Egypt reiterates unwavering support for stability and security in war-torn Sudan

Egypt reiterates unwavering support for stability and security in war-torn Sudan
Other topics for discussion included wider bilateral ties and ways in which coordination between the countries might be enhanced. (X:@MfaEgypt)
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Updated 23 July 2024
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Egypt reiterates unwavering support for stability and security in war-torn Sudan

Egypt reiterates unwavering support for stability and security in war-torn Sudan
  • Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty also pledges Egypt’s continuing commitment to humanitarian aid efforts and development projects in Sudan
  • He stresses important need for donor countries and organizations to more quickly honor pledges of aid for Sudan and countries hosting Sudanese refugees

Egypt’s foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, pledged his country’s continued support for the stability and security of Sudan, during a meeting on Tuesday with his counterpart from the country, Hussein Awad.

Abdelatty said Egypt would spare no effort to help its “Sudanese brothers overcome the political, security and humanitarian challenges resulting from the ongoing war” in the nation.

He highlighted the outcomes of a conference in Cairo on July 6 and 7 attended by Sudanese political factions and civil groups, the most important of which were, he said, recognition of the need to preserve state institutions, to provide relief and humanitarian support to Sudan and neighboring countries, and to ensure ownership of the political process remains with the Sudanese people.

He also reviewed the progress of development projects undertaken by Egypt in Sudan, and pledged his country’s continuing commitment to such initiatives along with its determination to respond to the nation’s humanitarian needs.

Abdelatty stressed the important need for donor countries and organizations to accelerate the fulfillment of pledges made during conferences in Geneva and Paris, in June 2023 and April 2024 respectively, of support for Sudan and neighboring countries hosting Sudanese refugees, support for the UN’s humanitarian response plan in the country, and to help bridge existing financing gaps.

He also discussed with Awad regional initiatives that have been proposed to help address the crisis in Sudan, and the important and pivotal role neighboring countries are playing, especially Egypt, which Abdelatty said was making strenuous efforts to help Sudan at this important time.

Other topics for discussion included wider bilateral ties and ways in which coordination between the countries might be enhanced, along with regional issues of mutual interest, including the situation in the Horn of Africa, the war in Gaza, security in the Red Sea, the situations in Libya, the Sahel and the Sahara region, and the Renaissance Dam built by Ethiopia on the Blue Nile upstream of Sudan and Egypt.

Awad thanked the Egyptian government for the facilities and services it has provided to the Sudanese people since the start of the crisis in his country.


Netanyahu says Israeli army ‘dissecting’ Gaza to get back hostages

Netanyahu says Israeli army ‘dissecting’ Gaza to get back hostages
Updated 12 min 28 sec ago
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Netanyahu says Israeli army ‘dissecting’ Gaza to get back hostages

Netanyahu says Israeli army ‘dissecting’ Gaza to get back hostages
  • The military is “dissecting the (Gaza) Strip and increasing the pressure step by step so that (Hamas) will return our hostages,” Netanyahu said
  • Netanyahu added that Israel will keep applying military pressure until Hamas frees the remaining hostages

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that the military is dividing Gaza and “seizing territory” to force Hamas to free hostages held in the Palestinian territory.
The military is “dissecting the (Gaza) Strip and increasing the pressure step by step so that (Hamas) will return our hostages,” Netanyahu said in a statement, adding that Israel “is seizing territory, striking terrorists, and destroying infrastructure.”
He added that the army is “taking control of the ‘Morag Axis’,” a strip of land that is expected to run between the southern governorates of Khan Yunis and Rafah.
The name of the axis refers to a former Israeli settlement in the area that was evacuated during Israel’s disengagement from Gaza in 2005.
He likened the new axis to the Philadelphi Corridor, a strip of land along Egypt’s border that Israel says it needs to control to prevent weapons smuggling into the Palestinian territory from Egypt.
Netanyahu added that Israel will keep applying military pressure until Hamas frees the remaining hostages.
Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas’s unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack, 58 are still held in Gaza including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel resumed major air strikes on the Palestinian territory on March 18, after talks on next steps in a six-week truce broke down.
Since March 18, at least 1,066 people have been killed in Gaza, according to figures last updated by the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry on Tuesday.
In total, 50,423 people have been killed since the start of the war triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 attack, according to the ministry’s figures, which the United Nations views as reliable.


