Egypt says displacement of people from Rafah is violation of international humanitarian law

Egyptian Foreign Ministry Sameh Shoukry said on Saturday that "the issue of displacement, which is a violation of international humanitarian law, whether internal or external, cannot be tolerated."

Shoukry described the consequences and threats that displacement poses to Egypt's national security as "immense" at the Munich Security Conference when asked about a potential Israeli offensive on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

"It puts a strain on our bilateral relations with Israel," he remarked.

The Egyptian minister said, "We need to avoid the very tragic consequences on the civilians of Gaza who are now amassed in the most densely populated area in the world."

"You can imagine that any extensive military action there will have a devastating effect on the humanitarian situation. People are already suffering," he added.