Israeli aggression against civilians in Gaza is not self-defense: Egypt's FM

CAIRO – 1 November 2023: Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shokry received Wednesday the United Kingdom's Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy and Shadow Cabinet Minister for International Development Lisa Nandy to confer over the Gaza crisis and the unprecedented regional escalation.

The meeting focused on the humanitarian and security aspects of the crisis so as the Egyptian minister urged concerting efforts to achieve an immediate humanitarian truce that guarantees the safe and sustainable delivery of aid.

Minister Shokry stressed that the collective punishment, constant shelling, siege, forced displacement, and random targeting of civilians, which claimed the lives of over 8,500 civilians, carried out by Israel must not be labelled self-defense or combating terrorism.  

The minister noted that the current crisis makes the two-state solution a mandatory pathway to deal with the Palestinian Cause in the future, as the Palestinian people needs an independent and livable state.