Sisi Underscores to Abbas Importance of Maintaining Calm, Especially in Gaza

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, during a meeting in Cairo on Tuesday, September 6, 2022. (Palestine’s embassy in Cairo)
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, during a meeting in Cairo on Tuesday, September 6, 2022. (Palestine’s embassy in Cairo)
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Sisi Underscores to Abbas Importance of Maintaining Calm, Especially in Gaza

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, during a meeting in Cairo on Tuesday, September 6, 2022. (Palestine’s embassy in Cairo)
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, during a meeting in Cairo on Tuesday, September 6, 2022. (Palestine’s embassy in Cairo)

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held talks with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas at al-Ittihadia Palace in Cairo on Tuesday.

Discussions touched on the developments of the Palestinian cause and providing support to the Palestinian people.

Presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said Sisi underlined the importance of joining efforts to support the Palestinian stance and maintain calm, especially in the Gaza Strip.

He affirmed his country’s unwavering support to the Palestinian cause to ensure realizing the Palestinian people’s legitimate aspirations based on the two-state solution and the establishment of the Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on the June 1967 borders.

Abbas, for his part, expressed appreciation for Egypt's tireless efforts in support of the Palestinian cause and hailed Cairo’s historical role, as well as its firm position to reach a just and comprehensive solution in this regard.

Abbas also underscored the deep and special Egyptian-Palestinian ties and keenness to continue consultation and coordination with Sisi on the overall situation in his country.

Egypt’s Chief of General Intelligence Major General Abbas Kamel, Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs Riyad al-Maliki, Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization Hussein al-Sheikh, Head of the Palestinian General Intelligence Major General Majed Faraj, and the Palestinian Ambassador to Egypt Diab al-Louh attended the meeting.

According to the Egyptian presidency, both leaders agreed to continue consultation and coordination at the bilateral level and within the trilateral Egyptian-Jordanian-Palestinian coordination framework and other frameworks to follow-up on future steps and efforts to support the Palestinian cause.



Lebanon Condemns Attacks on UN Peacekeeping Mission

 A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) convoy drives through the southern Lebanese area of Marjayoun on November 20, 2024, as the war between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah group continues. (AFP)
A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) convoy drives through the southern Lebanese area of Marjayoun on November 20, 2024, as the war between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah group continues. (AFP)
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Lebanon Condemns Attacks on UN Peacekeeping Mission

 A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) convoy drives through the southern Lebanese area of Marjayoun on November 20, 2024, as the war between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah group continues. (AFP)
A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) convoy drives through the southern Lebanese area of Marjayoun on November 20, 2024, as the war between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah group continues. (AFP)

Lebanon on Monday condemned attacks on the United Nations peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL) stationed in its south, including last week's rocket strike in which four Italian soldiers were lightly injured.

The 10,000-strong multi-national UNIFIL mission is monitoring hostilities along the demarcation line with Israel, an area hit by fierce clashes between the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah party and Israeli forces.

Since Israel launched a ground campaign across the border against Hezbollah at the end of September, UNIFIL soldiers have suffered several attacks coming from both sides.

"Lebanon strongly condemns any attack on UNIFIL and calls on all sides to respect the safety, security of the troops and their premises," Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said during a conference in Rome.

Bou Habib spoke before attending a G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Anagni, southeast of Rome, along with other colleagues from the Middle East, which was set to discuss conflicts in the region.

Bou Habib added: "Lebanon condemns recent attacks on the Italian contingent and deplores such unjustified hostilities."

Italy said Hezbollah was likely responsible for the attack carried out on Friday against its troops in UNIFIL.

Beirut's foreign minister called for implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended a previous war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006 with a ceasefire that has faced challenges and violations over the years.

"Lebanon is ready to fulfil its obligations stipulated in the above-mentioned resolution," Bou Habib said.

"This literally means and I quote: 'There will be no weapons without the consent of the government of Lebanon and no authority other than that of the government of Lebanon'."

Hezbollah, militarily more powerful than Lebanon's regular army, says it is defending the country from Israeli aggression. It vows to keep fighting and says it will not lay down arms or allow Israel to achieve political gains on the back of the war.