OPEN// FM affirms special nature of Egypt–US relations
He expressed Egypt's keenness to strengthen cooperation and coordination with both chambers of the US Congress in various fields that serve the mutual interests of the two nations.
This came during his meeting in Washington with US Senator Brian Schatz, a ranking member of the US Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations.
Abdelatty emphasized Egypt's interest in deepening economic, trade and investment relations with the US.
He highlighted the outcomes of the Egypt-US Economic Forum, held in Cairo on May 25-26, which brought together over 50 American companies and marked a significant step in enhancing bilateral economic engagement.
Abdelatty reviewed Egypt's continued efforts to promote peace and stability in the Middle East, amid growing challenges in the region.
Regarding the situation in Gaza, Abdelatty presented Egypt's ongoing diplomatic initiatives aimed at securing a ceasefire and ensuring the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave, where living conditions continue to deteriorate.
He also underlined Egypt's broader efforts to restore calm and create the conditions necessary for a just and lasting political resolution to the Palestinian cause.
The meeting also covered developments in the Sahel region and West Africa, particularly the escalating security threats posed by the spread of terrorist organizations and armed militias. (MENA)
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Al-Ahram Weekly
3 minutes ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Up to a million young Catholics expected for grand Pope Leo vigil - Region
Up to a million young Catholic believers are expected Saturday for a nighttime vigil led by Pope Leo XIV, the culmination of a week-long pilgrimage, a key event in the Jubilee holy year. The "Jubilee of Youth" -- when the Vatican invites Catholics aged 18 to 35 to the seat of the global Church's power -- has seen thousands of young pilgrims from around the world flood Rome this week. It has been taking place just under three months since 69-year-old Leo -- the first American pope -- took over the papacy. Large groups of pilgrims have packed the streets of Rome all week, waving the flags of their countries or cities and chanting religious songs. Excitement has mounted over the week for the new pope's final appearance to the youths on Saturday. "I feel mainly curiosity, as we don't know him very well yet," Parisian student Alice Berry, 21, told AFP. "What does he have to say to us? What is his message for young people?" Uncertainty, anxiety Various events have been planned for them by the Church throughout the city, including at Circus Maximus, where on Friday, approximately 1,000 priests were on hand to take confession. Some 200 white gazebos lined the hippodrome where chariot races were once held in Ancient Rome, where youth lined up to speak to priests in 10 different languages. Spanish was one of the main languages heard on the streets of the Italian capital. The pilgrimage is taking place as economic uncertainty hits young people across the world and as climate change anxiety rises among the under-30s. Many young pilgrims said they wanted to hear the Vatican's position on climate change, wars, and economic inequalities. Samarei Semos, 29, said she had travelled three days from her native Belize to get to Rome. "We are still trying to understand his leadership," she said of the new pope, adding she hoped he would have a strong say about "third world countries". The pilgrimage also comes amid global alarm over starvation in Israel-blockaded Gaza, and more than three years into Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Night vigil The Vatican has praised Catholic youths who travelled to Rome from war-scarred countries like Ukraine or Syria, with Pope Leo repeatedly calling for the youths to "pray for peace". The voices of the amassed young people "will be heard to the end of the earth," Pope Leo told them earlier this week. The Vatican has said that more than 146 countries are represented. The mass that is the climax of the event will take place in Rome's Tor Vergata area in a vast open-air space with a newly built stage for the Pope. It is the same area used 25 years ago for the last youth jubilee under Pope John Paul II. More than 4,300 volunteers will be working the event to welcome the young pilgrims, along with over 1,000 police, according to organisers. In an unprecedented move, Leo hosted a mass on Tuesday for Catholic social media influencers, signalling the Vatican's openness to supporting the Internet-savvy youth. Rome authorities have tightened security in the city, which has seen an unprecedented number of people, with both tourists and pilgrims inundating the city. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:


Egypt Independent
an hour ago
- Egypt Independent
US envoy Witkoff visits Gaza aid distribution site as starvation crisis deepens
