CAIRO: Foreign Minister of Egypt Sameh Shoukry and UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese on Sunday discussed the human rights condition and Israeli practices in the occupied Palestinian territories.
During the meeting in Cairo, both sides called for an immediate end to Israeli assaults on Gaza in compliance with international laws and demanded the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance.
They also stressed the need for a stop to increasing settler violence in the West Bank, demanding accountability of the perpetrators.
Shoukry noted that the increase in Israeli attacks and illegal settlement practices in the West Bank raises the risk of the conflict spreading to entire occupied Palestinian territories.
He strongly believed that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has serious security repercussions, which undermines the stability of the broader region.
The foreign minister regretted that several countries have been reluctant to describe Israeli practices as a flagrant violation of international law.
Shoukry and Albanese reviewed the status of human rights and the humanitarian condition of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Shoukry emphasized the need to stop Israel from implementing policies of communal punishment, targeting civilians indiscriminately, and displacing Palestinians from their homeland.
The UN rapporteur strongly condemned Israel’s refusal to allow her to carry out a field visit to the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Albanese voiced her deep concern for the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Palestine and called on Israel to fulfill its obligations under international law as the occupying power.
She also expressed her keenness to continue discussions with Egypt to end the suffering of the Palestinians.
