Egypt condemns Israel’s escalating Gaza offensive, failure to respond to ceasefire proposal
Israel conducting heavy military assaults in Gaza City for nearly 2 weeks in preparation for plan to fully reoccupy the enclave
ISTANBUL
Egypt on Monday condemned Israel’s continued expansion of its military offensive in Gaza and failure to respond to a recent ceasefire proposal, saying the stance “reflects a complete absence of will to de-escalate.”
The Foreign Ministry issued a statement as Israel has been conducting heavy military assaults in Gaza City for nearly two weeks in preparation for a plan to fully reoccupy the enclave, while ignoring the truce offer put forward by Egypt and Qatar and accepted by Hamas on Aug. 18.
Egypt “condemns the continued expansion of Israel’s military aggression in Gaza and its persistence in violating international humanitarian law, in full contradiction with international efforts to end the war on Gaza and the wider regional escalation,” the ministry said.
It added that “Israel’s failure so far to respond to the deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar as part of efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza reflects a complete absence of Israeli will to de-escalate and achieve calm and peace, and shows clear intentions to continue aggression against innocent civilians in Gaza.”
The ministry warned that this “threatens to double the catastrophic consequences for the humanitarian situation in Gaza, particularly amid Israel’s starvation and siege policies against defenseless civilians.”
About two weeks ago, Hamas announced its acceptance of a proposal by mediators for a prisoner swap and a 60-day ceasefire, but Israel has refrained from stating its position.
On Aug. 20, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instead said he had ordered the acceleration of plans to occupy Gaza City, despite international warnings that it could result in the enclave’s total destruction, greater suffering for Palestinians, and mass displacement.
Israel has killed more than 63,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
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