Egypt condemns Israeli strikes on Syria, UN building in Gaza

CAIRO – 3 April 2025: Egypt has condemned recent Israeli strikes on multiple sites in Syria, as well as the targeting of a UN building sheltering hundreds of displaced Palestinians, as a flagrant violation of international law.

Israeli forces on Wednesday shelled a building belonging to the UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, in Jabalia, northern Gaza, killing 19 people, including nine children, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency.

The building was reportedly sheltering more than 700 Palestinians at the time of the attack.

Since its inception in October 2023, the Israeli war in Gaza has killed at least 408 aid workers including 280 UN humanitarian personnel, according to UN data on Wednesday.

Israeli bombardment has also damaged or completely destroyed over 300 UN buildings and killed more than 700 individuals seeking UN protection, as reported by UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.

In a statement from the foreign ministry, Egypt described the deadly strike on the UNRWA building as a clear breach of international humanitarian law.

Egypt denounced Israel's deliberate targeting of facilities and personnel belonging to UN agencies and organizations, as well as medical facilities.

“This disgraceful behavior reflects a complete disregard for international law and Israel's insistence on committing crimes without deterrence amid shameful international silence,” the foreign ministry emphasized.

Egypt called for international actors to distance themselves from a policy of double standards and to put an end to such Israeli actions.

In Syria, Israeli forces intensified airstrikes on Wednesday, targeting military infrastructure in the capital, Damascus, as well as military airbases in Hama and Homs.

The Israeli shelling killed nine people, according to Syria's state news agency SANA.

The ongoing Israeli attacks on Syria over the past years occur while Damascus struggles to restore stability amid significant challenges during the current transitional period following the collapse of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime late last year.

Egypt stated that the recent Israeli strikes on Syria constitute a blatant assault on the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of the Syrian state, exploiting the internal situation in the country.

Egypt calls on international actors to assume their responsibilities regarding repeated Israeli violations, compel Israel to end its occupation of Syrian territory, and respect the 1974 Syrian-Israeli Disengagement Agreement.