Egypt, Qatar review Gaza war developments as Israel pounds Gaza City

CAIRO – 18 September 2025: The foreign ministers of Egypt and Qatar discussed the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and assessed the grave consequences of Israeli military operations, as Israeli forces continue their relentless assault on Gaza City and push for the evacuation of its residents.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani held talks on Thursday as part of ongoing coordination between the two countries on critical regional developments.

The two ministers emphasized the need for continued cooperation and coordination, particularly in international forums such as the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council, and the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

They also underscored the importance of working toward de-escalation in a manner that promotes regional security and stability.

Meanwhile, Israel has intensified its airstrikes across the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army stated on Wednesday that it had carried out more than 150 airstrikes over the previous two days.

Israeli forces have escalated efforts to evacuate Gaza City, home to nearly one million people, and have launched a ground offensive aimed at eliminating what they claim is Hamas’s last stronghold.

The Israeli military announced the opening of an additional evacuation route for 48 hours to allow civilians to leave Gaza City.

However, Israeli forces have continued to demolish buildings, kill scores of Palestinians, and direct residents to flee southward toward a so-called safe zone in Al-Mawasi.

Since the beginning of the war on October 7, 2023, Israeli airstrikes and ground operations have killed 65,141 Palestinians and injured 165,925 others, according to Gaza’s health ministry on Thursday.

Israeli attacks have also continued near humanitarian aid distribution centers operated by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

Of the total fatalities, 2,513 people have been killed, and 18,414 others injured, while seeking humanitarian assistance.

In addition, the ministry reported that starvation and acute malnutrition claimed the lives of four more people, including a child, in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of such deaths to 435, including 147 children.