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Egypt Warns about Regional Repercussions of Israeli Military Operations in Rafah

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell hold talks in the Belgian capital, Brussels (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell hold talks in the Belgian capital, Brussels (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
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Egypt Warns about Regional Repercussions of Israeli Military Operations in Rafah

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell hold talks in the Belgian capital, Brussels (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell hold talks in the Belgian capital, Brussels (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Egypt on Sunday reiterated its concerns about the devastating humanitarian impact of the Israeli military operations in Rafah on over 1.4 million Palestinians and the broader implications for regional peace and stability.

Cairo, therefore, called on Israel to fulfil its responsibilities as the occupying power by removing barriers to aid entry by opening all land crossings between Israel and Gaza and ensuring secure conditions for international relief efforts in Gaza.

The Egyptian warnings came during a meeting held Sunday between Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell in the Belgian capital, Brussels, to discuss the escalating crisis in Gaza.

On Sunday, the Israeli army continued its bombardment of Gaza and Rafah despite an order from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last Friday to immediately halt Israel’s operations in this southern Gaza Strip town.

The UN's top court based in the Dutch city of The Hague also ordered Israel to “maintain the Rafah crossing open for humanitarian assistance.” The crossing has been closed since the Israeli army launched its ground assault on the city early this month.

During their meeting in Brussels, Shoukry and Borrell stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza as well as a cessation of the Israeli military operations in the Palestinian city of Rafah, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid.

They also emphasized the importance of ensuring unhindered and safe access to humanitarian aid and relief supplies throughout Gaza to address the urgent needs of its residents.

Egypt's top diplomat and the EU official then asserted the necessity for Israel to protect and respect humanitarian workers and refrain from targeting the facilities of international relief agencies.

Both sides further stressed that Israel should facilitate the movement of relief teams in the Gaza Strip per international humanitarian law.

Shoukry and Borrell discussed the dire humanitarian, security, and political aspects of the crisis in the Gaza Strip, Abu Zeid said.

Furthermore, they explored ways to mitigate the consequences of the crisis in Gaza and advance a political path to implement the two-state solution, thus resolving the crisis comprehensively, according to the FM’s spokesperson.

Shoukry then highlighted the crucial role sought from influential international parties, including the European Union, in supporting the ongoing efforts to halt the Israeli war on Gaza and prevent further loss of Palestinian lives.

The Minister expressed his appreciation for the significant efforts of the EU top official in alleviating the humanitarian crisis and its repercussions.

He also reiterated concerns about the devastating humanitarian impact of the Israeli military operations in Rafah and called on Israel to fulfil its responsibilities as the occupying power by removing barriers to aid entry by opening all land crossings between Israel and Gaza and ensuring secure conditions for international relief efforts in Gaza.

Last week, Egypt's state-run Al-Qahera News channel quoted a high-level Egyptian source as denying Israeli media reports saying Cairo and Tel Aviv are coordinating on Israel’s military operation in the Palestinian Rafah city.

The source stressed that “Egypt had warned Israel of the repercussions of escalation in the Gaza Strip, and refused any coordination with Tel Aviv on the Rafah crossing.”

In this regard, Shoukry on Sunday said: “Egypt rejects Israel's insistence on controlling all of Gaza's crossings as a tool to tighten the siege and starve the Palestinian people in Gaza, creating an uninhabitable reality in the strip.”

He also affirmed Egypt's categorical rejection of any attempts to displace Palestinians from their lands or liquidate the Palestinian cause.

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Arab World

Yemeni Forces Consolidate West Coast Gains, Reinforce Bab al-Mandab Positions

Yemeni government fighters sit in the back of a vehicle near Dhubab, Taiz Governorate, Yemen, in this still image taken from video released October 5, 2026. Southern Giants Brigades/Handout via REUTERS
Yemeni government fighters sit in the back of a vehicle near Dhubab, Taiz Governorate, Yemen, in this still image taken from video released October 5, 2026. Southern Giants Brigades/Handout via REUTERS
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Yemeni Forces Consolidate West Coast Gains, Reinforce Bab al-Mandab Positions

Yemeni government fighters sit in the back of a vehicle near Dhubab, Taiz Governorate, Yemen, in this still image taken from video released October 5, 2026. Southern Giants Brigades/Handout via REUTERS
Yemeni government fighters sit in the back of a vehicle near Dhubab, Taiz Governorate, Yemen, in this still image taken from video released October 5, 2026. Southern Giants Brigades/Handout via REUTERS

Yemeni armed forces consolidated gains along the western coast and reinforced positions overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait as they pushed ahead in al-Wazi'iyah district in western Taiz province under Operation “Dawn of Yemen.” Fighting with the Houthis continued in the southern Taiz countryside and on fronts around the city.

