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 between the two countries and the direction towards elevating them to a strategic partnership level to deepen cooperation in various fields.

On the regional level, both sides exchanged perspectives regarding the serious developments in the Gaza Strip. Minister Abdel Aati condemned the ongoing blatant Israeli violations of international humanitarian law, including recent targeting of journalists, medical and humanitarian workers, and the unjustified Israeli incursion into Ramallah. He affirmed Egypt’s firm rejection of continued Israeli crimes in Gaza and the obstruction of humanitarian and medical aid, which has led to an unprecedented catastrophic deterioration of the humanitarian situation, reaching famine levels. He stressed the necessity for the international community to assume its responsibilities to end these dangerous practices and 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 Palestinian state on the sidelines of the upcoming UN General Assembly in September. He noted that expanding the recognition of an independent Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967 lines is the only path to achieve sustainable security and stability for all peoples in the region.

Separately, the Foreign Minister confirmed to the British official that the Ministry is closely following the developments regarding the arrest of Egyptian citizen Ahmed Abdelkader 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 tasked the Egyptian Embassy in London with communicating 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.