Indian Prime Minister Arrives in Egypt on 2-day Visit

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 23: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a luncheon at the Department of State on June 23, 2023 in Washington, DC.   Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 23: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a luncheon at the Department of State on June 23, 2023 in Washington, DC. Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP
TT

Indian Prime Minister Arrives in Egypt on 2-day Visit

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 23: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a luncheon at the Department of State on June 23, 2023 in Washington, DC.   Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 23: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a luncheon at the Department of State on June 23, 2023 in Washington, DC. Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off a two-day visit to Egypt on Saturday, a trip that underscores the growing ties between the two countries.

Modi’s flight landed at Cairo’s international airport Saturday afternoon, coming from a four-day trip to the United States where he held talks with President Joe Biden, delivered a speech to the US Congress, and met with top American and Indian executives.

Modi was received by Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly, and the two inspected an honor guard and listened to the national anthems. Modi took to Twitter to thank Madbouly for “the special gesture of welcoming me at the airport," and added, “May India-Egypt ties flourish and benefit the people of our nations.”

Modi and Madbouly then held talks on strengthening Egyptian-Indo ties, according to Egypt's state-run MENA news agency. The talks were attended by senior government officials from both countries, MENA reported.

Modi is scheduled to hold talks with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Sunday. The two countries would also sign a set of memorandums aimed at solidifying their ties.

Modi’s visit comes six months after Sisi attended India’s Republic Day parade as an official guest.



Israeli Strike Kills Senior Hamas Figure in South Lebanon

Civil defense members hose down a car after an Israeli airstrike targeted a car on the edge of Lebanon's port city of Sidon, two security sources told Reuters, Lebanon August 9, 2024. (Reuters)
Civil defense members hose down a car after an Israeli airstrike targeted a car on the edge of Lebanon's port city of Sidon, two security sources told Reuters, Lebanon August 9, 2024. (Reuters)
TT

Israeli Strike Kills Senior Hamas Figure in South Lebanon

Civil defense members hose down a car after an Israeli airstrike targeted a car on the edge of Lebanon's port city of Sidon, two security sources told Reuters, Lebanon August 9, 2024. (Reuters)
Civil defense members hose down a car after an Israeli airstrike targeted a car on the edge of Lebanon's port city of Sidon, two security sources told Reuters, Lebanon August 9, 2024. (Reuters)

An Israeli airstrike on a car deep inside Lebanon killed a senior figure from Palestinian armed group Hamas on Friday evening, a Hamas source and two other security sources told Reuters.

The strike, on the southern edges of the Lebanese port city of Sidon some 60 kilometers (nearly 40 miles) from the frontier, killed Samer al-Hajj, a Hamas security official who works in the nearby refugee camp for Palestinians, Ain al-Hilweh. His bodyguard was critically wounded, the three sources said.

The Israeli military has been carrying out strikes against members of Hamas, allied Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and other factions in Lebanon over the last 10 months, in parallel with the Gaza war.

Those armed groups have launched rockets, drones and artillery attacks across the border into northern Israel.

While most of the hostilities have been limited to the strip of border between Israel and Lebanon, Israeli strikes targeting senior figures in Hezbollah, Hamas and other groups have taken place further north.

An Israeli strike on the outskirts of Beirut in January killed Hamas's deputy chief Saleh Arouri. Another Israeli strike on the same area last week killed Hezbollah's top military commander Fuad Shukr.

Hours after Shukr was killed, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran. Iran and its allies in the region, including Hezbollah and Hamas, have blamed Israel and vowed retaliation.