Egypt's FM Reaffirms Call for Full Withdrawal of Foreign Forces from Libya
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has stressed the urgent need for the withdrawal of all foreign forces, mercenaries, and foreign fighters from Libya, calling it a critical step toward restoring stability and safeguarding Libya's sovereignty.
The remarks came during a phone conversation on Wednesday between Minister Abdelatty and Hanna Tetteh, the UN Special Envoy to Libya.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ambassador Tamim Khalaf said the minister underscored Libya's importance as a top national security priority for Egypt, given its status as a direct neighbor. Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt's full support for UN-led efforts to launch a political process that would lead to a lasting settlement of the Libyan crisis.
Abdelatty stressed the importance of respecting Libya's unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and urged all international stakeholders to cooperate in implementing UN resolutions that demand the exit of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libyan territory.
He also emphasized the need to unify Libya's executive authority on legitimate and consensual foundations that reflect the will of the Libyan people and support the work of the United Nations.
The spokesperson noted that Minister Abdelatty called for backing an inclusive, Libyan-led political solution without external interference or imposed agendas, stressing the importance of adhering to agreed frameworks, including UN Security Council resolutions and the Skhirat Agreement, as a pathway to holding simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections.
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
Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters
News
China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier
Sports
Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer
Videos & Features
Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall
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
News
"Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence"
News
Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks
Videos & Features
Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream
Technology
50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Egypt Independent
38 minutes ago
- Egypt Independent
Netanyahu presents his plan for dividing Gaza to US administration: Expert explains
Egyptian military expert and national security researcher, Mahmoud Mohieddin, stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has presented strategic maps to the US administration that include his vision for the future of the region, with Israel focusing primarily on the Gaza Strip. During an interview with Ahmed Moussa's TV show 'Ala Massoulity' (On My Responsibility) on Saturday, Mohieddin explained that Netanyahu also presented another map that includes the annexation of a large portion of the Gaza Strip – raising real concerns about Israel's desire to divide and displace Palestinians. Israeli authorities evacuated Israelis with dual citizenship from the Gaza Strip, Mohieddin noted, while the Shin Bet internal security service formed special teams to negotiate with Palestinian residents to persuade them to leave: steps that showcase Israel's vested interest in forced displacement. 'Egypt represents the main obstacle to these plans and is forcefully confronting attempts to displace Palestinians from their land,' Mohieddin stressed. He explained that the Egyptian people still reject normalization with Israel despite the existence of an official peace treaty. Mohieddin farther warned that the Shin Bet is recruiting Palestinians with the aim of fueling internal conflicts that could lead to a civil war. He confirmed that an armed group led by a man named Yasser Abu-Shabab, comprising approximately 250 young Palestinians, has been prepared to act as an alternative to Hamas should it withdraw from Gaza. Hamas has become aware of this plan and has set clear conditions, he explained, including the withdrawal of Israel's forces from the Morag Corridor and the opening of Rafah crossing on the Palestinian side, all to halt Israel from enacting its plans. He added that Israel is seeking to prevent the expansion of the buffer zone inside Gaza Strip to a kilometer or more, as a prelude to completely isolating Gaza, which threatens the gradual displacement of Palestinians in the coming years. Mohieddin also noted that a Zionist lobby supported Donald Trump's victory in the US presidency, in exchange for implementing specific policy provisions that serve Israeli interests in the region. Egypt has a clear and indisputable position towards rejecting the displacement of Palestinians, noting that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had previously discussed the details of this plan and the extent of the pressures exerted on Egypt, but stressed that its national position remains firm.
