President Joseph Aoun receives Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon Alaa Moussa on Oct. 27, 2025, at Baabda Presidential Palace. (Credit: X/@lbpresidency)
BEIRUT — Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon Alaa Moussa expressed his country's support for President Joseph Aoun on Monday during their meeting at Baabda Presidential Palace, saying Cairo “stands firmly behind the president’s approach and offers its assistance.”
Moussa emphasized that “Egypt is exerting all efforts to help de-escalate tensions,” adding that “the growing scale and pace of Israeli attacks require vigilance,” according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA). Israeli strikes have killed at least 12 people in Lebanon since last Thursday.
The meeting comes as Lebanon prepares to receive the head of Egyptian intelligence Hassan Rachad and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmad Aboul Gheit this week. U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus is also expected in Beirut on Monday.
“Rachad's visit falls within the framework of security and political cooperation with Lebanon,” said Moussa.
Facing Israeli escalation on the ground, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said Sunday that his party does not intend to attack Israel, to avoid giving it "pretexts" to launch a new open war.
Lebanese-Israeli negotiations: Egypt supports Aoun
"Egypt supports the president of the republic's positions regarding the monopoly of weapons as well as his statements about Lebanon's willingness to engage in negotiations [with Israel]. We fully support the president's positions and extend our hand in this regard," Moussa added.
On Oct. 13, during the Gaza cease-fire peace summit in Sharm al-Sheikh, attended by U.S. President Donald Trump and a host of regional leaders, Aoun had called from Lebanon for his country to begin negotiations with Israel on a series of unresolved issues, including its withdrawal from Lebanese territory, the release of Lebanese prisoners and the delimitation of the land border.
He specified that the details of the mode of communication should be discussed, as Washington pushes for direct negotiations between Tel Aviv and Beirut.
Aboul Gheit's visit to Beirut
According to consistent sources, Egypt is concerned about the risk of Israeli escalation in Lebanon, and Rachad, a key player in the Gaza cease-fire negotiations, wants to propose a similar formula, focusing on compromising over Hezbollah's disarmament rather than direct confrontation.
This initiative, according to an Arab diplomatic source, is part of a broader attempt by Egypt to mediate between Iran and the United States through the former's regional allies.
Aboul Gheit is also expected in Beirut to participate in several events, including the Arab Media Forum and a regional conference on international judicial cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
He will also meet with Lebanese leaders to “reaffirm the Arab League's support for the government in exercising its sovereignty over all the territory, particularly in the face of ongoing Israeli aggressions” against Lebanon, according to a statement by Aboul Gheit's official spokesman, Jamal Roushdi.
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