CAIRO: Events in the Red Sea and regional challenges cost Egypt around $7 billion in revenues from the Suez Canal in 2024, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said on Thursday.
Egypt lost more than 60 percent of the canal’s revenues in 2024 compared with 2023, El-Sisi added in his statement, without going into details on the events.
Houthi fighters in Yemen have carried out nearly 100 attacks on ships crossing the Red Sea since November in solidarity with Palestinians in Israel’s more than year-old war in Gaza.
The attacks have forced shipping firms to divert vessels from the Suez Canal to longer routes around Africa, disrupting global trade by delaying deliveries and sending costs higher.
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A Royal Navy spokesman said the packages contained 1,000 kg of heroin, 660 kg of hashish and 6 kg of amphetamine.
“It’s the second bust in three months for the British warship, which is based in Bahrain and is attached to a New Zealand-led international task force spread across the Indian Ocean hunting down illegal activity,” he added.
“And it’s the second time the Royal Navy’s new Peregrine drones — mini-helicopters that conduct reconnaissance sorties for hours on end and feed live information back to Lancaster’s operations room — have played a vital part in the success.”
In March, the Royal Navy used its Peregrine drones for the first time in a drugs bust, tracking smugglers in the Indian Ocean. More than 3 tonnes of heroin, hashish and amphetamine were seized.
Luke Pollard, the UK’s armed forces minister, said: “I congratulate the crew of HMS Lancaster on this significant seizure, which is keeping dangerous and illegal drugs off our streets.
“This operation highlights the unique role our Royal Navy contributes, working to disrupt criminal operations around the world, keeping us secure at home and strong abroad.”
Regional challenges cost Egypt around $7 bln of Suez Canal revenues in 2024, El-Sisi says
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Regional challenges cost Egypt around $7 bln of Suez Canal revenues in 2024, El-Sisi says
- Egypt lost more than 60 percent of the canal’s revenues in 2024 compared with 2023, El-Sisi said
Rights groups call on Houthis to release detained aid workers
- Only seven aid workers have been released, while at least 50 remain in detention “without adequate access to lawyers or their families, and without charge,” HRW and Amnesty said, calling on the rebels to “immediately and unconditionally release” them
DUBAI: Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called on Houthis to release dozens of UN and aid workers who have been detained for nearly a year.
The arrest and detention of aid workers has “a direct impact on the delivery of lifesaving assistance to people in critical need of aid” in a country enduring one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, the two rights groups said in a joint statement.
Since May 2024, the Houthis have carried out several waves of arrests in regions under their control, targeting UN staff as well as workers in
local and international humanitarian organizations.
The arrests have prompted the UN to limit its deployments and suspend activities in some regions of the country devastated by more than a decade of civil war.
FASTFACT
The arrests have prompted the UN to limit its deployments and suspend activities in some regions of Yemen.
The Houthis at the time claimed there was an “American-Israeli spy cell” operating under the cover of aid groups — accusations firmly rejected by the UN.
Only seven aid workers have been released, while at least 50 remain in detention “without adequate access to lawyers or their families, and without charge,” HRW and Amnesty said, calling on the rebels to “immediately and unconditionally release” them.
“It is shocking that most of these UN and civil society staff have now spent almost a year in arbitrary detention for simply doing their work in providing medical and food assistance or promoting human rights, peace, and dialogue,” said Diala Haidar, Yemen researcher at Amnesty International.
“They should never have been arrested in the first place,” she continued.
Niku Jafarnia, Yemen and Bahrain researcher at HRW, meanwhile, said: “The Houthis need to facilitate the work of humanitarian workers and the movement of aid.
“All countries with influence, as well as the UN and civil society organizations, should use all the tools at their disposal to urge the release of those arbitrarily detained and to provide support to their family members.”
Charity urges Starmer to allow 2 children from Gaza entry to UK for lifesaving treatment
- Surgeon fears Haitham, 3, could die from severe burns from an Israeli airstrike if he remains in the territory
- Project Pure Hope says UK govt should act to save the children after recently condemning Israel’s military campaign
LONDON: A medical charity has written to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pleading with him to allow two severely ill children from Gaza to be flown to the UK for lifesaving treatment.
One of the children, three-year-old Haitham, was badly burned when an Israeli airstrike hit the family home, killing his father and pregnant mother, Sky News reported.
He has been left with burns across 35 percent of his body and is being treated in Nasser hospital, the last working medical facility in southern Gaza.
British surgeon Dr. Victoria Rose, who is treating Haitham, said she is worried he might not survive because the hospital no longer has the resources to look after him properly.
“It’s a massive burn for a little guy like this,” Rose said. “He’s so adorable. His eyelids are burnt. His hands are burnt. His feet are burnt.”
Referring to the renewed violence in Gaza, she said: “Every time I come, I say it’s really bad, but this is on a completely different scale now. It’s mass casualties. It’s utter carnage.
