Israeli Security Delegation Meets Military Leaders in Sudan

People hold Sudanese flags during a protest in Khartoum, Sudan (Reuters)
People hold Sudanese flags during a protest in Khartoum, Sudan (Reuters)
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Israeli Security Delegation Meets Military Leaders in Sudan

People hold Sudanese flags during a protest in Khartoum, Sudan (Reuters)
People hold Sudanese flags during a protest in Khartoum, Sudan (Reuters)

A high-ranking official Israeli security delegation arrived in Khartoum Wednesday to meet with Sudanese military and security leaders.

The visit is part of a series of meetings between Khartoum and Tel Aviv since the top general, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, met with former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Entebbe, Uganda, in February 2020.

Sudan signed the Abrahamic Accords on January 6, 2021, and normalized relations with Israel.

Sources in Khartoum reported that the delegation is expected to hold meetings with Burhan, his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, and the chief of General Intelligence, Ahmed Ibrahim Mufaddal.

Sudanese and Israeli authorities did not reveal the nature of those discussions, but a source told Asharq Al-Awsat that they were limited to the security aspects and recent developments in the country.

The Israeli public broadcaster, Kan, reported that a high-level delegation arrived from Tel Aviv for a visit that lasts hours, during which talks will be held with Sudanese military leaders.

Kan indicated that the Israeli delegation took off from Ben Gurion Airport in the morning and made a "diplomatic stopover" in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt before leaving for Sudan.

The Israeli Prime Minister's office did not confirm or deny the news.

The broadcaster gave brief information about the visit without specifying the names or ranks of the participants.

The last visit of an Israeli delegation to Sudan was in November, chaired by the head of the Israeli intelligence service, Mossad, according to Kan. Khartoum did not disclose the purpose of the secret visit.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that a senior official in the Rapid Support Forces received the visiting delegation at Khartoum airport.

The delegation’s visit came in light of the complex political and economic situations in Sudan.

In recent weeks, Sudan has been in turmoil amid daily anti-coup protests and clashes with the security forces.

On Monday, the security forces killed seven people and wounded hundreds of others. As a result, the Forces for Freedom and Change called for two days of civil disobedience on Tuesday.



Biden, Macron to Declare 60-Day Ceasefire between Hezbollah, Israel on Tuesday

 Smoke and flame rise after an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP)
Smoke and flame rise after an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP)
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Biden, Macron to Declare 60-Day Ceasefire between Hezbollah, Israel on Tuesday

 Smoke and flame rise after an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP)
Smoke and flame rise after an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP)

US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron will declare on Tuesday morning a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Asharq Al-Awsat learned from widely informed sources on Monday.

Washington has spoken of “cautious optimism” that the US proposal for a ceasefire could be a success. The proposal calls for Hezbollah’s withdrawal from the area between the Blue Line and Litani River in a manner that can be verified. In return Israeli forces will withdraw from the regions they occupied since they carried out their limited invasion of Lebanon.

The relative positivity prevailed in spite of the ongoing wide-scale military operations between Israel and Hezbollah in the South and Israel’s air raids deep in Lebanese territory. Hezbollah has also fired rockets deep in Israel, reaching Tel Aviv.

Analysts have said the intense attacks suggest that both Israel and Hezbollah are trying to maximize their leverage as diplomats conduct what they hope is a final round of ceasefire talks, reported the New York Times on Monday.

The New York Times reported on Friday that the terms included a 60-day truce during which Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters pull back from border areas and the Lebanese Army and a United Nations peacekeeping force increase their presence in a buffer zone.

But officials have also warned that the two sides may not be able to finalize a deal, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced pressure from right-wing allies not to end the military campaign.

Israel’s hard-line national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said in a social media post on Monday that the proposed deal would be a “historic missed opportunity to eradicate Hezbollah.”

Observers meanwhile told Asharq Al-Awsat that all pending issues related to the US proposal have been resolved from the Lebanese side, while Israel has some lingering reservations.