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Egypt's President Sisi Removes Spy Chief Abbas Kamel, Shin Bet Meets New Chief Rashad

Oct 20, 2024, 02:38 PM

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has removed his long-time intelligence director, Abbas Kamel, in a sudden and unexpected move. Officially, Kamel was removed for health reasons, but speculation suggests deeper motives. Kamel, who served as Egypt's spy chief since 2018, was instrumental in building strategic ties with Israeli intelligence, the CIA, and Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah. He was also a key mediator in Gaza. Following his removal, Ronen Bar, the head of Israel's Shin Bet, visited Cairo on Sunday to meet with Kamel's successor, Hassan Mahmoud Rashad. The meeting focused on renewing talks regarding hostages and was Rashad's first interaction with an Israeli official.