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Egypt Extends Nationwide State of Emergency for 3 Months

Woman wearing mask in Egyptian market (File photo: Reuters)
Woman wearing mask in Egyptian market (File photo: Reuters)
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Egypt Extends Nationwide State of Emergency for 3 Months

Woman wearing mask in Egyptian market (File photo: Reuters)
Woman wearing mask in Egyptian market (File photo: Reuters)

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi extended on Tuesday the nationwide state of emergency for another three months, citing “dangerous” health and security conditions in the country.

"Given the serious health and security situation ... the state of emergency has been declared across the country for three months starting Tuesday, April 28," said a presidential decree.

Egypt has been under a state of emergency since April 2017 when twin church bombings in Alexandria claimed by ISIS affiliates killed dozens of people.

The Health Ministry confirmed 20 more fatalities from COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the national death toll to 337. The number of cases stands at 4,782, along with 1,236 recoveries.

Last week, the government announced that the curfew hours will be shortened during Ramadan month and will start at nine p.m. instead of eight p.m., till six a.m. It also announced a number of coronavirus precautionary measures.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli made an inspection tour to a number of development projects in Cairo, hinting that Egypt must “adapt” to living with coronavirus as part of precautionary measures.

Madbouli was accompanied by ministers of antiquities and tourism, local development and housing, and Cairo governor, among others.

The officials visited the construction sites of projects within the plans for urban expansion, and they inspected buildings that were illegally built during the curfew implemented to confront the coronavirus.

Speaking on the sideline of the tour, Madbouli said that economic development must continue, adding that a country like Egypt must continue to operate while taking precautionary measures to adapt to the emerging coronavirus.

He stressed that authorities will not allow random construction in this way, especially with highly-populated cities like Cairo, Giza, and Alexandria.

Madbouli also toured and inspected development project in Tahrir Square, as well as projects of Ain el-Sira groundwater lake and surrounding areas in Old Cairo.

He directed officials to increase works and swiftly complete the plans with the adoption of all preventive measures to counter the outbreak of the coronavirus.

In related news, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities followed up the preparations for the inauguration ceremony of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in 2021.

The supervising committee held its meeting to address issues of the inauguration and measures set to be taken to organize the parade.

Earlier this month, the President postponed the launch of the Museum due to the coronavirus outbreak.

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Syrian Opposition Leader Says Lebanon Truce Opened Door to Aleppo Assault

An anti-regime fighter tears off a poster depicting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (L) and his brother Maher at the airport in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on December 2, 2024. (AFP)
An anti-regime fighter tears off a poster depicting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (L) and his brother Maher at the airport in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on December 2, 2024. (AFP)
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Syrian Opposition Leader Says Lebanon Truce Opened Door to Aleppo Assault

An anti-regime fighter tears off a poster depicting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (L) and his brother Maher at the airport in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on December 2, 2024. (AFP)
An anti-regime fighter tears off a poster depicting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (L) and his brother Maher at the airport in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on December 2, 2024. (AFP)

Syrian opposition fighters began preparations to seize Aleppo a year ago, but the operation was delayed by war in Gaza and ultimately launched last week when a ceasefire took hold in Lebanon, the head of Syria's main opposition abroad told Reuters.

The factions were able to seize the city and parts of neighboring Idlib province so quickly in part because Hezbollah and other Iran-backed fighters were distracted by their conflict with Israel, Hadi al-Bahra said in an interview on Monday.

The Turkish military, which is allied with some of the opposition and has bases across its southern border in Syria, had heard of the armed groups' plans but made clear it would play no direct role, he added.

The assault in northwestern Syria was launched last Wednesday, the day that Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah began a truce ending more than a year of fighting.

"A year ago they started really training and mobilizing and taking it more seriously," said Bahra, president of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, the internationally-recognized Syrian opposition.

"But the war on Gaza ... then the war in Lebanon delayed it. They felt it wouldn't look good having the war in Lebanon at the same time they were fighting in Syria," he said in his Istanbul office, in the first public comments on the fighters’ preparations by an opposition figure.

"So the moment there was a ceasefire in Lebanon, they found that opportunity ... to start."

The opposition operation is the boldest advance and biggest challenge to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in years in a civil war where front lines had largely been frozen since 2020.

Syrian and allied Russian forces have launched counter attacks, which Bahra said are "destabilizing" Aleppo and Idlib and pose the biggest risk to civilians, given the earlier opposition advances had sought carefully to avoid such casualties.

IRAN, RUSSIA

The opposition retaking of Aleppo also paves the way for hundreds of thousands of Syrians displaced elsewhere in the country and in Türkiye to return home, Bahra said.

"Due to the Lebanese war and decrease in Hezbollah forces, (Assad's) regime has less support," he said, adding Iranian militias also have less resources while Russia is giving less air cover due to its "Ukraine problem".

Damascus, which is also backed by Iran, did not immediately comment on whether the opposition sought to avoid casualties and whether it risks destabilizing the region with air raids. Assad has vowed to crush the fighters and has launched air raids.

Iran-backed Hezbollah did not immediately comment on whether its war with Israel opened the door to Syrian opposition advances in Aleppo, where it also has personnel.

Tehran has pledged to aid the Syrian government and on Monday hundreds of fighters from Iran-backed Iraqi militias crossed into Syria to help fight the factions, Syrian and Iraqi sources said.

A Turkish defense ministry official said last week that Ankara was closely monitoring the mobilization and taking precautions for its troops.

The opposition fighters are a coalition of Türkiye-backed mainstream secular armed groups spearheaded by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group that has been designated a terrorist outfit by Türkiye, the US, Russia and other states.

Bahra's coalition, which does not include HTS, represents anti-Assad groups including the Türkiye-backed Syrian National Army or Free Syrian Army, which took territory north of Idlib over the last week.

It holds regular diplomatic talks with the United Nations and several states.