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
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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.



Israel Airstrike on Gaza School Kills More Than 100

Displaced Palestinians gather in the courtyard of a school targeted by Israeli shelling in Gaza. (AFP)
Displaced Palestinians gather in the courtyard of a school targeted by Israeli shelling in Gaza. (AFP)
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Israel Airstrike on Gaza School Kills More Than 100

Displaced Palestinians gather in the courtyard of a school targeted by Israeli shelling in Gaza. (AFP)
Displaced Palestinians gather in the courtyard of a school targeted by Israeli shelling in Gaza. (AFP)

More than 100 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli strike on a Gaza school sheltering displaced people, the Hamas-run Gaza government said on Saturday, an airstrike the Israeli military said had targeted a Hamas command center.
The strikes hit when people sheltering at the school were performing dawn prayers, leading to many casualties, the Hamas media office said in a statement. Medics had not yet been able to reach all the bodies, it said.
There was no immediate information from Gaza health authorities, said Reuters.
The Israeli military said in a statement that its air force targeted a command and control center where Hamas commanders and operatives were hiding.
The military said it had taken steps to reduce the risk of harming civilians, "including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and intelligence information". It did not immediately comment on the casualty reports from Gaza.
Israel launched its assault on Gaza, aiming to wipe out Hamas after the group's fighters stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and capturing more than 250 hostages according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive in Gaza, according to the Palestinian health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
Health officials say most of the fatalities have been civilians. Israel, which has lost 329 in Gaza, says at least a third of the Palestinian fatalities are fighters.
The United States, Egypt and Qatar are trying to revive Gaza ceasefire talks, scheduling a new round of negotiations for Thursday, as fears are growing of a broader conflict, involving Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah. Teheran also backs Hamas.