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Egypt to Host Int’l Summit to Discuss Palestinian Developments

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi receives French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna in Cairo. (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi receives French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna in Cairo. (Egyptian Presidency)
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Egypt to Host Int’l Summit to Discuss Palestinian Developments

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi receives French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna in Cairo. (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi receives French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna in Cairo. (Egyptian Presidency)

Cairo is set to host an international summit on Saturday to discuss developments in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the peace process.

The Egyptian presidency has extended an official invitation to many countries to attend the summit, informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

This included the US, China, Russia, Türkiye, and the European Union, and several Arab countries.

Leaders from Jordan, Palestine and the Gulf states are expected to attend, as well as representatives from international and regional organizations, including the UN and the Arab League.

Egyptian MP Mustafa Bakri affirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the summit will be attended by prominent Arab and international figures.

It will have two main objectives: firstly, to halt the Israeli aggression against Gaza and urgently alleviate the suffering of Palestinians.

Secondly, to explore a political horizon for resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of a two-state solution and to support the Palestinian Authority as a key party to the solution.

The convening of the summit aligns with the decisions made during the Egyptian National Security Council meeting, presided over by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, on Sunday.

Sisi had announced a commitment to continue communications with international and regional partners to de-escalate the situation and halt the targeting of civilians in Gaza.

He emphasized that the only solution to the conflict is the two-state solution, while rejecting and condemning policies involving displacement or attempts to resolve the issue at the expense of neighboring countries.

“There is a consistent Egyptian role in achieving de-escalation and peace,” stressed Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry during a press conference with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna in Cairo on Monday.

“There are risks of the crisis expanding and causing more casualties, with potential implications for security and stability,” he added.

Egypt’s top diplomat also highlighted that the current focus is on de-escalation, and it is essential to concentrate on the significance of a two-state solution and achieving peace.

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Arab World

Strike Kills One Iraqi Fighter near Syria Border

Mourners attend the funeral of members of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi, who were killed in an airstrike in the town of al‑Qaim near the Syrian border, amid heightened regional tensions due to the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Baghdad, Iraq, March 12, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Mourners attend the funeral of members of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi, who were killed in an airstrike in the town of al‑Qaim near the Syrian border, amid heightened regional tensions due to the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Baghdad, Iraq, March 12, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
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Strike Kills One Iraqi Fighter near Syria Border

Mourners attend the funeral of members of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi, who were killed in an airstrike in the town of al‑Qaim near the Syrian border, amid heightened regional tensions due to the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Baghdad, Iraq, March 12, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Mourners attend the funeral of members of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi, who were killed in an airstrike in the town of al‑Qaim near the Syrian border, amid heightened regional tensions due to the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Baghdad, Iraq, March 12, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer

An attack killed one fighter from the former paramilitary coalition Hashed al-Shaabi on Saturday, the alliance said, blaming the US and Israel.

Iraq has been dragged into the war between the United States, Israel and Iran, with strikes targeting both US interests and pro-Iran groups in the country, reported AFP.

"This treacherous attack resulted in the martyrdom of one PMF fighter and the wounding of four others, as well as a member of the ministry of defense," said a short statement from the group, which is also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), adding it was a "Zionist-American attack".

The PMF is a coalition of armed groups -- formed in 2014 to fight extremists-- that is now part of Iraq's regular army, but also contains pro-Iran factions who have a reputation for acting independently.

PMF positions have been repeatedly targeted since the outbreak of war, with the group consistently blaming the attacks on the US and Israel.

According to the group's statement, the latest attack targeted a position in western Anbar province of the 45th Brigade, which belongs to the US-blacklisted, pro-Iran Kataeb Hezbollah group.

Kataeb Hezbollah is part of the umbrella movement known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which has been claiming daily attacks since the start of the war on US interests in Iraq and the region.

The Pentagon has said helicopters have carried out strikes against pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq during the war.

Washington has strongly denied claims it has targeted Iraqi security forces.