Watani
2 hours ago
- Watani
New rental law: Nothing but contentious
The Egyptian street is abuzz with controversy over a highly contentious law passed by the House of Representatives on 2 July 2025. The law overhauls the more than 60-year-old current rental law which is notorious for favouring tenants to the severe detriment of landlords. The outcome of the current law has greatly impaired Egypt's real estate wealth, and it was hoped that the new long-overdue law would rectify the decades-old problem and bring about justice to long-wronged tenants. Yet the new law was passed in the wake of deep divisions that sparked a walkout by opposition lawmakers. 'Old rents' The old, fixed rentals go back to the 1960s when, among a bunch of socialist revolutionary decisions taken by Egypt's President Gamal Abdel-Nasser, rental values were frozen indefinitely and rental contracts immortalised. On the face of it, the move favoured tenants, who were then regarded as less privileged than landlords; it practically turned them by law into de-facto owners of the houses they rented. The rights of the actual owners, on the other hand, were thrown to the wind. The result over some 60 years has been a disastrous decline in the value of Egypt's real estate wealth, with grave negligence in the maintenance and facilities of buildings, given that the cost of such maintenance had gone far beyond the rental value collected. The law which froze the rentals made no provision for any periodic increase in their values. The result was that the rental values which were some 60 years ago consistent with average incomes, purchasing power and day to day expenses, became increasingly inadequate—even laughable—as subsequent decades saw exponential rises in incomes and prices. Some rents ran as low as EGP5 a month, a little over USD0.01 by today's value. The injustice in the tenant-landlord relationship became entrenched; the meagre rentals that pampered—even spoiled—tenants were the epitome of injustice and humiliation for landlords, especially those who depended on rent as a source of income. The need for a new rental law that would free old rentals and bring them up to free market value and requirements became increasingly dire, even as the needs and wants of tenants under threat of free market requirements became more grave. According to the House of Representatives' Housing and Facilities Committee, some 3 million residential units are currently governed by the old rental law. 'New rents' The 1990s saw an attempt by the government to free rents. A rental law was passed in 1996 giving free rein to rentals of residential housing units built following that date, but did not apply to old rents. This law worked well for many seeking new homes, but the new rentals were well beyond the means of tenants who paid old rentals; many of these tenants being pensioners or elderly not capable of coming up with the cash needed for new rentals Yet today, the 1996 rental law represents a legislative glitch that calls for revision in order to unify the regulations that govern rentals for all residential housing units, with an eye to averting duplicity or discrimination. Conclusion: No one in Egypt doubted the need for a new rental law that would rectify the long-entrenched flaws and restore value to Egypt's real estate wealth, covering a significant aspect in the national plan for economic reform. Yet the thorny question was not why, but how. It helps to remember that Egypt's Constitution stipulates the safeguarding of private ownership in its 35th Article. On 9 November 2024, Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) deemed Articles 1 and 2 of the Rent Control Law 136/1981, the law popularly known as the 'Old Rent' law, unconstitutional. These articles specifically address the fixed rent aspect of the law. The SCC gave Egypt's parliament until July 2025 to enact the law, July 2025 marking the final date before parliament's summer recess and the end of the current parliament. Elections are scheduled for a new parliament in August 2025. The new law Pivotal in the new legislation passed into law on 2 July is the stipulation of a period of transition until the current low rents are phased out and rents are freed of all constraints. This period was defined as seven years for residential units and five for non-residential ones, during which current rents are raised, and after which current contracts between landlord and tenant are terminated. This means tenants will have seven years after the law takes effect to vacate the property and return it to the owner. The new law also introduces significant rent increases: 20 times the current value, at a minimum of EGP1000 for residential rents in prime areas; and tenfold in other areas, at minimum values of EGP400 in moderate districts and EGP250 in underprivileged ones. The rents rise 15 per cent annually during the transitional period. Official committees are to be formed in each of Egypt's governorates to categorise residential neighbourhoods into prime, moderate, and economic (underprivileged) based on geographical location, building quality, infrastructure, and available services. These committees are expected to complete their work within three months of the law's enactment. The government has pledged to provide alternative housing options, including subsidised units and opportunities to purchase or rent new units, to assist tenants negatively affected by the new law. Parliament approved an amendment that the tenant may not be evicted before at least one year has passed since a suitable alternative housing option chosen by the tenant has been made available. But landlords may seek eviction if a property has been closed for over a year without justification or if the tenant owns another usable unit for the same purpose. The new law received final approval from Egypt's House of Representatives and should go into effect once it is published in the Official Gazette. Opposition walks out The bill was approved during a House of Representatives general session chaired by Speaker Hanafy Gebaly. Opposition members, including those from the Justice, Tagammu, and Egyptian Social Democratic Parties, walked out in protest of the bill's approval. They released a statement declaring their 'disavowal' of the bill and condemning the government's refusal to amend its terms. The dissenting lawmakers expressed dismay at their failure to secure amendments that would have extended the transitional period and preserved rights for original tenants and their families. They argued that the government exploited a Constitutional Court ruling, which only addressed rent value adjustments, to push through broader changes that affect legal provisions not covered by the court''s decision. 