Egyptian FM to discuss Palestinian-Israeli conflict in Russia

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty has embarked on an official visit to Russia.

“The Foreign Minister of Egypt headed to Moscow on Sunday [September 15] as part of a visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations with Russia,” the Ministry’s statement reads, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

During his visit, Abdel Aty is scheduled to hold talks with several high-ranking Russian officials to discuss matters of mutual interest.

No specific details have been provided regarding the duration of the visit.

According to Egypt's Ambassador to Moscow, Nazih Nagari, speaking at the BRICS Media Summit, Abdel Aty is expected to have in-depth discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, particularly focusing on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"The talks will cover bilateral relations, of course. This is the first meeting between our new foreign minister and Mr. Lavrov in his official capacity. We place great emphasis on bilateral relations and joint projects. At the same time, there are many pressing international issues, particularly the situation in Palestine and Gaza, which are of utmost importance to us," said Nagari. He also mentioned that broader regional issues, including Libya and Sudan, will be discussed.

Nagari added that Egypt and Russia are preparing to sign several bilateral agreements. While the documents may not necessarily be signed during the upcoming BRICS summit in Kazan, he indicated that work is ongoing on various joint projects, with the potential for agreements to be finalized at any time.

Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, prompting the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to engage in aerial campaigns and ground operations within the Gaza Strip. On June 8, the IDF undertook an operation in central Gaza to rescue four hostages while Gazan authorities reported that 274 Palestinians were killed, and hundreds of others were injured.

Other efforts to free the more than one hundred remaining Israeli and foreign hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 have been largely unsuccessful, and their location and health status are unknown. Almost two million Gazans—more than 85 per cent of the population—have fled their homes since October 2023. Recent casualty estimates from the Hamas-run Gazan Health Ministry place the death toll in Gaza at around 40,000, though such numbers are challenging to verify due to limited international access to the strip