Steve Witkoff, the United States' special envoy to the Middle East, on Friday visited a controversial US-backed aid distribution site in Gaza, one of three such locations near which hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in recent weeks trying to reach scarce food supplies. Witkoff said he spent five hours in Gaza on Friday to better understand the humanitarian situation in the enclave and to relay it to Donald Trump. The US president said earlier this week that there was 'real starvation' in Gaza, contradicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claims. 'I spoke to Steve Witkoff. He had a great meeting with a lot of people, and the primary meeting was on food,' Trump said early Friday evening. 'And he had, he also had some other conversations that I'll tell you about later, but he had a meeting on getting the people fed, and that's what we want.' Along with US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, Witkoff visited an aid distribution site in the southern city of Rafah, operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) – one of only three such operational sites in the blockaded enclave. The GHF was created to sideline the United Nations' role in distributing aid, after Israel complained that UN aid was reaching Hamas. But the new group has been criticized for failing to improve conditions as Gaza's starvation crisis deepens. The UN refused to participate in the new scheme, saying the GHF model violates basic humanitarian principles. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military while trying to get food, hundreds of them near GHF sites, according to the UN. The GHF disputes this. For two months, the scenes at GHF distribution sites have been chaotic, with the Israeli military seen firing towards scores of Palestinians, some of whom have been crushed in the scramble to reach aid. Ambassador Huckabee praised GHF after his Gaza visit, saying Hamas 'hates' the organization because its food reaches Palestinians in Gaza without reaching Hamas. Witkoff said he spent more than five hours in Gaza on Friday to better understand the humanitarian situation. Ambassador Mike Huckabee/X Despite Israel's claims that the UN allowed aid to reach Hamas, an internal US government review found no evidence of widespread theft by Hamas of US-funded humanitarian aid in Gaza. Huckabee also praised GHF for distributing more than 100 million meals to Gaza since it was launched in May. But other aid agencies have warned that this is insufficient. If 100 million meals have been distributed to each of Gaza's 2.1 million people, that works out at just over one meal a day for 47 days for every resident. The GHF has been operating for nearly 70 days. A senior Hamas official condemned Witkoff's trip as little more than a photo opportunity. 'Mr. Witkoff, Gaza is not an animal farm that requires a staged personal visit to take some personal photos in front of the death traps overseen by your American companies,' Basem Naim, a former Palestinian health minister in Gaza, said in a statement shared with CNN. 'Random gunfire' Palestinians said that the Israeli military shot at them while they waited to receive food near the same distribution hub visited by Witkoff on Friday. The nearby Nasser hospital in Khan Younis said it had received at least three people who were killed and six who were injured by gunfire near the hub. It said many other injured people were being treated at a Red Cross field hospital. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it fired warning shots to prevent a group of people advancing toward its troops, after calling on the group to distance itself. The IDF said it was not aware of any casualties as the result of its fire but was investigating the incident. A US embassy spokesperson also said it had not received 'reports of clashes or injuries of any kind in the vicinity of the visit.' CNN has asked the GHF for comment. Eyewitnesses told CNN the Israeli military shot at people who had gathered at Al Tina, where residents wait before moving on to the distribution site at al-Shakoush. Abu Armanah is seen at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis on Friday. Abdallah F.s. Alattar/Anadolu/Getty Images Abu Armanah, who was being treated for a gunshot wound to his abdomen at Nasser hospital, added: 'People are literally battling each other. Witkoff and his visit are nonsense.' 'As soon as Witkoff was in the area, there was random gunfire. The shooting intensified, along with drones and quadcopters in the air, and they started firing at people,' Ahmad Abu Armanah told CNN shortly after the incident. Bodies were 'scattered all over the place,' he said. Mahmoud Awad, another witness, told CNN he was 'shocked' by the violence he saw at the hub. 'Today was madness,' he said. 'As we arrived, young men started getting shot. There was gunfire, and it was direct,' he said. 