Egypt, Iran discuss developments in Gaza, West Bank, Lebanon

CAIRO – 28 September 2024: Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, discussed the serious developments in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon during their meeting on Saturday on the sidelines of the high-level segment of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 79) in New York.

According to a statement released by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdelatty and Araghchi deliberated on the unjustified escalation by Israel in the region and the potential regional consequences of such actions.

They also discussed the importance of de-escalation to prevent the region from sliding into a wider conflict that could endanger the security and stability of its peoples, said the statement.

The phone call comes amidst an unprecedented escalation in Lebanon, with Israeli airstrikes killing around 1,000 individuals, including dozens of children, over the past week.

This escalation coincides with the Israeli war in Gaza nearing its one-year mark, killing over 41,500 Palestinians, injuring more than 96,200 others, and pushing the enclave closer to the brink of famine.

Egypt has consistently cautioned against the conflict spreading throughout the region, underscoring that an all-out war would leave no country in the region unaffected.

Hezbollah leader targeting

An Israeli airstrike on Hezbollah’s underground headquarters near Beirut on Friday killed Hassan Nasrallah, the group’s secretary-general of Hezbollah, the powerful regional force stationed in Lebanon.

The assassination of Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader since 1992, along with other group commanders, heightens concerns of imminent further escalation with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday vowing to avenge his killing.

In mid-September, an Israeli intelligence operation involving the detonation of pagers and walkie-talkies across Lebanon killed dozens, including civilians, and injured thousands.

The death toll escalated significantly following subsequent heavy Israeli airstrikes, with 1,030 people, including 56 children, reported killed since the detonations, according to Firass Abiad, Lebanon’s Minister of Public Health, on Saturday.

Since October 2023, Israeli aggression in Lebanon has killed 1,640 individuals and left 8,408 others injured, Abiad added.