CAIRO: Egypt has asked international police agency Interpol to track down a 3,000-year-old Tutankhamun artefact that was sold in London for $6 million despite fierce opposition from Cairo, government officials said.
Christie’s auction house sold the 28.5-centimeter (11-inch) relic for £4,746,250 ($5,970,000, 5,290,000 euros) to an unknown buyer in early July at one of its most controversial auctions in years.
But less than a week after the sale, Egypt’s National Committee for Antiquities Repatriation (NCAR) said after an urgent meeting that national prosecutors had asked Interpol “to issue a circular to trace” such artefacts over alleged missing paperwork.
“The committee expresses its deep discontent of the unprofessional behavior of the sale of Egyptian antiquities without providing the ownership documents and the evidences that prove its legal export from Egypt,” the NCAR said in a statement.
The committee — headed by Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany and attended by his predecessor Zahi Hawass as well as officials from various ministries — also called upon Britain to “prohibit the export of the sold artefacts” until the Egyptian authorities were shown the documents.
It suggested the issue could have an impact on cultural relations, by referencing “the ongoing cooperation between both countries in the field of archaeology, especially that there are 18 British archaeological missions are working in Egypt.”
The NCAR added it had hired a British law firm to file a “civil lawsuit” although no further details were given.
The London sale of the head of “Boy King” Tutankhamun angered Egyptian officials at the time and sparked a protest outside Christie’s by about a dozen people who held up signs reading “stop trading in smuggled antiquities.”
Hawass told AFP that the piece appeared to have been “stolen” in the 1970s from the Karnak Temple complex just north of Luxor and the Egyptian foreign ministry asked the UK Foreign Office and the UN cultural body UNESCO to step in and halt the sale.
But such interventions are rare and made only when there is clear evidence of the item’s legitimate acquisition by the seller being in dispute.
Christie’s argued that Egypt had never before expressed the same level of concern about an item whose existence has been “well known and exhibited publicly” for many years.
“The object is not, and has not been, the subject of an investigation,” Christie’s said in a statement to AFP.
The auction house has published a chronology of how the relic changed hands between European art dealers over the past 50 years and told AFP that it would “not sell any work where there isn’t clear title of ownership.”
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Egypt asks Interpol to trace Tutankhamun mask over ownership docs
Egypt asks Interpol to trace Tutankhamun mask over ownership docs
Iraqi foreign minister calls for emergency meeting of Arab counterparts next week
- Its aim would be to coordinate Arab positions on the escalating military confrontation between Israel and Iran
- Fuad Hussein suggests it take place during the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s Council of Foreign Ministers session that begins in Istanbul on Saturday
LONDON: Iraq’s foreign minister, Fuad Hussein, on Wednesday called for an emergency meeting of his Arab counterparts to discuss the conflict between Israel and Iran, which he said poses destabilizing risks to the wider Middle East.
He suggested it take place on the sidelines of the 51st session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s Council of Foreign Ministers, which is due to begin in Istanbul on Saturday. The aim of the emergency meeting would be to coordinate Arab positions on the escalation of the military confrontation between Israel and Iran, who have been exchanging attacks since Friday.
Also on Wednesday, Hussein called his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, to discuss the conflict and its repercussions for the security and stability of the region, officials said. Iraq currently chairs the Arab League, which held its most recent summit in Baghdad in May. Egypt hosts the League’s headquarters in Cairo.
Iran-Israel war fears spark fuel shortages in West Bank
- “Fearing potential supply disruptions or further escalation, citizens across the West Bank have begun stockpiling fuel,” said Abu Al-Rob
- In the northern West Bank city of Nablus, dozens of drivers waited in line for fuel
RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: Fears over the war between Israel and Iran have led to fuel shortages in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority told AFP Wednesday, as drivers queued in long lines to buy fuel.
“Fearing potential supply disruptions or further escalation, citizens across the West Bank have begun stockpiling fuel, putting additional pressure on an already strained market,” said Mohammad Abu Al-Rob, director of the PA’s communications center.
After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel on Friday launched a massive bombing campaign that prompted Iran to respond with missiles and drones.
The PA official said there has also been “a noticeable decline in the number of fuel tankers arriving from Israel, some of which have been redirected for use by the Israeli occupation army.”
In the northern West Bank city of Nablus, dozens of drivers waited in line for fuel.
Mohammad Ayoub, a resident of Nablus who had been waiting in line for two hours, said he hoped to finally purchase fuel after several failed attempts.
“I came yesterday at about 11:00 p.m. and found the gas stations closed. I also came early in the morning and the situation was the same.”
Ahmad Samaana, a truck driver from Nablus, complained of limits placed on fuel purchases.
“Large trucks, like the one I have, need about 500 liters, but when we enter the station, the worker at the station tells me that he allows filling up with a value of 500 shekels, which is less than 100 liters of diesel,” he told AFP.
“This is not enough for a truck.”
Abu Al-Rob noted that “the (fuel) supply chain remains entirely subject to Israel’s will and control,” as the country controls all entry points into the West Bank, which it has occupied since 1967.
He relayed the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority’s call “to safeguard the flow of essential supplies — particularly fuel for hospitals, bakeries, and other critical sectors” should the situation worsen.
Israel to resume natural gas exports when military deems it’s safe, energy minister says
- Cohen said he has been in contact with Egypt and Jordan about the cut in supplies.
