عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Egypt Celebrates Anniversary of Muslim Brotherhood Overthrow, Awaits Launch of National Dialogue

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi speaks during a joint statement with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades after a trilateral summit between Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, in Athens, Greece, October 19, 2021 REUTERS/Costas Baltas
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi speaks during a joint statement with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades after a trilateral summit between Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, in Athens, Greece, October 19, 2021 REUTERS/Costas Baltas
TT
TT

Egypt Celebrates Anniversary of Muslim Brotherhood Overthrow, Awaits Launch of National Dialogue

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi speaks during a joint statement with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades after a trilateral summit between Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, in Athens, Greece, October 19, 2021 REUTERS/Costas Baltas
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi speaks during a joint statement with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades after a trilateral summit between Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, in Athens, Greece, October 19, 2021 REUTERS/Costas Baltas

Egypt’s official authorities celebrated on Monday the 9th anniversary of the June 30 Revolution, which overthrew the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood organization.

In an official greeting message addressed to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said: “The June 30 revolution represents a significant day in the life of the Egyptian people, who rose up against the forces of evil and darkness that hijacked the country.”

The prime minister noted that the revolution “will remain a milestone in Egyptian history, as millions of Egyptians took to the streets, demonstrating against plans to abolish the identity of the country and prejudice its security and capabilities.”

He added that the government would maintain the process of work and construction, under the leadership of Sisi, to achieve development goals and enhance Egypt’s position at the regional and global levels.

For his part, General Mohamed Zaki, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Minister of Defense and Military Production, stressed that the Egyptian army under the leadership of Sisi (then-Defense minister) “confirmed its complete support to the will of the Egyptian people and defense of the sanctity of the homeland and the integrity of its lands.”

Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees of the National Dialogue Administration, which includes 19 members, continued preparations for its upcoming sessions, ahead of the country’s national dialogue.

The Board has been appointed after a 20-day consultation among politicians, trade union officials, political parties’ members and representatives participating in this dialogue.

In recent remarks, El-Sisi said that the national dialogue was aimed at listening to people’s opinions for “the sake of the nation.”

The initiative comes as part of Sisi’s national human rights strategy, launched in September with vows to open the public space to be more and more inclusive. As such, hundreds of inmates, including dozens of human rights activists, have recently been released by the Presidential Pardon Committee.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Israeli Official: Israel in Talks with US over Continuing its Lebanon Troop Deployment

FILE PHOTO: Smoke rises following an Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon, April 8, 2026. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Smoke rises following an Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon, April 8, 2026. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo
TT
TT

Israeli Official: Israel in Talks with US over Continuing its Lebanon Troop Deployment

FILE PHOTO: Smoke rises following an Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon, April 8, 2026. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Smoke rises following an Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon, April 8, 2026. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo

Israel is holding negotiations with the US as it seeks to continue its deployment of troops in southern Lebanon, two Israeli officials including a senior Israeli official close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Reuters on Thursday.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, made the comments a day after the US and ‌Iran signed ‌an interim pact that calls ‌for ⁠parties to ensure "the territorial ⁠integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon."

Israel expanded its invasion of southern Lebanon after the Lebanese militia Hezbollah opened fire at Israel on March 2 in support of its ally Iran. It has since staged a devastating ⁠air and ground campaign that it says ‌aims at rooting ‌out Hezbollah.

Israel describes the territory it has seized ‌in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria as "buffer zones" between ‌it and its enemies, a core facet of Israel's recent security policy. Netanyahu has rejected calls for Israel to withdraw from those territories.

The senior ‌Israeli official told Reuters that Israel was "conducting stubborn negotiations" with Washington ⁠over continuing its ⁠deployment of troops in southern Lebanon.

The official said Israel would not back down on its positions, including keeping troops deployed in the area south of Lebanon's Litani River.

A second Israeli official told Reuters that the outcome of the talks would ultimately depend on whether US President Donald Trump "decides to force the issue" by threatening repercussions if Israel does not abide by the interim Iran pact's terms.

