The United Nations accused Islamic State insurgents on Wednesday of committing war crimes including amputations and public executions, sometimes in the presence of children, and said it believed Damascus had used chlorine gas in combating its enemies.

Following the arrest of five militants of the jihadist cell calling itself Helwan Brigades on Tuesday, security Wednesday were able to detect the whereabouts of seven other suspects, an official source told Youm7.

Israel and the Palestinians have reached a Gaza ceasefire deal and an official announcement will be made in Egypt, where the agreement was mediated, a Gaza-basedHamas spokesman said on Tuesday.

The Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi said that Qatar, Turkey, the United States and the Muslim Brotherhood are funding new online media projects that "aim to undermine Egypt's stability."

Military spokesperson Mohamed Samir said the Second Army arrested four wanted terrorists in Sheikh Zuweid and Rafah, destroyed a vehicle and six motorcycles without license plates that were allegedly used in carrying out terrorist attacks, and destroyed five tunnels in Rafah.

The situation of Coptic Christians in Egypt has improved since the 2013 military overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood, and conversions from Islam to Coptic Christianity are on the rise, according to a report that appears on the website of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

The Canadian wife of an ex-aide to Egyptian Islamist president Mohamed Mursi, whose husband has been detained more than 400 days in solitary confinement, says she has brought a case to the United Nations this week, seeking support for his release.

Cairo Criminal Court decided on Monday to postpone the trial of deposed President Mohamed Morsy and 14 other leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood to 11 October.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has said that Egypt will not give up on supporting the Palestinian cause, adding that his stance is clear in establishing a Palestinian state on lands that were occupied in 1948 with Eastern Jerusalem as its capital.

Hamas political deputy Samy Abu Zoheiry denied Monday media reports claiming Egypt would announce a new cease-fire proposal between Palestine and Israel.

Patriarch John X’s speech welcoming Patriarch Ephrem II to the Monastery of Saint George al-Homeyra My brother, Your Holiness and Beatitude Patriarch Mar Ignatius Ephrem II Karim, My brothers the bishops and priests, People of the Syriac and Greek Church of Antioch who are one and great in their faith and ardent zeal, Beloved and neighbors of Saint Ephrem,

Former presidential spokesman Yasser Ali and 12 other defendants have been referred to court on charges of aiding former Islamist Prime Minister Hisham Qandil to escape, and for being part of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The top Islamic authority in Egypt, revered by many Muslims worldwide, has launched a campaign against an extremist group in Syria and Iraq, saying it is not an "Islamic State."

Police have released Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) leading figure Helmi al-Gazzar. FJP said he has arrived at his house on Saturday.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has said that Egypt will not give up on supporting the Palestinian cause, adding that his stance is clear in establishing a Palestinian state on lands that were occupied in 1948 with Eastern Jerusalem as its capital.

Security arrested 35 supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood on Friday during weekly protests the group organizes to condemn the incumbent authorities which ousted former Egyptian president and group leader Mohamed Morsy, the Interior Ministry said.

Four extremists were killed and two others were arrested in an extended crackdown in Sheikh Zuwaid and Rafah in North Sinai, security sources said Thursday.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas held talks with exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal on Thursday as renewed offensive raged in Gaza following the collapse of Egyptian-brokered truce efforts.

Seventeen supporters of former President Mohamed Morsi were sentenced to life imprisonment by a Cairo Court Wednesday, reported state-owned Ahram Online.