Shoukry was responding to a question from former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni during a panel discussion at the "Munich Security Conference 2024" about the future of a Palestinian state in light of the presence of Hamas. He expressed concern about its future role, describing it as "part of the problem and not the solution," and said that it is indeed "out of the majority recognized by the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority, and that it is difficult to reach any negotiated settlement while Hamas refuses to relinquish support for violence."

He added, "I believe in the current circumstances and goals, there is mention of an absence of consistency, which is unprecedented. This is the first conflict where there is hesitation in calls for a cessation of hostilities. In all other conflicts, the immediate task is to stop hostilities, and then there is a solution for whatever dimensions the problems may have through negotiation."

The Egyptian minister attributed Israel's responsibility for allowing Hamas to reach Gaza, questioning, "Who is responsible?" and "Why is funding provided in Gaza?" He considered that the goal from the beginning was to "deepen the division" between Hamas and the mainstream of the Palestinian entities represented in the Palestinian Authority or the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) or public opinion, which he described as entities "that make peace."

During his speech, Shoukry denounced the complete eradication of Hamas' ideology, tying the goal to "providing an alternative that plants hope," and responds to the legitimate aspirations represented by the rights of both the Palestinian and Israeli peoples to live in security and peace.

Shoukry's remarks were met with significant interaction. Dr. El-Sayed Amin Shalby, a former Egyptian diplomat and ambassador, considered Shoukry's talk a reality known to everyone who has read the history of the Islamic resistance movement, telling “Al-Sharq Al-Awsat”: "It is not surprising to discuss Israel's role in the emergence of Hamas’s power, historically and politically, specifically, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he is one of the root supporters for Hamas emergence and allowed the financial aid from some countries aimed at weakening the Palestinian Authority.” He explained that over the past two decades, successive Israeli governments have pursued the same goal of weakening the Palestinian Authority by fragmenting forces and enhancing conflict.

The former Egyptian ambassador said, "What Shoukry mentioned are facts documented politically and cannot be ignored now in the analysis of the current conflict." However, he considered that Israeli support for Hamas initially does not diminish the movement's significance now, stating, "Over the past years, Hamas has turned into a Palestinian resistance with weight, even if some disagree with its methods and tools."

Nonetheless, Shalby said, "Evoking history in the current moment does not contradict Egypt's diplomatic role over the years, aimed at uniting the Palestinian rank." He stated, "Egypt fostered several negotiations, even before the October War, and hosted all Palestinian factions at one negotiating table." He linked Hamas’s patriotism now with prioritizing Palestinian interests, clarifying that "Hamas's patriotism now requires closing the file on disputes with Palestinian factions and declaring itself part of the national fabric, and that the future should feature a technocratic government that removes disputes and repairs the aftermath of war."

Others criticized the timing of Shoukry's speech. An account on the "X" platform named Yaser Al-Za'atreh wrote, "Had Sameh Shoukry's attack on Hamas come in another context, we would have left it."

Commenting on the sensitivity of Shoukry's statements at this time, Dr. Amr El-Shobaki, advisor at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, deemed the analysis of Hamas's situation at this intense time "inappropriate," and said to “Al-Sharq Al-Awsat”: "It is true that the Foreign Minister mentioned facts, but there is no need to recall past mistakes of any Palestinian faction now with the crisis intensifying."

He continued, "When nearly 30,000 Palestinians fall, including children and women, no diplomatic discourse prevails over attempts to stop the firing and proposing solutions for the humanitarian catastrophe occurring in Gaza. If someone deserves an attack, it is Israel, which has flouted humanity."

The spokesperson for the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Abu Zeid, shared part of Sameh Shoukry's statements via the ministry's official Facebook page, without mentioning his comments about Hamas, while he alluded, in his post, to Shoukry discussing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the urgency of reaching a ceasefire, highlighting Shoukry’s warnings of the severe consequences encompassing any military operations in Rafah, which he described as the last refuge for about 1.4 million Palestinian displaced persons.