US sanctions Russia-based network for helping Yemen’s Houthis

US sanctions Russia-based network for helping Yemen’s Houthis
Updated 02 April 2025
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US sanctions Russia-based network for helping Yemen’s Houthis

US sanctions Russia-based network for helping Yemen’s Houthis
  • The operatives helped senior Houthi official procure millions of dollars
  • “The Houthis remain reliant on Sa’id Al-Jamal and his network,” said Bessent

WASHINGTON: The United States imposed sanctions on Wednesday on Russia-based people and entities working to help procure weapons and commodities — including stolen Ukrainian grain — for Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, the Treasury Department said.
The operatives, who included Russia-based Afghan businessman Hushang Ghairat and his brother, Russia-based Afghan businessman Sohrab Ghairat, helped senior Houthi official Sa’id Al-Jamal, procure millions of dollars’ worth of commodities from Russia for shipment to Houthi-controlled Yemen, Treasury said.
The goods included weapons and sensitive goods, as well as stolen Ukrainian grain, the department said in a statement.
“The Houthis remain reliant on Sa’id Al-Jamal and his network to procure critical goods to supply the group’s terrorist war machine,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “Today’s action underscores our commitment to degrading the Houthis’ ability to threaten the region through their destabilizing activities.”


UK says ‘does not support’ Israel’s expansion of Gaza offensive

UK says ‘does not support’ Israel’s expansion of Gaza offensive
Updated 02 April 2025
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UK says ‘does not support’ Israel’s expansion of Gaza offensive

UK says ‘does not support’ Israel’s expansion of Gaza offensive
  • UK minister said Israel’s aid blockade poses 'a serious risk' of breaching the international humanitarian law

LONDON: Britain does not support Israel’s expansion of military operations in Hamas-run Gaza, a UK minister said on Wednesday.
“We are deeply concerned about the resumption of hostilities in Gaza. The UK does not support an expansion of Israel’s military operations,” junior foreign office minister Hamish Falconer, told parliament.
There is a “serious risk Israel is not simply acting in its own legitimate self defense,” he added.
When asked about Israel’s aid blockade, Falconer said that “we have determined that there is a serious risk of breaches of international humanitarian law by the Israeli government. We will continue to press them on these points.”


Berlin says evacuated 19 Germans plus relatives from Gaza

Berlin says evacuated 19 Germans plus relatives from Gaza
Updated 02 April 2025
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Berlin says evacuated 19 Germans plus relatives from Gaza

Berlin says evacuated 19 Germans plus relatives from Gaza
  • Foreign ministry spokeswoman Kathrin Deschauer said the evacuation on Tuesday “took considerable time” but Berlin was “very relieved
  • She welcomed reports of talks, facilitated by regional actors, toward a new Gaza truce

BERLIN: Germany said Wednesday that 19 of its citizens and 14 of their relatives had been evacuated from Gaza as Israel presses its offensive against Hamas in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Kathrin Deschauer said the evacuation on Tuesday “took considerable time” but Berlin was “very relieved that this succeeded through close cooperation” with Israeli officials.
Deschauer added that she welcomed reports of talks, facilitated by regional actors, toward a new Gaza truce.
“That’s important, good and somewhat encouraging, but the current situation is dramatic, and it’s important that all parties return to the negotiating table to achieve a ceasefire,” she said at a regular news briefing.
The war was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Israel resumed major air strikes on Gaza on March 18 after talks on next steps in a six-week truce broke down.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Tuesday that the overall toll since the war began had reached at least 50,399 people, most of them civilians.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Wednesday a major expansion of military operations in Gaza to “destroy and clear the area of terrorists.”
Jordan’s King Abdullah II, speaking during a Berlin visit, deplored the dire humanitarian situation and the war’s impact on children.
“Today, Gaza has the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world, along with massive numbers of injured adults,” he told the Global Disability Summit.
He said a Jordanian aid project with mobile clinics had helped more than 400 amputees in Gaza, including children.


Jordan welcomes EU’s approved €500m financial aid package

Jordan welcomes EU’s approved €500m financial aid package
Updated 02 April 2025
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Jordan welcomes EU’s approved €500m financial aid package

Jordan welcomes EU’s approved €500m financial aid package
  • European Parliament approved the aid package with 571 votes during a plenary session in Strasbourg
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked the EU for its support, which enhances cooperation between Amman and Brussels

LONDON: Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the EU’s decision to allocate a €500 million ($541 million) financial aid package to the Hashemite Kingdom on Wednesday.

During a plenary session in Strasbourg, the European Parliament approved an aid package for Jordan with 571 votes as part of a macro-financial assistance initiative.

Sufian Qudah, the ministry’s spokesperson, announced that the European Commission plans to propose an extra €500 million for Jordan, increasing the total funding under the MFA initiative to €1 billion for 2025–2027.

Qudah thanked the EU for its support, which enhances cooperation between Amman and Brussels and acknowledges Jordan’s role in regional peace and stability, the Petra news agency reported.

In January, King Abdullah II of Jordan and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement in Brussels.

The agreement includes a €1 billion financial aid package and a €3 billion aid package for Jordan for 2025–2027, which comprises €1.4 billion for investment support and €640 million in grants, Petra added.