Sisi, Abbas Discuss Palestinian Reconciliation, Stability in Gaza

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Egyptian Presidential Palace. (Egyptian President Spokesman via Facebook)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Egyptian Presidential Palace. (Egyptian President Spokesman via Facebook)
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Sisi, Abbas Discuss Palestinian Reconciliation, Stability in Gaza

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Egyptian Presidential Palace. (Egyptian President Spokesman via Facebook)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Egyptian Presidential Palace. (Egyptian President Spokesman via Facebook)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi discussed with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday the latest Palestinian developments and the peace process in the Middle East.

Abbas was in Cairo at the head of a delegation that includes head of the Civil Affairs Authority Hussein al-Sheikh, the head of the General Intelligence Service Major General Majed Faraj, and the Palestinian ambassador to Egypt Diab al-Louh.

The meeting at the Egyptian Presidential Palace was also attended by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shokry and Chief of General Intelligence Directorate Abbas Kamel.

Sisi stressed that the Palestinian cause is a political priority for Egypt, said presidential spokesman Bassam Rady.

He stressed that Egypt would back Palestine in whatever demands it made toward a peaceful settlement and the restoration of the legitimate rights of its people, based on international resolutions and agreements.

Sisi emphasized that the current stage requires solidarity and intensification of all Arab efforts to resume the peace process negotiations.

The two leaders agreed to maintain intensive consultations and coordination to follow up on the measures needed to be taken during the coming period, seeking to resolve the current situation by returning to the negotiations table.

The meeting also witnessed a review of the Egyptian efforts to ensure stability in the Gaza Strip. Sisi explained that his country seeks to maintain the security and stability of the Palestinian people and help improve the humanitarian, living and economic conditions in the enclave.

Egypt will continue with its efforts to complete the reconciliation process and achieve political consensus within the framework of a unified vision of all Palestinian, he stressed.

The Egyptian spokesman quoted Abbas as reiterating the importance of coordinating and consulting with Sisi on the overall Palestinian situation.

He commended Egypt on its positions and role in supporting the Palestinian people’s rights to freedom and independence, as well as on its ongoing efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace.

On Sunday, Sisi received a call from King Abdullah II of Jordan to discuss latest Palestinian developments, efforts to resume negotiations and bring about peace in the Middle East.

The call touched upon promotion of bilateral ties, trade exchange and cooperation in the fields of energy and electricity between both countries, as well as the latest regional developments, said Rady.



Israeli Military: 5 Soldiers Killed in Combat in South Lebanon

Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, as seen from Haifa, northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, as seen from Haifa, northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
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Israeli Military: 5 Soldiers Killed in Combat in South Lebanon

Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, as seen from Haifa, northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept rockets that were launched from Lebanon, as seen from Haifa, northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Five Israeli soldiers were killed and 16 others wounded in combat in southern Lebanon in recent weeks, the Israeli military said in a statement on Thursday.

Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem said in a speech aired Wednesday that the Lebanese group is open for ceasefire negotiations only once “the enemy stops its aggression.”

His speech marked the 40-day mourning period since former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated in Beirut.

Hezbollah began firing into Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, in solidarity with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Since the conflict erupted, more than 3,000 people have been killed and some 13,600 wounded in Lebanon, the Health Ministry reported.