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.



Yemen's Houthis Shoot Down What Witnesses Say Was a US Drone, American Military Investigates

Supporters of Yemen's Houthis attend an anti-Israel rally in solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on November 1, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)
Supporters of Yemen's Houthis attend an anti-Israel rally in solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on November 1, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)
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Yemen's Houthis Shoot Down What Witnesses Say Was a US Drone, American Military Investigates

Supporters of Yemen's Houthis attend an anti-Israel rally in solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on November 1, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)
Supporters of Yemen's Houthis attend an anti-Israel rally in solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on November 1, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP)

Yemen's Houthi militants shot down what bystanders described as an American drone early Friday, potentially the latest downing of a US spy drone as the militants continue their attacks on the Red Sea corridor.
The US military acknowledged the videos circulating online showing what appeared to be a flaming aircraft dropping out of the sky and a field of burning debris in what those off-camera described as an area of Yemen's al-Jawf province. The military said it was investigating the incident, declining to elaborate further.
It wasn't immediately clear what kind of aircraft was shot down in the low-quality night video, The Associated Press said.
The Houthis have surface-to-air missiles capable of downing aircraft such as the Iranian missile known as the 358. Iran denies arming the group, though Tehran-manufactured weaponry has been found on the battlefield and in seaborne shipments heading to Yemen for the Shiite Houthis despite a United Nations arms embargo.
The Houthis have been a key component of Iran's self-described “Axis of Resistance" during the Mideast wars that includes Lebanon's Hezbollah, Hamas and other militant groups.
The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for downing the aircraft. However, it can take their fighters hours or even days after an incident before they acknowledge it.
Since the Houthis seized the country’s north and its capital of Sanaa in 2014, the militants have shot down MQ-9 Reaper drones in Yemen in 2017, 2019, 2023 and 2024. The US military has declined to offer a total figure for the number of drones it has lost during that time.
Reapers, which cost around $30 million apiece, can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) and have an endurance of up to 24 hours before needing to land. The aircraft have been flown by both the US military and the CIA over Yemen for years.
The Houthis have targeted more than 90 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip started in October 2023. They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that has also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have included Western military vessels as well.
The militants maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the US or the UK to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran. The tempo of the Houthi sea attacks also has waxed and waned over the months.
In October, the US military unleashed B-2 stealth bombers to target underground bunkers used by the Houthis.