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Palestinian President to Hold Talks with Egypt’s Sisi on Israel Next Week

This handout picture provided by the Palestinian Authority's press office (PPO) shows Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas writing his digital signature during his biometric passport registration at the Ministry of Interior in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on September 1, 2022. (PPO / AFP)
This handout picture provided by the Palestinian Authority's press office (PPO) shows Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas writing his digital signature during his biometric passport registration at the Ministry of Interior in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on September 1, 2022. (PPO / AFP)
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Palestinian President to Hold Talks with Egypt’s Sisi on Israel Next Week

This handout picture provided by the Palestinian Authority's press office (PPO) shows Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas writing his digital signature during his biometric passport registration at the Ministry of Interior in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on September 1, 2022. (PPO / AFP)
This handout picture provided by the Palestinian Authority's press office (PPO) shows Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas writing his digital signature during his biometric passport registration at the Ministry of Interior in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on September 1, 2022. (PPO / AFP)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will hold a summit with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo next week to discuss Palestine’s request to obtain full UN membership and its efforts to achieve calm in the Palestinian territories, specifically in the West Bank.

They will also tackle the future of the Palestinian Authority and the political process to achieve peace.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Al-Malki said on Thursday Abbas will hold the summit with Sisi on September 6.

“The Palestinian President will discuss with his Egyptian counterpart the overall situation in the Palestinian territories,” Al-Malki said.

Abbas’ meeting with Sisi comes in light of a US drive in the region aimed at convincing the Authority to stop its efforts to obtain UN full membership and to advance calm in the West Bank.

Well-informed Palestinian sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Abbas wants to consult with Sisi regarding these two issues, given Egypt’s direct role in the efforts to advance a political process in the region and achieve calm in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Sisi had last month spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and requested that he work with Abbas to ease tensions in the region and take immediate steps to improve living conditions in the West Bank and economic ties with the PA.

Sources said the Palestinians and Egyptians are in agreement on supporting the PA and easing tensions in the West Bank.

These two factors are key to paving the way for reviving settlement efforts and a new peace process.

The situation in the area will be on the agenda of US Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara A. Leaf, who arrived in the region on Thursday.

She kicked off an official visit that will take her to Jordan, Palestine and Israel. She will conclude the trip on September 4.

The US State Department said Leaf will be in Israel and the West Bank from September 1 to 3.

“She will meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials to discuss a range of priorities, including the US ironclad commitment to Israel’s security, strengthening US cooperation with Israel and the Palestinian Authority, US interest in improving the quality of life for the Palestinian people, and the Administration’s continued support for a two-state solution,” it added.

Observers said Leaf will inform the Palestinians of Washington’s rejection of their move towards full UN membership.

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Israel's Military Says 3 Drones Fired from Yemen

FILED - 06 August 2022, Israel, Sderot: The Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system fires an interceptor missile. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
FILED - 06 August 2022, Israel, Sderot: The Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system fires an interceptor missile. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
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Israel's Military Says 3 Drones Fired from Yemen

FILED - 06 August 2022, Israel, Sderot: The Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system fires an interceptor missile. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
FILED - 06 August 2022, Israel, Sderot: The Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system fires an interceptor missile. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa

Three drones were launched from Yemen toward Israel on Thursday evening, the military said, although there were no injuries according to Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service.
The latest drone attack came hours after the Israeli military said the Houthis, a Yemeni militant group backed by Iran, have targeted Israel with more than 40 missiles and around 320 drones since October 2023. The military said the vast majority of the surface-to-surface missiles were intercepted before reaching Israeli airspace, and that the air force intercepted 100 of the drones, reported The Associated Press.
Two drones have exploded inside Israel, in one case killing a man in Tel Aviv and wounding 10 others. Last month, a Houthi missile struck a playground in Tel Aviv, wounding 16 people, and caused damage at an empty school.
The Houthis have also been attacked shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and say they won’t stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
In response, Israeli and US-led forces have carried out airstrikes in Yemen's capital of Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida, killing dozens. The US has bombed what it says are weapons systems, military bases and other equipment belonging to the Iranian-backed militants.
While the damage from Houthi fire in Israel is minimal compared with heavy damage from missiles and drones from Gaza and Lebanon, the persistent launches threaten Israel’s economy, keeping many foreign airlines away and preventing the country from restarting its hard-hit tourism industry.