CAIRO: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed the latest developments in the war in Gaza with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong during a phone call on Monday.
During the discussion, Shoukry updated his Australian counterpart on the latest developments in the conflict and Egypt’s consultations with international powers to contain the crisis.
Shoukry expressed his condolences to the Australian government following the death of an Australian aid worker in Gaza.
The worker was killed during an Israeli airstrike, which targeted aid workers associated with the World Central Kitchen. The strike resulted in the deaths of seven aid workers.
Shoukry emphasized Israel’s duty to comply with international law and international humanitarian law.
This requires an immediate halt to attacks on Palestinian civilians as well as international relief personnel who are actively working to address the dire humanitarian conditions faced by people in the Gaza Strip.
During the call, the two ministers discussed the deteriorating humanitarian and security conditions in the enclave and the efforts to implement UN Security Council resolutions, the latest of which is Resolution No. 2728, and UN General Assembly resolutions related to the crisis in Gaza.
They stressed the necessity of achieving an immediate and permanent ceasefire and ensuring the complete, safe, and rapid delivery of humanitarian aid to meet the urgent needs of the residents of the Gaza Strip.
Shoukry lauded Australia’s decision to resume support for UNRWA, noting the organization’s pivotal role in confronting the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
The two ministers stressed during the call their complete rejection of Israel’s military operations in the southern Gazan city of Rafah.
They also touched on various aspects of bilateral cooperation between Egypt and Australia.
Shoukry and Wong stressed the importance of ongoing coordination and consultation to strengthen bilateral cooperation in all fields and align their positions on regional and international crises of mutual interest.
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