'We were shocked to hear that the American envoy could come under these conditions.' Later on Friday night, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said that Gaza City's Al-Quds Hospital received at least 12 people who were killed and 90 others injured after the 'targeting of crowds of civilians' by Israeli forces as the civilians were waiting for aid trucks in southwestern Gaza City's Nabulsi area. CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment. Shifting diplomacy Witkoff's trip to Israel was his second in two weeks. Last week, he abruptly pulled US delegates out of Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar, accusing Hamas of negotiating in bad faith. He said the Trump administration would explore 'alternative options' to bring the hostages home and 'create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.' Hamas reportedly later chose to stop engaging in peace talks. A senior Israeli official said Thursday that Israel and the US are forming a new understanding on Gaza, following Hamas' reported withdrawal from negotiations. 'An understanding is forming between Israel and the United States that, in light of Hamas's refusal, there is a need to shift from a framework focused on the release of some of the hostages to one aimed at the release of all hostages, the disarmament of Hamas, and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip,' a senior Israeli official said on Thursday. 'At the same time, Israel and the United States will work to increase humanitarian aid, while continuing military operations in Gaza,' the official added. Meanwhile, in a Thursday statement, Hamas said it is committed to continuing negotiations toward a permanent ceasefire and complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, provided the humanitarian crisis in the enclave improves considerably. 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Middle East
7 hours ago
- Middle East
OPEN// FM, US state secretary discuss bolstering bilateral ties
CAIRO/WASHINGTON, July 31 (MENA) - Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty had talks on Thursday with US State Secretary Marco Rubio on means of promoting bilateral ties. The two sides also exchanged views on various regional and international issues of mutual interest. Abdelatty conveyed greetings and appreciation from President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to US President Donald Trump, highlighting Egypt's pride in the longstanding strategic partnership with the United States. The minister said he is looking forward to continuing close coordination and cooperation with the US administration to further ties politically, militarily, economically, and security-wise, thus contributing to regional security, stability, and peace during this critical stage in the Middle East. He also expressed desire to continue holding regular rounds of the Egypt-US strategic dialogue. They reviewed ways to strengthen economic, trade, and investment cooperation between the two countries. Abdelatty praised the results of the Egypt-US business forum held in Cairo in May with over 50 American companies participating, 12 of which entered the Egyptian market for the first time, reflecting Egypt's commitment to attracting investments and enhancing economic partnerships with the US. Both sides stressed the importance of continuing coordination for new rounds of the joint economic commission meetings and the business forum to broaden economic partnership opportunities. The two sides also reviewed the latest regional developments, topped by the catastrophic situation in Gaza, tragic events in Sudan, and conditions in Libya, Syria, Lebanon, and the Egyptian water security issue. Regarding the Palestinian cause, Minister Abdelatty reiterated the necessity of reaching a permanent ceasefire agreement in Gaza to stem bloodshed and ensure humanitarian aid flows amid the enclave's dire conditions under the Israeli blockade. He emphasized the need to adopt a political horizon for a just and sustainable settlement of the Palestinian cause, including the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state along the 1967 borderlines with East Jerusalem (Al Quds) as its capital. He expressed hope for continued close US-Egypt cooperation to establish just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the two sides reviewed the situation in Sudan and underlined the importance of ceasefire and humanitarian aid access. Minister Abdelatty affirmed Egypt's support for Sudan's state institutions and respect for its sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity. Regarding Egyptian water security, Minister Abdelatty conveyed Egypt's concerns about Nile water issues and the importance of adherence to international law regarding shared water resources. He highlighted the need for cooperation to swiftly reach a legally-binding agreement on the operation of the Ethiopian dam, rejecting unilateral Ethiopian actions violating international law. He affirmed Egypt will take all measures permitted under international law to protect its water security. (MENA) M N E/