“We are incapable of getting through this volume. We don’t have the personnel. We don’t have the medical supplies. And we really don’t have the facilities.
“We are the last standing hospital in the south of Gaza. We really are on our knees now.”
Haitham’s grandfather, Hatem Karara, said Haitham had also suffered internal bleeding.
He said: “What did these children do wrong to suffer such injuries. To be burned and bombed? We ask God to grant them healing.”
The second child identified by the UK-based charity Project Pure Hope is one-year-old Karam, who is suffering from a rare birth defect in which nerves are missing from parts of the bowel.
His protruding intestine could easily be operated on with the right skills and equipment available in the UK.
An initial operation was carried out in Rafah, but when his family was forced to flee to Khan Younis, Karam’s condition worsened, his mother Manal Nayef Mostafa Adra said.
She said a foreign doctor told her that the surgery needs to be redone outside of Gaza.
Omar Dinn, co-founder of Project Pure Hope, said the charity would fully fund bringing the children to the UK.
He said the UK government had made strong statements recently condemning Israel’s killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the blocking of aid supplies, and now had the opportunity to act.
“We’re giving them an action, which is the ability to allow two more children to come to the UK for privately funded medical treatment and to save their lives,” he said.
“If we don’t act for these two children now, it’s very likely that the outcome will be nothing but death.”
Two girls from Gaza with serious health conditions were flown to the UK earlier this month for specialist treatment. But only three Palestinian children have been allowed into the UK for healthcare since Israel launched its devastating offensive in Gaza 20 months ago.
Of the nearly 54,000 Palestinians killed in the war, 16,000 have been children.
Arab Group at UN urges recognition of Palestine as ‘step toward lasting peace’ ahead of conference on two-state solution
- Comments come as Saudi Arabia, France prepare to co-chair global forum to hasten implementation of two-state solution
- ‘Our collective responsibility is to help our people find life and liberty in their homeland,’ says Palestine envoy
NEW YORK: Arab representatives at the UN on Friday praised countries that have recognized the state of Palestine, and urged other nations to follow suit.
“Recognition is not just symbolic, it is a step toward lasting peace,” said Mohamed Abushahab, the UAE’s permanent representative to the UN and chair of the Arab Group for May, a forum for Arab nations to outline their positions on various issues.
The comments came as Saudi Arabia and France prepare to co-chair a global conference later this month that will seek to hasten implementation of a two-state solution and end decades of conflict between Israel and Palestinians.
The effort gained further support this month as the devastating toll of Israel’s resumed assault on Gaza sparked international anger.
Arab representatives say the upcoming conference, which will take place in New York, must go beyond diplomacy and deliver tangible steps toward peace.
Speaking at a UN General Assembly meeting earlier this month in preparation for the forum, Saudi Arabia said that recognizing the state of Palestine is a “strategic necessity” that is “the cornerstone of a new regional order based on mutual recognition and coexistence.”
“Regional peace begins with recognizing the state of Palestine, not as a symbolic gesture, but as a strategic necessity,” the Kingdom said.
The high-level conference is scheduled to begin on June 17 at the UN headquarters and aims to urgently adopt concrete measures toward the implementation of the two-state solution.
Palestine is officially recognized by 147 of the UN’s 193 member states and has observer status at the UN, but is not a full member.
More than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel unleashed its military operation in Gaza after a Hamas-led attack killed 1,200 people in October 2023.
As the death toll and suffering in Gaza has increased, more nations have moved to recognize Palestine, including Ireland, Norway, and Spain last year.
The Arab Group also issued an urgent call for immediate action from the UN Security Council to end the “catastrophic war” and deepening humanitarian crisis in the enclave.
Abushahab emphasized the group’s collective condemnation of Israel’s military campaign and blockade on Gaza.
“The Arab Group stands united in our determination to mobilize and put an end to the catastrophic war on Gaza,” he said.
“We demand the lifting of all restrictions on humanitarian aid and its distribution based on humanitarian principles. Starvation must not be used as a weapon of war.”
Abushahab criticized Israel’s proposed aid distribution mechanism, calling it a violation of international humanitarian law.
He reiterated the Arab Group’s demand for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire, alongside the release of all hostages and detainees.
The UN representative urged the Security Council to adopt the draft resolution on Gaza advanced by the elected members of the council, and called on member states to take “concrete actions” to advance the two-state solution.
Majed Bamya, Palestine’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, said: “It is enough for anybody to understand the human tragedy unfolding before our eyes.”
Referring to the relentless bombardments, mass displacement, starvation, and the killing of children, he added: “Outrage is not enough. We need action.”
Bamya stressed the need for full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2735, which calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages and prisoners, and the massive delivery of humanitarian aid.
He praised Egypt and Qatar for their mediation efforts, and acknowledged US involvement in attempts to secure a ceasefire.
