Egyptian scholars slam Israeli aggression on Gaza

A group of Egyptian scholars have voiced their support for Palestinians in the blockaded Gaza Strip, slamming the genocide against residents of the impoverished coastal sliver.

In a statement released on Saturday, more than 60 scholars, including academics, writers, poets, and artistic figures described the Israeli military offensive in Gaza as a “criminal war of genocide.”

“We, the undersigned Egyptian innovators, journalists and intellectuals, announce full solidarity with our Palestinian brothers in Gaza against the criminal war of genocide, which the army of Zionists is committing against civilian residents in the Gaza Strip,” the statement said.

It added that among the injured Palestinians are “elderly people, women and children,” and this shows “an ugly breach of international conventions which incriminate the excessive use of force during armed conflicts especially against unarmed civilians.”

The declaration also praised the resistance of Palestinian fighters against Israeli forces equipped with state-of-the-art weapons provided by the West and the US.

The signatories further called on the Egyptian officials to provide as much assistance as possible to Gazans against the Israeli aggression.

Israeli warplanes have been pounding numerous sites in the Gaza Strip since July 8, demolishing houses and burying families under the rubble. Israeli forces also began a ground offensive against the besieged Palestinian territory on July 17.

According to Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip, Israel’s airstrikes and ground invasion have left more than 1,822 people, including 400 children, killed and over 9,400 injured.

The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, has been launching retaliatory attacks against Israel.

While the Israeli military says 64 soldiers have been killed in the conflict, Hamas puts the fatalities at more than 150.