Sisi: Nile Water an Existential Matter

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Egyptian Presidency file photo
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Egyptian Presidency file photo
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Sisi: Nile Water an Existential Matter

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Egyptian Presidency file photo
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Egyptian Presidency file photo

The Ethiopian Foreign Minister said his country would start filling the Renaissance Dam in the coming months, a day after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi affirmed that the Nile is an existential matter for all Egyptians and that Cairo rejects unilateral steps by Addis Ababa that would harm Egypt's rights to the river's waters.

“The issue of utilizing the Nile water solely rests on Ethiopia’s strong position and does not need the consent of any other party. Using the Nile water is a natural right for Ethiopia,” Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew said.

However, Andargachew explained that his country prefers negotiating on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

His comments came before the UN Security Council holds a video conference on Monday to hear a briefing from UN political chief Rosemary DiCarlo on the dam dispute between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.

The video conference was called by the United States on behalf of Egypt, after talks between Cairo, Khartoum and Addis Ababa over the filling and operation of the dam reached a deadlock.

Ethiopia wants to start filling the reservoir for the 145-meter dam in July, with or without approval from the two other countries.

On Thursday, Sisi discussed the issue of the controversial dam with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the head of the African Union in 2020.

Egyptian Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Radi in a statement that during a phone call, the two leaders tackled Egypt's request to the Security Council to intervene to reach a fair and balanced agreement that takes into account the interests of all parties.

According to the statement, Ramaphosa expressed his aspiration to intensify coordination between the two countries during the coming period, added Radi, noting that the South African President praised the sincere and constructive political will that Egypt has always shown to reach a solution to the dam crisis.

The Nile -- which flows some 6,000 kilometers as one of the longest rivers in the world -- is an essential source of water and electricity for dozens of countries in East Africa. Egypt fulfills 97 percent of its water needs from the river alone.



Israel Strikes Hezbollah's 'Radwan Force' Deep Inside Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley

Smoke rises over Baalbek, Hezbollah stronghold near Syria border – AFP
Smoke rises over Baalbek, Hezbollah stronghold near Syria border – AFP
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Israel Strikes Hezbollah's 'Radwan Force' Deep Inside Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley

Smoke rises over Baalbek, Hezbollah stronghold near Syria border – AFP
Smoke rises over Baalbek, Hezbollah stronghold near Syria border – AFP

Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes on eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley on Tuesday, targeting Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force in what Israeli officials described as an effort to disrupt the group’s attempts to rebuild its military capabilities.

The strikes, which followed more than 48 hours of relative calm along the Lebanese-Israeli border, marked a sharp escalation as US-brokered negotiations continue between Washington and Beirut over proposals to curb Hezbollah’s armed presence.

Military analysts said the Israeli escalation appeared aimed at sending a forceful message as US envoy Tom Barrack pushes Lebanese authorities to accept a timeline for the group's disarmament under a potential ceasefire framework.

Israeli warplanes struck targets in both the eastern and western mountain ranges of the Bekaa Valley, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA).

Two initial raids hit areas west of Baalbek- Shmistar and Wadi Umm Ali - followed by more strikes southeast of the city.

NNA reported that 12 people were killed in the bombardment, while Reuters confirmed that five of the dead were Hezbollah members. Local media said Syrian nationals were among those killed in strikes near Hermel.

Footage shared online showed plumes of smoke rising from bombed-out sites across the Bekaa. Shrapnel shattered windows at a public high school in Shmistar where students were sitting for state exams, and a revered religious shrine - Maqam al-Nabi Ismail in Brital - was reportedly damaged. Two civilians were wounded.

In its first official response, Hezbollah condemned the airstrikes as a “major escalation” in Israel’s months-long military campaign against Lebanon. The Iran-backed group urged the Lebanese state to “break its futile silence” and called for immediate international intervention, particularly from the United States, to uphold existing ceasefire guarantees.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the strikes were intended as a “clear message” to Hezbollah, accusing the group of attempting to restore its operational capabilities along the border.

In a statement posted on X, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the air raids targeted Hezbollah’s Radwan force in the Bekaa, including training camps and weapons depots.

He added that militants had been conducting live-fire exercises and tactical drills at the sites, which he called a “flagrant violation” of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.

According to Adraee, the Radwan unit - tasked in the past with a plan to seize territory in northern Israel - has been attempting to regroup since several of its senior commanders were killed in Israeli strikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon in September 2024.

In contrast to the Bekaa, the situation along southern Lebanon remained relatively stable on Tuesday, though NNA reported that Israeli troops fired machine guns toward the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab and shot at the newly established Blat Hill position overlooking the village of Rmaich.

Retired Lebanese Brig. Gen. Hassan Jouni said the Bekaa raids were part of a “calibrated pressure campaign” tied to the ongoing negotiations.

“The timing of these airstrikes is clearly linked to the back-and-forth between Lebanon and Washington. Israel wants to remind everyone of the current balance of power and signal that military pressure will continue until Hezbollah gives up its weapons,” Jouni told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.

He said Hezbollah’s efforts to rebuild its capabilities had been publicly acknowledged by the group’s deputy leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, placing the Lebanese government in a difficult position between appeasing US demands and avoiding internal strife.

Another retired officer, Brigadier General George Nader, warned that Israel’s message was clear: failure to cooperate with US proposals could lead to intensified strikes.

“While some speculate about a ground invasion, I find it unlikely,” Nader told Asharq al-Awsat. “Why would Israel risk soldiers’ lives when it can strike targets from the air with precision drones and jets?”

He cautioned that unless Lebanese officials take a decisive stance, the country could face a more aggressive Israeli air campaign in the coming weeks.