عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Egypt's Sisi Says Israel's War in Gaza a 'Systematic Genocide'

Palestinian women search the sand for legumes or rice in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip during an airdrop mission above the Israel-besieged Palestinian territory on August 5, 2025. (AFP)
Palestinian women search the sand for legumes or rice in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip during an airdrop mission above the Israel-besieged Palestinian territory on August 5, 2025. (AFP)
TT
TT

Egypt's Sisi Says Israel's War in Gaza a 'Systematic Genocide'

Palestinian women search the sand for legumes or rice in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip during an airdrop mission above the Israel-besieged Palestinian territory on August 5, 2025. (AFP)
Palestinian women search the sand for legumes or rice in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip during an airdrop mission above the Israel-besieged Palestinian territory on August 5, 2025. (AFP)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Tuesday Israel was pursuing "a war of starvation and genocide" in Gaza, and denied accusations Cairo prevented life-saving aid from entering the Palestinian territory.

"The war in Gaza is no longer merely a war to achieve political goals or release hostages," Sisi told a press conference in Cairo along with his Vietnamese counterpart.

Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, vowing to crush the Palestinian group and to free hostages.

To Sisi, "this war has long since surpassed any logic or justification, and has become a war of starvation and genocide".

"There is systematic genocide to eradicate the Palestinian cause," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday Israel must "complete" the defeat of Hamas to free hostages held in Gaza, a day after Israeli media reported the army could occupy the entire territory.

Israel has heavily restricted aid into Gaza which is slipping into a catastrophic famine 22 months into the war.

It has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

Following mounting international pressure on Israel, in late May aid has only began trickling into Gaza, which borders Israel and Egypt.

In response to what Sisi said were "bankrupt" accusations of Egypt's complicity in the siege, the president reiterated that the Rafah border crossing with Gaza was "never closed".

The crossing at Rafah was a vital entry point of aid in the early months of the war, until Israeli troops took over its Palestinian side in May 2024, forcing it shut.

"The crossing was able to bring in aid as long as there were no Israeli troops stationed on the Palestinian side of the crossing," Sisi said, adding that there are 5,000 trucks loaded with aid waiting to enter Gaza.

He also defended what he said was Egypt's consistently "positive" role seeking an end to the conflict.

Since the war began, Cairo has undertaken a delicate balancing act, retaining its position as a mediator between Israel and Hamas -- along with the United States and Qatar -- while repeatedly criticizing Israel's assault.

Cairo has also repeatedly refused US plans to displace Palestinians into Egypt, lobbying for a reconstruction plan for the territory that has fallen by the wayside as truce talks repeatedly folded.

"Egypt will always remain a gateway for aid, not a gateway for the displacement of the Palestinian people," Sisi said on Tuesday.

"We are prepared to allow aid in at any time, but we are not prepared to receive or displace Palestinians from their land."

Last week, Sisi urged US President Donald Trump -- who had touted the plan to displace Palestinians into Egypt -- to intervene, saying he "is the one capable of ending the war, brining in aid and ending this suffering".

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Strikes Hit Sudan Cities as Army Chief Defiant after US Visa Snub

Army chief Abdel FattahAl-Burhan greets a youth gathering at "Khartoum Stadium" (Sovereignty Council Media)
Army chief Abdel FattahAl-Burhan greets a youth gathering at "Khartoum Stadium" (Sovereignty Council Media)
TT
TT

Strikes Hit Sudan Cities as Army Chief Defiant after US Visa Snub

Army chief Abdel FattahAl-Burhan greets a youth gathering at "Khartoum Stadium" (Sovereignty Council Media)
Army chief Abdel FattahAl-Burhan greets a youth gathering at "Khartoum Stadium" (Sovereignty Council Media)

Two Sudanese cities were targeted by strikes on Sunday, witnesses told AFP, a day after army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan vowed to press ahead with the years-long war against a rival paramilitary force despite a US visa snub and mounting pressure for a ceasefire.

Sudan has been at war since April 2023 when a power struggle between Burhan and his former deputy, commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, escalated into a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.

Witnesses told AFP on Sunday that a drone strike hit a major fuel depot near the army-held city of Wad Madani in central Sudan, while two explosions rocked Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state and the RSF's main stronghold in the west of the country.

The strike near Wad Madani was the first reported attack on the capital of Al-Jazira state since the military recaptured it from the RSF last year.

"A fire broke out at the depot, and I could see the flames from about three kilometers away," one witness told AFP.

Another said he saw "a drone strike the fuel tanks" at the Umm Alaila fuel depot, which supplies several states in central Sudan.

In Nyala, a witness said early Sunday he "heard a plane in the sky, and a short while later the two explosions occurred".

A second witness told AFP that "this morning we heard two loud explosions" from central Nyala.

Another said smoke "was rising from central Nyala and RSF forces surrounded the area and closed the roads around it".

The strikes come after the US denied a visa for the country's de facto leader to attend the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week.

But Burhan struck a defiant tone on Saturday at a youth event in capital Khartoum.

"Our goal is to eliminate this militia no matter how long it takes," he said, adding Sudan would not submit to "blackmail".

"We do not want a visa from any country. We will stay here and die with you in this country."

A diplomatic source told AFP the US visa snub was linked to US efforts to secure a three-month truce between the army and the RSF.

Khartoum has rejected the proposal, arguing that any truce would allow the paramilitary force to regroup.

