Latest News from Al-Ahram Weekly
Al-Ahram Weekly
an hour ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Israel using aid as a weapon of war: Palestine UN envoy - War on Gaza
As famine tightens its grip on Gaza, Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour accused Israel of weaponising both hunger and humanitarian aid, warning that the war has turned even relief into a tool of siege, during a UN Security Council session on Wednesday. This hearing is happening against a backdrop of utter despair in Gaza and the sidelining of the United Nations in its efforts to bring aid to Gaza. The longest-standing aid operations in Gaza, of course, have been from the UN. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, stressed that Israel used 'starvation being used as a weapon of war, now we see aid being used as a weapon of war'. He pointed to repeated public statements by Israeli officials as evidence of Israel's deliberate policy of using humanitarian aid as a tool to advance its military and political objectives. 'There is cruelty in the bombardments, cruelty in the wanton destruction, cruelty in the blockade, and even cruelty in the distribution of very limited aid', added Mansour. "Children are dying of starvation," Mansour said. The images of mothers embracing their motionless bodies, caressing their hair, talking to them, apologizing to them, is unbearable," he added, breaking down in tears as he addresses the Council. 'I have grandchildren. I know what they mean to their families.' Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour breaks down in tears as he addresses the UN Security Council on the situation in ๐บ Sky 501, Virgin 602 โ Sky News (@SkyNews) May 28, 2025 "I have grandchildren. I know what they mean to their families." He said Israel's deliberate manipulation of aid deliveries amounts to a new form of aggression against Palestinians already reeling under occupation. The Palestinian diplomat rejected the framing of limited aid deliveries as a humanitarian gesture. 'Who said these should be our choices? A full blockade against an entire civilian population, including 1 million children, depriving them of food, water, medicine, shelter โ or a system of aid that is degrading, discriminatory, limited to food and limited in quantity, and which aims at the forcible displacement of the population and at facilitating the unlawful seizing of land.' Mansour also described the desperation of Palestinians who have been forced to break through barriers just to access basic aid. 'The images of hungry, desperate people storming out of the cages they were forced into, in order to get aid, is gut-wrenching and heartbreaking. These are people, human beings, deprived of water, food, medicine for so long, and hanging to life by a thread.' The Algerian Ambassador asked the hearing session, 'How many more must die before action is taken by the Security Council? How many orphans must roam the ruins of Gaza? How much more blood must be spilt before this council acknowledges that enough is enough? The time for indecision is over'. On his part, the Danish envoy said that it is necessary to represent 'the overwhelming majority of voices in the Security Council when it comes to humanitarian aid being allowed to flow freely and at scale in Gaza'. The ambassador talked about the need for medical access as well, again highlighting the unbearable conditions of people on the ground and the growing concern among the international community that this could not be allowed to go on. 'The highly limited [aid] quantities of recent days are insufficient when it comes to meeting the needs of the populations, especially after 12 long weeks of total blockade. The images of desperate, starving people throwing themselves on trucks and aid distribution points are a tragic illustration of this,' said the French ambassador. Violent settlers assaults In the session, Sigrid Kaag, the special coordinator for Middle East peace, talked to the council about the need to allow the UN back into Gaza, to have unfettered access to the people there, to do the job that they are uniquely qualified to do. James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN said Israel must immediately let aid into Gaza and enable the UN to operate. "The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable. Civilians face starvation, displacement and trauma." "Our message to Prime Minister Netanyahu is clear: let aid in and enable the UN to operate, now," he added The Brtish diplomat also condemned the Israeli government's "unacceptable intention" to take control of the Gaza Strip. "Permanent forced displacement is a breach of international humanitarian law." He also condemned the israeli violence in the rest of the occupied Palestinian terriotries: the West Bank and Jerusalem. "Violent settlers continue to assault and abuse Palestinians, forcing entire communities to flee. In Jerusalem, provocative visits to Holy Sites and inflammatory language by Israeli ministers are adding to the tensions." Chanting 'Death to Arabs' and singing 'May your village burn,' young Israeli Jews made their way through Palestinian neighbourhoods of Jerusalem's Old City on Monday, attacking residents of the occupied city. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Parliament ready for elections - Egypt - Al-Ahram Weekly
