Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Saturday described the Israeli war in Gaza as the "most dangerous crisis of our time," accusing Israel of violating international law and urging BRICS nations to support post-war reconstruction efforts. Speaking on behalf of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi at the opening session of the 17th BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Madbouly said the world faces multiple intertwined crises, including geopolitical tensions, economic setbacks, and the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. The prime minister participated in the opening session, themed "Peace, Security and the Reform of Global Governance," and in a group photograph with leaders of the BRICS member states. The summit is being held in the Brazilian city on July 6-7 under the broader theme of "Enhancing South-South Cooperation for Inclusive and Sustainable Governance." In his address, Madbouly welcomed Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who was attending for the first time, and expressed appreciation for Brazil's hosting of the summit. "There is no doubt that the most dangerous crisis of our time is the ongoing Israeli war on the innocent Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip for nearly two years," Madbouly said, stating that the war had resulted in "the martyrdom of more than 55,000 Palestinian civilians, two-thirds of whom are women and children, in addition to nearly 125,000 wounded." "This tragedy is the result of Israel's continued violation of international and humanitarian law," he said, adding that Israel was continuing its "repeated violations against the Palestinian people in the West Bank and East Jerusalem" and its settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories. Madbouly said that Egypt, alongside Qatar and the United States, had made every effort to reach a ceasefire agreed onJan. 15, but that "Israeli aggression against civilians was a violation of this agreement." "The ceasefire must be reinstated, and we call for an immediate cessation of hostilities by Israel, which must abide by international humanitarian law and ensure the protection of civilians," he stated. The prime minister affirmed Egypt's rejection of any plans to displace or transfer Gaza's Palestinian residents from their homeland, saying such proposals threaten the two-state solution and peace in the entire region. He called on BRICS nations to support the Arab-Islamic plan for the early recovery and reconstruction of Gaza and to participate in an international conference that Egypt intends to organise once a permanent ceasefire is reached. Madbouly also noted that both Lebanon and Syria had witnessed "blatant Israeli aggression," and that the war had extended to Iran, representing a "very dangerous regional escalation" and a direct threat to international peace and security. Shifting to the group's agenda, Madbouly highlighted several priorities, including accelerating joint cooperation through projects in energy, manufacturing, infrastructure, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. He stressed the importance of strengthening economic, financial, and monetary cooperation, particularly between central banks, and making progress on financial settlements in local currencies. "Providing concessional financing and technology transfer to developing countries is a prerequisite for achieving sustainable development and eradicating poverty," Madbouly said. He added that BRICS must work effectively to improve the international debt mechanism and support the reform of the global financial system to meet the needs and priorities of developing nations. Madbouly is scheduled to participate in a number of sessions and hold bilateral meetings with several heads of state and government attending the summit. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told leaders of emerging nations on Sunday that the world must not remain indifferent to a "genocide" carried out by Israel in Gaza, as the 17th BRICS summit opened in Rio de Janeiro. "We cannot remain indifferent to the genocide carried out by Israel in Gaza, the indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians and the use of hunger as a weapon of war," President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told leaders from the group of nations.