Arab World

Attention Shifts to Lebanon’s Iqlim al-Tuffah amid Israeli Military Moves

Israeli heavy machinery bulldozes houses in al-Mansouri, as seen from Hinniyeh, southern Lebanon, September 19, 2026. (Reuters)
Israeli heavy machinery bulldozes houses in al-Mansouri, as seen from Hinniyeh, southern Lebanon, September 19, 2026. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Attention Shifts to Lebanon’s Iqlim al-Tuffah amid Israeli Military Moves

Israeli heavy machinery bulldozes houses in al-Mansouri, as seen from Hinniyeh, southern Lebanon, September 19, 2026. (Reuters)
Israeli heavy machinery bulldozes houses in al-Mansouri, as seen from Hinniyeh, southern Lebanon, September 19, 2026. (Reuters)

Military operations have escalated over the past few hours amid Israeli discussions regarding a transition to a "new phase" of occupation in southern Lebanon. Attack helicopters and tanks have been redeployed alongside airstrikes, artillery fire, and heavy weaponry sweeps.

Amid ongoing airstrikes, demolition operations, and movements on the ground, a critical question is being raised in Lebanon: Is the Israeli escalation limited to intensifying military pressure, or is it paving the way for a shift in the nature of operations and occupation in the South?

While the new date for the Lebanese-Israeli negotiations has not yet been set, the head of the Lebanese negotiating delegation, Simon Karam, is expected to visit the Vatican, where he will meet with Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Foreign Minister Paul Richard Gallagher to discuss the negotiation file and the role the Vatican could play in supporting this path, informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun was in Rome recently where he discussed the negotiations.

On the ground, Israeli attacks continued in the South on Sunday where an Apache helicopter struck a commercial center on the Shokin-Mayfadoun road in the Nabatieh region, while heavy machine-gun sweeps targeted the towns of Beit Yahoun, Serbine, and Wadi Zibqeen.

An ambulance crew survived an airstrike that targeted a building while personnel were in the area conducting a field inspection following a previous raid, resulting in damage to shops and residential apartments in the targeted building.

An Israeli Merkava tank also targeted the town of Hadatha with four shells, before Israeli forces advanced toward a center in the town and set fire to the location. The Israeli army also demolished a number of houses in the town of al-Mansouri on Sunday.

The Israeli army announced that it attacked Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, stating that the strikes came in response to the launch of an explosive-laden drone toward its forces during the past night.

Retired general and military expert Hassan Jouni said the recent Israeli operations could either be part of routine maneuvers or aimed at finalizing operations in the al-Mansouri area.

This comes as the Israeli army announced it is nearing the completion of its phase focused on destroying Hezbollah’s infrastructure in the region.

Consequently, the central question following the conclusion of this phase focuses on what Israel's next move will be, Jouni told Asharq Al-Awsat.

"According to Israeli sources and official positions, discussions are underway regarding a redeployment of the army into positions currently under preparation,” he added.

This would consolidate the Israeli military presence and its defensive positions in the buffer zone and along the borders of the Yellow Line, he said.

However, Israeli operations, particularly Saturday's targeting of the Jabal al-Rihan region and its surroundings, Jabal Safi, and Sejod, are troubling indicators regarding the potential launch of a military offensive in the Iqlim al-Tuffah region, which lies geographically north of Ali al-Taher, added Jouni.

He explained that "Iqlim al-Tuffah is historically considered one of the last areas in southern Lebanon to house Hezbollah logistics bases. This raises the question of whether Israel has decided to continue operations and expand into this area, and whether Saturday’s actions will pave the way for an escalation or if the army was consolidating its defensive positions.”

Arab World

Halt of Iranian Flights Sparks Debate within Iraq’s Ruling Coalition

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meets with US President Donald Trump in New York on September 23, 2026. (Iraqi government)
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meets with US President Donald Trump in New York on September 23, 2026. (Iraqi government)
TT
TT

Halt of Iranian Flights Sparks Debate within Iraq’s Ruling Coalition

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meets with US President Donald Trump in New York on September 23, 2026. (Iraqi government)
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meets with US President Donald Trump in New York on September 23, 2026. (Iraqi government)

The Iraqi government's decision to enforce the US Treasury Department's ban on Iranian aviation remains highly contentious, as factions within the ruling Coordination Framework refuse to comply despite Baghdad's officially declared commitment to the policy.

According to a government source, Baghdad has received a serious American warning against receiving any Iranian airline at Iraqi airports. The government of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had, however, requested that Washington grant it an exemption from the flight ban for certain airports, including Najaf airport, for humanitarian reasons.

According to an informed political source, "Iraq is currently caught between the American hammer and the Iranian anvil."

The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that "the situation in reality appears extremely difficult, as complying with Tehran's desire to completely ignore the flight ban could result in sanctions that Iraq can no longer tolerate.”

“This is particularly critical given that a shipment of US dollars is scheduled to arrive in Baghdad soon, as part of successful talks held by al-Zaidi with the US administration, specifically President Donald Trump, during his participation in the United Nations General Assembly meetings,” it added.

According to the informed political source, "leaders of the Coordination Framework are attempting to strike a middle ground during their discussions with and in the presence of al-Zaidi, in terms of not going too far in defying the US decision, while simultaneously declaring their support for the PM’s efforts to secure a single exemption, even if only for Najaf airport."

A government source confirmed on Sunday that Baghdad "has received a serious and direct American warning that continuing to receive any Iranian airline at Iraqi airports exposes the airport, as well as the entities and companies providing services to these flights, to US sanctions."

"The Americans made it clear to the Iraqi government that the punitive measures will not be limited solely to the sanctioned Iranian airlines, but could also extend to any entity or airport providing services or facilitating the operation of those companies' flights, including landing, ground handling, refueling, and other services,” it said.

"This warning has left the government with a single option: to avoid exposing Iraqi airports, the aviation sector, and the operating entities to US sanctions,” it continued.

"The decision was not linked to an Iraqi political stance regarding air traffic with Iran, but rather came as a result of the legal and economic risks resulting from US sanctions,” it explained.