On Sunday, MPs approved amendments to three laws: Law 40/2014 regulating the performance of the House of Representatives; Law 174/2020 regarding the division of the House's electoral districts; and Law 141/2020 regulating the election and performance of the second chamber, the Senate. The amendments were drafted and submitted by Abdel-Hadi Al-Qasabi, the spokesman of the parliamentary majority party Mostaqbal Watan (the Nation's Future), and 60 MPs. The amendments to the House law state that the number of elected MPs will stand at 568 โ in addition to 28 appointees โ in line with articles 87 and 102 of Egypt's 2019 amended constitution. Article 3 of Law 40/2014 states that half this number (284 seats) will be elected via the individual candidacy system (independent candidates), and half (another 284 seats) through the closed list system. An additional 28 MPs (five per cent) will be appointed by the president, and 25 per cent of the total number of House seats (125) are reserved for women. Article 4 states that Egypt will be divided into several districts designated for electing individual candidates (independents), while four districts will be reserved for electing candidates on the closed lists. Two of these districts are allocated 80 seats (40 each), and the other two districts are allocated 204 seats (102 each). Article 5 indicates that each list that is allocated 40 seats must include at least 20 women candidates, three Christian candidates, two candidates representing workers and farmers, two representing young people, one representing the physically disabled, and one representing Egyptian expatriates. In addition, each list allocated 102 candidates must include at least 51 women candidates, nine Christian candidates, six candidates representing workers and farmers, six representing young people, three representing special needs individuals, and three representing Egyptian expatriates. During the one-day debate on the law, sharp divisions emerged between political parties and independent MPs over the election system for the upcoming parliamentary elections. Opposition MPs insisted that the amendments adopting the closed list system in the election represent a stark violation of the recommendations passed by the National Dialogue last year. The dialogue, held upon the instructions of President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi between 2022 and 2024, recommended that an open proportional list system be adopted in the 2025 election to elect all the House and Senate members or a mix of three election systems โ individual, closed, and open proportional lists โ be used so that 50 per cent of MPs and senators are elected through the first, 25 per cent through the second, and 25 through the third. Al-Qasabi said the amendments to the three laws are in keeping with articles 87 and 102 of Egypt's 2019 amended constitution, which give citizens the right to vote and run in elections and also obliges legislators to observe the division of electoral districts according to a set of criteria, including population growth and geographical location. 'As a result, amendments reflect the population increase that has exceeded 7,400,000 people since 2020 when the last parliamentary election was held,' said Al-Qasabi, adding that 'this fact necessitated the submission of a new draft that takes this change into account, establishes the principle of equality and justice, and achieves balance between the various governorates, so that the next parliament can reflect Egypt's demographic map in a just and comprehensive manner.' Al-Qasabi said the draft law's maintenance of the closed list system was largely because it ensures that marginalised groups such as women, Christians, workers, farmers, youth, the disabled, and expats are fairly represented on party lists. Al-Qasabi added that the closed list system was also the best option for Egypt as it helps preserve internal stability and creates a parliament with a reliable majority that can vote on important laws and agreements. 'This is quite impossible with the open proportional list system because it only leads to creating a fragmented parliament without a majority and allows 'banned groups' to infiltrate the House and the Senate,' Al-Qasabi said. Mustafa Bakri, an independent MP, said the 50-50 election system (50 per cent for individuals and 50 per cent for party lists) is in line with the constitution. 'We saw how the 25-75 system [25 per cent for individuals and 75 per cent for party lists] was invalidated by the Supreme Constitutional Court and led to parliament being dissolved in 2012,' said Bakri, also noting that 'the adoption of the proportional list system was invalidated by the court in 1948.' The closed system means that a party which wins 51 per cent of the votes in any district will take all that district's seats. This is different from the proportional list system in which each party list is allocated seats in proportion to the votes it wins per district. Opposition MPs, however, teamed up to attack the amendments. Ahmed Al-Sharqawi, an MP affiliated with the leftist Egyptian Social Democratic Party, said the objective of Al-Sisi's call for a national dialogue was to introduce reforms and save political life from stagnation. 'By maintaining the closed list system, we announce the continuation of the stagnation of political life and lacklustre elections with no competition,' said Al-Sharqawi, adding 'the move also means that the national dialogue was just kind of window-dressing.' MP Ihab Mansour, head of the parliamentary bloc of the Egyptian Socialist Democratic Party, said people had lost interest and confidence in elections in recent years because of the closed list system. 'The number of voters has decreased and turnout rates have declined because people see that there is no serious competition at all under the closed list system and that the election results are a foregone conclusion,' said Mansour. He also explained that in the National Dialogue's sessions 'many visions were presented regarding the electoral system, and all agreed that the open proportional list system can provide fair representation for all marginalised groups, whether Christians, women, youth, the physically challenged, or expats.' Mansour said the size of the districts and the amount of money needed to launch an effective campaign under the closed list system would make it impossible for most political parties to contest the election. 