Egypt: Sisi Stresses 'Well-Established' Relations With Washington

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi | AFP
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi | AFP
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Egypt: Sisi Stresses 'Well-Established' Relations With Washington

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi | AFP
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi | AFP

Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi stressed the well-established relationship between Cairo and Washington, expressing hopes to reinforce military and security joint partnership between the two sides.

Sisi received Monday Chief of the US Central Command Kenneth McKenzie Jr. in Cairo, in the presence of Egyptian Minister of Defense and Military Production Mohamed Zaki, Chief of Staff Mohamed Farid, and US Ambassador to Egypt Jonathan Cohen.

The US commander's visit is the first for a high-ranking US military official since Biden’s inauguration last month.

“The Egyptian-American ties are well established, and Egypt looks forward to further bilateral cooperation in all sectors, particularly the military one,” Sisi told his host.

The matters discussed in the meeting included reinforcing military and security relations and combating terrorism, according to Presidency Spokesperson Bassam Rady.

He said Sisi and McKenzie also discussed joint military training programs and exchange of experience.

The Egyptian President said cooperation in the military sector should be fruitful on the front of overcoming mutual challenges in the region.

For his part, the US commander affirmed eagerness to maintain the same frequency of coordination and consultation with Egypt over regional affairs.

He appreciated Egypt's pivotal role in supporting peace and stability in the region.

Both sides also agreed to continue regular coordination and consultation over matters of mutual interest.

On February 17, the US State Department approved the sale of new military equipment to Egypt estimated at a cost of $197 million.

A few days ago, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry described Egypt-US relations as "close and strategic.”

He said the United States has massive political and economic capabilities. "It is very essential to explore common interests through close relations,” the FM said.



Israel Says No Humanitarian Aid will Enter Gaza

A wounded Palestinian girl stands amid the debris of her family home after overnight Israeli strikes - AFP
A wounded Palestinian girl stands amid the debris of her family home after overnight Israeli strikes - AFP
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Israel Says No Humanitarian Aid will Enter Gaza

A wounded Palestinian girl stands amid the debris of her family home after overnight Israeli strikes - AFP
A wounded Palestinian girl stands amid the debris of her family home after overnight Israeli strikes - AFP

Israel said Wednesday it would keep blocking humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, where a relentless military offensive has turned the Palestinian territory into a "mass grave", a medical charity reported.

Air and ground attacks resumed across the Gaza Strip from March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire with Hamas that had largely halted hostilities in the territory.

However, Israel has halted the entry of aid into Gaza since March 2, as the humanitarian crisis continues to grow amid ongoing military assaults which rescuers said killed at least 11 people Wednesday.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday Israel would continue preventing aid from entering the besieged territory of 2.4 million people.

"Israel's policy is clear: no humanitarian aid will enter Gaza, and blocking this aid is one of the main pressure levers preventing Hamas from using it as a tool with the population," Katz said in a statement, AFP reported.

"No one is currently planning to allow any humanitarian aid into Gaza, and there are no preparations to enable such aid."

Top Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have repeatedly cited military pressure as the only way to secure the release of the remaining 58 hostages held in Gaza.

Medical aid agency Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said Israeli military operations and the blockage of aid had transformed Gaza into a graveyard for Palestinians and those who help them.

"Gaza has been turned into a mass grave of Palestinians and those coming to their assistance," said MSF coordinator Amande Bazerolle.

"With nowhere safe for Palestinians or those trying to help them, the humanitarian response is severely struggling under the weight of insecurity and critical supply shortages, leaving people with few, if any, options for accessing care," she said.

- 'Worst' humanitarian crisis -

The United Nations had warned on Monday that Gaza is facing its most severe humanitarian crisis since the war began in October 2023.

"The humanitarian situation is now likely the worst it has been in the 18 months since the outbreak of hostilities," said the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

In a statement, OCHA said no supplies had reached the territory for a month and a half, and medical supplies, fuel, water and other essentials are in short supply.

Israel tightly controls the entry of vital international aid for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced since the Israeli offensive resumed.

On April 28, the International Court of Justice is set to open hearings on Israel's humanitarian obligations towards Palestinians.

The UN General Assembly approved a resolution in December requesting that The Hague-based top court give an advisory opinion on the matter.

It calls on the ICJ to clarify what Israel is required to do to "ensure and facilitate the unhindered provision of urgently needed supplies essential to the survival of the Palestinian civilian population".

Although ICJ decisions are legally binding, the court has no concrete way of enforcing them. They increase the diplomatic pressure, however.

Israel continued to pound Gaza on Wednesday.