Egypt and Türkiye Agree on Regional Issues, Pledge to Strengthen Bilateral Ties

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty (L) attend a joint press conference after their meeting in Ankara, Türkiye, 04 February 2025. (EPA)
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty (L) attend a joint press conference after their meeting in Ankara, Türkiye, 04 February 2025. (EPA)
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Egypt and Türkiye Agree on Regional Issues, Pledge to Strengthen Bilateral Ties

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty (L) attend a joint press conference after their meeting in Ankara, Türkiye, 04 February 2025. (EPA)
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty (L) attend a joint press conference after their meeting in Ankara, Türkiye, 04 February 2025. (EPA)

Egypt and Türkiye reiterated their commitment to boosting bilateral relations and coordinating closely on key regional issues, including securing a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, ending hostilities in Sudan, stabilizing the Horn of Africa, supporting political processes in Libya and Syria, and combatting terrorism.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan received in Ankara on Tuesday his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty.

Fidan stressed the importance of Egyptian-Turkish cooperation, stating: “Collaboration between Türkiye and Egypt is essential. Our partnership will contribute to the prosperity of our peoples and the stability of the region.”

He added: “We are working closely with Egypt to end the conflict in Sudan before Ramadan. We also share a common vision on ensuring Libya’s stability and are in discussions about fostering peace in the Horn of Africa.”

Speaking at a press conference in Ankara, Abdelatty described his talks with Fidan as extensive and constructive, particularly regarding Sudan, where both sides agreed on the need for an immediate ceasefire, the priority of a political solution, preserving the country’s sovereignty and supporting efforts to restore stability and peace.

He briefed Fidan on his recent visits to Port Sudan and Egypt’s ongoing efforts to safeguard Sudan’s unity and territorial integrity.

Discussions also covered developments in Somalia and the Horn of Africa, with both ministers stressing their commitment to preserving Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Fidan briefed Abdelatty on Türkiye’s latest mediation efforts between Somalia and Ethiopia, hoping the negotiations between the two countries would resume this month in a way that supports Somalia’s stability and territorial integrity.

The talks also addressed water security, which Abdelatty described as an existential issue for Egypt.

He emphasized Egypt’s strong desire to deepen cooperation with Türkiye, expand bilateral ties and contribute to peace and stability in the Middle East. “We will continue working together in ways that serve the interests of our two nations and promote security and stability in the region and across Africa,” he stated.

He also announced ongoing preparations for the second meeting of the High-Level Strategic Council between Egypt and Türkiye, following its inaugural meeting during Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s visit to Ankara on September 4. The next meeting is set to take place during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Egypt next year.

Abdelatty and Fidan also discussed energy and tourism cooperation, with the Egyptian FM highlighting a notable increase in tourism between their countries.

At the conclusion of the visit, Egypt and Türkiye issued a joint statement, underscoring their commitment to strategic cooperation and addressing bilateral relations and regional issues of mutual interest.

The statement emphasized both countries’ endeavor to improving the investment climate for private sector investors and pledged to increase trade volume to $15 billion through enhanced economic and industrial cooperation.

Both nations welcomed the ceasefire agreement and prisoner exchange deal in Gaza, commending the mediation efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States. They also reiterated their commitment to ensuring the full implementation of the agreement.

Furthermore, the two ministers underscored the importance of maintaining the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), emphasizing that its role in supporting Palestinian refugees in the occupied territories is indispensable. They urged Israel to reverse any measures that undermine UNRWA’s operations.



Israeli Reservist Rams Vehicle into Palestinian Man Praying in West Bank

Israeli security forces secure a street as they leave the Palestinian village of Bizariya, in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli authorities demolished the house of a Palestinian man killed in July after he and another man reportedly killed an Israeli settler on the same day, on December 24, 2025. (AFP)
Israeli security forces secure a street as they leave the Palestinian village of Bizariya, in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli authorities demolished the house of a Palestinian man killed in July after he and another man reportedly killed an Israeli settler on the same day, on December 24, 2025. (AFP)
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Israeli Reservist Rams Vehicle into Palestinian Man Praying in West Bank

Israeli security forces secure a street as they leave the Palestinian village of Bizariya, in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli authorities demolished the house of a Palestinian man killed in July after he and another man reportedly killed an Israeli settler on the same day, on December 24, 2025. (AFP)
Israeli security forces secure a street as they leave the Palestinian village of Bizariya, in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli authorities demolished the house of a Palestinian man killed in July after he and another man reportedly killed an Israeli settler on the same day, on December 24, 2025. (AFP)

An Israeli reservist soldier rammed his vehicle into a Palestinian man as he prayed on a roadside in ​the occupied West Bank on Thursday, after earlier firing shots in the area, the Israeli military said.

"Footage was received of an armed individual running over a Palestinian individual," it said in a statement, adding the individual was a reservist ‌and his ‌military service had ‌been terminated.

