UN Secretary-General’s press encounter after meeting FM of Egypt

UN Secretary-General’s press encounter after meeting FM of Egypt

NNA - The following is UN Secretary-General Antoacute;nio Guterresrsquo;s press encounter after meeting with Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Hassan Shoukry Selim: ldquo;Assalam alaikum.nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;Your Excellency Minister Shoukry and dear friends, thank you for your warm welcome and for your vital work.nbsp; Through you, allow me to recognize and salute President el-Sisi for his critical leadership.nbsp; I am in the Middle East on a humanitarian mission at a moment of profound crisis ndash; a crisis unlike any the region has seen in decades.nbsp; That crisis was triggered by the atrocious 7 October Hamas attacks that killed, injured and kidnapped a large number of civilians ndash; from Israel and, indeed, around the world.nbsp;nbsp; This led Israel to a total siege on Gaza and a relentless bombing campaign, with an ever-mounting toll on civilians ndash; the vast majority of whom are women and children, but also journalists, health workers and many others including our own UN staff.nbsp; Let me be very clear in reaffirming that international humanitarian law must be respected; that the protection of civilians is also a must and any attack on a hospital or a school or UN premises are forbidden under international law.nbsp;nbsp; In the face