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☆ Arab States Say Palestinians Must Stay on Their Land as War Escalates
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

It reflects deep-rooted Arab fears that Israel's latest war with Hamas in Gaza could spark a new wave of permanent displacement from land where Palestinians want to build a future state. Some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what was British-ruled Palestine, fled or were driven from their homes, many spilling into neighbouring Arab states where they or many of their descendants remain. Israel contests the assertion it drove Palestinians out, pointing out it was attacked by five Arab states the day after its creation. Palestinians and Arab states say a deal should include the right of those refugees and their descendants to return, something Israel has always rejected. After an emergency Arab League meeting on Wednesday, Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said all Arab states agreed to confront any attempt to displace Palestinians from their homeland.

Persons: Suleiman Al, Khalidi, Maya Gebeily, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Jordan's King Abdullah, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Antonio Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, Gilad Erdan, Israel, Erdan, U.N, Khan Younis, Mariam al, Ayman Safadi, Aidan Lewis, Tom Perry, Aiden Nulty, Michelle Nichols Organizations: Hamas, West Bank, Israel, Arab League, United, United Nations, Muslim, Royal United Services Institute, Jordan's Locations: Maya Gebeily AMMAN, BEIRUT, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Egypt, Jordan, British, Palestine, Gaza City, United States, Farra, Sinai, Israeli, Rafah, Cairo, Khalidi, Amman

☆ Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Mideast and US leaders tried to sweep the issue under the rug. That may not work anymore
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Abbas Al Lawati | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Palestinian issue, he said, is brought up “a lot less than you think” in negotiations with Arab states. “The international community no longer seems to care, and the Palestinians’ Arab allies are embracing the most right-wing government in Israeli history. (Netanyahu told CNN last month he believes that making peace with Saudi Arabia could eventually lead to peace with the Palestinians.) The plan was widely perceived as challenging China’s trade ambitions and would presumably have been activated after Saudi Arabia and Israel normalized ties. In the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, around three-quarters of their populations were opposed to normalizing with Israel, the poll found.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Netanyahu, Omar Rahman, Biden, Israel, Trump, “, Khaled Elgindy, Jordan’s King Abdullah, Elham, Donald, Joe, John Kirby, Mahmoud Abbas, Mohammed Al Yahya Organizations: CNN, Israeli, Saudi, Middle East Council, Global Affairs, United Arab, Abraham Accords, United, Israel, West Bank, Middle East Institute, Palestinian Affairs, Haaretz, London’s, House, National Security, Muslim Brotherhood, MBS, Palestinian, Washington Post, Washington Institute . Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, ”, Saudi, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, United States, UAE, Palestine, New York, Saudi Arabia, India, Europe, Riyadh, Washington

[1/4] A Palestinian on a wheelchair passes by ruins of buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip October 9, 2023. On Tuesday, the Israeli military revised a recommendation by one of its spokespeople that Palestinians fleeing its air strikes in Gaza head to Egypt. Gaza's Hamas-run Interior Ministry said bombardments on both Monday and Tuesday had hit an entry gate on the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. So far, there has been no sign of mass gatherings of Palestinians at the Rafah crossing, with only scheduled departures proceeding until Tuesday. Hamas, which has run the Gaza Strip since 2007, shares the Islamist ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, a movement outlawed in Egypt.

Persons: Abu Mustafa, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Ahmed Salem, Gaza's, Sinai's, Sinai, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Yusri Mohamed, Nidal, Nadine Awadalla, Ahmed Eliman, Aidan Lewis, Mai Shams, Alison Williams, Gareth Jones, Susan Fenton, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Sinai Foundation, Human Rights, Hamas, Gaza's Hamas, Ministry, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Egypt, Israel, CAIRO, GAZA, Tuesday, Sinai, Sinai ., Gaza's, Palestinian, Sinai's, Al Arish, Hamas

☆ A Brief History of Gaza's 75 Years of Woe
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +8 min

Hamas formedTwenty years after the 1967 war, Palestinians launched their first intifada, or uprising. It began in December 1987 after a traffic accident in which an Israeli truck crashed into a vehicle carrying Palestinian workers in Gaza's Jabalya refugee camp, killing four. Israel stopped tens of thousands of Palestinian workers from entering the country, cutting off an important source of income. Israeli air strikes crippled Gaza's only electrical power plant, causing widespread blackouts. Israel took revenge, hammering Gaza with air strikes and razing entire districts in some of the worst blood-letting in the 75 years of conflict.

Persons: shutdowns, Yasser Arafat's, Arafat, Israel, Israel evacuates, Mahmoud Abbas, Abdel Fattah al, Stephen Farrell, Nidal, Rosalba O'Brien, Chris Reese Organizations: Reuters, United Nations, UNRWA, West Bank, Hamas, Brotherhood, Fatah, Palestine Liberation Organization, Oslo Accords, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian, Gaza International Locations: Gaza, Ottoman Empire, British, Palestine, Israel, Sinai, Ashkelon, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Israeli, Gaza's Jabalya, Oslo, Palestinian, Jericho, Authority, United States

☆ A brief history of Gaza's 75 years of woe
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Persons: shutdowns, Yasser Arafat's, Arafat, Israel, Israel evacuates, Mahmoud Abbas, Abdel Fattah al, Stephen Farrell, Nidal, Rosalba O'Brien, Chris Reese Organizations: United Nations, UNRWA, West Bank, Hamas, Brotherhood, Fatah, Palestine Liberation Organization, Oslo Accords, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian, Gaza International, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Ottoman Empire, British, Palestine, Israel, Sinai, Ashkelon, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Israeli, Gaza's Jabalya, Oslo, Palestinian, Jericho, Authority, United States

☆ Hamas: What to know about the group and its strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The brazen attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel that began on Saturday will be seen as a turning point in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict with far-reaching repercussions, analysts say. Israel pledged revenge, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing “mighty vengeance.” Hamas said it was prepared for all scenarios. Palestinian Hamas militants attend the funeral of their comrade in the southern Gaza Strip in August 2017. The Israeli military said Monday that Hamas had taken “dozens” of hostages and Hamas has said it has abducted more than 100 people. Hamas’ large-scale offensive shows that the group knows that the coming war may be an existential one, experts say.

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Kobi Michael, “, ” Michael, Harakat, Muqawama, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, Mahmoud Abbas, Yoav Gallant, Khaled Elgindy, ” Elgindy, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Elgindy, Omar Rahman, ” Rahman, can’t, Abu Mazen, …, Ismail Haniyeh, Mahmoud Hefnawy, Michael, Hamas …, Saleh al Organizations: CNN, Palestinian, Hamas, Israeli, Institute for National Security Studies, Israel’s Ministry, Strategic Affairs, Islamic Resistance Movement, Oslo Accords, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Israel, Palestinian Authority, West Bank ., European Union, US State Department, West Bank, Middle East Institute, Palestinian Affairs, “, Saudi, Middle East Council, Global Affairs, AP Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Aqsa, Jerusalem, Egypt, Oslo, United States, Iran, Palestine, Saudi, Washington, Saudi Arabia, Qatar's, Doha, Lebanon

CNN —Israel has declared war on the Palestinian militant group Hamas after it carried out an unprecedented attack by air, sea and land on Saturday. Israel has pledged that Hamas will pay a heavy price and may now be preparing a ground incursion into Gaza. There, Hamas gunmen killed hundreds of people, including civilians and soldiers, and took hostages, sometimes from their homes. While Hamas has kidnapped Israelis before, it has never before taken dozens of hostages at once, including children and the elderly. On Monday, however, Iran’s mission to the United Nations said that the Islamic Republic was “not involved in Palestine’s response,” referring to the Hamas attack.

Persons: CNN — Israel, ”, Yoav Gallant, –, Fatah, Amir Cohen, Israel, Mahmoud Abbas, Oded, Gilad Shalit, Elhanan Tannenbaum, Richard Hecht, Saleh, Arouri, Al, Maya Alleruzzo, “ They’ve, Ebrahim Raisi, Ismail Haniyeh, “, Lloyd Austin, Najib Mikati Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, Islamic, IDF, Palestinian Ministry of Health, West Bank, Palestinian, Palestinian Authority, Rights, Oslo Accords, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Israel, European Union, US State Department, Biden, United Nations, Hezbollah Locations: Israel, Gaza, Gaza’s, Hamas, Al, Aqsa, Jerusalem, Israeli, “, Egypt, Yom Kippur, Sderot, Oslo, United States, Iran, Tel Aviv, ”, Al Jazeera, Ramat Gan, Washington, Islamic Republic, Palestine, Israel’s, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Lebanese

☆ Opinion: Hamas’ attack on Israel is an indisputable act of terrorism
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Stuart Ross | Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

As many knowledgeable people have pointed out, what Hamas has done is clearly an act of terrorism, no matter what your definition. In another video, geolocated by CNN to southern Israel, near Gaza, Hamas militants are seen taking Israelis captive. Both Iran, the principal sponsor of Hamas, and Hezbollah, another Iran-linked terrorist organization committed to Israel’s destruction, praised Hamas. As sure as night follows day, Israel will retaliate, and millions around the world will blame Israel – and the Jews – ignoring what happened this bloody Saturday. But there’s no denying that what happened on Saturday was an act of terrorism, one that deserves clear, unequivocal condemnation

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Fatah, Khan Younis, Israel, they’re, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Joe Biden, Biden, Ursula von der Leyen, ”, Emmanuel Macron, “, Olaf Scholtz, Narendra Modi, Abraham, Israel – Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Hamas, Frida Ghitis CNN, Muslim, Associated Press, Palestinian Health Ministry, EU, Dutch, Israel, UN Security Council, United, United Arab Emirates, Abraham Accords Locations: Iran, Gaza, Israel, Egypt, Sderot, Tel Aviv, Gaza City, ” Ukraine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab

☆ What to know about the surprise Hamas attack on Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Hadas Gold Richard Allen Greene Amir Tal Ibrahim Dahman Abeer Salman Kareem Khaddar Nadeen Ebrahim | Hadas Gold | Richard Allen Greene | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In response to the attack, Israel launched “Operation Swords of Iron,” striking a number of targets in the Gaza strip. After Hamas seized control of Gaza, Israel and Egypt imposed a strict siege on the territory, which is ongoing. Before Saturday’s operation, the last war between Hamas and Israel was in 2021, which lasted for 11 days and killed at least 250 people in Gaza and 13 in Israel. A member of Israeli security forces tries to extinguish fire on cars following a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip in Ashkelon, southern Israel. Western states condemned the Hamas attack and pledged support for Israel while Arab states, including those that have recognized Israel, called for calm.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, –, ” Netanyahu, Muhammad Al, Deif, ”, Mohammed Abed, Netanyahu, Daniel Hagari, Ammar Awad, Richard Hecht, Hecht, “, Jack Guez, Fatah, Israel, Harakat, Muqawama, Mahmoud Abbas, Ahmad Gharabli, Joe Biden, Washington “, Ilan Rosenberg, Reuters “, Frank, Walter Steinmeier, Isaac Herzog, Israel “ Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Israeli, Palestinian, Hamas, “, Beer Sheba, Israel Defense Forces, CNN, IDF, Getty, Reuters, West Bank, Gaza, West Bank ., Getty Images, Palestinian Authority, Islamia, Islamic Resistance Movement, Oslo Accords, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, European Union, United, Saturday Locations: Gaza, Jerusalem, Israel, Tel Aviv, Beer, Sderot, Al, Aqsa, Hamas, Gaza City, AFP, Ashkelon, Lebanon, Syria, Lebanese, Egypt, Yom Kippur, Oslo, United States, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, UAE

☆ Factbox-What Is the Palestinian Group Hamas?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - The Palestinian group Hamas has launched a surprise attack from Gaza into Israel, in one of the most serious escalations in the Israel-Palestinian conflict in years. - Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, was founded in 1987 during the first Palestinian Intifada, or uprising. The Hamas takeover of Gaza followed its win in Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 – the last time they were held. - Hamas refuses to recognise the state of Israel and violently opposed the Oslo peace accords negotiated by Israel and the PLO in the mid-1990s. - While its power base is in Gaza, Hamas also has supporters across the Palestinian territories, and it has leaders spread across the Middle East in countries including Qatar.

Persons: Fatah, Mahmoud Abbas, Abbas, Deen al, Tom Perry, Ros Russell Organizations: Reuters, Palestinian, Hamas, Islamic Resistance Movement, West Bank, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Brigades, Hezbollah Locations: Gaza, Israel, Shi'ite Iran, Egypt, Oslo, United States, European Union, Canada, Japan, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, East, Qatar

☆ What is the Palestinian group Hamas?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg Acquire Licensing RightsOct 7 (Reuters) - The Palestinian group Hamas has launched a surprise attack from Gaza into Israel, in one of the most serious escalations in the Israel-Palestinian conflict in years. - Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, was founded in 1987 during the first Palestinian Intifada, or uprising. The Hamas takeover of Gaza followed its win in Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 – the last time they were held. Its 1988 founding charter called for the destruction of Israel, although Hamas leaders have at times offered a long-term truce, or Hudna in Arabic, with Israel in return for a viable Palestinian state on all Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. - While its power base is in Gaza, Hamas also has supporters across the Palestinian territories, and it has leaders spread across the Middle East in countries including Qatar.

Persons: Ilan Rosenberg, Fatah, Mahmoud Abbas, Abbas, Deen al, Tom Perry, Ros Russell Organizations: REUTERS, Palestinian, Hamas, Islamic Resistance Movement, West Bank, Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, Brigades, Hezbollah, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Ashkelon, Israel, Shi'ite Iran, Egypt, Oslo, United States, European Union, Canada, Japan, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, East, Qatar

☆ Turkey's Erdogan, Egypt's Sisi discuss energy cooperation at G20 Summit- Turkish presidency
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ANKARA, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan met with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on the sidelines of a G20 summit in the Indian capital New Delhi on Sunday, Erdogan's office said in a statement. Erdogan and Sisi discussed bilateral ties and energy cooperation between Turkey and Egypt, as well as regional and global issues, it said. Egypt and Turkey upgraded their diplomatic relations by appointing ambassadors to each other's capitals in July after a decade of tension. Appointment of ambassadors marked a "new era" between Ankara and Cairo, Erdogan told Sisi during their meeting, according to the Turkish presidency's statement. Erdogan also told Sisi that Turkey attaches importance to reviving cooperation with Egypt in the fields of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and nuclear energy.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Abdel Fattah al, Erdogan, Sisi, Egypt's, Brotherhood's Mohamed Mursi, Huseyin Hayatsever, Hugh Lawson, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Thomson Locations: ANKARA, New Delhi, Turkey, Egypt, Ankara, Cairo

☆ Rights groups appeal for justice over 2013 Egypt sit-in killings
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A general view of Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque, the site of a sit-in ending in clashes in 2013, in Cairo August 10, 2014. The clearing of the Rabaa al-Adawiya sit-in in Cairo on Aug. 14, 2013 marked the escalation of a crackdown against supporters of overthrown Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Mursi. Rights groups say more than 800 people were killed as security forces stormed Rabaa al-Adawiya, one of two squares in the capital where protesters had been camped out for weeks. Amnesty International said: "States with influence on Egypt must echo the demands of survivors, victims' families and human rights defenders for truth, justice and reparation." Supporters of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who led Mursi's ouster as army chief and became president in 2014, say security measures taken at the time were needed to stabilise Egypt.

Persons: Rabaa, Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Mohamed Mursi, Abdel Fattah al, Mursi's, EIPR, Hossam Bahgat, Aidan Lewis, Sharon Singleton, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Muslim, Rights Watch, Amnesty, Egyptian, Personal Rights, Thomson Locations: Cairo, CAIRO, Egypt

Egypt expelled Turkey's ambassador and accused Ankara of backing organisations bent on undermining the country. Amr Elhamamy will become Egypt's ambassador in Ankara while Turkey nominated Salih Mutlu Sen to become its ambassador in Cairo, the foreign ministries said in a joint statement. The appointments marked an important milestone in the normalisation of relations, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said following the announcement. After a series of further steps towards rapprochement, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry visited Turkey to show solidarity after the massive earthquakes that killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and Syria in February. Turkey's foreign minister made a return visit to Egypt the following month.

Persons: Egypt's, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Brotherhood's Mohamed Mursi, Tayyip Erdogan, Amr Elhamamy, Salih Mutlu Sen, Hakan Fidan, Fidan, Erdogan, Sameh Shoukry, Nadine Awadalla, Huseyin Hayatsever, Frank Jack Daniel, Christina Fincher, Emma Rumney Organizations: Turkey's, Turkish, United Arab, Thomson Locations: Turkey, ANKARA, CAIRO, Egypt, Ankara, Cairo, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Doha, Syria, Libya

Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi CNN —Textbooks in Saudi Arabia have been changing. On Israel and the Palestinians, IMPACT-se found moderation, but not yet full acceptance of Israel. “Some in Israel want to see normalization with Saudi so badly that any interaction about Israel will be framed as something positive towards normalization,” he said. In Saudi Arabia, support for normalization stood at 5%. But Podeh and the other experts all agreed: public perceptions of Israel will be shaped by much more than textbooks.

Persons: ”, Mira Al Hussein, Kristin Diwan, Islam Aziz Alghashian, ” Alghashian, Israel, “, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Elie Podeh, “ It’s, ” Podeh, It’s, Diwan Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN, Monitoring, School Education, IMPACT, Zionism, United, United Arab Emirates ’, University of Edinburgh, ISIS, Muslim Brotherhood, CNN, Saudi Center, International Communication, Ministry, Education, Gulf States Institute, Saudi, Abraham Accords, Arab Center Washington DC, Department of Islamic, Eastern, Hebrew University Locations: Jerusalem, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, United States, Israel, London, Saudi, Palestine, United Arab, Scotland, “, al Qaeda, Washington

☆ After Saudi Arabia, Iran may be patching up with its oldest Arab foe
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The feud became the longest between Iran and an Arab country in modern times. Khamenei’s recent comments come as Saudi Arabia normalizes ties with Iran after nearly eight years of a diplomatic freeze. Apart from Saudi Arabia and Iran, Egypt has reconciled with both Turkey and Qatar, and the Arab League last month welcomed Syria back as a member after more than a decade of isolation. Weight of historical symbolismAs the years passed by, Egypt and Iran only grew apart, with little desire to reconcile from either party. Most Arab states continue to reject recognition of Israel.

Persons: Princess Fawzia, Iran’s Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Fawzia, King Farouk I –, –, Pahlavi, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran “, ”, Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq, Trita Parsi, ” Parsi, “, Abdel Fattah al, Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Shah, Anwar Sadat, King Farouk, Sadat, Khaled Islambouli, Hosni Mubarak, chargé d’affaires, Mubarak, Mohamed Mursi, Parsi, “ Israel, Abraham, Israel, won’t Organizations: CNN, Iran’s Crown, Iran’s, Media, Tehran, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Arab League, Quincy Institute, Oman News Agency, Reuters Analysts, Cairo Citadel, West, Israel, Abraham Accords Locations: Egypt, Iran, Tehran, Saudi Arabia, United States, ”, London, Cairo, Turkey, Qatar, Syria, West, Washington ,, Al, Rifa’I, Israel, Republic, Ater

The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) is in talks with The Sovereign Wealth Fund of Egypt (TSFE) about the deal, said two sources with knowledge of the matter, who declined to be named. The fund is considering acquiring a stake of up to 30% in the hotels, the sources said, without naming them. Relations between Egypt and Qatar soured in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings that toppled former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia has led efforts to rebuild ties with Qatar and, along with Egypt, re-established diplomatic relations in 2021. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in Baghdad in August 2021 for the first time since ending the dispute.

Persons: Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, St Regis Saadiyat, Egypt's TSFE, Agatha Christie's, Hosni Mubarak, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, Hadeel El, Andrew Mills, Patrick Werr, Louise Heavens, Mark Potter, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Abu, Abu Dhabi Executive Council, St Regis, United, United Arab Emirates, Read, Qatar Investment Authority, Sovereign Wealth Fund of Egypt, Regional, Qatar, Thomson Locations: Abu Dhabi, Egypt, Qatar, United Arab, DUBAI, Harrods, London, Aswan, Saudi Arabia, Thani, Baghdad, Ukraine, Hadeel El Sayegh, Dubai, Doha, Cairo

☆ Factbox: Then and now: How Arab states changed course on Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

May 19 (Reuters) - President Bashar al-Assad's attendance at an Arab Summit in Saudi Arabia on Friday is the result of big policy shifts by Arab states that once backed his opponents in Syria's civil war. The support was a point of rivalry with another Gulf Arab state, Qatar, which backed Islamist groups espousing ideologies viewed with suspicion by Riyadh. It also worked with the United States in a programme to support rebels deemed moderate by Washington. As some Arab states changed course on Assad, notably the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia showed no sign of bringing him in from the cold. Like other Arab states, Saudi Arabia is also expecting Assad to curb the trade in narcotics smuggled out of Syria.

☆ Egypt launches national dialogue amid ongoing security crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Farah Saafan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CAIRO, May 3 (Reuters) - Egypt launched a national political dialogue on Wednesday that authorities said was meant to generate debate around the country's future, though the chair of the event said several areas of discussion would be off limits. It is one of several steps aimed at countering criticism of Egypt's human rights record. Other measures include a five-year human rights strategy and a presidential amnesty committee that is considering thousands of requests to free some of those jailed under Sisi's rule. The dialogue's chairperson, Diaa Rashwan, said all sessions would be open to the media but discussions around the constitution, foreign policy and "strategic national security" would be off limits. Critics say recent steps on human rights are cosmetic, pointing to continuing detentions and arrests of dissidents, and say they doubt the dialogue signals real change.

