In a closed-door session on Saturday, foreign ministers from Egypt and France convened in Cairo to discuss the escalating situation in Gaza. The meeting aimed to address the ongoing conflict in the region, which has persisted for nearly six months.
Later today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan, Ayman Safadi, will join Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and French Foreign Minister Clément Beaune Séjourné for further discussions and a subsequent press conference dedicated to addressing the Gaza crisis.
Taking to Twitter, Séjourné announced plans to engage with Shoukry and Safadi on the release of captives and to coordinate humanitarian efforts in Gaza between their respective nations.
The meeting occurs in the wake of continued hostilities in Gaza, despite a recent United Nations Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire during Ramadan. France, as a permanent member of the UNSC, voted in favor of the resolution.
The prolonged conflict in Gaza has resulted in devastating human tolls, with over 32,500 Palestinians killed and 75,000 injured. Additionally, the conflict has caused extensive destruction to homes and infrastructure in the region, pushing a significant portion of the population to the brink of famine.
Concerns have been raised by Egypt, Jordan, and France regarding a potential Israeli ground invasion of Rafah city along the Egypt-Gaza border. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has labeled such an operation as “disastrous,” while French President Emmanuel Macron has warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that any forced evacuations from Rafah would constitute a “war crime.”
