Israeli-Egyptian Talks to Revive Negotiations

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry welcomed his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, in Sharm el-Sheikh last week (DPA)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry welcomed his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, in Sharm el-Sheikh last week (DPA)
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Israeli-Egyptian Talks to Revive Negotiations

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry welcomed his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, in Sharm el-Sheikh last week (DPA)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry welcomed his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, in Sharm el-Sheikh last week (DPA)

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held a phone conversation with his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, discussing the need to revive the Middle East peace process through direct negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel, which collapsed in 2014.

In a statement, Egyptian Foreign Minister Spokesman Ahmed Hafez said Sunday that Shoukry has called for creating a political prospect guaranteed by a stable climate to consolidate stability and avoid regional escalation and tension.

Egypt will keep pushing ahead with its "earnest" efforts in this direction, Shoukry said.

The talks also tackled efforts for reconstruction and the delivery of aid and development support to all the occupied Palestinian territories in coordination with the Palestinian Authority, Hafez added.

Hebrew websites reported that the Egyptian and Israeli officials expressed satisfaction with the successful meeting between Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Sharm el-Sheikh last week.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that Sunday’s phone conversation was "warm and cordial," and the two sides agreed to continue talking soon.

They also expressed their desire to push forward their bilateral relations, as they stressed the desire to enable economic ties between Israel and Egypt and the possibility of increasing trade and commercial activity.

The statement added that the two ministers discussed the "economy for security" program for Gaza presented by Lapid last week.

Lapid tweeted about the call with his Egyptian counterpart, saying the talks expressed great satisfaction with the successful meeting between the Israeli PM and the Egyptian President.

Last week, Sisi and Bennett discussed the Middle East peace process and means to cement the Egyptian-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas, which was reached following the recent Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip.

An Egyptian presidential statement stated that Sisi confirmed that Egypt supports all efforts exerted to achieve a comprehensive peace in the Middle East, based on the two-state solution and the resolutions of international legitimacy.

"All of this contributes to reinforcing security and achieving prosperity for all peoples of the region."

Sisi underscored the need for the international community's support to Egypt's reconstruction efforts in the Palestinian territories.

The President also reiterated the importance of maintaining calm between the Palestinians and Israelis, particularly in Egypt's ongoing efforts to mitigate tension between the two sides in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.



Suspected US Airstrikes in Yemen Kill at Least 4 People Near Hodeidah

A man holds a rifle as protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, rally to mark the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Sanaa, Yemen March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
A man holds a rifle as protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, rally to mark the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Sanaa, Yemen March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
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Suspected US Airstrikes in Yemen Kill at Least 4 People Near Hodeidah

A man holds a rifle as protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, rally to mark the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Sanaa, Yemen March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
A man holds a rifle as protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, rally to mark the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Sanaa, Yemen March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Suspected US airstrikes battered Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into Wednesday, with the militias saying that one strike killed at least four people near the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

The intense campaign of airstrikes in Yemen under US President Donald Trump, targeting the militias over their attacks on shipping in Mideast waters stemming from the Israel-Hamas war, has killed at least 65 people, according to casualty figures released by the Houthis.

The campaign appears to show no signs of stopping as the Trump administration again linked their airstrikes on the Iranian-backed Houthis to an effort to pressure Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program. While so far giving no specifics about the campaign and its targets, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt put the overall number of strikes on Tuesday at more than 200.

“Iran is incredibly weakened as a result of these attacks, and we have seen they have taken out Houthi leaders,” Leavitt said. “They’ve taken out critical members who were launching strikes on naval ships and on commercial vessels and this operation will not stop until the freedom of navigation in this region is restored.”

Overnight, a likely US airstrike targeted what the Houthis described as a “water project” in Hodeidah governorate's Mansuriyah District, killing four people and wounding others. Other strikes into Wednesday targeted Hajjah, Saada and Sanaa governorates, the militias said.