The ⁠reservist ​acted "in severe ‌violation of his authority" and his weapon had been confiscated, the military said.

Israeli media reported that he was being held under house arrest.

The Israeli police did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The ⁠Palestinian man went to hospital for checks after ‌the attack, but was unhurt ‍and is now ‍at home.

Video which aired on Palestinian ‍TV shows a man in civilian clothing with a gun slung over his shoulder driving an off-road vehicle into a man praying on ​the side of the road.

This year ​was one of the most violent on ⁠record for Israeli civilian attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, according to United Nations data that shows more than 750 injuries.

More than a thousand Palestinians were killed in the West Bank between October 7, 2023 and October 17, 2025, mostly in operations by security forces and some by settler violence, according to the UN In ‌the same period, 57 Israelis were killed in Palestinian attacks.


Deadly Blast Hits Mosque in Syria’s Homs

A Syrian flag waves in Damascus. (Getty Images/AFP)
A Syrian flag waves in Damascus. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Deadly Blast Hits Mosque in Syria’s Homs

A Syrian flag waves in Damascus. (Getty Images/AFP)
A Syrian flag waves in Damascus. (Getty Images/AFP)

A deadly explosion hit a mosque in Syria's Homs on Friday, said authorities who reported at least six people killed.

"A terrorist explosion targeted the Ali Bin Abi Talib Mosque during Friday prayers in Al-Khadri Street in the Wadi al-Dahab neighborhood of Homs," the interior ministry said in a statement, adding that six people were killed and 21 others wounded.

Syria's state news agency SANA, which also reported the blast, said its cause and nature were being investigated.

According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human rights monitor, it was not immediately clear whether the blast "was caused by a suicide attack or an explosive device".

A local security source in Homs told AFP on condition of anonymity the explosion may have been caused by "an explosive device placed inside the mosque".

A resident of the area, requesting anonymity out of fear for his safety, told AFP people "heard a loud explosion, followed by chaos and panic in the neighborhood".

SANA published photos from inside the mosque, one of which showed a hole in a wall.

Black smoke covered part of the mosque, with carpets and books scattered nearby.


Fuel Shortage Forces Gaza Hospital to Suspend Most Services

The sun sets behind a makeshift tent camp for displaced Palestinians set up in an area of al-Bureij camp, in the central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP)
The sun sets behind a makeshift tent camp for displaced Palestinians set up in an area of al-Bureij camp, in the central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP)
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Fuel Shortage Forces Gaza Hospital to Suspend Most Services

The sun sets behind a makeshift tent camp for displaced Palestinians set up in an area of al-Bureij camp, in the central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP)
The sun sets behind a makeshift tent camp for displaced Palestinians set up in an area of al-Bureij camp, in the central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP)

A major Gaza hospital has suspended several services because of a critical fuel shortage in the devastated Palestinian territory, which continues to face a severe humanitarian crisis, it said.

Devastated by more than two years of war, the Al-Awda Hospital in the central Gaza district of Nuseirat cares for around 60 in-patients and receives nearly 1,000 people seeking medical treatment each day.

"Most services have been temporarily stopped due to a shortage of the fuel needed for the generators," said Ahmed Mehanna, a senior official involved in managing the hospital.

"Only essential departments remain operational: the emergency unit, maternity ward and pediatrics."

To keep these services running, the hospital has been forced to rent a small generator, he added.

Under normal conditions, Al-Awda Hospital consumes between 1,000 and 1,200 liters of diesel per day. At present, however, it has only 800 liters available.

"We stress that this shutdown is temporary and linked to the availability of fuel," Mehanna said, warning that a prolonged fuel shortage "would pose a direct threat to the hospital's ability to deliver basic services".

He urged local and international organizations to intervene swiftly to ensure a steady supply of fuel.

Despite a fragile truce observed since October 10, the Gaza Strip remains engulfed in a severe humanitarian crisis.

While the ceasefire agreement stipulated the entry of 600 aid trucks per day into Gaza, only 100 to 300 carrying humanitarian assistance can currently enter, according to the United Nations and non-governmental organizations.

The remaining convoys largely transport commercial goods that remain inaccessible to most of Gaza's 2.2 million people.

- Health hard hit -

On a daily basis, the vast majority of Gaza's residents rely on aid from UN agencies and international NGOs for survival.

Gaza's health sector has been among the hardest hit by the war.

During the fighting, the Israeli miliary repeatedly struck hospitals and medical centers across Gaza, accusing Hamas of operating command centers there, an allegation the group denied.

International medical charity Doctors Without Borders now manages roughly one-third of Gaza's 2,300 hospital beds, while all five stabilization centers for children suffering from severe malnutrition are supported by international NGOs.

The war in Gaza was sparked on October 7, 2023, following an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

In Israel's ensuing military campaign in Gaza, at least 70,942 people - also mostly civilians - have been killed, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.