Not recognizing Palestinian state grants Israel veto against 2-state solution: Egypt FM - Foreign Affairs
Abdelatty said this during a televized interview with Al-Mehwar TV channel on Saturday.
'Hiding behind slogans of a two-state solution without concrete steps is illogical — we must move forward and recognize the Palestinian state,' he added.
The foreign minister emphasized that Cairo is actively coordinating with Arab and European allies to build momentum for the two-state solution, a plan he believes Israel is actively working against.
On 24 July, President Emmanuel Macron announced his intention to recognize the State of Palestine on the sidelines of the upcoming UN General Assembly in September.
In this context, Abdelatty noted that Macron's recent announcement was a result of 'continuous and intensive communications' between Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and the French president.
'We succeeded, alongside Saudi Arabia, to reach this pivotal moment,' he said.
Egypt has also encouraged other countries, such as Britain, Malta, Portugal, Canada, and Luxembourg, to take similar steps, he added.
Now, 147 of the 193 UN member states recognize the State of Palestine proclaimed by the Palestinian leadership in exile in 1988.
Since 2024, 10 countries have officially recognized Palestine: Norway, Ireland, Spain, Mexico, Armenia, the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Barbados, and Slovenia.
Catastrophic humanitarian situation
Moreover, the minister addressed the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the accusations directed against Egypt regarding its role in aid delivery.
FM Abdelatty condemned claims about Egypt's closing of the Rafah crossing as 'outright lies,' affirming that the crossing is open '24 hours a day, 7 days a week' from the Egyptian side.
He clarified that the Israeli forces' occupation and destruction of the Palestinian side of the crossing is the true obstacle preventing the passage of aid trucks to Gaza.
"Israel, as the occupying power, is legally, morally, and politically responsible for ensuring aid entries to Gaza through its five crossings," Abdelatty stated, urging the international community to compel Israel to open its crossings.
He also asserted that Egypt is leveraging every possible means to deliver aid to Gaza, whether through the Karm Abu Salem border or the airdrops carried out in coordination with Jordan and European countries.
However, he acknowledged that air deliveries are limited in scope and that the main way remains land access.
Despite Egypt's unceasing efforts to deliver aid to Gaza, the number of trucks allowed to enter is woefully inadequate amid Israel's systematic policy of starvation, Abdelatty noted.
Since last week, Egypt has dispatched over six humanitarian aid convoys to Gaza, carrying tons of aid for starving Palestinians, with the sixth and largest convoy entering on Sunday.
In addition, Abdelatty said Egypt's recent focus on Gaza's catastrophic humanitarian conditions during the Washington meetings resulted in President Trump's dispatching of US Envoy Steve Witkoff to examine the situation in the strip.
Egypt's top diplomat reaffirmed that Cairo is preparing to host the International Conference for Early Recovery and Reconstruction of Gaza immediately after a ceasefire is reached.
The conference aims to mobilize international support for rebuilding Gaza, with the participation of both the private sector and international organizations.
"Achieving a ceasefire depends on the political will of both sides, especially the Israeli one," Abdelatty concluded, affirming that Egypt is working alongside Qatar and the United States on the political, security, and humanitarian levels.
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