Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strong condemnation on Thursday, 16 May, denouncing Israel’s ongoing military operations against Palestinian civilians in Gaza. The statement comes following a series of airstrikes that killed more than 100 people in a single day.
The ministry expressed “deep condemnation” of what it described as Israel’s continued violations of international humanitarian law, citing the bombing of residential areas and medical facilities.
It held the Israeli government fully responsible for the consequences of “its repeated violations of the most basic principles of international humanitarian law,” which it said have become the primary reason for the region’s prolonged instability.
Egypt also called on the international community to take concrete action in confronting the injustice faced by the Palestinian people.
It stressed the urgency of establishing mechanisms to protect civilians in Gaza, support their resilience, and restore their legitimate rights, steps it described as essential to preserving the credibility of the international legal system.
The statement comes amid a mounting death toll in the Gaza Strip. On Tuesday, 14 May, the Indonesian Hospital in Jabaliya reported that at least 70 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes targeting homes in the area. Among the victims were at least 22 children and 15 women.
Since 7 October 2023, over 52,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the latest figures from Gaza’s health authorities. The majority of the casualties are women and children.
Gaza’s healthcare system has also been steadily decimated throughout the conflict. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), only 17 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remained partially operational by early December 2024.
The remaining 19 had completely shut down. Over 1,000 healthcare workers have been killed, further crippling the territory’s medical capacity.
Despite repeated Egyptian and Qatari mediation efforts, Israel has continued its military offensive, cutting off access to humanitarian aid and medical supplies.
Egypt has reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire and the full protection of civilians under international law.
