Diesel Prices in Syria Raised Three Folds

A gas station in Damascus amid the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic last year (EPA)
A gas station in Damascus amid the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic last year (EPA)
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Diesel Prices in Syria Raised Three Folds

A gas station in Damascus amid the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic last year (EPA)
A gas station in Damascus amid the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic last year (EPA)

The Syrian government again raised the prices of diesel fuel for industry and commerce by three folds.

The Syrian Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection announced the hike, setting the selling price per one liter at 1,700 Syrian pounds (approximately $0.5), for private industrial facilities and private commercial and service activities.

The ministry issued on Oct.19 last year a decision to raise the prices to 650 Syrian pounds per one liter of industrial and commercial fuel oil.

Syrian economic sources said that this would trigger a price hike in all products in terms of manufacturing and transport.

Sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told dpa that the regime-ruled areas suffer from severe shortage in fuel. Therefore, due to the difficulty of providing oil derivatives amid an imposed siege on Syria, these establishments turn towards alternative energies, mainly solar energy.

Several industrialists, including President of Damascus Chamber of Industry and Countryside Dr. Samer Al-Debs, believed the decision would lead to a drop in consumer prices. Others considered the hike a major blow to the corrupt, who were taking advantage of the industrialists’ need for diesel.

A week before, the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce announced an agreement with the Syrian Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection, Amr Salem to provide industrials with fuel oil through a private company at a price lower than the black market price.

Diesel supply to industrialists is to be delivered through the private company BS Oil Services, owned by the Katerji Group. The company is listed on the international sanctions list.



Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party Says It Will Boycott Parliamentary Election 

Members of the Peshmerga are seen on the outskirts of Kirkuk with a poster of Masoud Barzani in the background. (EPA file photo)
Members of the Peshmerga are seen on the outskirts of Kirkuk with a poster of Masoud Barzani in the background. (EPA file photo)
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Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party Says It Will Boycott Parliamentary Election 

Members of the Peshmerga are seen on the outskirts of Kirkuk with a poster of Masoud Barzani in the background. (EPA file photo)
Members of the Peshmerga are seen on the outskirts of Kirkuk with a poster of Masoud Barzani in the background. (EPA file photo)

The ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) said on Monday it would boycott a parliamentary election in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq scheduled to be held in June in protest over a ruling issued by the federal supreme court.

The northern region's dominant KDP, which is headed by Masoud Barzani, said in a statement that Iraq’s federal court had violated the constitution and undermined regional authorities following a ruling in February that amended the Kurdish region's election law.

Iraq's federal supreme court ruled to cancel 11 seats reserved for minority groups, reducing the number of regional parliament seats to 100.

The February ruling also changed the electoral system to divide the Kurdistan region into four constituencies instead of the single-constituency system adopted in the previous elections in 2018, prompting the KDP to reject it as unconstitutional.

The federal court ruling also gave authority to the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) to organize and oversee regional elections instead of the Kurdish regional election commission.

The ruling by the federal court came after a lawsuit by KDP's historic rival and junior coalition partner in government, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), according to a court document seen by Reuters and the party's lawyers.

A prominent member of the KDP told Asharq Al-Awsat that the boycott decision was taken after the party “realized that the federal supreme court had become a political player.”

He hoped that the move would “succeed in addressing the unconstitutional standing of this court and remove its legitimacy before we slip into a more centralized system.”

He warned that the boycott could lead to the postponement of the elections, through intra-Kurdish agreement, urging “Shiite and Sunni partners to amend the path taken by the court.”

The KDP has for month accused the federal supreme court of yielding to political agendas of some influential Shiite forces. It charges that the majority of its rulings against Kurdistan are politically motivated against the region’s constitutional standing.

US Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski expressed concern over the KDP decision to boycott the elections.

“We are concerned by KDP’s announcement to boycott the Iraqi Kurdistan Region elections. We urge the Government of Iraq & the Kurdistan Regional Government to ensure that elections are free, fair, transparent, & credible.” Romanowski said on social media platform X on Monday.

The PUK is committed to holding Kurdistan parliamentary elections on June 10, PUK spokesman Saadi Ahmed said in a statement following the PDK decision.


UN Security Council Demands Immediate End to Houthi Attacks on Ships in Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb

A Houthi member mans a machine gun on a vehicle while on patrol in Sanaa, Yemen, 10 March 2024. (EPA)
A Houthi member mans a machine gun on a vehicle while on patrol in Sanaa, Yemen, 10 March 2024. (EPA)
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UN Security Council Demands Immediate End to Houthi Attacks on Ships in Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb

A Houthi member mans a machine gun on a vehicle while on patrol in Sanaa, Yemen, 10 March 2024. (EPA)
A Houthi member mans a machine gun on a vehicle while on patrol in Sanaa, Yemen, 10 March 2024. (EPA)

The United Nations Security Council demanded on Monday that the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen “cease immediately” their attacks on commercial and merchant vessels traversing the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, in line with international law and consistent with resolution 2722 (2024).

In a statement, the Council members stressed the importance of the full implementation of resolution 2216 (2015) and subsequent resolutions.

They called for “practical cooperation, including with the government of Yemen, to prevent the Houthis from acquiring the arms and related materiel necessary to carry out further attacks and reiterated that all Member States must adhere to their obligations in regard to the targeted arms embargo.”

The members of the Security Council “condemned in the strongest terms” Houthi attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea, including the March 6 attack on the MV True Confidence, which resulted in the deaths of two Filipino sailors and one Vietnamese sailor and injuries to at least four other seafarers.

They also condemned the February 18 attack on the MV Rubymar, which subsequently sank on March 2 as a result of damage from the attack. They “took note of the negative impacts of these attacks and emphasized that the sunken vessel poses a navigational hazard to ships transiting the area.”

The members demanded the immediate release of the MV Galaxy Leader and its crew, who have now been unlawfully detained for more than 100 days.

They underscored the importance of the Red Sea maritime route for humanitarian efforts in Yemen and beyond, as well as for the local fishing industry supporting Yemeni livelihoods.

The members stressed that the “exercise of navigational rights and freedoms by merchant and commercial vessels of all States transiting the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb, in accordance with international law, must be respected.”

“Towards that end, the Council members warned against the impact of the March 4 Houthi decision purporting to require ships obtain a permit from their ‘Maritime Affairs Authority’ before entering Yemeni waters on the freedom of commercial navigation and humanitarian operations, including into Yemen,” it continued.

The members underlined the importance of boosting international and regional cooperation “to counter threats to peace and security in the region and called for a de-escalation in the Red Sea to preserve the peace process in Yemen.”

Furthermore, they “commended the efforts of the government of Yemen to preserve the maritime environment and called on all Member States, organizations, and agencies to support its efforts.”

The members further called for “continued international involvement in close cooperation with the United Nations and coastal States, as well as with regional and subregional organizations to prevent further escalation with possible multidimensional consequences.”

Moreover, they emphasized the need “to prevent further regional spillover of the conflict and its impact on the security and the stability of the region and beyond, and in this regard, reiterated the necessity to address the root causes contributing to regional tensions and to the disruption of maritime security.”

“Finally, the Council members urged caution and restraint to avoid further escalation of the situation in the Red Sea and the broader region and encouraged enhanced diplomatic efforts by all parties to that end, including continued support for dialogue and Yemen’s peace process under UN auspices,” it added.


UNRWA Chief Says Israel Blocks Him from Gaza

 United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry speak to the media, amid the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in Cairo, Egypt, March 18, 2024. (Reuters)
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry speak to the media, amid the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in Cairo, Egypt, March 18, 2024. (Reuters)
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UNRWA Chief Says Israel Blocks Him from Gaza

 United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry speak to the media, amid the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in Cairo, Egypt, March 18, 2024. (Reuters)
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry speak to the media, amid the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in Cairo, Egypt, March 18, 2024. (Reuters)

Israel denied the head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) entry to the Gaza Strip on Monday, UNRWA and Egypt said, calling it an unprecedented move at a time of massive need.

Philippe Lazzarini, whose organization has been in crisis since Israel accused 12 of its staff of taking part in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, said he meant to go to the Gaza city of Rafah but was informed: "My entry into Rafah is declined".

Speaking with him at a Cairo news conference, Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said: "You were declined by the Israeli government, refused the entry which is an unprecedented move for (a) representative at this high position."

The Israeli prime minister's office and foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

UNRWA is by far the largest relief body in Gaza, where the depth of the humanitarian crisis was underlined on Monday when a UN-backed report warned of imminent famine in the north.

"On the day new data is out on famine in #GAZA, the Israeli Authorities deny my entry to Gaza," Lazzarini wrote on X, adding that his visit was intended to improve humanitarian operations.

"This man-made starvation under our watch is a stain on our collective humanity."

Israel's ground and air offensive has laid waste to the Gaza Strip over the last five months, killing more than 31,000 people, according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza.

The offensive was triggered when Hamas fighters stormed into Israel in an attack that killed 1,200 people and resulted in another 253 being taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

Funding crisis

Israel alleged in January that 12 of UNRWA's 13,000 staff in Gaza took part in the Oct. 7 attack. The Israeli accusations led 16 countries including the United States to pause $450 million in funding, throwing UNRWA operations into crisis.

UNRWA fired some staff members, saying it acted in order to protect the agency's ability to deliver humanitarian assistance, and an independent internal UN investigation was launched.

Australia is one of several states which subsequently resumed funding. Its foreign minister said last week that Australia had consulted with UNRWA and other donors and was satisfied the agency was not a terrorist organization.

UNRWA has condemned the Oct. 7 attacks, saying the Israeli allegations against the agency - if true - are a betrayal of UN values and of the people UNRWA serves.

UNRWA communications director Juliette Touma told Reuters Lazzarini had visited the Gaza Strip four times during the war, and numerous occasions before that.

"We were ready to leave this morning on an Egyptian plane from Cairo to El Arish," Touma said.

Lazzarini has previously warned of a campaign to end UNRWA operations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said UNRWA must be shut down.

In Cairo, the UNRWA head warned of a "race against the clock" to reverse the spread of hunger and avert famine. With political will, Gaza could be "flooded" with food via land crossings, he added.

He also said that more than 150 of UNRWA's facilities in Gaza have been hit, damaged or completely destroyed.

"We also know that a number of staff that have been arrested have gone through very tough investigation, ill-treatment and humiliation," Lazzarini said.


Biden, Israel’s Netanyahu Discussed Rafah, Gaza Aid, Says White House

 A girl holds a Ramadan lantern as Palestinians line up to fill containers with water in Rafah on the southern Gaza Strip on March 17, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
A girl holds a Ramadan lantern as Palestinians line up to fill containers with water in Rafah on the southern Gaza Strip on March 17, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
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Biden, Israel’s Netanyahu Discussed Rafah, Gaza Aid, Says White House

 A girl holds a Ramadan lantern as Palestinians line up to fill containers with water in Rafah on the southern Gaza Strip on March 17, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
A girl holds a Ramadan lantern as Palestinians line up to fill containers with water in Rafah on the southern Gaza Strip on March 17, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)

US President Joe Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday and discussed the situation in Rafah and efforts increase aid to Gaza, the White House said.

The call was the first between the two leaders since Feb. 15 and comes amid sharp tensions between Israel and its most steadfast ally over Netanyahu's handling of the war in Gaza that followed Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 attack inside Israel.

"President Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to discuss the latest developments in Israel and Gaza, including the situation in Rafah and efforts to surge humanitarian assistance to Gaza," the White House said.

Separately, Netanyahu said the two men had discussed Israel's commitment to achieve all the targets it had set out for the war: eliminating Hamas, releasing all the hostages and ensuring Gaza would no longer pose a threat to Israel.

This would be done "while providing the necessary humanitarian aid that helps achieve those goals," he said in a statement.

In a speech on Thursday, Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, a longtime supporter of Israel and the highest-ranking Jewish elected official, called for new elections in Israel and said Netanyahu was an obstacle to peace.

Biden praised the speech the following day and said that Schumer had echoed the concerns of many Americans.

Netanyahu responded harshly on Sunday, telling CNN in an interview that Schumer's speech was "totally inappropriate".

Netanyahu reaffirmed to a cabinet meeting on Sunday that Israeli forces would thrust into Rafah, the last relatively safe place in the tiny, crowded Gaza enclave, despite international pressure for Israel to avoid further civilian casualties.


US Must Make Clear to Israel Consequences of Rafah Operation, Says Egypt FM 

Children play in the rubble of Al-Faruq Mosque, that was destroyed during Israeli bombardment, in Rafah on the southern Gaza Strip on March 17, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
Children play in the rubble of Al-Faruq Mosque, that was destroyed during Israeli bombardment, in Rafah on the southern Gaza Strip on March 17, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
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US Must Make Clear to Israel Consequences of Rafah Operation, Says Egypt FM 

Children play in the rubble of Al-Faruq Mosque, that was destroyed during Israeli bombardment, in Rafah on the southern Gaza Strip on March 17, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
Children play in the rubble of Al-Faruq Mosque, that was destroyed during Israeli bombardment, in Rafah on the southern Gaza Strip on March 17, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)

The United States must make clear to Israel what the consequences of a military operation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip would be, as the US has voiced opposition to such a move, Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said on Monday.

"It is not enough for rhetoric, it is not enough to state opposition, it is also important to indicate what if that position is circumvented, what if that position is not respected," Shoukry said at a news briefing with United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) chief Philippe Lazzarini in Cairo.

He also warned that the humanitarian consequences and the loss of lives that would result in the situation would be "catastrophic".


Famine Imminent in Northern Gaza, Says UN-Backed Report

Boys sit with empty pots as displaced Palestinians queue for meals provided by a charity organization ahead of the fast-breaking "iftar" meal during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 16, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
Boys sit with empty pots as displaced Palestinians queue for meals provided by a charity organization ahead of the fast-breaking "iftar" meal during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 16, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
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Famine Imminent in Northern Gaza, Says UN-Backed Report

Boys sit with empty pots as displaced Palestinians queue for meals provided by a charity organization ahead of the fast-breaking "iftar" meal during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 16, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
Boys sit with empty pots as displaced Palestinians queue for meals provided by a charity organization ahead of the fast-breaking "iftar" meal during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 16, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)

Famine is imminent and likely to occur by May in northern Gaza and could spread across the enclave by July, a UN-backed report said on Monday, after more than five months of war which have shattered the Palestinian territory and cut off supplies.

Malnutrition and food insecurity have probably exceeded famine levels in Gaza's north, and hunger-linked death rates were likely to do so soon, the report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said.

The assessment - a scale used by UN agencies, regional bodies and aid groups that sets the global standard on measuring food crises - comes amid global pressure on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave of 2.3 million people.

Some 300,000 have been cut off by fighting in the north.

The European Union accused Israel on Monday of provoking famine and using starvation as a weapon of war - claims that Israel rejects, saying it does not target civilians and is only interested in eliminating the Hamas movement.

The IPC uses a complex set of technical criteria. Its most extreme warning is Phase 5, which has two levels, catastrophe and famine.

Famine is assessed as at least 20% of the population suffering extreme food shortages, with one in three children acutely malnourished and two people out of every 10,000 dying daily from starvation or from malnutrition and disease.

In northern Gaza, "the upward trend in non-trauma mortality is also expected to accelerate, resulting in all famine thresholds likely to be passed imminently," the IPC said.

