Illusions of Power Not to Achieve Security for Israel or Region, Says Egypt's FM
Badr Abdel Ati, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration stressed the importance of the international community's rejection of double standards and military solutions in dealing with crises.
During a joint press conference with his German counterpart on Friday evening, he emphasized the importance of a unified standard based on adherence to the principles stipulated in international law and international humanitarian law.
He denied the possibility of achieving security and stability through the use of force, adding, "The illusion of force will not achieve security for Israel or any party in the region."
He reiterated that a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is only possible through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital.
He pointed to the importance of the process of recognizing the Palestinian state, as it sends a strong message to the Palestinian people that the international community stands by them and contributes to the two-state solution.
read more
Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685
NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria
Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO
Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided
News
Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks
News
Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank
News
Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region
News
One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid
News
China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier
Sports
Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer
Lifestyle
Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt
Business
Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War
Arts & Culture
Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies
News
Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks
News
Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan
Videos & Features
Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream
Technology
50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean
News
3 Killed in Shooting Attack in Thailand
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
See - Sada Elbalad
4 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
Sisi, Bin Salman Call for Immediate Gaza Humanitarian Relief
H-Tayea President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stressed the urgent need to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza without restrictions, secure the release of hostages and prisoners, and reject any attempts to displace Palestinians or reinstate Israeli military control over the Strip. The two leaders also called for an end to Israeli actions against Palestinians in the West Bank. The talks took place in NEOM, where the leaders held extended discussions followed by a private meeting. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomed President Sisi, reaffirming the deep ties between the two countries and Saudi Arabia's commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation across various fields. He praised Egypt's regional role in supporting stability and development. President Sisi expressed gratitude for the warm reception, stressing Egypt's appreciation of its historic bonds with Saudi Arabia and its desire to build on recent advances in economic and strategic partnership. The meeting addressed expanding joint investments, the establishment of the Egyptian-Saudi High Coordination Council, and cooperation in areas such as industrial integration, technology, transportation, renewable energy, and urban development. On regional issues, the two leaders discussed efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and reiterated their support for the two-state solution. They also underscored their joint commitment to ongoing coordination amid regional challenges, stressing the importance of maintaining stability, sovereignty, and national institutions across the Middle East. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid Videos & Features Story behind Trending Jessica Radcliffe Death Video News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt News The Jessica Radcliffe Orca Attack? 100% Fake and AI-Generated
Al-Ahram Weekly
5 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Israeli prison visit sparks protests - World - Al-Ahram Weekly
In a move that has sparked widespread outrage, Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir this week visited the Hadarim Prison where prominent Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti has been held since 2002, serving five life sentences. The visit, widely covered by the Israeli media, appeared to be as much a political message to the Israeli public as a provocation against the prisoners and their families, underscoring the agenda of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government. Analysts said Ben-Gvir's incursion into the prison was not an isolated event but a deliberate political statement signalling to Palestinians and the international community that Israel's current government is willing to violate international law to gain domestic popularity, even at the expense of prisoners' dignity and rights. According to sources from the Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, Ben-Gvir entered the section housing Barghouti accompanied by a special police unit known as Yamaz and was filmed issuing strict security instructions. Sources said the minister made a point of ordering harsher detention conditions in what was described as a 'show of force aimed at humiliating prisoners and their symbolic leaders.' Prisoner organisations said the visit carried political motives, with Ben-Gvir, known for his extremist rhetoric, seeking to boost his image among Israeli settlers and the ultra-Orthodox right by targeting a figure of Barghouti's stature, a Palestinian national symbol of resistance and resilience. Barghouti's wife, lawyer Fadwa Barghouti, described the visit as part of a 'revenge policy aimed at undermining the will and resilience of prisoners.' 