Egypt's FM warns against the expansion of Israeli military operations in Gaza

CAIRO – 1 September 2025: Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty warned against the consequences of expanding Israeli military operations in Gaza, the settlement expansion in the West Bank and the continuation of starvation policies.

This came during his meeting Sunday evening with US Senators Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley, members of the Senate Appropriations and Foreign Relations Committees, as part of their visit to Egypt within a regional tour.

The meeting tackled ways to strengthen bilateral relations between Egypt and the United States, as well as existing cooperation in political, security, and military fields.

Minister Abdelatty praised the long-standing strategic partnership between the two countries and expressed eagerness for further cooperation and coordination in pursuit of shared interests, stressing the importance of boosting economic, trade, and investment ties.

The discussions also covered developments in Gaza, where Minister Abdelatty reviewed the rapidly worsening catastrophic humanitarian situation, which has reached the level of famine.

The Foreign Minister stressed the need for regional and international efforts to put an end to Israel’s blatant crimes in Gaza and the West Bank. He outlined the Egyptian-Qatari proposal that seeks to achieve a ceasefire, allow the entry of humanitarian and relief aid, and secure the release of hostages and prisoners. He emphasized the importance of the international community playing its role in pressuring Israel to respond to the global call to end the aggression.

The minister also reiterated Egypt’s categorical rejection of any plans to forcibly displace Palestinians from their land. In this context, he reviewed the elements of the Arab plan for early recovery and reconstruction, as well as the conference Egypt intends to host for this purpose once a ceasefire is reached.

The minister listened to the impressions of the two senators following their visit to the cities of Arish and Rafah, where they observed Egypt’s efforts to provide humanitarian and relief aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

Their visit included a tour of the main logistics hub of the Egyptian Red Crescent and an inspection of the Rafah crossing. They were also briefed on the services Egypt provided to treat wounded and injured Palestinians at Egyptian hospitals. The two senators commended Egypt’s intensive and constructive efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement and deliver humanitarian and relief assistance to Palestinians in Gaza.

The meeting also addressed developments in Sudan. Minister Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s support for Sudanese state institutions and stressed the need to respect Sudan’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.

He further noted Egypt’s readiness to engage with initiatives aimed at reaching an immediate ceasefire and alleviating the humanitarian suffering of the Sudanese people.