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Egyptian-Palestinian Summit in Cairo Rejects Forced Displacement of Palestinians

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas meet in Cairo on Monday. (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas meet in Cairo on Monday. (Egyptian Presidency)
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Egyptian-Palestinian Summit in Cairo Rejects Forced Displacement of Palestinians

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas meet in Cairo on Monday. (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas meet in Cairo on Monday. (Egyptian Presidency)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas stressed on Monday their absolute rejection of any attempts aimed at “liquidating the Palestinian issue or the forced displacement of the Palestinians.”

During a meeting in Cairo, they said the establishment of an independent Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, is the fundamental for security and stability in the region.

The Sisi-Abbas meeting comes on the eve of an expected visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Ramallah and Cairo. Blinken is on a tour of the region aimed at preventing the spillover of the Gaza conflict into the region.

Experts told Asharq Al-Awsat that Blinken’s trip is also seeking to coordinate positions between Egypt and Palestine on the future of post-war Gaza.

During their meeting, Sisi and Abbas reviewed the latest developments in Gaza and the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding there. They also reviewed the situation in the West Bank where Israeli violence against Palestinians has escalated.

Sisi then reviewed Egypt’s intense efforts and contacts with the various actors to push for a ceasefire and for the immediate and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Abbas expressed immense appreciation for Egypt’s role in support to the Palestinians.

Egypt is currently mediating a resolution of the crisis in Gaza. Last month, Cairo hosted delegations from Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad to discuss a ceasefire. It also recently presented a three-phase initiative for a ceasefire and a solution to the Palestinian issue.

Diaa Rashwan, head of the State Information Service, said on Friday that the plan was sent to the relevant parties and international partners. Egypt was awaiting responses to the proposal.

Former Palestinian minister Hassan Asfour told Asharq Al-Awsat that Abbas's visit to Cairo aims to quell any misunderstandings over the Egyptian initiative, particularly since it proposed the formation of a government of technocrats, which the Palestinian Authority opposes.

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Top Houthi Leaders Flee Sanaa Amid Trump-Ordered US Strikes

Top Houthi leaders disappear from Sanaa, communication cut off (Houthi Media)
Top Houthi leaders disappear from Sanaa, communication cut off (Houthi Media)
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Top Houthi Leaders Flee Sanaa Amid Trump-Ordered US Strikes

Top Houthi leaders disappear from Sanaa, communication cut off (Houthi Media)
Top Houthi leaders disappear from Sanaa, communication cut off (Houthi Media)

Senior Houthi leaders have disappeared from public life in Sanaa, gripped by fear of US airstrikes ordered by President Donald Trump, now entering their third week, sources in Yemen said.

The first-tier leadership of the Iran-aligned group is believed to have fled the capital, which remains under Houthi control, seeking shelter in remote areas of Saada and Amran provinces.

According to informed sources, the group’s leaders have severed traditional communication channels and several have either gone into hiding or relocated to undisclosed locations as a precaution against possible targeted strikes.

Since the launch of US airstrikes on March 15, senior and mid-level Houthi leaders have vanished from public view and social media platforms, Yemeni sources say, as fear of targeted attacks continues to grow within the group’s ranks.

Informed sources confirmed there has been no trace of the group’s top two tiers of leadership - neither in the institutions under Houthi control in Sanaa, nor on the streets and neighborhoods they once frequented in luxury vehicles.

Even the sectarian events that Houthi leaders were known to regularly attend have reportedly gone on without their visible presence.

The Houthi group has remained tight-lipped about the extent of its human and military losses following US airstrikes ordered by Trump.

However, sources say several leaders not belonging to the ruling family of Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi are still believed to be in Sanaa.

Many of these figures have adopted strict security measures to avoid detection, including travelling in vehicles with tinted windows and covering their faces with cloaks when leaving temporary residences, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The precautions reflect growing fears of betrayal or being targeted by further strikes.

A source in Sanaa revealed that third-tier Houthi officials—mostly tribal figures and field supervisors—were instructed to flee to the northern provinces of Saada, Amran and other areas as US air raids intensified.

According to the source, mid-level Houthi officials have lost all direct contact with the group’s senior leadership after the latter switched locations and shut down their communication lines.