STORY: Egypt condemns Israeli minister's calls to displace Palestinians outside Gaza
SHOOTING TIME: File
DATELINE: Nov. 15, 2023
LENGTH: 00:00:46
LOCATION: Cairo
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Egypt's Foreign Ministry headquarters in Cairo
2. various of Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry speaking in a press conference
3. various of Egypt's Foreign Ministry headquarters

STORYLINE:

Egypt condemned on Tuesday the Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's calls to displace the residents in the Gaza Strip outside the war-torn Palestinian coastal enclave.
   
"Any attempt to justify and encourage the displacement of Palestinians outside the Gaza Strip is completely rejected by Egypt," Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in a statement, describing Smotrich's remarks as "an expression of the Israeli government's policy that violates international laws."
   
Smotrich, a far-right minister, backed two Israeli parliament members' proposals to relocate some of Gaza's population to countries that agree to accept them.
   
Shoukry stressed that the displacement of Gazans was the result of the "deliberate military targeting" of civilians, and the "intentional siege" aimed at creating conditions that push citizens to leave their homes and areas of residence.
   
Shoukry added Israeli government officials had made irresponsible statements amid the ongoing conflict, which had generally violated the rules and provisions of international humanitarian laws.
   
According to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), almost 1.5 million people have been displaced across the Gaza Strip since October 7, when Hamas carried out a surprise attack on southern Israel, in which Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages.
   
Israel's retaliatory air and ground attacks have killed more than 11,500 Palestinians in Gaza, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Cairo.
(XHTV)