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Egypt, Palestine Agree to Enhance Cooperation in Water Resources, Irrigation

The Egyptian Minister of Water Resources, Mohamed Abdel-Aty, with the head of the Palestinian Water Authority, Mazen Ghoneim (Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources)
The Egyptian Minister of Water Resources, Mohamed Abdel-Aty, with the head of the Palestinian Water Authority, Mazen Ghoneim (Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources)
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Egypt, Palestine Agree to Enhance Cooperation in Water Resources, Irrigation

The Egyptian Minister of Water Resources, Mohamed Abdel-Aty, with the head of the Palestinian Water Authority, Mazen Ghoneim (Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources)
The Egyptian Minister of Water Resources, Mohamed Abdel-Aty, with the head of the Palestinian Water Authority, Mazen Ghoneim (Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources)

Egypt's Minister of Water Resources Mohamed Abdel-Aty discussed with head of the Palestinian Water Authority Mazen Ghoneim ways to enhance cooperation and possible mechanisms to activate the MoU signed between the two countries in the field of water resources and irrigation.

The officials met in Cairo ahead of the 13th session of the Arab Ministerial Water Council, chaired by Lebanon, on Thursday.

Abdel-Aty stressed the need to achieve the maximum levels of cooperation and coordination between the two countries to meet the peoples’ goals in sustainable development and reach the optimal management of limited water resources.

The meeting reviewed water projects in Egypt, such as canal rehabilitation, modern irrigation, and wastewater reuse.

The Palestinian minister expressed his desire to benefit from Egyptian expertise in these fields.

The MoU between Egypt and Palestine aims to develop the Palestinian capabilities in water resources management and develop the skills of Palestinian technical cadres.

It also organizes training courses and provides technical support in groundwater, planning, management, and development of water resources.

The Arab League issued a statement announcing the draft agenda of the session of the Arab Ministerial Water Council, saying it includes 24 items, namely the executive plan for the Arab water security strategy in the Arab region to address the challenges and future requirements of sustainable development (2010-2030).

The meeting will also discuss proposals to update the development following several comments suggested and adopted by Arab states before submitting them to the Economic and Social Council and the Arab Summit.

It will include a presentation at the meeting of the mini-committee to discuss controversial items in the draft guiding principles for cooperation between Arab countries to exploit common water resources.

The meeting will also discuss an item on Arab preparations for the 9th World Water Forum 2022 in Dakar, Senegal.

The Council will be briefed on signing the MoU between the President of the current session, Qatar, and the Technical Secretariat of the Ninth Water Forum.

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Israel Sees More to Do on Lebanon Ceasefire

FILE PHOTO: A car drives past damaged buildings in Naqoura, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A car drives past damaged buildings in Naqoura, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir/File Photo
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Israel Sees More to Do on Lebanon Ceasefire

FILE PHOTO: A car drives past damaged buildings in Naqoura, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A car drives past damaged buildings in Naqoura, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir/File Photo

Israel said on Thursday the terms of a ceasefire with Hezbollah were not being implemented fast enough and there was more work to do, while the Iran-backed group urged pressure to ensure Israeli troops leave south Lebanon by Monday as set out in the deal.

The deal stipulates that Israeli troops withdraw from south Lebanon, Hezbollah remove fighters and weapons from the area and Lebanese troops deploy there - all within a 60-day timeframe which will conclude on Monday at 4 a.m (0200 GMT).

The deal, brokered by the United States and France, ended more than a year of hostilities triggered by the Gaza war. The fighting peaked with a major Israeli offensive that displaced more than 1.2 million people in Lebanon and left Hezbollah severely weakened.

"There have been positive movements where the Lebanese army and UNIFIL have taken the place of Hezbollah forces, as stipulated in the agreement," Israeli government spokesmen David Mencer told reporters, referring to UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.

"We've also made clear that these movements have not been fast enough, and there is much more work to do," he said, affirming that Israel wanted the agreement to continue.

Mencer did not directly respond to questions about whether Israel had requested an extension of the deal or say whether Israeli forces would remain in Lebanon after Monday's deadline.

Hezbollah said in a statement that there had been leaks talking about Israel postponing its withdrawal beyond the 60-day period, and that any breach of the agreement would be unacceptable.
The statement said that possibility required everyone, especially Lebanese political powers, to pile pressure on the states which sponsored the deal to ensure "the implementation of the full (Israeli) withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the last inch of Lebanese territory and the return of the people to their villages quickly.”

Any delay beyond the 60 days would mark a blatant violation of the deal with which the Lebanese state would have to deal "through all means and methods guaranteed by international charters" to recover Lebanese land "from the occupation's clutches," Hezbollah said.