Dr. Badr Abdel-Aati, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration, and Egyptians Abroad, held a phone call with Jonathan Powell, the British National Security Advisor, on Tuesday to discuss bilateral relations and exchange views on regional issues of mutual interest. The call covered the overall bilateral relations and the move towards elevating them to a strategic partnership level to deepen cooperation in various fields. Regionally, both sides exchanged perspectives on the serious developments in the Gaza Strip, where Minister Abdel-Aati condemned the ongoing blatant Israeli violations of international humanitarian law, including the recent targeting of journalists, medical and humanitarian workers, and the unjustified Israeli incursion into Ramallah. He affirmed Egypt’s firm rejection of the continuation of Israeli crimes inside Gaza and Israel’s obstruction of relief and medical aid, which has led to an unprecedented catastrophic deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, reaching the brink of famine.

He stressed the necessity for the international community to assume its responsibilities to put an end to these dangerous practices and to intervene effectively to stop the Israeli war on Gaza. The Foreign Minister welcomed the announcement by several Western countries, including the United Kingdom, of their intention to recognize the State of Palestine on the sidelines of the upcoming UN General Assembly in September, noting that expanding the path of recognition of the independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 lines is the only path to achieve sustainable security and stability for all peoples in the region. On another note, the Foreign Minister informed the British official that the Ministry is closely following the developments regarding the arrest of Egyptian citizen Ahmed Abdel Qader in London on the evening of August 25.

He requested a prompt clarification of the circumstances and reasons for his arrest and expressed eagerness to learn the investigation results and expedite his release. Minister Abdel-Aati instructed the Egyptian embassy in London to communicate with the relevant British authorities to quickly clarify the circumstances and reasons for the arrest and to provide all consular services and work towards his swift release.