Sameh Shoukry
Nov 14,
2023. Posted by Balkan Periscope - Hellas
Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry slammed remarks made by
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calling for the “voluntary”
displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, saying Israel’s actions in the strip
are a war crime.
Shoukry, in his comments to diplomatic reporters on Tuesday, said that Israeli policies forcing Palestinians from their homes constitute "a full-fledged war crime under the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949.”
He denounced Smotrich’s claims on Tuesday that any displacement of
Palestinians would be voluntary, affirming that people in Gaza are being
compelled to leave their homes due to “deliberate military targeting of
civilians in the strip and the intentional siege and starvation operations.”
The far-right Israeli finance minister had said that Israel “will no longer
be able to accept the existence of an independent entity in Gaza," calling
for a “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians from Gaza to countries around the
world as “the right humanitarian solution.”
The Egyptian FM also noted that Egypt and the international community
rejects any attempts to justify or encourage the displacement of Palestinians
from the Gaza Strip.
Shoukry stressed Egypt’s unwavering rejection of forced displacement policies
against the Palestinians, the liquation of the Palestinian cause or any deliberate
obstruction of humanitarian aid and essential services, which create
unbearable conditions for civilians.
Shoukry called for those who claim to care about the humanitarian situation
in Gaza to work on halting Israel's military operations that
kill civilians, including women and children.
He further emphasized that Egypt will continue its efforts to preserve the
inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to remain on their
territories and establish an independent, viable, and contiguous state with
East Jerusalem as its capital.
Smotrich’s remarks are the latest in a series of inflammatory statements by
Israeli ministers under the far-right government of Benjamin Netanyahu,
including a suggestion to drop a nuclear bomb on Gaza.
This suggestion, made by Israeli Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu
earlier this month, sparked widespread outcry and international
condemnation. Netanyahu subsequently suspended Eliyahu from Cabinet meetings
and claimed that his remarks were not based on reality.
Furthermore, Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter told the media a few days ago
that the war in Gaza will end in another Nakba, using the Arabic term for
“catastrophe.”
The term Nakba is used by Palestinians and Muslims worldwide to refer
to the 1948 expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their land
to establish the state of Israel.
Earlier in November, Smotrich sent a letter to Netanyahu calling for the
formation of "sterile" zones in the West Bank, where Palestinians
would be prevented from entering or harvesting olives.
Shoukry told the reporters today that these
many recent “irresponsible” remarks by Israeli officials
violate international humanitarian law.
Ahram
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