Egypt, Jordan: Israel fully responsible for loss of scores of lives in Gaza operations

CAIRO – 19 July 2024: The foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan have emphasized that Israel bears complete responsibility for the significant loss of life resulting from Israeli military operations in Gaza since October 7.

Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs, Badr Abdelatty, and Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ayman Safadi, made these statements in a meeting held in Amman on Thursday.

The foreign ministers held Israel, as the occupying power, accountable for the unfolding situation in the Gaza Strip.

They underlined the Israeli blatant violations of international law and international humanitarian law in Gaza, as well as the destruction caused by operations in Rafah and the loss of tens of thousands of lives.

Abdelatty and Safadi reiterated their rejection of Israeli plans to displace Palestinians from Gaza to Egyptian territories or from the West Bank to Jordan.

Ongoing mediation

The foreign ministers discussed the progress of negotiations between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States.

According to AP, an Israeli delegation has arrived in Cairo to resume indirect talks aimed at achieving a ceasefire and a prisoner swap deal in the Gaza Strip. Three Egyptian airport officials confirmed the news.

The negotiations were disrupted after Israel targeted the Al-Mawasi camp, a designated safe humanitarian zone in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, this week.

The attack killed 90 individuals, including women and children, and left 300 others injured, some severely, as reported by the Gaza health ministry.

Ceasefire negotiations are currently ongoing, involving senior negotiators from Egypt, Israel, and the United States, with the goal of halting hostilities in Gaza after nine months of Israeli military operations.

While Hamas has shown readiness to compromise on its long-standing demand for a permanent ceasefire as a precondition for any deal, Israel has insisted that hostilities will not cease until all of its war objectives are achieved.

During a press conference on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlined the objectives, which include dismantling the military and governing capabilities of Hamas and securing the release of all captives taken by Hamas on October 7th.

Netanyahu stated that the war will not end until Israel ensures that Gaza no longer poses a threat and safely returns the settlers of the south and the north to their communities.

On Saturday, a high-level Egyptian source called on Israel to refrain from hindering the ongoing ceasefire talks in Gaza by introducing new principles that contradict the previously agreed-upon terms.

Netanyahu's demands include allowing Israel to continue the war until all its objectives are achieved in any agreement regarding captive release.

Since October 7, the people of Gaza have suffered a devastating toll, with 38,848 lives lost and 89,459 injuries resulting from Israeli attacks.

Additionally, Gaza's vital infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and other critical facilities, has been extensively destroyed, leaving the region on the brink of famine.