CAIRO – 21 August 2025: Egypt revealed that it is following with deep concern the Israeli government’s proceeding with a plan to take control of Gaza cities, slamming Israel’s “complete disregard” of mediators’ efforts to reach a ceasefire.
Egypt’s remarks, conveyed in a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, come after the Israeli military announced on Wednesday starting its globally-condemned operation aimed at taking over northern Gaza’s Gaza City and imposing security control over the entire enclave.
The plan, which has faced local outcry and global condemnation including from the Arab and Muslim worlds as well as Israel’s closest Western allies, includes the displacement of nearly one million residents in Gaza City.
The Israeli move comes while Egypt and Qatar recently put forward a proposal for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner-captive swap deal, aiming to pause over 22 months of unrelenting war that has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians.
The Arab mediators’ proposal is based on an earlier plan put forward by US envoy Steve Witkoff. It includes the release of half of captives still held by Hamas, who number around 20 living and 30 dead captives.
The plan also includes the immediate launch of talks on a comprehensive agreement for a permanent ceasefire.
Ignoring Ceasefire Proposal
In the foreign ministry’s Thursday statement, Egypt expressed its strong condemnation of Israel’s escalating policies and expansion of its occupation of Palestinian land in the West Bank and Gaza.
Egypt also condemned Israel’s “persistence in carrying out systematic crimes against innocent civilians and its continued planning to forcibly displace Palestinians from their land.”
The foreign ministry warned that such actions “further inflame an already dire situation and reflect Israel’s complete disregard for the efforts of mediators and the current proposal for a ceasefire, the release of captives and detainees, and the delivery of humanitarian aid.”
Egypt also emphasized that expanding the occupation and continuing such crimes also reflect Israel’s “defiance of … international calls to end the war and alleviate the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people after nearly two years of steadfastness in the face of blatant Israeli violations.”
Weak Global Accountability
In the statement, Egypt slammed Israel’s “pursuit of a policy of arrogant force and continued violations of international law in the service of narrow political interests or misguided ideologies.”
“It is a grave miscalculation,” Egypt stressed, “one that stems from the erosion and weakness of the international justice system.”
Cairo warned that these violations will lead to “further escalation in the region, with severe consequences for relations between the peoples of the region, as well as for regional and international peace and security for many years to come.”
Egypt called on the international community to “urgently intervene to put an end to the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and to stop the crimes being committed against innocent Palestinian civilians in the Strip.”
Cairo also calls on the UN Security Council to “shoulder its responsibilities in maintaining international peace and security and to prevent further deterioration of the situation in the region and the worsening of instability in the Middle East.”
The ministry blamed Israel’s “unprecedented and flagrant violations of international laws and norms” for growing instability in the region.
Gaza City Takeover
Israeli army spokesperson Effie Defrin stated that forces have initiated what he described as the “first stages of the attack” on Gaza City and are now holding the outskirts of the city.
The operation, dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots II,” is a continuation of a campaign launched in May, enabling Israeli forces to take over around 75% of Gaza.
Palestinians already started fleeing parts of Gaza City after the Israeli army began the first stages of the operation, according to media reports, citing city officials.
The Israeli government approved the five-point plan earlier this month, stating that the plan seeks to seize Gaza City, assert Israeli “security control” over the entire Strip, disarm Hamas, and secure the release of all captives.
The plan’s objectives also include fully demilitarizing Gaza and establishing a new civil administration unaffiliated with either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.
Israel’s intentions to reoccupy Gaza have sparked strong condemnation amidst the worsening humanitarian crisis and looming famine that the enclave is facing.
Gaza’s health ministry reported on Thursday that 271 people, 112 of them children, have died from starvation and malnutrition. Israel has imposed heavy restrictions on aid deliveries, which amounted to full blockade for nearly three months earlier this year.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, 271 people have died from starvation and malnutrition as of 21 August, 2025, nearly half of them children. Photo by WAFA from Gaza
The European Union, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Norway, Austria, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have jointly criticized the Israeli plans.
Germany, in response, has suspended all arms exports to Israel.
Hamas on Wednesday accused the Israeli government of committing a “fully-fledged war crime” by “aiming to destroy Gaza City and displace its residents.”
In a Telegram post, Hamas condemned the move as “an escalation of the genocide and a blatant disregard for the efforts made by mediators to halt the aggression and [facilitate] the exchange of prisoners.”
Thu, Aug. 21, 2025
