Egyptian Foreign Minisiter Slams Hezbollah Chief Over Protest Calls
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit Monday harshly criticized Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah for calling for mass demonstrations in Egypt to force the government to open the country”s border with Gaza.
"Someone yesterday called on the Egyptian people to take to the streets and create an atmosphere of anarchy. In other words, they want an atmosphere of anarchy similar to the one they created in their own country," Gheit told a press conference here, without naming Nasrallah.
"This person also called on the Egyptian armed forces, but he is not aware of the situation," Gheit said after talks with his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan.
"If you do not know, let me tell you that the Egyptian armed forces are tasked with defending Egypt. If need be, they will also protect Egypt against people like you," he added.
Gheit also underlined that the Rafah crossing point between Egypt and Gaza was open for dispatching humanitarian supplies and receiving wounded Palestinians.
In a televised address Sunday, Nasrallah urged Egyptians to take to the streets "in millions" to force the government to open the Rafah crossing to Gaza, arguing that security forces couldn”t take actions against such a large turnout.