![Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Ankara, the capital of Turkiye on February 04, 2025. [Murat Gök - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/AA-20250204-36953220-36953216-HAKAN_FIDAN_BADR_ABDELATTY_JOINT_PRESS_CONFERENCE_IN_ANKARA.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said that the Gaza ceasefire agreement guarantees full access to humanitarian aid and that it cannot be halted or used as a weapon against innocent civilians, especially during the month of Ramadan.
His remarks come after the Israeli occupation government decided to halt the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, just hours after the first phase of the ceasefire agreement ended, and as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu obstructed the start of the second phase.
In a press statement, Abdelatty emphasised the importance of fulfilling the outstanding commitments of the ceasefire agreement and advancing negotiations for the next phase warning that using humanitarian aid as a weapon for collective punishment and starvation in Gaza, which is unacceptable and must not be allowed.
He explained that the Gaza agreement was signed as a three-phase deal and called for implementing its second phase immediately.
“We will continue our efforts to launch negotiations for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement,” he said, adding, “The second phase will be difficult, but the political determination and goodwill must be there to begin it.”
The Egyptian foreign minister urged the European Union to maintain pressure to secure the ceasefire in Gaza.
He also noted that the proposed reconstruction plan for Gaza, which ensures Palestinians remain in their land, has been finalised and will be presented at the Arab summit for approval in Cairo tomorrow, reiterating that there can be no security or stability in the region without the establishment of a Palestinian state.