CAIRO, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Egypt welcomed on Thursday what it described as a notable shift in the positions of major international actors regarding the crisis in the Gaza Strip, especially their full rejection of the ongoing Israeli violations and excessive use of military force against civilians.
In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry praised the positive positions taken by a number of countries participating in the EU foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels, as well as the important steps by several countries in recognizing the State of Palestine.
"These steps reflect a global consensus and deserve support from the international community for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, who have long been deprived of them under decades of occupation," the statement said.
The position represents a nucleus for a broader international movement to "correct course" and end the ongoing Israeli violations against Gaza, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said, adding that respect for international law is essential for restoring the credibility of the global system.
Egypt reaffirmed its continued efforts to address the prolonged Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the occupation of Palestinian territories, and the denial of Palestinian rights, calling for the implementation of the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state, based on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, said the statement.
Israel ended a two-month ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza on March 18 and resumed deadly air and ground assaults.
The renewed Israeli attacks have killed 3,613 Palestinians and injured 10,156 others so far, bringing the total death toll in Gaza since the war began in October 2023 to 53,762, with 122,197 wounded, Gaza's health authorities said Thursday.
Egypt, a key peace mediator and major provider of humanitarian aid to Gaza, has been working alongside Qatar to help restore a ceasefire in the enclave. ■
