Egypt replaces intelligence chief amid stalled Gaza talks

Egypt has replaced the head of its powerful state intelligence agency, appointing Hassan Rashad as the new chief, local media reported. Rashad will lead efforts in stalled negotiations over Gaza.

Abbas Kamel, a close ally of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Kamel’s former chief of staff, held the position since 2018.

Kamel will transition to a new role as presidential advisor and envoy, as well as general coordinator of security services, according to state-aligned media outlet Extra News.

Stalled cease-fire talks

The leadership change comes as Egypt faces significant regional conflicts. For over a year, Egypt, alongside fellow mediators Qatar and the United States, has struggled to broker a cease-fire in Gaza, where violence has also spilled into Lebanon.

On Egypt’s southern border, eighteen months of conflict between Sudan’s regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the world’s largest displacement crisis, displacing more than 400,000 refugees into Egypt.

Further south in the Horn of Africa, Egypt is engaged in a rivalry with Ethiopia that analysts say is reshaping regional alliances.

Rashad previously served as Kamel’s deputy, according to Extra News, part of a conglomerate with ties to state intelligence that has increasingly influenced Egyptian media in recent years.