Ceasefire reached before Ramadan ‘imperative,’ says Egyptian Foreign Minister

ANTALYA, Türkiye

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed on Friday that a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian resistance factions should be reached before the holy month of Ramadan.

"It is imperative to reach a ceasefire before Ramadan for the safety of the Palestinian people," the minister told Anadolu during his first participation in the Antalya diplomatic forum in Türkiye.

He stressed that "it would be unacceptable that military activities continue" during the holy month of Ramadan due to "the impact it will have not only on the civilian Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank but generally."

The minister also reiterated his country's refusal of any displacement plans for the Palestinians, both internally and externally.

"The issue of displacement, which is contrary to international humanitarian law, should not continue to take place, whether internally or outside of Palestine," he said.

He considered the displacement of Palestinians a way of "liquidating the Palestinian cause," adding that "it is not acceptable and is a violation of international humanitarian law."

The official noted that his country "will continue to exert every effort [for a ceasefire]."

"We hope that there will be necessary flexibility and understanding of the dangers and the need for a cessation of hostilities so that the volume of humanitarian assistance can be increased, the threats of displacements can be dispelled, but primarily, it is the lives of the Palestinian people that has to be saved," he added.

Israel has launched a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack, which Tel Aviv said killed less than 1,200 people.

At least 30,035 Palestinians have since been killed and 70,457 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide by the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi