Lead:
Egypt's foreign ministry engaged in a series of diplomatic exchanges this week, holding phone calls with counterparts in Eritrea, Greece, and Libya, while Israeli drone activity escalated over southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs. Simultaneously, Cairo called for an urgent humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan at the UN Human Rights Council, underscoring Egypt's increasingly active posture on multiple regional fronts at a moment of compounding instability.
Details:
According to El-Balad, Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdel Aati held a phone call with Eritrean Foreign Minister Othman Saleh, during which both sides affirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation on Red Sea security and Horn of Africa stability. A separate call between Abdel Aati and Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, also reported by El-Fagr, focused on enhancing bilateral relations and reviewing regional developments, reflecting Cairo's parallel engagement with European Mediterranean partners.
On the Libyan file, El-Balad reported that Abdel Aati discussed the latest developments with a senior American presidential adviser for Arab and African affairs, with Cairo expressing appreciation for US efforts aimed at preserving Libya's unity and stability. Washington's regional engagement was further underscored by a New York Times report, cited by El-Balad, confirming that the United States has partially resumed dollar shipments to Iraq, linking continued support to Baghdad's anti-corruption commitments.
Regarding Lebanon, El-Balad and Sada Al-Balad both reported intensified Israeli drone activity over Beirut and its southern suburbs, with the Lebanese News Agency confirming that an Israeli drone struck a vehicle in the Tyre district, wounding two individuals. An Israeli airstrike was also launched on the Bint Jbeil district in southern Lebanon. Military analyst Brigadier General Fawwaz Arab, head of the Al-Fayha Center for Studies, stated that Israel is behaving as though it holds final authority over Lebanese sovereign territory and is conditioning any troop withdrawal on the disarmament of Hezbollah. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, quoted by El-Balad, firmly reiterated that no stability is possible without consolidating all weapons under state authority, adding that Lebanon will not permit governance to be decided in the streets.
On Sudan, El-Balad reported that Egypt formally called on the UN Human Rights Council to declare an urgent humanitarian truce, while Sudan's foreign minister described the Rapid Support Forces militia as engaged in an open war against the state, the population, and critical infrastructure. The African Group at the Human Rights Council expressed support for IGAD and African Union mediation efforts.
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