☆ 'This is madness': Libya's bitter divisions split Eid holiday
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People attend an Eid al-Fitr prayer, marking the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan at a public square, in Benghazi, Libya April 21, 2023. Religious authorities in east Libya, aligned with the parliament which is based there, said they had sighted the crescent moon on Thursday, making it the last day of fasting and setting Friday as Eid. "This is madness and I pray it ends here," said Ahmed Mesbah, 50, in Tripoli, who has chosen to celebrate Eid on Friday. The country split in 2014 between warring factions in east and west, a rift that remains despite comparative peace since 2020. "The split between east and west on such a happy occasion is hurtful and makes me sad.

☆ Factbox: In Middle East, once improbable ententes set new tone
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Some U.S. allies had concluded their interests are not best served by a highly polarised Middle East, he added. The agreement between leading Sunni Arab power Saudi Arabia and the Shi'ite Islamist government in Tehran could defuse tensions and conflicts such as the Yemen war. Saudi Arabia has turned to China at a time of strain in its historic alliance with the United States. Saudi Arabia took the lead in rebuilding ties in 2021, declaring an end to the boycott of Qatar. Sources say Syria and Saudi Arabia have agreed to reopen embassies.

☆ Egypt's Sisi heads to Saudi Arabia amid financial pressure, regional realignment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, April 2 (Reuters) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is travelling to Saudi Arabia on Sunday, according to three diplomatic sources, as Cairo continues to seek financial inflows to ease pressure on its currency and bolster a faltering economy. The trip also comes amid a major diplomatic realignment in the region, with moves by Saudi Arabia and Egypt to ease tensions with Syria, Iran and Turkey. There was no immediate official comment from Egypt or Saudi Arabia on the visit. Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies have repeatedly come to Egypt's help since Sisi led the ouster of Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood a decade ago. When Egypt's financial difficulties were exposed and exacerbated by the fallout from the war in Ukraine last year, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar made deposits in Egypt's central bank and pledged major new investments.

☆ Egypt's Sisi visits Saudi Arabia amid financial pressure, regional realignment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

RIYADH, April 2 (Reuters) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visited Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Saudi state news agency SPA said, as Cairo seeks financial inflows to ease pressure on its currency and bolster a faltering economy. The trip also comes amid a major diplomatic realignment in the region, with moves by Saudi Arabia and Egypt to ease tensions with Syria, Iran and Turkey. Other Saudi and Egyptian officials, including Saudi national security adviser Musaad bin Mohammed al-Aiban and Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel, attended the meeting, it added. Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies have repeatedly come to Egypt's help since Sisi led the ouster of Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood a decade ago. When Egypt's financial difficulties were exposed and exacerbated by the fallout from the war in Ukraine last year, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar made deposits in Egypt's central bank and pledged major new investments.

☆ Top Egyptian and Turkish diplomats hold talks in Cairo amid improving ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu meets with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Cairo, Egypt March 18, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El GhanyCAIRO, March 18 (Reuters) - Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held talks with his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo on Saturday, in the first such visit after a decade of ruptured ties. Cavusoglu and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry were expected to discuss a range of bilateral and international issues in a step towards restoring normal relations, according to statements from the two sides. As part of that tentative reconciliation, Ankara asked Egyptian opposition TV channels operating in Turkey to moderate their criticism of Egypt. Last month, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry visited Turkey in a show of solidarity after the massive earthquakes that killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and Syria.

At a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said talks with Turkey on the possibility of restoring ties to ambassadorial level would happen at "the appropriate time". Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey would upgrade its diplomatic relations with Egypt to ambassador level "as soon as possible". "There is a political will and directives from the presidents of both countries when they met in Doha ... to launch the path towards a full normalisation of relations," Shoukry said. Consultations between senior foreign ministry officials in Ankara and Cairo began in 2021, amid a push by Turkey to ease tensions with Egypt, the UAE, Israel and Saudi Arabia. As part of that tentative reconciliation, Ankara asked Egyptian opposition TV channels operating in Turkey to moderate their criticism of Egypt.

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