Egypt's Al-Azhar calls for enforcing permanent ceasefire in Gaza

Egypt's Al-Azhar, the Muslim world's foremost religious institution, called for enforcing a permanent end to hostilities in Gaza amid the deadly Israeli onslaught on the besieged strip that has entered its sixth month.

In an official statement, the highest Sunni Islamic authority in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) hailed a ceasefire resolution passed by the UN Security Council (UNSC) earlier on Tuesday and called for its enforcement during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Azhar said the UNSC's resolution was "long-delayed" as a result of what it described as "the intransigence of some of the world powers backing Israel."

Over 32,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed so far since Israel's attack last October, with hundreds of thousands more facing an imminent famine.

Al-Azhar further called for international pressure to implement the resolution as Israel continues its aggression, possibly expanding its invasion onto the bordering city of Rafah. 



The Cairo-based institution further called for "maintaining efforts and pressure to prosecute Israeli officials over war crimes and genocide they had committed against the Palestinians."

Al-Azhar and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are known to have disagreed on various religious interpretations and political policies.

Egypt's proximity to and historical relationship with the Gaza Strip, as well as its relations with Israel, have given Cairo a pivotal role in the region's affairs.

In January this year, Azhar had voiced full support for South Africa in its International Court of Justice (ICJ) case against Israel, which accused it of committing genocide against the Palestinians at a time when Egypt took no decisive stance towards the trial.

Egypt and Israel have technically been at peace since the late 1970s, sharing solid diplomatic, economic, and security ties – despite widespread opposition from the Egyptian public.