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Sameh Shoukry called for an immediate cease-fire of several weeks that could lead to the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Gaza. He underscored the need for the immediate release of the hostages.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry hosted his Dutch counterpart Hanke Bruins Slot on March 4. The talks focused on enhancing bilateral relations between the two countries including economic engagement. The humanitarian situation in Gaza also figured during the talk.
Sameh Shoukry called for an immediate cease-fire of several weeks that could lead to the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Gaza. He underscored the need for the immediate release of the hostages. He also referred to the efforts of countries like the US, Qatar, and Egypt to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas before the start of the Muslim month of Ramadan. It is also important, he said, that US Vice President Kamala Harris recently called for an immediate ceasefire.
The Egyptian foreign minister echoed the sentiments of African countries to ensure peace in Gaza and the need to exert global pressure on Israel to end the conflict in Gaza, which has resulted in the death of many and the dislocation of millions of people.
Egypt fears that a flood of refugees from Gaza would destabilize an already troubled part of Sinai, putting demands on jobs and resources and further radicalizing the local population.
The Egyptian military has had an enduring interest in the Gaza Strip since it initially occupied it for almost two decades after Israel’s independence in 1948, and it has remained finely attuned to the area’s security environment. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, like many of his predecessors, is deeply hostile to Hamas, which sprung out of Egypt’s often-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood movement. Yet, Egyptian leaders also have a long history of engagement with Hamas, particularly after it became the de facto ruler of Gaza after seizing power in 2007. In past crises, Egypt has served as an interlocutor with the organization, facilitating prisoner swaps and helping negotiate cease-fires.
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Hamas built over a while a network of tunnels from Gaza into Egypt. These tunnels have often enabled people in Gaza to buy smuggled goods, such as livestock and basic consumer products.