The armed forces said they had neutralized more than 1,800 Houthi fighters in recent hours. Army figures put Houthi losses at nearly 10,000 killed or wounded over two weeks of air and ground strikes across multiple fronts.

Nation Shield forces, the Giants Brigades and the Joint Forces took full control of the Kahboub front, according to Yemeni military media. The advance strengthens government forces’ hold on heights overlooking Bab al-Mandab and boosts their ability to secure the strategic corridor as operations continue along the western coast.

Taiz province’s emergency committee suspended classes at public, community and private schools, institutes, colleges and universities in districts that have come under Houthi control. It also placed government employees there on temporary leave, citing exceptional security conditions.

The United Nations warned of a worsening humanitarian situation in Taiz as Houthi attacks spread, displacement rises and aid access faces growing restrictions. Major roads remain closed, adding to pressure on services and limited resources.

The eastern road into Taiz city remains closed, the United Nations said in a recent report. Road closures between Aden and Taiz have disrupted a major supply route from warehouses in Aden, hampering aid agencies’ ability to reach those affected and meet growing needs.

Arab World

Iraq Rejects Syrian Request to Repatriate 4,000 Suspected ISIS Detainees

Members of the Iraqi border forces patrol along a concrete wall on the Iraqi-Syrian border, in the town of al-Baghuz in the Al-Qaim district of western Iraq, on January 21, 2026. (AFP)
Members of the Iraqi border forces patrol along a concrete wall on the Iraqi-Syrian border, in the town of al-Baghuz in the Al-Qaim district of western Iraq, on January 21, 2026. (AFP)
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Iraq Rejects Syrian Request to Repatriate 4,000 Suspected ISIS Detainees

Members of the Iraqi border forces patrol along a concrete wall on the Iraqi-Syrian border, in the town of al-Baghuz in the Al-Qaim district of western Iraq, on January 21, 2026. (AFP)
Members of the Iraqi border forces patrol along a concrete wall on the Iraqi-Syrian border, in the town of al-Baghuz in the Al-Qaim district of western Iraq, on January 21, 2026. (AFP)

Iraq has rejected Syria's request to repatriate thousands of suspected ISIS members transferred from Syrian detention centers to Iraqi custody earlier this year, a senior Iraqi security official said on Wednesday.

Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim al-Aboudi said that a meeting had been held recently between Syria, Iraq and the United States to discuss the fate of the prisoners.

Al-Aboudi said Syria had requested that the 4,000 Syrian prisoners be handed over to be tried in Syria, but Iraq refused. Iraq has repatriated about 50 Syrian detainees who were determined not to be ISIS members, he told The Associated Press, while the Syrian prisoners remaining in Iraq include about 400 who are believed to be high-level members of the extremist group.

“Iraq is conducting investigations, and anyone proved to have committed crimes in Iraq will be tried under Iraqi law,” he said.

Some prisoners could later be transferred to their home countries to complete their sentences, he said.

Syria did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

More than 5,700 prisoners with alleged ISIS ties — including some 4,000 Syrians — were transferred from northeast Syria to Iraq after fighting broke out in January between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which had long guarded the detention centers where they were held.

Some ISIS-linked prisoners managed to flee during the chaos of the clashes, and there were fears that a larger-scale escape would take place. While the extremist group lost control of the territory it once seized in Iraq and Syria years ago, its cells still periodically carry out attacks in both countries.

The discussions about the prisoners' fate come as the United States has ended a 12-year mission to fight ISIS in Iraq, with the last US troops withdrawing from the country last month.

Al-Aboudi said Iraq has asked for financial support from the US and other countries taking part in the global coalition against ISIS to help with the costs of housing the prisoners.

“Iraq asked for an allocation of $500 million. The coalition promised support, but Iraq is still waiting,” he said.

A US defense official and the office of Tom Barrack, the US envoy to Syria and Iraq, referred questions about the prisoners to Iraqi and Syrian authorities.

Many of the prisoners transferred to Iraq had been held in Syria for years without charges. Rights groups have raised concerns about detention conditions in both countries.

Arab World

Arab Parliament President Stresses Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia Pose Direct Threat to Regional Security

Arab Parliament President Stresses Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia Pose Direct Threat to Regional Security
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Arab Parliament President Stresses Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia Pose Direct Threat to Regional Security

Arab Parliament President Stresses Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia Pose Direct Threat to Regional Security

President of the Arab Parliament Mohammed bin Ahmed Al-Yamahi stressed that repeated terrorist attacks by the Houthi militia against Saudi Arabia and its civilian and oil facilities pose a direct threat to regional security.

During his speech at the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, Al-Yamahi addressed Iranian attacks that targeted several Arab countries and threatened civilians, infrastructure, and vital facilities, SPA reported.

He also discussed regional escalation and related threats to the security of Arab countries. He called on the international community to move beyond condemnation and take measures to protect states and their sovereignty and compel the parties to respect international law.