- “I don’t want to use our strategic storage, so therefore, I needed to cut exports”
TEL AVIV: Israel will resume its natural gas exports when the country’s military believes it would be safe to do so, Israel’s Energy Minister Eli Cohen said on Wednesday, as an air battle between Israel and Iran entered its sixth day.
Two of Israel’s three gas fields — Chevron-operated Leviathan and Energean’s Karish — off its Mediterranean coast that provide the bulk of exports to Egypt and Jordan, have been shut since June 13 amid the conflict between Israel and Iran.
That leaves in operation only the older Tamar field, used mainly for domestic supplies.
Cohen said he has been in contact with Egypt and Jordan about the cut in supplies.
“They can see that we are in a war. I don’t want to use our strategic storage, so therefore, I needed to cut exports,” Cohen told Reuters after a news briefing.
“I hope I will be able to use another rig as soon as possible and use it for the supply of gas (exports). For me, the most important thing is (supplying) Israel,” he said, alluding to fueling needs during the conflict with Iran.
It wasn’t clear when another gas field will be reopened, Cohen said, noting: “We are working with them [the military], the Navy, and right now their recommendation is that one (field) will continue to work and two will be shut down.”
Israeli gas accounts for about 15-20 percent of Egypt’s consumption, data from the Joint Organizations Data Initiative (JODI) shows. The disruption to Israel’s gas supply led Egyptian fertilizer producers to halt operations on Friday.
Israel launched the air war on Iran on Friday after concluding the latter was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon. Iran maintains its nuclear program is purely for civilian purposes.
OTHER ENERGY SOURCES
Israel’s energy sector, Cohen said, was operating normally, with no shortages expected since the country also maintains reserves in coal, diesel and renewable energy.
Israel’s Oil Refineries in Haifa was hit by an Iranian missile this week, which killed three people and halted operations.
Cohen said he hoped the facility would resume operations within a month, though a second refinery in the south remains open.
Since Friday, the percentage of renewable, or solar, energy used in electricity production has more than doubled to some 40 percent, Cohen said.
There was also some damage to wastewater treatment facilities and pipelines from Iranian air strikes.
Cohen acknowledged that victory against Iran could take weeks but Israel’s energy demands could be met.
“Although the Iranians struck some of our plants, we have very strong energy facilities that can supply all the energy demands for Israeli citizens and the army, in fuel, gas, electricity and water.”
Iranian Ambassador in Tokyo hails Saudi and Arab support
- Ambassador Seadat recognized the substantial support from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
- “We will always remember the kindness shown to us by our brothers in Saudi Arabia,” he told Arab News Japan
TOKYO: Iranian Ambassador to Japan, Peiman Seadat, expressed his gratitude for the unified support of Saudi Arabia and other Arab and Muslim countries in their collective effort against the aggression of the Israeli war machine.
He stated that this unity among Arab and Muslim nations is a testament to the strength of regional cooperation.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News Japan on Wednesday, the Ambassador highlighted that Arab and Muslim countries recognize the seriousness of the aggression by the Israeli regime and the threat it poses to the entire region.
Ambassador Seadat recognized the substantial support from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Foreign Minister Prince Farhan.
“We are deeply grateful for the compassionate assistance provided by the Crown Prince to approximately 80,000 Iranian pilgrims who have been stranded in Saudi Arabia. His Highness personally assured us that these pilgrims are being welcomed as guests of the Kingdom. We will always remember the kindness shown to us by our brothers in Saudi Arabia.”
The Iranian Ambassador, Seadat, also highlighted the support to Iran by Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman, among others. He also expressed gratitude to the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, for his clear condemnation of Israel’s aggressive actions against Iran.
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation initiative ‘outrageous’: UN probe chief
- GHF began operations on May 26 after Israel completely cut off supplies into Gaza for more than two months, sparking warnings of mass famine
- UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the foundation over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives
GENEVA: The use of the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to distribute food in the Palestinian territory is “outrageous,” the head of a UN inquiry said Wednesday.
Navi Pillay, who chairs the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Israel and the Palestinian territories, joined a growing chorus of criticism of the GHF’s operations, and cited its US links.
“In every war, the siege and starvation surely leads to death,” the former UN rights chief told journalists.
“But this initiative of what’s called a foundation, a private foundation, to supply food, is what I see as outrageous, because it involves the United States itself, the government, and it turns out, as we watch daily, that people who go to those centers are being killed as they seek food.”
An officially private effort with opaque funding, GHF began operations on May 26 after Israel completely cut off supplies into Gaza for more than two months, sparking warnings of mass famine.
The United Nations and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the foundation over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.
Dozens of Palestinians have been killed while trying to reach GHF distribution points.
Pillay said the commission would “have to look into... the policy purpose and how it’s being effected.
“We have to spell out what is the motive of, right now, the killing of people who are coming for humanitarian aid from this so-called foundation — and that lives are being lost just in trying to secure food for their children.”
Unprecedented in its open-ended scope, the three-person Commission of Inquiry was established by the UN Human Rights Council in May 2021 to investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
South African former High Court judge Pillay, 83, served as a judge on the International Criminal Court and presided over the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
On Tuesday she presented the commission’s latest report to the Human Rights Council.
It said Israel had attacked Gaza’s schools, religious and cultural sites as part of a “widespread and systematic” assault on the civilian population, in which Israeli forces have committed “war crimes” and “the crime against humanity of extermination.”
Israel does not cooperate with the investigation and has long accused it of “systematic anti-Israel discrimination.”