'We spared no faithful, honest effort, whether during committee discussions or in the general session, to preserve the stability of the nation and the integrity of the internal front and provide a legislative product that maintains the rights of landlords and tenants in a balanced manner,' the opposition statement read. They added that attempts to exclude original tenants, their spouses, and children from the termination of rental relationships were unsuccessful. Public response Predictably, the new law has been the subject of vociferous debate on the street and social media. Landlords in general applaud the law for finally vindicating them and achieving long-lost justice. They resent opinions that see the law as unjust to tenants, believing such views as biased towards tenants, and tantamount to a call for extension of the injustice inflicted upon landlords for so many decades. Tenants, however, reject the concept of being evicted once the rental contract is terminated. They fear being priced out of an unpredictable housing market. Given that many of these tenants are elderly, they might very well find the new rentals far beyond their means, which implies they have to move into a neighbourhood that is socially substandard to their long-time one—understandably not something one relishes. But even those with the means to pay high rents may find they have to move out because the landlord wishes to seize the house for family, or even to demolish the old building altogether and build a new one in its place. The law will impact market stability, social equity, and sustainable urban development in Egypt. While exact financial projections are not officially confirmed, economists view the new law as a step toward revitalising the housing sector. Yet challenges such as housing affordability remain a concern. To address this, the government has earmarked EGP13.6 billion in the 2025/2026 budget for housing subsidies and the expansion of social housing programmes. Watani International 13 July 2025 Comments comments Tags: Basma NasserEgypt new rental law 2025Egypt old rents lawSamia Sidhom
Al-Ahram Weekly
2 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
‘Fire belt' strikes: Israel pounds Beit Hanoun in one of war's heaviest attacks - War on Gaza
Israeli occupation forces launched dozens of simultaneous airstrikes on the northern Gaza city of Beit Hanoun on Sunday, in what WAFA news agency described as one of the most intense 'fire belt' assaults since the war on Gaza began on 7 October 2023. The coordinated strikes lit up the night sky over Beit Hanoun, reducing large parts of the already-devastated city to flames and rubble, as explosions echoed across the northern Gaza Strip. Beit Hanoun—already forcibly evacuated months ago under heavy bombardment—appeared to burn in isolation. Explosions were reportedly heard as far away as Gaza City and in central and southern areas of the Strip. "The Israeli occupation has already reduced Beit Hanoun to rubble over the past few months. Tonight, they set that ruin ablaze with a wave of strikes we've never seen before," said Ahmed Riyad, a member of the Popular Committee in Beit Lahia, just north of Beit Hanoun, speaking to Anadolu Agency. "Flames are rising from every corner of the town. We can see the fires—not just the smoke—from several kilometres away, even from northern Gaza City," he added. 'Everything in the shattered city is flashing. Black smoke almost completely blankets the sky overhead,' Riyad continued. He described the bombardment as so intense that the ground shook in nearby areas. 'Beit Hanoun has effectively been wiped off the map,' he said. 'What remains are piles of debris from destroyed homes and infrastructure.' On Friday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant posted an aerial image of Beit Hanoun, claiming the town had been 'flattened.' The image showed expanses of rubble and the skeletal remains of buildings. It was released amid growing international condemnation of Israel's conduct in Gaza, with increasing allegations of genocide and scorched-earth tactics against civilians and vital infrastructure—acts widely seen as violations of international humanitarian law. Before the war, Beit Hanoun was home to around 60,000 Palestinians, according to municipal figures. The town spans approximately 17,000 dunams (roughly 17 square kilometres). Ceasefire talks falter as offensive threatens to expand Ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas remained deadlocked over the weekend, with both sides accusing the other of blocking efforts to halt the 21-month war on Gaza. A Palestinian source familiar with the Qatar-hosted indirect talks told AFP that Israel's insistence on keeping troops in the Strip was holding up a potential 60-day pause in fighting. But a senior Israeli official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, accused Hamas of inflexibility and of deliberately undermining a possible agreement. On Sunday, Israeli political sources said the government could order a renewed ground offensive in central Gaza if talks in Doha collapse. According to Israel's Walla news site, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly leaning toward intensifying military pressure on Hamas by shifting operations southwards—from northern Gaza to the centre of the Strip. The move would reportedly include efforts to push civilians further south and encircle key refugee camps, including Deir al-Balah. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
