap of hostages, as well as enhancing the access of humanitarian aid to the strip,” the statement added.

It noted that the two sides “reiterated their rejection of Israel's launching of a ground military operation in the southern city of Rafah,” which is adjacent to the Egyptian border.

In this regard, Shoukry stressed the importance of the EU and active international parties “exerting pressure on Israel to prevent this military operation and to stop any attempts to implement the forced displacement scenario of the residents of the Gaza Strip or liquidate the Palestinian issue.”

According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry statement, the two sides also agreed to continue close consultation to push toward ending the Gaza war, as well as launch a serious and effective political process for a comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution, leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Israel is bent on launching a ground offensive into Rafah, claiming that it is the last Hamas stronghold on the Palestinian territory.

It also disregards growing international warnings of catastrophic repercussions in light of the presence of about 1.4 million internally displaced people there.

Israel has killed more than 34,400 Palestinians since the Oct. 7 cross-border incursion by Hamas last year which caused the deaths of 1,200 people, while around 250 people were taken hostages.

The conflict has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to prevent acts of genocide and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

* Writing by Rania Abu Shamala​​​​​​​