'So just one or two political parties which are rich and pro-regime will run in nominal elections and win the vote,' Mansour said. Joining forces, leftist MP Diaaeddin Dawoud said most of the participants in the National Dialogue called for changing the electoral system to be more inclusive and pluralistic, and that a mix of the individual and the open proportional list system can achieve this. 'The consensus over the proportional list system shows that people are dissatisfied with the closed list system as it creates toothless parliaments with fake majority parties that do nothing but rubber-stamp laws,' Dawoud said. MPs also approved a draft bill on the composition and election of the Senate. The draft envisions a 300-member Senate, with a third of members elected via the closed list system, another third through the individual system, and the remaining third named by the president. Ten per cent of the seats will be reserved for women. Article 3 of Law 141/2020 states that Egypt will be divided into 27 districts designated for electing individual candidates (independents), while four districts will be reserved for electing candidates on the closed lists. Two of these districts are allocated 74 seats (37 each), and the other two districts are allocated 26 seats (13 each). * A version of this article appears in print in the 29 May, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Israel using aid as a weapon of war: Palestinian UN envoy - War on Gaza
As famine tightens its grip on Gaza, Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour accused Israel of weaponising both hunger and humanitarian aid, warning that the war has turned even relief into a tool of siege, during a UN Security Council session on Wednesday. This hearing is happening against a backdrop of utter despair in Gaza and the sidelining of the United Nations in its efforts to bring aid to Gaza. The longest-standing aid operations in Gaza, of course, have been from the UN. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, stressed that Israel used 'starvation being used as a weapon of war, now we see aid being used as a weapon of war'. He pointed to repeated public statements by Israeli officials as evidence of Israel's deliberate policy of using humanitarian aid as a tool to advance its military and political objectives. 'There is cruelty in the bombardments, cruelty in the wanton destruction, cruelty in the blockade, and even cruelty in the distribution of very limited aid', added Mansour. He said Israel's deliberate manipulation of aid deliveries amounts to a new form of aggression against Palestinians already reeling under occupation. Mansour rejected the framing of limited aid deliveries as a humanitarian gesture. 'Who said these should be our choices? A full blockade against an entire civilian population, including 1 million children, depriving them of food, water, medicine, shelter โ or a system of aid that is degrading, discriminatory, limited to food and limited in quantity, and which aims at the forcible displacement of the population and at facilitating the unlawful seizing of land.' Mansour also described the desperation of Palestinians who have been forced to break through barriers just to access basic aid. 'The images of hungry, desperate people storming out of the cages they were forced into, in order to get aid, is gut-wrenching and heartbreaking. These are people, human beings, deprived of water, food, medicine for so long, and hanging to life by a thread.' The Algerian Ambassador asked the hearing session, 'How many more must die before action is taken by the Security Council? How many orphans must roam the ruins of Gaza? How much more blood must be spilt before this council acknowledges that enough is enough? The time for indecision is over'. On his part, the Danish envoy said that it is necessary to represent 'the overwhelming majority of voices in the Security Council when it comes to humanitarian aid being allowed to flow freely and at scale in Gaza'. The ambassador talked about the need for medical access as well, again highlighting the unbearable conditions of people on the ground and the growing concern among the international community that this could not be allowed to go on. 'The highly limited [aid] quantities of recent days are insufficient when it comes to meeting the needs of the populations, especially after 12 long weeks of total blockade. The images of desperate, starving people throwing themselves on trucks and aid distribution points are a tragic illustration of this,' said the French ambassador. Violent settlers assaults In the session, Sigrid Kaag, the special coordinator for Middle East peace, talked to the council about the need to allow the UN back into Gaza, to have unfettered access to the people there, to do the job that they are uniquely qualified to do. James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN said Israel must immediately let aid into Gaza and enable the UN to operate. "The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable. Civilians face starvation, displacement and trauma." "Our message to Prime Minister Netanyahu is clear: let aid in and enable the UN to operate, now," he added The Brtish diplomat also condemned the Israeli government's "unacceptable intention" to take control of the Gaza Strip. "Permanent forced displacement is a breach of international humanitarian law." He also condemned the israeli violence in the rest of the occupied Palestinian terriotries: the West Bank and Jerusalem. "Violent settlers continue to assault and abuse Palestinians, forcing entire communities to flee. In Jerusalem, provocative visits to Holy Sites and inflammatory language by Israeli ministers are adding to the tensions." Chanting 'Death to Arabs' and singing 'May your village burn,' young Israeli Jews made their way through Palestinian neighbourhoods of Jerusalem's Old City on Monday, attacking residents of the occupied city. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Al-Ahram Weekly
UPDATED: Ahly win 45th Egyptian league title - Egyptian Football
