By Ebi Kesiena
Egypt has issued a strong condemnation of the recent Israeli airstrike on the Al-Taba’een School in the Al-Daraj neighborhood of Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced Palestinians.
The bombing, which took place early Saturday, claimed the lives of 100 Palestinians and left dozens injured.
In a statement released on Saturday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry decried the Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians in Gaza as a blatant violation of international and humanitarian law.
The ministry urged the global community to take decisive and unified action to protect Palestinian lives and halt the ongoing assault on defenseless civilians.
Egypt’s condemnation comes at a critical moment, as intensive diplomatic efforts are underway to broker a ceasefire in Gaza. The Israeli strike occurred just hours after a joint statement from Egypt, the United States, and Qatar called for the resumption of ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, scheduled for the upcoming Thursday.
The Egyptian government emphasized that this latest attack underscores Israel’s lack of commitment to ending what it described as a “fierce war.” The statement also condemned the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, highlighting the international community’s failure to address the suffering of Palestinians.
Despite these challenges, Egypt reaffirmed its dedication to pursuing diplomatic solutions, including the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the continuation of ceasefire negotiations.
Since the outbreak of the conflict on October 7, Israel’s military actions have resulted in nearly 40,000 Palestinian deaths, the majority of whom were women and children. Additionally, over 91,000 people have been injured, and widespread destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure has displaced most of the territory’s residents.
Egypt has been at the forefront of efforts to deliver aid to civilians affected by the Israeli blockade on Gaza and to negotiate a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal.