Egypt, EU Agree on Advancing Coordination at All Levels

Ursula von der Leyen expressed to Egyptian President Sisi Brussels’ interest in continuing to advance cooperation with Cairo. (Getty Images)
Ursula von der Leyen expressed to Egyptian President Sisi Brussels’ interest in continuing to advance cooperation with Cairo. (Getty Images)
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Egypt, EU Agree on Advancing Coordination at All Levels

Ursula von der Leyen expressed to Egyptian President Sisi Brussels’ interest in continuing to advance cooperation with Cairo. (Getty Images)
Ursula von der Leyen expressed to Egyptian President Sisi Brussels’ interest in continuing to advance cooperation with Cairo. (Getty Images)

Egypt and the European Union agreed to advance friendly relations and maintain joint coordination in light of the existing multiple and strong ties between them.

On Monday, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received a phone call from President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

Von der Leyen praised the president’s vision to achieve comprehensive development across Egypt, the unremitting efforts to combat terrorism, and Egypt's successful experience in combating illegal immigration, the spokesman for the Egyptian presidency said.

“The call discussed ways to promote bilateral cooperation,” he added, stressing that Sisi confirmed his interest in strengthening cooperation and developing mutual dialogue between the two sides in light of their common interests and challenges.

For her part, the European Commission president underlined the EU’s desire to further boost cooperation with Cairo at various levels in light of Egypt’s leverage in the region.

The call also touched on a number of issues and developments in the region.

Von der Leyen confirmed the European interest that the ongoing coordination with Sisi is ensured on many important international and regional issues, including Egypt's hosting of the COP 27 climate summit this year.

The two sides agreed on the need to continue consultation, exchange views and intensify cooperation to reach political settlements for the various crises facing the region and maintaining peace and security in the Middle East, Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.

“This is necessary for both restoring stability in the region and securing a better future for its people,” the spokesman added.



Israeli Strikes on Gaza Strip Leave 15 Dead, Medics Say

 Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Gaza City November 27, 2024. (Reuters)
Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Gaza City November 27, 2024. (Reuters)
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Israeli Strikes on Gaza Strip Leave 15 Dead, Medics Say

 Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Gaza City November 27, 2024. (Reuters)
Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Gaza City November 27, 2024. (Reuters)

Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip killed 15 people on Wednesday, some of them in a school housing displaced people, medics in Gaza said, adding that the fatalities included two sons of a former Hamas spokesman.

Health officials in the Hamas-run enclave said eight Palestinians were killed and dozens of others wounded in an Israeli strike that hit the Al-Tabeaeen School, which was sheltering displaced families in Gaza City. Among those killed were two sons of former Hamas spokesman, Fawzi Barhoum, according to medics and Barhoum himself.

In the Shejaia suburb of Gaza City, another strike killed four people, while three people were killed in an Israeli air strike in Beit Lahiya on the northern edge of the enclave where army forces have been operating since last month.

Separately, a ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed group Hezbollah came into effect on Wednesday after both sides accepted an agreement brokered by the US and France, a rare victory for diplomacy in a region shaken by two wars for over a year.

Iran-backed Hezbollah began firing missiles at Israel in solidarity with Hamas after the Palestinian group attacked Israel in October of 2023, killing around 1,200 people and capturing over 250 hostages, Israel has said, triggering the Gaza war.

Israel's 13-month campaign in Gaza has left nearly 44,200 people dead and displaced nearly all the enclave's population at least once, according to Gaza health officials.

Months of attempts to negotiate a ceasefire have yielded scant progress and negotiations are now on hold, with mediator Qatar saying it has told the two warring parties it would suspend its efforts until the sides are prepared to make concessions.