Palace intrigue: Why did President Sisi remove his trusted intelligence director?

Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi removed his long-time ally, intelligence chief Maj.-Gen. Abbas Kamel, from his position on Wednesday, according to international media reports.

Kamel was rotated out of his position as Director of the General Intelligence Directorate (GID) and was appointed special envoy and adviser to the president and general coordinator of the security services. The reasoning for the change is still unclear.

He was replaced by his deputy, Maj.-Gen. Hassan Mahmoud Rashad, who the New Arab describes as a "veteran intelligence officer."

Ostensibly, the change is down to Kamel's deteriorating health, with security sources telling Reuters that he had asked for a reduced workload.

However, several media sources have called into question this narrative, pointing out that it is unclear exactly what Kamel's new role entails and whether this is a promotion or demotion.

Who is Abbas Kamel?

Kamel is considered to have been a strong influence on Sisi's regime, having had close contact with the CIA, Mossad, and Qatar, according to The New York Times, having been one of the primary negotiators of the 2021 ceasefire.

He was considered a key player in the hostage negotiations, leading many to speculate as to whether the removal was connected to the lack of movement in the negotiations.

Less than 24 hours after the appointment of Rashad, the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Cairo for the first time in nearly a decade, according to the New Arab, signaling a possible shift in Egyptian strategy.

Others linked Kamel's removal to the undeclared meeting between himself and Israel's Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) Director Ronen Bar on October 13.

Some have speculated that Kamel's influence had become too pervasive and that Sisi had become alarmed at his creeping power, leading him to offer an honorary advisory post to keep him close but stripping him of direct power.

Kamel was a key figure in Sisi's rise to power, having served as Sisi's deputy in Military Intelligence before the 2013 coup that brought him to power.

He was appointed head of the GID in 2018, following growing opposition, which led to former Egyptian military officials deciding to run against Sisi. Sisi won the 2018 election with 97.08% of the vote.

He also had a strong influence on the government's foreign policy, largely sidelining the civilian foreign ministry, according to The New York Times.

Kamel was also linked to the corruption case against Senator Robert Menendez, who was charged with steering military and economic aid toward Egypt in exchange for cash and gold bars.

He has also acted as Sisi's number two in domestic matters, having helped influence the Egyptian parliament and opposition to more favorable positions.

He is also accused of directly controlling Egyptian state-owned media to produce content and media favorable to the regime.

Israel and American officials are said to be strongly dismayed at the removal of Kamel, with some reports indicating that the change may strain not only the hostage negotiations but also Egyptian-Israeli relations generally.

Who is Hassan Rashad?

Rashad is an elusive figure with little to no knowledge about his views or ideas publicly available.

He graduated from Cairo's Military Technical College, the traditional school for many of Egypt's intelligence officers, and has served in the intelligence services for the past 34 years.

Rashad has been closely involved in many of Kamel's missions and projects, overseeing key intelligence tasks, including Egypt's relationship with Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal.