Egypt, Romania Stress Peaceful Solutions to Regional Disputes

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, at Al-Ittihadiya Palace on Wednesday (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, at Al-Ittihadiya Palace on Wednesday (Egyptian Presidency)
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Egypt, Romania Stress Peaceful Solutions to Regional Disputes

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, at Al-Ittihadiya Palace on Wednesday (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, at Al-Ittihadiya Palace on Wednesday (Egyptian Presidency)

Egypt and Romania agreed Wednesday on the importance of exerting concerted efforts to achieve peaceful solutions to regional disputes.

This came during a meeting between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, at Al-Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo.

The Egyptian Presidency’s spokesperson, Bassam Radi, said Sisi looked forward to further advancing bilateral cooperation with Romania.

Sisi had visited Bucharest in June 2019, marking the first visit by an Egyptian President to Romania in about 15 years.

Radi said the two presidents discussed ways to promote cooperation, mainly in trade, and they commended the convening of the Egyptian-Romanian Economic Forum on the sidelines of the Romanian President’s current visit to Egypt.

The talks also touched on cooperation in the field of energy, given the two countries’ commitment to diversifying their sources of energy.

Also, the two presidents underscored the importance of exerting concerted efforts to achieve peaceful solutions to regional disputes.

Within this framework, they agreed on the importance of holding elections in Libya in December 2021 to give the Libyan people the chance to choose a united government that would preserve the country’s security, stability, unity and sovereignty.

Sisi and Iohannis stressed the need to commit to UN resolutions on the withdrawal of all mercenaries and foreign forces from Libya.

The two officials also tackled the latest developments in efforts to revive the peace process in the Middle East, and ensure calm between Israel and the Palestinians.

Sisi reviewed his country’s efforts to combat terrorism and extremist ideology, underlining the need for the international community to address its root-causes through a comprehensive approach.

Sisi underscored Egypt’s commitment to combating illegal migration and highlighted his country’s efforts in successfully addressing the movement of refugees across the Mediterranean.

For his part, Iohannis confirmed his keenness on furthering coordination and consultations between the two countries, highlighting Egypt’s pivotal role under the leadership of Sisi to reinforce stability and security in the Middle East and Africa.

He valued Egyptian efforts to combat terrorism and extremist ideology, as well as the successful Egyptian experience in addressing illegal migration, also lauding Cairo’s efforts to enhance dialogue among African and Arab countries and EU states.

“Romania is keen on supporting Egypt’s stance and conveying it to the EU, in light of it being one of the most important neighborhood countries to the EU,” Radi said.



Israel Military Says Soldier Killed in Gaza 

A drone view shows the destruction in a residential neighborhood, after the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the area, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Gaza City, October 21, 2025. (Reuters)
A drone view shows the destruction in a residential neighborhood, after the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the area, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Gaza City, October 21, 2025. (Reuters)
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Israel Military Says Soldier Killed in Gaza 

A drone view shows the destruction in a residential neighborhood, after the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the area, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Gaza City, October 21, 2025. (Reuters)
A drone view shows the destruction in a residential neighborhood, after the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the area, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Gaza City, October 21, 2025. (Reuters)

The Israeli military announced that one of its soldiers had been killed in combat in southern Gaza on Wednesday, but a security source said the death appeared to have been caused by "friendly fire".

"Staff Sergeant Ofri Yafe, aged 21, from HaYogev, a soldier in the Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit, fell during combat in the southern Gaza Strip," the military said in a statement.

A security source, however, told AFP that the soldier appeared to have been "killed by friendly fire", without providing further details.

"The incident is still under investigation," the source added.

The death brings to five the number of Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza since a ceasefire took effect on October 10.


Syria: SDF’s Mazloum Abdi Says Implementation of Integration Deal May Take Time

People sit outdoors surrounded by nature, with the Tigris river flowing in the background, following a long atmospheric depression, near the Syrian-Turkish border in Derik, Syria, February 16, 2026 REUTERS/Orhan Qereman
People sit outdoors surrounded by nature, with the Tigris river flowing in the background, following a long atmospheric depression, near the Syrian-Turkish border in Derik, Syria, February 16, 2026 REUTERS/Orhan Qereman
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Syria: SDF’s Mazloum Abdi Says Implementation of Integration Deal May Take Time

People sit outdoors surrounded by nature, with the Tigris river flowing in the background, following a long atmospheric depression, near the Syrian-Turkish border in Derik, Syria, February 16, 2026 REUTERS/Orhan Qereman
People sit outdoors surrounded by nature, with the Tigris river flowing in the background, following a long atmospheric depression, near the Syrian-Turkish border in Derik, Syria, February 16, 2026 REUTERS/Orhan Qereman

Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, said the process of merging the SDF with Syrian government forces “may take some time,” despite expressing confidence in the eventual success of the agreement.

His remarks came after earlier comments in which he acknowledged differences with Damascus over the concept of “decentralization.”

Speaking at a tribal conference in the northeastern city of Hasakah on Tuesday, Abdi said the issue of integration would not be resolved quickly, but stressed that the agreement remains on track.

He said the deal reached last month stipulates that three Syrian army brigades will be created out of the SDF.

Abdi added that all SDF military units have withdrawn to their barracks in an effort to preserve stability and continue implementing the announced integration agreement with the Syrian state.

He also emphasized the need for armed forces to withdraw from the vicinity of the city of Ayn al-Arab (Kobani), to be replaced by security forces tasked with maintaining order.


Israeli Far-Right Minister to Push for ‘Migration’ of West Bank, Gaza Palestinians 

A Palestinian man checks leather belts as people prepare for Ramadan, in the old city of Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 17,2026. (Reuters)
A Palestinian man checks leather belts as people prepare for Ramadan, in the old city of Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 17,2026. (Reuters)
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Israeli Far-Right Minister to Push for ‘Migration’ of West Bank, Gaza Palestinians 

A Palestinian man checks leather belts as people prepare for Ramadan, in the old city of Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 17,2026. (Reuters)
A Palestinian man checks leather belts as people prepare for Ramadan, in the old city of Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 17,2026. (Reuters)

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he would pursue a policy of "encouraging the migration" of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported Wednesday.

"We will eliminate the idea of an Arab terror state," said Smotrich, speaking at an event organized by his Religious Zionism Party late on Tuesday.

"We will finally, formally, and in practical terms nullify the cursed Oslo Accords and embark on a path toward sovereignty, while encouraging emigration from both Gaza and Judea and Samaria.

"There is no other long-term solution," added Smotrich, who himself lives in a settlement in the West Bank.

Since last week, Israel has approved a series of measures backed by far-right ministers to tighten control over the West Bank, including in areas administered by the Palestinian Authority under the Oslo Accords, in place since the 1990s.

The measures include a process to register land in the West Bank as "state property" and facilitate direct purchases of land by Jewish Israelis.

The measures have triggered widespread international outrage.

On Tuesday, the UN missions of 85 countries condemned the measures, which critics say amount to de facto annexation of the Palestinian territory.

"We strongly condemn unilateral Israeli decisions and measures aimed at expanding Israel's unlawful presence in the West Bank," they said in a statement.

"Such decisions are contrary to Israel's obligations under international law and must be immediately reversed.

"We underline in this regard our strong opposition to any form of annexation."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called on Israel to reverse its land registration policy, calling it "destabilizing" and "unlawful".

The West Bank would form the largest part of any future Palestinian state. Many on Israel's religious right view it as Israeli land.

Israeli NGOs have also raised the alarm over a settlement plan signed by the government which they say would mark the first expansion of Jerusalem's borders into the occupied West Bank since 1967.

The planned development, announced by Israel's Ministry of Construction and Housing, is formally a westward expansion of the Geva Binyamin, or Adam, settlement situated northeast of Jerusalem in the West Bank.

The current Israeli government has fast-tracked settlement expansion, approving a record 52 settlements in 2025.

Excluding Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements and outposts, which are illegal under international law.