The foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan met in Geneva on Monday to discuss the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Egypt’s Sameh Shoukry and Jordan’s Ayman Safadi, who is also deputy prime minister, reviewed the situation in the war-torn region and warned of the consequences of an Israeli military ground operation in Rafah, according to a statement by Ahmed Abu Zeid, a spokesman for the Egyptian foreign ministry.
Any such offensive would have “extremely negative repercussions” and exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe, they said.
The ministers also discussed the challenges facing the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees after several countries suspended their financial contributions to the organization. Any disruption to its mandate would gravely harm refugees, they said.
The pair stressed the importance of continuing to provide humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and of working together to prevent the conflict worsening and damaging regional security and stability.
Shoukry also expressed his concern at the deterioration of conditions in the West Bank and the increased pace of Israeli military incursions, which he said threatened to exacerbate the situation there.
He also outlined Egypt’s efforts to deal with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including trying to accelerate the provision of relief consignments.
source: arab News
