Egypt’s intelligence chief makes surprise visit to Lebanon amid tension with Israel

Egypt’s Intelligence Chief Major General Hassan Rashad made a surprise visit to Lebanon on Tuesday to meet with Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun to discuss the ceasefire with Israel and other issues in the region.

The visit coincided with the US Special Envoy Morgan Ortagus’ visit to the country amid tightened security measures.

The meeting with Aoun comes just days after Rashad met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

According to The New Arab’s Arabic language sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Rashad and Aoun discussed security and military issues, coordination between the countries, the Gaza ceasefire, and the inclusion of Lebanon in the Sharm el-Sheikh summit.

The pair also discussed the regional situation as well as Israeli attacks on south Lebanon.

Rashad expressed Egypt’s "readiness to help stabilise the south and end the volatile security situation there".

An informed Egyptian source told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Lebanon is of "utmost importance" to Egypt and that Rashad’s visit “comes within the framework of the active regional role that Cairo is currently undertaking to establish peace and stability in coordination with the US and a number of regional partners".

The source added that "Lebanon is a key front, especially following recent developments in Syria and the northern border. Therefore, Egypt seeks to contribute to preserving Lebanon’s stability and preventing it from slipping into an open confrontation".

Rashad also met with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and will meet later with parliament speaker Nabih Berri to discuss security and political matters related to the southern border, the role of the Lebanese army in implementing Resolution 1701, and the possibility of resuming Arab coordination to support Lebanese institutions in the face of increased pressures.

Rashad may also quietly meet with Hezbollah leadership, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported.

Observers in Cairo believe Rashad is sending direct and indirect messages from Israel to Lebanon, conveying that they would like to avoid any new military escalations at the border.

However, reports from Lebanon indicate that Rashad is looking at the possibility of Egyptian mediation between Lebanon and Israel.

Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon Alaa Moussa said that Rashad's visit to Beirut "falls within the framework of political and security coordination" and that Cairo is "making efforts to help de-escalate the situation," warning that "the expansion of the scope and pace of Israeli attacks requires vigilance".

Egyptian political analyst and expert on Lebanese affairs Amr Nasif told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Cairo "is approaching the Lebanese file with realism, seeking to reach a consensual formula that preserves Lebanon’s stability and prevents it from sliding into a full confrontation—especially after the developments in Syria and Israel’s expansion into areas historically considered an integral part of Egypt’s national security framework."