Morocco King Congratulates Macron, Hails Performance of Moroccan Football Team

 
King Mohammed VI (MAP)
King Mohammed VI (MAP)
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Morocco King Congratulates Macron, Hails Performance of Moroccan Football Team

 
King Mohammed VI (MAP)
King Mohammed VI (MAP)

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI held a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron following Wednesday’s 2022 World Cup semi-finals match between France and Morocco.

Mohammed congratulated Macron for France's triumph which has put the team into the World Cup final.

The call came on the eve of the visit of French Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Catherine Colonna to Rabat.

Colonna arrived in France on Thursday to meet Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita and discuss pending issues between both states and prepare for the visit of Macron to Rabat at the end of January.

Following the game, King Mohammed VI held a phone call with Morocco coach Walid Regragui.

The monarch thanked the Moroccan football players for their brilliant achievements and wished them luck for the upcoming match.

The King praised the performance of Regragui for having been able, in only a few months at the head of the national team, to forge a group of players so compact and so combative, to the point of marking this competition and honoring the Moroccan people and the international public by his high values of sportsmanship and his exemplary talent.

The King also spoke with the captain of the national team Romain Saiss to whom the Sovereign wished a speedy recovery from his injury, and congratulated him for his leadership while asking him to convey warm congratulations to the whole team.



Hamas Stresses Acceptance of Dedicated Committee to Manage Gaza

Smoke rises during Israeli military operations in Al Shejaeiya and Al Tuffah neighborhoods, east Gaza City, 19 April 2025. (EPA)
Smoke rises during Israeli military operations in Al Shejaeiya and Al Tuffah neighborhoods, east Gaza City, 19 April 2025. (EPA)
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Hamas Stresses Acceptance of Dedicated Committee to Manage Gaza

Smoke rises during Israeli military operations in Al Shejaeiya and Al Tuffah neighborhoods, east Gaza City, 19 April 2025. (EPA)
Smoke rises during Israeli military operations in Al Shejaeiya and Al Tuffah neighborhoods, east Gaza City, 19 April 2025. (EPA)

The Hamas movement reiterated on Saturday its willingness to reach a comprehensive agreement that would include a full prisoner exchange in return for a ceasefire, an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and the start of reconstruction efforts.

In a statement, it expressed readiness to immediately implement an Egyptian proposal to form a special committee of independent figures to manage Gaza following such an agreement.

The statement also confirmed that a Hamas delegation, led by senior official Mohammed Darwish, met in Türkiye with Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin.

Kalin reiterated Ankara’s support for the Palestinian cause and its solidarity with the Palestinian people. He also emphasized his country’s firm rejection of Israeli expansionist policies and any new attempts at occupation or annexation, said Hamas.

Separately, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, announced Saturday that the fate of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander remains unknown.

In a statement, Qassam spokesperson Abu Ubaida said: “We managed to recover the body of a martyr who was tasked with guarding the prisoner Edan Alexander. The fate of the prisoner, along with the other captive fighters, is still unknown.”

Hamas said on Tuesday that it had lost contact with the group holding Alexander after Israeli forces bombed the location in Gaza where he was believed to be held.

Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli soldier from New Jersey, has been held hostage by Hamas.

“We are trying to protect all the captives and preserve their lives despite the brutality of the aggression,” Abu Ubaida said. “But their lives are in danger due to the enemy army’s criminal bombardment.”

He again accused the Israeli military of being responsible for the deaths of hostages — an allegation Israel has denied, instead blaming Hamas for killing those in its custody.

Alexander’s case was reportedly a key point of discussion in recent talks between Hamas leaders and US Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Adam Boehler, held last month.

In a related development, the Qassam Brigades published a video on Telegram showing an Israeli hostage alive. The video, lasting more than four minutes, shows the hostage seated in a confined space, speaking in Hebrew over the phone with family members and a friend, pleading with them to continue efforts to secure his release.