"The window is shutting, and it is shutting very, very fast," Arif Husain, chief economist of the World Food Program, told Reuters.

The study said the number of people projected to experience "catastrophic hunger" across the besieged enclave between now and mid-July had nearly doubled to more than 1.1 million, or about half the population, since the IPC last reported in December, when there was already record hunger.

Under a worst case scenario, central and southern Gaza also face a risk of famine by July, the IPC said.

Skipping meals

Famine has been declared just twice in the past 13 years: in parts of Somalia in 2011 and in parts of South Sudan in 2017.

Some humanitarians voice frustration with the criteria, since assessing famine thresholds can be particularly difficult in a war zone due to a lack of access and reliable data.

Gaza health authorities have reported children dying of malnutrition or dehydration, but UN officials say the health system has basically collapsed and the situation is hard to monitor.

"It's impossible to find the data to meet their criteria in northern Gaza as people aren't dying in hospital so it's unrecorded," said one aid worker who asked not to be named.

The IPC said that because of a lack of aid, almost all households were skipping meals every day and adults were reducing their meals so children could eat.

In northern Gaza, in nearly two thirds of households, people went entire days and nights without eating at least 10 times in the last 30 days, it added. In southern areas, that applied to one third of the households.

The IPC analysis said famine could still be avoided if Israel and Hamas stop fighting and aid organizations gain increased access.

Israel has said it plans to assault Rafah, the southern Gaza city bordering Egypt, to root out Hamas fighters, but it is also involved in mediation talks about a possible truce.

"We must act and we must act now," said Husain. "When famine happens, people have already starved, children are already wasted, and many, many, many lives are already lost." 


EU's Borrell: Israel is Provoking Famine in Gaza

FILE PHOTO: European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell speaks during a press conference presenting plans to boost the European Union's arms industry in Brussels, Belgium March 5, 2024. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell speaks during a press conference presenting plans to boost the European Union's arms industry in Brussels, Belgium March 5, 2024. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
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EU's Borrell: Israel is Provoking Famine in Gaza

FILE PHOTO: European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell speaks during a press conference presenting plans to boost the European Union's arms industry in Brussels, Belgium March 5, 2024. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell speaks during a press conference presenting plans to boost the European Union's arms industry in Brussels, Belgium March 5, 2024. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo

Israel is provoking famine in Gaza and using starvation as a weapon of war, the EU's foreign policy Chief Josep Borrell said on Monday.

"In Gaza we are no longer on the brink of famine, we are in a state of famine, affecting thousands of people," Borrell said at the opening of a conference on humanitarian aid for Gaza in Brussels.

"This is unacceptable. Starvation is used as a weapon of war. Israel is provoking famine."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he would keep on with the military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, where aid agencies say famine is looming, while ceasefire talks were set to resume.
Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting that Israel would push into Rafah, the last relatively safe place in the tiny, crowded Gaza enclave after more than five months of war, despite international pressure for Israel to avoid civilian casualties.

Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz in a response on Monday urged Borrell to "stop attacking Israel and recognize our right to self-defense against Hamas' crimes.”

Katz in a post on X said Israel allowed "extensive humanitarian aid into Gaza by land, air, and sea for anyone willing to help,” but that help was "violently disturbed" by Hamas militants with "collaboration" by the UN's aid agency UNRWA. 
 


Egyptian-European Agreement to Elevate Ties to Level of Strategic Partnership

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Italian, Greek, Austrian and Belgian prime ministers, and the Cypriot president. (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Italian, Greek, Austrian and Belgian prime ministers, and the Cypriot president. (Egyptian Presidency)
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Egyptian-European Agreement to Elevate Ties to Level of Strategic Partnership

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Italian, Greek, Austrian and Belgian prime ministers, and the Cypriot president. (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Italian, Greek, Austrian and Belgian prime ministers, and the Cypriot president. (Egyptian Presidency)

Egypt and the European Union said Sunday they have mutually agreed to elevate their relationship to the level of a strategic and comprehensive partnership.

