Egypt criticizes 'unjustified repetitive U.S. use of veto' against Gaza ceasefire

CAIRO – 22 February 2024: Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shokry met Wednesday with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Rio De Janeiro on the sidelines of G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting.

The meeting focused on the Gaza War as Minister Shokry criticized the UN Security Council's constant failure to issue a resolution obliging Israel to commit to a ceasefire due to the "unjustified repetitive U.S. use of veto."

The minister noted that the intended Israeli ground offensive in Palestinian Rafah would incur a humanitarian disaster that would imperil the national security of neighboring states and destabilize the region, as the area houses 1.4 million Palestinians.

Minister Shokry added that pressure must be put on the Israeli government to implement the UN Security Council resolution no. 2720 on facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza Strip. In that context, he underscored the necessity of supporting the role of the UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza.

The minister equally stressed the importance of the role of the UNRWA - whose funding had been suspended by a number of countries including the United States - as it is the only entity capable of operating in the current tough security and humanitarian conditions. In that framework, he demanded reconsidering the funding suspension decision.

The Egyptian minister and Blinken held talks on the diplomatic efforts deployed to broker a hostage exchange deal, and a truce that would last for a few weeks.