Egypt’s Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations Osama Abdel Khalek – Press photo
CAIRO – 30 October 2024: Egypt’s Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations Osama Abdel Khalek has called for the Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian territories, emphasizing that Israel must not be allowed to “kill” the two-state solution.
During a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on the Middle East held on Tuesday, Abdel Khalek emphasized Egypt’s ongoing support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
He stressed the need for collective action to compel Israel to adhere to Security Council resolutions and withdraw from both Palestine and Lebanon.
Abdel Khalek called for a UNSC resolution under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, demanding that Israel end its war in Gaza. He also urged the council to enforce a temporary ceasefire to facilitate the entry of aid into the enclave.
He emphasized that Israel has killed more than 42,000 people in Gaza and forcibly displaced civilians more than once, underscoring that Israel would not have been able to continue its crimes except due to the leniency of international institutions.
Egypt, along with the United States and Qatar, is actively mediating between Hamas and Israel to end the war that has continued for 13 months and facilitate the exchange of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners.
In a recent initiative, Egypt is proposing a two-day ceasefire in Gaza to enable the exchange of four Israeli captives for “some” Palestinian prisoners, as disclosed by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi this week.
During a press conference with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in Egypt on Sunday, Sisi outlined the proposal, which includes negotiations within 10 days from implementation to achieve a “full ceasefire” and facilitate aid delivery.
“Our brethren in the Strip are enduring a severe siege that verges on famine, and it is crucial that aid enters as fast as possible,” stated Sisi.
Egypt, Qatar, and the US have spearheaded mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas since the war began on October 7, 2023.
In November, a prisoner swap deal facilitated by the three countries led to the release of around 100 Israeli captives in exchange for about 240 Palestinian prisoners.
However, Israeli attacks in recent months have resulted in the reported deaths of many of the around 100 captives still held in Gaza, while Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu is adhering to the war objective of returning the captives safely.
On 1 September, the Israeli army asserted that they have recovered the bodies of six captives from tunnels under the enclave, including 23-year-old Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American captive.
Since the start of the war, Israeli forces have killed 43,163 Palestinians, injured over 101,500 others, according to the health ministry in Gaza on Wednesday. The war also devastated critical infrastructure and pushed the enclave toward the brink of famine.