Sisi: Regional, Int’l Reality Imposes ‘Complex Challenges’ on Egypt

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (Egyptian Presidency)
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Sisi: Regional, Int’l Reality Imposes ‘Complex Challenges’ on Egypt

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (Egyptian Presidency)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Tuesday that the current regional and international reality imposes new challenges and complex situations on Egypt, but then affirmed that his country will overcome this turbulent phase.

In a speech on the occasion of the 72nd anniversary of the July 23 Revolution, Sisi spoke of the repercussions of the regional wars now raging in the Gaza Strip and Sudan.

He mentioned the situation in the region such as wars, conflicts, civil strife, state fragmentation, institutional collapse, humanitarian catastrophes, famine outbreaks, and massive displacement.

“These unprecedented circumstances add tremendous burdens on Egypt, which can only be alleviated by my firm belief in the strength, resilience, unity, and cohesion of our great people who stand as a single structure, supporting each other, in the face of adversity,” Sisi said.

He affirmed that Egypt will overcome this turbulent phase, and continue its path towards progress, development, as well as building the nation.

“Egypt has kept pace with the changes of time, opening to the world and striving to enhance its economic, investment, urban, and industrial capabilities,” Sisi said.

He added that his country has also integrated into the global trade system while focusing on protecting the national economy as much as possible from the fluctuations and shocks of the global economy.

“This has been achieved through comprehensive and effective systems, offering the necessary social protection,” Sisi said.

The Egyptian President also renewed his country’s support for the Palestinians, affirming intensively working to support their legitimate right to an independent and sovereign state.



Lebanon: At Least 2 Hurt as Israeli Troops Fire on People Returning South after Truce with Hezbollah

A South Korean UN peacekeeper patrol drive past destroyed buildings in Chehabiyeh village, southern Lebanon, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024 following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that went into effect on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A South Korean UN peacekeeper patrol drive past destroyed buildings in Chehabiyeh village, southern Lebanon, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024 following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that went into effect on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
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Lebanon: At Least 2 Hurt as Israeli Troops Fire on People Returning South after Truce with Hezbollah

A South Korean UN peacekeeper patrol drive past destroyed buildings in Chehabiyeh village, southern Lebanon, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024 following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that went into effect on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A South Korean UN peacekeeper patrol drive past destroyed buildings in Chehabiyeh village, southern Lebanon, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024 following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that went into effect on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

At least two people were wounded by Israeli fire in southern Lebanon on Thursday, according to state media. The Israeli military said it had fired at people trying to return to certain areas on the second day of a ceasefire with the Hezbollah militant group.

The agreement, brokered by the United States and France, includes an initial two-month cease-fire in which Hezbollah militants are to withdraw north of the Litani River and Israeli forces are to return to their side of the border. The buffer zone would be patrolled by Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said two people were wounded by Israeli fire in Markaba, close to the border, without providing further details. It said Israel fired artillery in three other locations near the border. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

An Associated Press reporter in northern Israel near the border heard Israeli drones buzzing overhead and the sound of artillery strikes from the Lebanese side.

The Israeli military said in a statement that “several suspects were identified arriving with vehicles to a number of areas in southern Lebanon, breaching the conditions of the ceasefire.” It said troops “opened fire toward them” and would “actively enforce violations of the ceasefire agreement.”

Israeli officials have said forces will be withdrawn gradually as it ensures that the agreement is being enforced. Israel has warned people not to return to areas where troops are deployed, and says it reserves the right to strike Hezbollah if it violates the terms of the truce.

A Lebanese military official said Lebanese troops would gradually deploy in the south as Israeli troops withdraw. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.

The ceasefire agreement announced late Tuesday ended 14 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that began a day after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza, when the Lebanese Hezbollah group began firing rockets, drones and missiles in solidarity.

Israel retaliated with airstrikes, and the conflict steadily intensified for nearly a year before boiling over into all-out war in mid-September. The war in Gaza is still raging with no end in sight.

More than 3,760 people were killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon during the conflict, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The fighting killed more than 70 people in Israel — over half of them civilians — as well as dozens of Israeli soldiers fighting in southern Lebanon.

Some 1.2 million people were displaced in Lebanon, and thousands began streaming back to their homes on Wednesday despite warnings from the Lebanese military and the Israeli army to stay out of certain areas. Some 50,000 people were displaced on the Israeli side, but few have returned and the communities near the northern border are still largely deserted.

In Menara, an Israeli community on the border with views into Lebanon, around three quarters of homes are damaged, some with collapsed roofs and burnt-out interiors. A few residents could be seen gathering their belongings on Thursday before leaving again.