Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Norwegian counterpart Espen Barth Eide stressed that the international community must maintain its support to ensure sufficient humanitarian assistance are allowed into the war-ravaged Gaza Strip in a sustainable manner.
During a meeting between the top diplomats on the margins of a special meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), which kicked off on Sunday in Riyadh, the ministers agreed on the importance of resuming support to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN Member States, to enable the UN agency to discharge its duties in support of the Palestinian people.
The two sides discussed the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, and ongoing efforts to ensure a full implementation of relevant UN resolutions that call for imposing a ceasefire and facilitating access to humanitarian assistance in the embattled enclave, according to Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy.
The meeting also tackled the political and diplomatic endeavors to expand international recognition of Palestine as a full member state at the United Nations based on pre June 4th 1967 border.
The two ministers exchanged their views and evaluations as regards Israel’s ongoing plans to embark on a ground invasion of Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, the spokesman noted.
Shoukry said international action is imperative to prevent Israel from launching an offensive in Rafah, which only lead to another humanitarian catastrophe with unprecedented consequences.
