Egypt, Bahrain Agree to Consolidate Arab Stance against Foreign Meddling

Sisi and Bahrain’s King meet in Sharm El-Sheikh (Egyptian Presidency)
Sisi and Bahrain’s King meet in Sharm El-Sheikh (Egyptian Presidency)
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Egypt, Bahrain Agree to Consolidate Arab Stance against Foreign Meddling

Sisi and Bahrain’s King meet in Sharm El-Sheikh (Egyptian Presidency)
Sisi and Bahrain’s King meet in Sharm El-Sheikh (Egyptian Presidency)

Egypt and Bahrain agreed to develop joint Arab action, which would help protect Arab national security and enhance the ability to address challenges and growing threats, namely foreign interventions.

This came during Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's meeting on Thursday with visiting King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain.

Sisi expressed appreciation of the historical ties between the two countries and stressed keenness on boosting bilateral cooperation in various fields.

King Hamad expressed gratitude for the warm reception by Sisi, praising the solid fraternal Egyptian-Bahraini relations.

He asserted that his current visit to Egypt comes as part of the historical and distinguished relations that bind the two nations, governments, and peoples.

King Hamad further praised Egypt's pivotal and firm role as a mainstay of security and stability in the region as well as its relentless efforts to promote joint Arab action.

The talks underscored the importance of boosting economic and investment cooperation by optimizing all available opportunities.

Moreover, they discussed the latest regional developments, namely in Libya and Afghanistan, in addition to joint efforts to address the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic.

Sisi and the king agreed to boost Egyptian-Bahraini cooperation to protect Arab national security, and increase their capabilities against the challenges and threats facing the region.

“The president has emphasized Egypt’s continuing commitment to its constant position on the security of the Gulf and its rejection of practices that strive to destabilize it,” the Egyptian president's office said.

Views were also exchanged regarding the latest developments in the peace process, where the Bahraini King praised the Egyptian efforts to consolidate the ceasefire between the Israelis and the Palestinians and Egypt's initiative for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.



Hezbollah Chief Pledges to Coordinate with Lebanese Army to Implement Truce

A view of the destruction in the southern Lebanese village of Mais al-Jabal, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 29 November 2024. (EPA)
A view of the destruction in the southern Lebanese village of Mais al-Jabal, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 29 November 2024. (EPA)
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Hezbollah Chief Pledges to Coordinate with Lebanese Army to Implement Truce

A view of the destruction in the southern Lebanese village of Mais al-Jabal, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 29 November 2024. (EPA)
A view of the destruction in the southern Lebanese village of Mais al-Jabal, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 29 November 2024. (EPA)

The head of Hezbollah, Sheikh Naim Qassem, pledged on Friday to coordinate closely with the Lebanese army to implement a ceasefire deal with Israel, which he said his group had agreed to "with heads held high".

It was his first address since a ceasefire came into effect on Wednesday after more than a year of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel that decimated swathes of Lebanon and killed 4,000 people including hundreds of women and children.

Qassem said Hezbollah had "approved the deal, with the resistance strong in the battlefield, and our heads held high with our right to defend (ourselves)."

The ceasefire stipulates that Hezbollah will withdraw from areas south of the Litani river, which runs some 30 km (20 miles) north of the border with Israel, and that the Lebanese army will deploy troops there as Israeli ground troops withdraw.

"There will be high-level coordination between the Resistance (Hezbollah) and the Lebanese army to implement the commitments of the deal," Qassem said.

The Lebanese army has already sent additional troops to the south but is preparing a detailed deployment plan to share with Lebanon's cabinet, security sources and officials have said.

That effort has been complicated by the continuing presence of Israeli troops on Lebanese territory. The deal grants them a full 60 days to complete their withdrawal.

The Israeli military has issued restrictions on people returning to villages along Lebanon's border with Israel and has fired at people in those villages in recent days, calling those movements a violation of the truce.

Both the Lebanese army and Hezbollah have accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire in those instances, and by launching an airstrike above the Litani River on Thursday.

Qassem said the group had scored a "divine victory" against Israel even greater than that declared after the two foes last fought in 2006.

"To those that were betting that Hezbollah would be weakened, we are sorry, their bets have failed," he said.