'What happened amounts to a political and moral crime. The extremist minister is attempting to use Marwan's name as an electoral tool to strengthen his position in Israeli politics. Marwan does not face the occupation alone; he represents an entire people striving for freedom and independence. The raid on his cell is an assault on all Palestinians and on international laws that protect prisoners,' she said. Prisoner organisations, including the Palestinian Prisoners' Club and the Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs Commission, issued statements holding Ben-Gvir fully responsible for the prisoners' lives and safety. Former Palestinian Authority (PA) minister for prisoner affairs Issa Qaraqe told Al-Ahram Weekly that the incursion and threats are part of a broader Israeli escalation and bloody campaign against the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. He added that such acts reflect the Israeli occupation's failure to break the Palestinian people's resolve and right to freedom and self-determination, driving it to commit cowardly retaliatory crimes against unarmed prisoners who are symbols of national dignity and unity. Qaraqe, a respected figure among prisoners and himself close to Barghouti, warned that the occupation's prisons are witnessing medical neglect, torture, solitary confinement, starvation, humiliation, the denial of basic rights, and brutal assaults. He cautioned that the threats have escalated to threats of killing, raising fears of potential massacres under the cover of political and media incitement by Israeli government ministers. Abdullah Al-Zaghari, head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Society, said the filmed threats by Ben-Gvir against Barghouti constitute a clear declaration of Israel's intent to assassinate detained leaders amid unprecedented abuses since the onset of the war on Gaza. Al-Zaghari said Barghouti and dozens of other imprisoned leaders were subjected to harsh and tragic conditions, including starvation, the denial of medical care, and systematic assaults, including beatings during crackdowns carried out by heavily armed special units. Repeated attacks have left prisoners with varying injuries, while the prison administration continues to obstruct visits and transfer detainees under violent conditions. Qaraqe emphasised that under international humanitarian law, Palestinian prisoners held in the context of armed conflict are considered 'prisoners of war' and are entitled to the protections outlined in the Four Geneva Conventions, particularly Article 13 of the Third Convention, which mandates humane treatment and forbids any assault on their lives or dignity. He said Ben-Gvir and the Israeli government's psychological and physical harassment of prisoners constitutes a clear breach of these conventions. International organisations, including the Human Rights Watch, have documented similar violations such as visitation bans, solitary confinement, retaliatory measures, death threats, and torture and have called for immediate international action to protect prisoners. Although international bodies have condemned the incursion, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Qaraqe stressed that statements alone are insufficient given the ongoing torture, killings, and oppression of Palestinian prisoners. He called for urgent international protection and investigations into crimes committed in Israeli prisons, particularly amid increasing reports of slow killings and torture. Inside Israel, Ben-Gvir's raid also drew criticism, with some Hebrew-language newspapers calling it a 'political stunt' aimed at boosting his presence on the far-right scene amid growing government divisions. Israeli opposition circles described the incursion as 'reckless,' warning it could ignite unrest in prisons and trigger uncontrollable protests. Even some former security officials cautioned against 'playing with fire,' noting that targeting symbolic leaders like Barghouti could have far-reaching political and security consequences. * A version of this article appears in print in the 21 August, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
6 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Palestinian camps in Lebanon to start disarming: Committee - Region
Armed Palestinian groups in Lebanon's refugee camps began handing over their weapons to the Lebanese authorities on Thursday, a joint committee said. "Today marks the beginning of the first phase of the process of handing over weapons from inside the Palestinian camps," Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee chairman Ramez Dimashkieh said in a statement. The process began in the Burj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut, where an initial batch of weapons was placed in the custody of the Lebanese army, according to Dimashkieh. A Palestinian security official told AFP, on condition of anonymity, that "Fatah will begin handing over its weapons in Burj al-Barajneh camp within the framework of the coordination with the Lebanese army." An AFP photojournalist saw dozens of fighters in military fatigues carrying Kalashnikov rifles as crowds gathered outside the Beirut headquarters of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah movement. The move follows a deal reached in May during a visit by Abbas to Beirut, during which he and Lebanese president Joseph Aoun agreed that all arms in Palestinian refugee camps would eventually be surrendered to the Lebanese state. A Palestinian security source at Burj al-Barajneh described Thursday's move as largely symbolic, saying: "Fatah's initiative in beginning to hand over weapons is symbolic, and came as a result of an agreement between Aoun and the Palestinian president's son, Yasser Abbas, who is currently visiting Beirut." "It aims to encourage the remaining (Palestinian armed) factions to take the same step," the source added, while noting that the other influential groups in the camp "have not yet decided to hand over their weapons". Badie al-Habet, a member of the Fatah leadership in Beirut, said the handover would see the "turning over of illegitimate weapons in the hands of illegitimate individuals". He added that weapons held by Palestinian security personnel inside the camps would not be included. Lebanon hosts around 222,000 Palestinian refugees, according to the UN agency UNRWA, most of them living in overcrowded and impoverished camps that remain largely outside of state control. The majority are descendants of those who were forcibly displaced during the Nakba, when more than 700,000 Palestinians were expelled from their lands by Zionist militia paving the way for the creation of Israel in 1948. Among the camps is Ain al-Hilweh, near the southern city of Sidon — the largest in Lebanon. The disarmament was originally scheduled to begin in mid-June but was delayed. In an interview with Saudi-owned broadcaster Al Arabiya last week, Aoun attributed the hold-up to the Iran-Israel war that broke out that month, as well as to "internal considerations within the Palestinian Authority". The Palestinian Authority does not exercise control over many of the armed groups in the camps — most notably Hamas — and some factions have resisted the call to disarm. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
