After mediating Gaza ceasefire, Egypt’s envoy castigates Israel at Security Council

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Egypt’s ambassador to the United Nations tore into Israel during a Monday speech before the UN Security Council, hours after Jerusalem heaped praise on Cairo for mediating a ceasefire with Palestinian Islamic Jihad that ended a three-day conflict between Israel and the terror group in the Gaza Strip.

While Egypt and other Arab countries that have ties with the Jewish state still traditionally maintain critical lines toward Israel at the UN, the rhetoric employed by Ambassador Osama Abdel Khalek went much further than is generally used publicly by Egyptian officials, particularly in recent years as Israel-Egypt ties have warmed further.

The tongue-lashing also came after Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, made a point of thanking Egypt and its president, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, “who were essential in restoring the calm and stability to our region.” A similar message was passed along to the Egyptian leader by Prime Minister Yair Lapid when the two spoke on the phone around the same time that the Security Council session took place on

Times of Israel reports Abdel Khalek began his speech before an emergency Security Council session on the weekend of violence between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad by lamenting the “43 martyrs” killed, making no distinction between PIJ fighters and innocent civilians. He also used an incorrect figure for the death count, which stood at 46 as of Monday afternoon, according to UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wenessland, who spoke before the Egyptian ambassador.

The IDF estimated that 11 of those casualties were innocent civilians caught in the line of fire during its airstrikes targeting PIJ fighters. Sixteen Palestinians were killed by failed PIJ rocket launches that landed inside Gaza, according to the Israeli army.

Abdel Khalek made no mention of PIJ during his speech.

He tore into Israel for allowing “settlers under the protection of the Israeli police to incur the courtyards of the Haram al-Sharif [Temple Mount].” Israel did indeed allow a record number of over 2,000 Jews to visit the Temple Mount on Sunday for the Tisha B’Av fast day, but it views such conduct as in line with its commitment to preserving the status quo at the Jerusalem holy site in which Muslims may visit and pray while non-Muslims can only visit. Police also enforced the policy, detaining several Jewish visitors who violated those terms.

But several of Israel’s Arab neighbors saw things differently, and the UAE’s representative to the UN also made a point to condemn the “incursion by a number of extremists of the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque” during his subsequent Security Council speech.

Despite Egypt’s efforts to mediate between Israel and warring parties in Gaza along with its commitment to help rehabilitate the Gaza Strip, Abdel Khalek insisted that Israel was “fully responsible” for the “occupied” coastal enclave. Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in 2005 and maintains that Hamas is now responsible for the territory.

Since Hamas took over Gaza in a violent coup in 2007, Israel has maintained a blockade over the territory, which it says is necessary to prevent the smuggling of weapons and dual-use materials that can be utilized by Hamas and other terror groups in future wars. Egypt has also maintained a blockade over the territory, but this went unmentioned by Abdel Khalek who focused on calling on Israel to end its blockade of the Strip.

He also blasted Israel for mass arrests of Palestinians, expansion of settlements, home demolitions and use of live-fire against Palestinian protesters.

“Egypt will never abandon its historic responsibilities vis-a-vis the Palestinian brotherly people and our efforts [to build] a better future which we all look forward to when peace, security, and stability prevail in the Middle East,” Abdel Khalek added.

The Israeli Mission to the UN declined to respond to the claims made by the Egyptian ambassador.