Egypt Stresses Importance of Strengthening Political, Economic Ties with the US

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stressed the centrality of coordination and consultation between Egypt and America (Egyptian Presidency)
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stressed the centrality of coordination and consultation between Egypt and America (Egyptian Presidency)
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Egypt Stresses Importance of Strengthening Political, Economic Ties with the US

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stressed the centrality of coordination and consultation between Egypt and America (Egyptian Presidency)
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stressed the centrality of coordination and consultation between Egypt and America (Egyptian Presidency)

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has stressed Cairo’s “appreciation for the strategic relations binding Egypt and the United States” and called for enhancing bilateral ties across various fields.

El-Sisi met on Tuesday with a delegation from the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, comprising the Chair, Elizabeth Berns Korn, and Chief Executive Officer William Daroff.

The meeting was attended by Egyptian Director of the General Intelligence Service Major General Hassan Rashad.

Spokesman for the Presidency Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy stated that during the meeting, El-Sisi “emphasized Egypt’s appreciation for the strategic relations binding Egypt and the United States.”

He “underscored the pivotal nature of the close coordination and consultations between the two countries in achieving peace and stability in the Middle East and addressing shared challenges, particularly terrorism and extremist ideology.”

“The President also stressed the need to continue boosting bilateral relations across various political, economic, and investment fields,” said El-Shennawy.

According to his statement, the members of the delegation praised the strategic bilateral relationship between Cairo and Washington, and valued Egypt’s efforts to preserve peace and stability in the Middle East.

The meeting touched on regional developments, and members of the delegation were briefed on the Egyptian President’s vision for achieving regional stability.

El-Sisi highlighted Egypt’s efforts aimed at de-escalating the current tensions and supporting the path of ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran to end the current crisis, thereby avoiding its economic and political repercussions on the region and the world.

According to El-Shennawy, El-Sisi further stressed the significance of a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian cause, in line with international resolutions and based on the two-state solution.

“This is considered the only way to ensure lasting peace and stability in the Middle East, given that the Palestinian cause remains the central cause of the Arab world,” the spokesman quoted El-Sisi as saying.

The delegation members praised the President’s vision for achieving stability in the Middle East, and reaffirmed the centrality of Egyptian-American relations and the ongoing coordination between the two countries to maintain regional peace.



Lebanon Urges Greece to Help Implement Truce with Israel

Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas (R) talks next to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (L) during their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Athens, Greece, 31 August 2026. (EPA)
Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas (R) talks next to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (L) during their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Athens, Greece, 31 August 2026. (EPA)
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Lebanon Urges Greece to Help Implement Truce with Israel

Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas (R) talks next to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (L) during their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Athens, Greece, 31 August 2026. (EPA)
Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas (R) talks next to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (L) during their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Athens, Greece, 31 August 2026. (EPA)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun asked Greece on Monday for support to help implement a ceasefire agreement with Israel and end Israeli attacks on his country, hours after Greece and Israel announced a multibillion arms deal.

The June 26 accord, brokered by the United States, says both sides must cease hostilities and allow the Lebanese army to restore control over the entire country.

Beirut wants Israel to withdraw from all territory it has occupied in southern Lebanon. Israel first wants Lebanese group Hezbollah evacuated from the sector.

"Lebanon and the Lebanese people are tired of wars, and from the start of the negotiations with Israel the aim was to put an end to the state of hostility," Aoun told a press conference in Athens alongside Greek President Konstantinos Tassoulas.

"The framework agreement ... cannot be implemented unilaterally. It needs to be implemented on both sides," he insisted.

"We request Greece's assistance as much as possible to help Lebanon."

Lebanon was dragged into the US-Israeli war against Iran in March, when Israel launched a massive bombardment of its neighbor and invaded, while Hezbollah fired missiles at Israeli territory.

Since then, Aoun said, Israeli strikes have killed 4,300 Lebanese, wounded 12,000 and destroyed 60-70 villages.

"Solving the problem by military force will not succeed," he said, insisting on the total withdrawal of Israeli forces from his country.

After a later meeting, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece supported "the sovereignty, independence and unity of Lebanon" and would support "all efforts aimed at de-escalation and mutual comprehension".

On Monday, Greece and Israel announced Athens was buying a $3.5-billion aerial defense system from Israel.


Iraq Sentences Kidnapper of US Journalist to 15 Years in Prison

American freelancer Shelly Kittleson. (Facebook)
American freelancer Shelly Kittleson. (Facebook)
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Iraq Sentences Kidnapper of US Journalist to 15 Years in Prison

American freelancer Shelly Kittleson. (Facebook)
American freelancer Shelly Kittleson. (Facebook)

Iraq's judiciary has sentenced a man to 15 years in prison for the kidnapping of an American journalist who was abducted earlier this year by a powerful Iran-backed group, a judicial source said Monday.

At the height of the Middle East war, on March 31, Kataeb Hezbollah kidnapped journalist Shelly Kittleson in Baghdad, holding her for several days before setting her free just hours before the United States and Iran agreed to a ceasefire.

Iraqi authorities arrested one member of the group at the time.

According to a document shared by local media, a criminal court on Sunday sentenced Amir Rahim Jabbar to 15 years in prison under an "anti-terrorism law... for the crime of kidnapping" Kittleson.

A judicial source verified to AFP the document's authenticity, and a Kataeb Hezbollah source confirmed the ruling against one of its members.

Kittleson, who shared a copy of the ruling on X, said she was "grateful to the Iraqi judiciary".

Kataeb Hezbollah is among several pro-Iran armed groups that intervened in support of Tehran during the Middle East war, claiming attacks on US facilities in Iraq and across the region.

Under mounting US pressure to curb Tehran's influence, the new Iraqi government of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi says it is committed to ensuring that pro-Iran armed groups, which Washington designates as terrorist organisations, hand over their weapons to the state.

The issue has fuelled tensions in Iraq, with several groups, including Kataeb Hezbollah, refusing to disarm.

Earlier this month, Kataeb Hezbollah accused Zaidi of engaging in "provocative and irresponsible actions".

Baghdad was once notorious for kidnappings and attempted abductions, but they have decreased as the security situation in Iraq improved in recent years.


Israeli Fire Kills Two People in Gaza, Medics Say

Smoke rises following an Israeli strike at the al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip on August 24, 2026. (AFP)
Smoke rises following an Israeli strike at the al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip on August 24, 2026. (AFP)
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Israeli Fire Kills Two People in Gaza, Medics Say

Smoke rises following an Israeli strike at the al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip on August 24, 2026. (AFP)
Smoke rises following an Israeli strike at the al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip on August 24, 2026. (AFP)

An Israeli strike killed at least two Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Monday, health officials said.

Medics said two people were killed and several others wounded when an Israeli airstrike hit a crowd of people near the municipal public ‌park in ‌Gaza City, an ‌area ⁠densely populated with displaced ⁠families.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the incident.

An October 2025 US-backed ceasefire halted major fighting in the shattered territory, but it ⁠failed to end strikes ‌by ‌the Israeli military, which says such actions ‌are aimed at thwarting attacks ‌by Hamas and other Gaza fighters.

Hamas accuses Israel of violating the ceasefire and undermining efforts to ‌implement a broader plan by US President Donald Trump ⁠to ⁠end the Gaza conflict, which also includes Israeli withdrawals and Hamas disarmament.

More than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect last October, according to Gazan health officials, while the Israeli military says four Israeli soldiers have been killed.