Egypt, in a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, criticized remarks made by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who claimed there was a moral justification for starving Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. Egypt deemed "such disgraceful statements unacceptable in both form and substance" and considered them a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and the four Geneva Conventions, which require Israel, as the occupying power, to provide a safe livelihood and basic living necessities for the Palestinian people under occupation.
The statement also viewed such "irresponsible remarks as an unacceptable incitement against the residents of Gaza" and a further evasion of implementing the interim measures demanded by the International Court of Justice from Israel. Egypt reminded all parties in the international community that the essence and foundation of international humanitarian law have developed over the past decades to combat and prevent such practices that undermine human dignity. Egypt called for the need for effective international efforts to put an end to the tragedies faced by civilians in Gaza, ensuring the maintenance of minimum legal and ethical standards in times of war.