Ahly were crowned Egyptian Premier League champions after a 6-0 thrashing of Pharco FC on Wednesday. Palestinian striker Wessam Abou Ali stole the spotlight, scoring a super hat-trick for the Red Devils, while winger Hussein El-Shahat and midfielder Emam Ashour netted the fifth and sixth goals, respectively, to complete the rout. The reigning champions entered the clash atop the league standings with 55 points, two points ahead of second-placed Pyramids FC, meaning a draw would suffice to retain the title in front of a massive crowd. Ten minutes into the first half, Moroccan winger Achraf Bencharki initiated a swift counterattack, threading a precise pass to Ahmed 'Koka' Nabil on the left flank, to deliver a pinpoint cross to Abou Ali, who converted from close range with a right-footed shot into the centre of the goal. Three minutes before halftime, Bencharki weaved through the left side before setting up Abou Ali for a second clinical finish. The decisive moment arrived 10 minutes after the break when Pharco FC goalkeeper Mohamed Shika received a red card for a reckless challenge on Emam Ashour following a VAR review. Abou Ali completed his hat-trick in the 61st minute, curling a free-kick into the bottom right corner with his right foot. Ahly coach Emad El-Nahas then introduced fresh legs, including Ali Maaloul, Mohamed 'Afsha' Magdi, and goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir. Tunisian left-back Maaloul's emotional cameo marked his final appearance for the club before his contract expired, as he assisted Abou Ali's third goal with a measured cross. Hussein El-Shahat extended the lead to 5-0 in the 75th minute, latching onto Abou Ali's cross and slotting home from six yards. Ashour sealed the rout in added time with a powerful shot from inside the box after a brilliant backheel from El-Shahat. Ashour's spectacular form The 27-year-old emerged as Ahly's talisman this season. With 13 goals Ashour tops the scoring chartsโa goal ahead of NBE Club's Osama Faisal and two ahead of Zamalek's Nasser Mansi, who retains a game in hand. He was instrumental for the team in key games and a major source of inspiration throughout the season. The talented midfielder was named Man of the Match on 7 occasions, the most won by any player this season. Ahly will depart for the U.S. next week to prepare for the FIFA Club World Cup. ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐ฅ๐ฆ โ Al Ahly SC ๐ฌ๐ง (@AlAhlyEnglish) May 28, 2025 Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Trump says warned Netanyahu against striking Iran - Region
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off from striking Iran as he voiced optimism about nuclear talks his administration is holding with Tehran. Iran said that it may consider allowing Americans to inspect its facilities as part of the United Nations nuclear watchdog if a deal is reached. Trump, asked if he had told Netanyahu in a call next week not to take any action that could disrupt the diplomacy, said: "Well, I'd like to be honest, yes, I did." Pressed on what he told the Israeli premier, Trump replied: "I just said I don't think it's appropriate, we're having very good discussions with them." He added: "I told him this would be inappropriate to do right now because we're very close to a solution. "I think they want to make a deal, and if we can make a deal, save a lot of lives." Tehran and Washington have in recent weeks held five rounds of talks focused on the issue -- their highest-level contact since Trump in 2018 withdrew from a previous deal negotiated by former president Barack Obama. Trump, on a visit to Qatar earlier in May, voiced optimism at reaching a new agreement with Iran that avoids military conflict. Israel sees cleric-ruled Iran as its top enemy. Israel has repeatedly threatened strikes on its nuclear facilities, after pummelling Iranian air defences in rare direct combat. 'Reconsider accepting Americans' Iran denies Western claims that it is seeking a nuclear weapon, insisting its program is solely for peaceful, civilian purposes. Trump, withdrawing from the Obama-era deal in 2018, imposed sweeping sanctions that include pressuring all countries not to buy Iranian oil. "Countries that were hostile to us and behaved unprincipledly over the years -- we have always tried not to accept inspectors from those countries," Iran's nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami, told reporters, referring to staff from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Tehran "will reconsider accepting American inspectors through the agency" if "an agreement is reached, and Iran's demands are taken into account," he said. President Masoud Pezeshkian, currently on an official visit to Oman, thanked the Gulf state for its mediation efforts between the longtime adversaries, which have had no formal diplomatic ties since 1979. Iranian Foreign Minister and top negotiator Abbas Araghchi, who is accompanying Pezeshkian in Oman, said that "the date for the new round of negotiations will probably be clarified within the next few days." While welcoming the negotiations, Iranian officials have repeatedly declared uranium enrichment "non-negotiable." Trump administration officials have publicly insisted that Iran not be allowed to enrich any uranium -- even at low levels for civilian purposes, as allowed under Obama's 2015 deal. "The continuation of enrichment in Iran is an inseparable part of the country's nuclear industry and a fundamental principle for the Islamic Republic of Iran," Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told reporters. "Any proposal or initiative that contradicts this principle or undermines this right is unacceptable." Iran currently enriches uranium up to 60 per cent -- the highest level of any non-nuclear weapons state. That rate is still below the 90 per cent threshold required for a nuclear weapon, but far above the 3.67 per cent limit set under the 2015 deal. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
