Egypt’s FM: Forced displacement of Palestinians outside Gaza temporarily violates international humanitarian law

CAIRO – 8 December 2023: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that the forced displacement of Palestinians outside Gaza temporarily constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law.

In an interview with CNN on Thursday, Shoukry added that any form of displacement whether internal or external is a violation, continuing “We will not become implicitly part of this violation and the Palestinians themselves don’t want to leave and they should not be forcibly displaced.”

“The liquidation of the Palestinian cause by removing the Palestinians out of their territories is unacceptable and is also a violation of the humanitarian law,” he affirmed.

Shoukry said that the Egyptian authorities are coordinating with all parties like Hamas and Israel and with the assistance of U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues David Satterfield to facilitate repatriation through the Rafah border crossing and not affect the flow of humanitarian assistance. “It is totally up to Israelis to define and to provide the lists of who can come out,” Shoukry said.

In reply to a question about the UN Chief António Guterres’ decision when he invoked Art.99 of the UN Charter - for the 1st time in his tenure as Secretary-General, Shoukry said that the Gaza Strip is suffering humanitarian catastrophe in terms of the lack of food, water, shelter, and medical treatment, and sanitation health. “This is an issue that has to be addressed. It is a moral perspective that the Secretary-General must bestow the security council must take its responsibility,” he said.

In a phone call with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday, Shoukry reiterated Egypt’s full rejection of attempts to displace Palestinians, whether internally or outside their country.

In his speech at the “Long Live Egypt: A People’s Response in Solidarity with Palestine” conference in November, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said the displacement of Palestinians outside their lands is a “red line” to Egypt and will not be accepted.

Head of the Egyptian State Information Service (SIS) Diaa Rashwan stressed on Wednesday that the Israeli endeavors to displace Palestinians, whether internally or outside their lands, lack global support.

Meanwhile, the Israeli side has not abandoned its endeavors to forcibly displace Palestinians despite its awareness of the Egyptian and Jordanian serious rejection of these attempts, Rashwan said.