Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Monday condemned Israel's "blatant and systematic violations and commission of crimes and genocide against a defenceless people" at an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah. The extraordinary session of the Council of Foreign Ministers was convened to discuss the ongoing Israeli "aggression" against the Palestinian people. In his address, Abdelatty accused Israel of continuing and expanding its aggression in the Gaza Strip and using "starvation, siege, and obstructing the work of U.N. institutions to undermine the resilience… of the Palestinian people in Gaza and push them to accept the option of displacement." Egypt "categorically rejects" this, he said. He reviewed Egypt's efforts to support Palestinians in Gaza, noting that Egypt has contributed nearly 70% of the aid, totalling 550,000 tons, and has received thousands of wounded Palestinians for medical treatment. He stressed the need for Israel to immediately facilitate the entry of aid through all crossings, stating that the Strip requires at least 700 trucks per day, while more than 5,000 aid trucks are currently stuck on the Egyptian side due to Israeli obstacles. The foreign minister said Egypt strongly condemns Israel's expansion of military operations and holds it fully responsible for the continuation of the war and its deliberate disregard for mediators' attempts to reach a truce. He called on the international community to exert all forms of pressure on Israel to accept the current ceasefire proposal, which Hamas has agreed to. Abdelatty also addressed Israel's continued violations in the occupied West Bank, including a recent announcement of plans to build 3,400 new settlement units in the "E1" area, which he said was a flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions and aimed to sabotage any prospect of a viable Palestinian state. He noted Egypt's welcome for recent announcements by some countries of their forthcoming recognition of a Palestinian state, calling it a long-overdue step and urging other nations to do the same. BILATERAL MEETINGS On the sidelines of the OIC meeting, Abdelatty held bilateral consultations with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan. The two ministers expressed satisfaction with the momentum in their bilateral relations, especially as the countries mark 100 years of diplomatic ties. They agreed on the importance of building on the first meeting of the High-Level Strategic Council held in Istanbul in September 2024 and looked forward to the second session, to be chaired by the presidents of both countries. They also discussed the situation in Gaza, with both ministers affirming their rejection of the ongoing Israeli aggression. Abdelatty briefed Fidan on the ceasefire efforts led by Egypt and Qatar. On Monday evening, Abdelatty also met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Jeddah. The two officials discussed enhancing bilateral relations and exchanged views on the "catastrophic" situation in Gaza. Abdelatty reviewed Egypt's efforts to reach a ceasefire, and the two ministers also discussed the situation in Lebanon and Syria, as well as developments in the Iranian nuclear file, stressing the need to resume negotiations to find peaceful solutions.