Accordingly, Egypt and the EU decided to formulate and sign an inclusive document on the comprehensive and “strategic partnership,” during the first quarter of 2024.

The agreement was unveiled as a delegation of EU leaders visited Cairo. It is designed to boost cooperation in areas including renewable energy, trade and security, while delivering grants, loans and other funding over the next three years to support Egypt's economy.

A proposed funding includes 5 billion euros in concessional loans and 1.8 billion euros of investments, according to a summary published by the EU. Another 600 million euros would be provided in grants, including 200 million euros for managing migration.

The EU delegation included EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Italian, Greek, Austrian and Belgian prime ministers, and the Cypriot president.

“Egypt has always accorded special importance to the distinguished relations it shares with the European Union and its countries, stemming from our firm belief in the centrality of the partnership with the European Union to achieve the common political, economic, and security interests of both sides, and therefore supports the achievement of security, peace, and stability in the region,” said Sisi in his opening statement in the meeting with the EU leaders.

As for Von der Leyen, she said that "today we elevate the relationship between the EU and Egypt to a strategic and comprehensive partnership and we agree on a package ranging from trade and investment to low carbon energy, managing migration, and education, culture and youth".


Algeria Condemns Morocco’s Attempt to Confiscate its Embassy Properties in Rabat

 The Algerian Foreign Ministry (APS)
 The Algerian Foreign Ministry (APS)
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Algeria Condemns Morocco’s Attempt to Confiscate its Embassy Properties in Rabat

 The Algerian Foreign Ministry (APS)
 The Algerian Foreign Ministry (APS)

Algeria on Sunday condemned a Moroccan plan to confiscate its embassy’s properties in Rabat, describing the move as “a new phase of escalation” from its North African neighbor.
In a statement, the Algerian Foreign Ministry said the plan is also a “flagrant violation” that is inconsistent with civilized international practices.
“This project represents a flagrant violation of the obligations that are enshrined in both international law and custom, which necessitates the protection of diplomatic missions regardless of the circumstances,” the Ministry said.
“Algeria condemns in the strongest terms the comprehensive robbery operation and strongly denounces its illegitimacy and incompatibility with the duties and obligations that any member state of the international community should bear,” it added.
According to the Ministry, Algeria plans to utilize “all legal means available” to defend its interests, including recourse to the United Nations.
Morocco had issued a decree last week in the country’s Official Gazette ordering the expropriation of the Algerian Embassy’s buildings in Rabat, part of a plan to expand the administrative buildings of its Foreign Ministry.
The decree says the expansion project falls under a law which gives the government power to confiscate infrastructure for public sector projects.
The expropriation decision includes three properties belonging to Algeria.


Abbas: Our Priority is to Stop Israeli Military Assault on Rafah

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. dpa
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. dpa
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Abbas: Our Priority is to Stop Israeli Military Assault on Rafah

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. dpa
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. dpa

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said that the Palestinian leadership’s priority was to stop a potential Israeli military push into the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip.

Abbas made the comment on Sunday during a meeting with visiting Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira in Ramallah.

About 1.5 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Abbas told Vieira.

“Our priority is to stop an assault by Israeli occupation forces on Rafah,” he said, warning that a military operation there would cause a “humanitarian disaster.”

Abbas urged the international community to exert bigger efforts to prevent such an assault, force Israel to immediately stop its aggression on the Palestinian territory, and allow humanitarian aid to enter the enclave.

Despite his call, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he would keep on with the military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.
Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting that Israel would push into Rafah, the last relatively safe place in the tiny, crowded Gaza enclave after more than five months of war, despite international pressure for Israel to avoid civilian casualties.

"We will operate in Rafah. This will take several weeks, and it will happen," he said, without clarifying if he meant the assault would last for weeks or would begin in weeks.