Egypt, US Hold Talks on Disarmament

A general view of buildings by the Nile River in Cairo. Reuters file photo
A general view of buildings by the Nile River in Cairo. Reuters file photo
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Egypt, US Hold Talks on Disarmament

A general view of buildings by the Nile River in Cairo. Reuters file photo
A general view of buildings by the Nile River in Cairo. Reuters file photo

Egypt’s Assistant Foreign Minister for multiparty and international security affairs Ehab Badawy discussed with US Assistant Secretary for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance Mallory Stewart international efforts on disarmament and arms control.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Friday the talks are part of the visit of Stewart and her accompanying delegation to Cairo.

The meeting focused on disarmament and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, as well as Egypt’s presidential efforts in the Conference on Disarmament.

Both sides discussed developments related to relevant treaties including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, US-Russian Nuclear Arms Control Agreements, and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

They also touched on efforts to prevent the arms race in outer space, AI applications, and information technology in this field.

Cairo expressed during the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva its keenness on cooperation with the member states in order to reach a “comprehensive” and “balanced” work program that permits the Conference to fulfill its duties.

Both sides stressed the urgency of intensifying joint work by all states, especially the five nuclear states, in order to reinforce the efficiency of the UN mechanisms and the credibility of the multilateral treaties in this regard on the regional and international levels.



Independent Israeli Commission Blames Netanyahu and Others for October 2023 Attack

A protester walks between vehicles as people protest demanding the release of hostages who were kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, ahead of a possible ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, in Tel Aviv, Israel, November 26, 2024. (Reuters)
A protester walks between vehicles as people protest demanding the release of hostages who were kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, ahead of a possible ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, in Tel Aviv, Israel, November 26, 2024. (Reuters)
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Independent Israeli Commission Blames Netanyahu and Others for October 2023 Attack

A protester walks between vehicles as people protest demanding the release of hostages who were kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, ahead of a possible ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, in Tel Aviv, Israel, November 26, 2024. (Reuters)
A protester walks between vehicles as people protest demanding the release of hostages who were kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, ahead of a possible ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, in Tel Aviv, Israel, November 26, 2024. (Reuters)

The independent civilian commission of inquiry into the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel has found Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly responsible for the failures leading up to the attack, alongside former defense ministers, the army chief and the heads of the security services.

The civil commission presented its findings today after a four-month probe in which it heard some 120 witnesses. It was set up by relatives of victims of the Hamas attack, in response to the absence of any state probe.

The commission determined that the Israeli government, its army and security services “failed in their primary mission of protecting the citizens of Israel.”

It said Netanyahu was responsible for ignoring “repeated warnings” ahead of Oct. 7, 2023 for what it described as his appeasing approach over the years toward Hamas, and for “undermining all decision-making centers, including the cabinet and the National Security Council, in a way that prevented any serious discussion” on security issues.

The commission further determined that the military and defense leaders bear blame for ignoring warnings from within the army, and for reducing the army’s presence along the Gaza border while relying excessively on technological means.

On the day of the Hamas attack, the report says, the army’s response was both slow and lacking.

The civil commission called for the immediate establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 attack.

Netanyahu has opposed launching a state commission of inquiry, arguing that such an investigation should begin only once the war is over.