Netanyahu's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Arab World

Israel Military Says 1 Soldier Killed in Lebanon, 7 Injured

TOPSHOT - This picture taken from a position in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, near the Israel-Lebanon border shows Israeli Merkava tanks driving along a road past destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on June 17, 2026. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP)
TOPSHOT - This picture taken from a position in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, near the Israel-Lebanon border shows Israeli Merkava tanks driving along a road past destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on June 17, 2026. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP)
TT
TT

Israel Military Says 1 Soldier Killed in Lebanon, 7 Injured

TOPSHOT - This picture taken from a position in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, near the Israel-Lebanon border shows Israeli Merkava tanks driving along a road past destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on June 17, 2026. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP)
TOPSHOT - This picture taken from a position in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, near the Israel-Lebanon border shows Israeli Merkava tanks driving along a road past destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on June 17, 2026. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP)

The Israeli military announced on Thursday that one of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in southern Lebanon the day before, in an incident that also wounded seven soldiers.

Master Sergeant Alexander Filin, 29, "fell in combat", the military said in a brief statement, adding that an officer, a reserve officer and a reserve soldier were moderately injured.

A combat non-commissioned officer, two reserve soldiers and a female reserve soldier were lightly injured, the military added.

The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday meant to end the Middle East war, with fighting halted on all fronts, including in Lebanon.

Lebanon was drawn into the conflict when Tehran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on March 2 in support of Iran.

Lebanon earlier said Israel's massive campaign of airstrikes and ground invasion has so far killed more than 3,800 people.

Israel's side saw 31 soldiers and one civilian contractor killed since March 2.

Arab World

Lebanon to Transfer 129 Syrian Prisoners Next Week, Withholds Seven Over Security Concerns

Protesters in rural Homs last November demand the release of Syrian detainees held in Lebanese prisons (SANA). 
Protesters in rural Homs last November demand the release of Syrian detainees held in Lebanese prisons (SANA). 
TT
TT

Lebanon to Transfer 129 Syrian Prisoners Next Week, Withholds Seven Over Security Concerns

Protesters in rural Homs last November demand the release of Syrian detainees held in Lebanese prisons (SANA). 
Protesters in rural Homs last November demand the release of Syrian detainees held in Lebanese prisons (SANA). 

Lebanon is set to transfer 129 convicted Syrian prisoners to Syrian authorities next week under a bilateral agreement signed in February, while withholding seven others pending further security reviews, a senior judicial source said.

The move reflects growing judicial and security cooperation between Beirut and Damascus after years of strained coordination. It also highlights Lebanon’s efforts to ease chronic prison overcrowding while ensuring that inmates deemed potential security risks are subjected to additional scrutiny before any transfer takes place.

The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that all legal procedures have been completed for the 129 prisoners, allowing them to be transferred to Syria to serve the remainder of their sentences. Seven other Syrian convicts have been excluded from the current transfer because their files contain security-related concerns that require further examination before a final decision is made on their status.

According to the source, Public Prosecutor Judge Ahmad Rami al-Hajj has completed his review of the lists of Syrian prisoners covered by the agreement and forwarded them to the Lebanese premiership for approval.

The Prime Minister’s Office is expected to issue a formal letter stating it has no objection to the names on the list, clearing the way for implementation.

Once that step is completed — likely within two or three days — the file will be referred to Justice Minister Adel Nassar, who will prepare and sign the final decision authorizing the transfer in accordance with the agreement.

The exact timing of the handover has not yet been determined. The source said the operation requires coordination among several security and administrative agencies.

After legal procedures are finalized, the Internal Security Forces will oversee the prisoners’ release from Lebanese jails and complete the necessary administrative and security paperwork. Lebanon’s General Security Directorate will then transport the prisoners to the Lebanese-Syrian border.

The prisoners will be handed over to a Syrian security team at the Masnaa border crossing in the Bekaa Valley under a mechanism agreed upon by the two countries.

The transfer program has become one of the most visible examples of renewed judicial cooperation between Lebanon and Syria. In March, Lebanon transferred 134 convicted Syrians, roughly a month after the agreement was signed, helping address cases that had remained unresolved for years.

The judicial source stressed that withholding some prisoners does not undermine or circumvent the agreement. Rather, it reflects the Lebanese authorities’ determination not to treat the matter as a purely administrative exercise.

Sensitive cases, particularly those involving security-related allegations or suspicions, require thorough judicial and security scrutiny, the source said.

The fate of the seven withheld prisoners will depend on the outcome of ongoing reviews and whether their cases warrant inclusion in a future third transfer or different legal measures.