Egypt's Abdelatty Urges Dialogue, Flags Gaza Aid Shortfall in Press Briefing
Egypt's foreign minister called for negotiations on regional conflicts, said Gaza aid targets are unmet, and warned of steep Suez Canal revenue losses.
Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty addressed regional and international developments at a press briefing in the New Administrative Capital on Thursday, covering the Gaza ceasefire, Israeli-Iranian tensions, the Golan Heights, and Red Sea navigation.
On the American-Israeli-Iranian conflict, Abdelatty said there is no substitute for dialogue or negotiation. He pointed to an existing agreement, the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, saying it must be respected and that the parties should return to the negotiating table on that basis.
Turning to Gaza, the minister said the first phase of the plan has not been fully implemented. The target of allowing at least 600 aid trucks into the territory each day has not been met, he said, adding that Egypt is exerting every possible effort.
Abdelatty stressed that the plan must be carried out in full rather than selectively. He described the restriction and handover of weapons and the withdrawals from the Gaza Strip as interconnected elements that cannot be treated separately.
On Israel's elections, he said Egypt does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and expects the same principle to apply to its own. Cairo will work with whichever government takes office, he added, noting that the peace treaty remains important for regional stability.
Abdelatty also reiterated Egypt's rejection of any geographic, demographic, or topographic changes in the occupied Arab territories. He said Mount Hermon and the Golan Heights are occupied Syrian Arab territory and that the occupation's legitimacy is unacceptable under any circumstances, describing the position as a matter of principled Egyptian policy.
On the Bab al-Mandab Strait and freedom of navigation, the minister said Egypt favours complete de-escalation and opposes escalation. He noted that Egypt is the country most affected by disruptions to navigation, with losses from declining Suez Canal revenues approaching $11 billion.