CAIRO, Oct. 19 Israel and the Palestinians must To return to the negotiating table, it is necessary to create a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, said Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.
“There is no alternative except for the parties to return to the negotiating table and create a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders,” Shoukry said during a joint press conference in Cairo with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Egypt's Foreign Minister also stressed that his country opposes the forced displacement of Palestinians.
Shoukry previously stated that the Israeli government has not yet provided the opportunity to open the Rafah crossing from the Gaza Strip to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid or the exit of third-country citizens. According to him, Rafah was not closed from the Egyptian side. Shukri also said that the checkpoint had been shelled at least four times over the past few days, including once during repairs. Russian Ambassador to Tel Aviv Anatoly Viktorov said on Tuesday that Rafah is not working, Moscow is working on the issue of opening it with Egypt and Israel.
On the morning of October 7, Israel was subjected to an unprecedented-scale rocket attack from the Gaza Strip as part of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, announced by the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement. In addition, after massive rocket attacks, the organization’s fighters penetrated into the border areas in southern Israel. In response, the Israel Defense Forces launched Operation Iron Swords against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Within days of the attack, the Israeli military took control of all settlements near the Gaza border and began conducting air strikes on targets, including civilians, in the strip. Israel also announced a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip: the supply of water, food, electricity, medicine, and fuel was suspended.
The number of victims in the Gaza Strip has reached 3,785 people, including 1,524 children and 1,000 women, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported. In Israel, according to local authorities, more than 1,300 people were killed. The Russian Embassy reported that during the escalation of the conflict, 19 Russians were killed, two were taken hostage, and seven were listed as missing.
According to various sources, Hamas may hold about 150 Israelis captive. The movement itself stated that there are about 200-250 prisoners in the Gaza Strip.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called on the parties to stop hostilities. According to the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the settlement of the Middle East crisis is possible only on the basis of a “two-state” formula approved by the UN Security Council, which provides for the creation of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with its capital in East Jerusalem.
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict, related to the territorial interests of the parties, has been a source of tension and clashes in the region for many decades. A UN decision with the active role of the USSR in 1947 determined the creation of two states — Israel and Palestine, but only the Israeli one was created. Israel, while declaring agreement with the two-state principle, did not completely liberate the Palestinian territories.