“The Palestinian people are being subjected to an attempt to liquidate their cause by force,” Bamya said, accusing Israel of using starvation and aid obstruction to displace the population and seize land.
He firmly rejected any new aid distribution mechanism proposed by Israel, insisting on the UN plan that ensures equitable aid access throughout Gaza.
“We cannot expect people to survive this alone,” he said. “Israel wants to convince them that if they want life, they can only find it away from their land. Our collective responsibility is to help our people find life and liberty in their homeland.”
As the humanitarian toll mounts, the Arab Group’s call to the Security Council reflects increasing pressure for global powers to take a firmer stance on the crisis.
“The time of half-measures has passed,” said Bamya. “Palestinian lives are not less valuable than any other lives. The council must act accordingly.”
Royal Navy seizes $40m worth of drugs in Arabian Sea bust
- Crew used Peregrine ‘mini-helicopter’ drones to locate smugglers
- It was the British warship’s second drug seizure in 3 months
LONDON: A Royal Navy frigate operating in the Arabian Sea seized $40 million worth of drugs in a major operation, the Daily Telegraph reported on Friday.
It came after the HMS Lancaster pursued a drug-trafficking boat for more than a day when British drones launched from the warship spotted illegal activity.
The ship’s crew deployed a Wildcat helicopter to carry out the interception, which saw a boarding team from 42 Commando seize 80 packages of drugs.
A Royal Navy spokesman said the packages contained 1,000 kg of heroin, 660 kg of hashish and 6 kg of amphetamine.
“It’s the second bust in three months for the British warship, which is based in Bahrain and is attached to a New Zealand-led international task force spread across the Indian Ocean hunting down illegal activity,” he added.
“And it’s the second time the Royal Navy’s new Peregrine drones — mini-helicopters that conduct reconnaissance sorties for hours on end and feed live information back to Lancaster’s operations room — have played a vital part in the success.”
In March, the Royal Navy used its Peregrine drones for the first time in a drugs bust, tracking smugglers in the Indian Ocean. More than 3 tonnes of heroin, hashish and amphetamine were seized.
Luke Pollard, the UK’s armed forces minister, said: “I congratulate the crew of HMS Lancaster on this significant seizure, which is keeping dangerous and illegal drugs off our streets.
“This operation highlights the unique role our Royal Navy contributes, working to disrupt criminal operations around the world, keeping us secure at home and strong abroad.”
UN aid chief says Israel’s blocking of food to Gaza is a ‘war crime’
- Tom Fletcher says Israel is attempting to forcibly displace the Palestinian population by withholding aid
- ‘History will be tough in the way it judges us’ over failing to prevent genocide, he tells BBC
LONDON: Israel’s blocking of food aid to starving Palestinians in Gaza in an attempt to forcibly remove the population amounts to a war crime, the UN’s humanitarian chief said in an interview broadcast on Friday.
Israel allowed a trickle of supplies into Gaza last week after a complete blockade for nearly three months. But there have been chaotic and deadly scenes amid a new distribution system that sidelined the UN.
“We’re seeing food sat on the borders and not being allowed in when there is a population on the other side of the border that is starving, and we’re hearing Israeli ministers say that is to put pressure on the population of Gaza,” Tom Fletcher told the BBC.
Using food as a weapon “is classified as a war crime,” he said, adding that would be for the courts and history to judge.
He also warned Israel against the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza to another country, a policy that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his hard-line cabinet have advocated.
Earlier this month, Israel’s extremist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Gaza would be “totally destroyed” within six months and Palestinians there would be so despairing that they would be “looking for relocation to begin a new life in other places.”
Fletcher called on Netanyahu to ensure that “this language, and ultimately, this policy ... of forced displacement, isn’t enacted.”
Since Israel broke a two-month ceasefire in March it has ramped up its operations in Gaza, killing thousands more Palestinian civilians in an attempt to take full military control of the territory.
The increased violence has led European countries to shift their stance and threaten sanctions against Israel if it does not stop the slaughter and allow the full flow of aid.
On May 14, Fletcher told the UN Security Council that it must act to prevent genocide in Gaza. He said the comments were in response to what his colleagues on the ground were telling him.
“What they’re reporting is forced displacement. They’re reporting starvation, they’re reporting torture, and they’re reporting deaths on a massive scale,” he said.
“In previous cases, Rwanda, Srebrenica and Sri Lanka, the world had told us afterwards that we didn’t act in time, that we didn’t sound the warning and ask that the world respond to prevent genocide.
“And that’s my call to the Security Council and the world right now, ‘will you act to prevent genocide?’”
He added: “History will be tough in the way it judges us. And it must be.”
The conflict has killed almost 54,000 Palestinians since it started in October 2023 when a Hamas-led assault killed 1,200 Israelis and seized dozens of hostages.
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