Arab World

Houthis Threaten ‘Gradual Escalation’ after Fourth Attack on Israel

Houthi gunmen during a rally in Sanaa called by their leader (AFP) 
Houthi gunmen during a rally in Sanaa called by their leader (AFP) 
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Houthis Threaten ‘Gradual Escalation’ after Fourth Attack on Israel

Houthi gunmen during a rally in Sanaa called by their leader (AFP) 
Houthi gunmen during a rally in Sanaa called by their leader (AFP) 

Yemen’s Houthi group has threatened “gradual escalation” after claiming a fourth attack on Israel, about a week after entering the war alongside Iran as part of the Tehran-led “axis of resistance.”

The move comes as Yemen’s internationally recognized government steps up rhetoric, saying a decisive battle to retake the state from Houthi control is nearing. Israel, for its part, said it is consulting Washington on how to respond to the Houthi attacks, despite their limited impact compared with sustained fire from Iran and Hezbollah.

In a televised statement late Thursday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group launched “a salvo of ballistic missiles” at “vital Israeli targets in the occupied Jaffa area.” He claimed the operation was carried out in coordination with Iran and Hezbollah and had “successfully achieved its objectives.”

The Houthis said their intervention in what they described as a “major and exceptional battle” would be incremental, adding they would adjust their actions depending on “the enemy’s escalation or de-escalation.”

The latest strike marks the fourth since the group announced direct involvement in the regional confrontation, underscoring growing coordination among Iran-backed actors, including Hezbollah and armed Iraqi factions.

Limited effect

The Houthis had claimed a third attack a day earlier. The Israeli military said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen “without casualties or damage,” adding early detection allowed it to neutralize the threat.

Analysts say such attacks are unlikely to do more than stretch Israel’s air defenses, already under pressure from multiple fronts, including Iran and Hezbollah.

In his first appearance since announcing the escalation, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said the group had shifted from political and media backing of Iran to “direct operational engagement.”

He framed the attacks as part of “joint operations of the axis of resistance,” describing the confrontation as “a duty that transcends geographical borders.” He also defended joining the war, saying neutrality “is not an option,” despite growing concern inside Yemen over the economic and security risks.

Al-Houthi urged supporters to maintain weekly pro-Iran rallies and step up mobilization, including sending school students to summer camps—long used by the group for recruitment.

Government signals offensive

Tareq Saleh, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, said “the battle to end the Houthi coup is approaching,” adding national forces would act “as one team.”

State media reported his remarks during a visit to forces on Yemen’s west coast, where he praised troops as “a safety valve for the republic,” signaling confidence in their ability to regain the initiative.

Saleh also pointed to the regional dimension, saying Iranian actions against Gulf states and Jordan show Tehran’s project is “destructive” and “has never truly been directed at Israel.”

Rejecting Houthi claims, he said the group “pretends to confront Israel” while using that narrative to justify violence against Yemenis, noting the conflict with the Houthis dates back to 2004, well before current regional tensions.

 

 

Arab World

Fire Reported at Foreign Oil Companies' Storage Facilities in Iraq after Drone Strike

Members of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi forces stand guard during a pro-Iran rally in Tahrir Square in Baghdad on April 2, 2026. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
Members of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi forces stand guard during a pro-Iran rally in Tahrir Square in Baghdad on April 2, 2026. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
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Fire Reported at Foreign Oil Companies' Storage Facilities in Iraq after Drone Strike

Members of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi forces stand guard during a pro-Iran rally in Tahrir Square in Baghdad on April 2, 2026. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
Members of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi forces stand guard during a pro-Iran rally in Tahrir Square in Baghdad on April 2, 2026. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)

A fire broke out ‌early ‌on Saturday at ‌storage ⁠facilities belonging to ⁠foreign ⁠oil ‌companies ‌west of Iraq's ‌Basra after ‌a ‌drone strike, security ⁠sources told Reuters.