Sisi of Egypt succeeds the head of the influential general intelligence agency

Major General Hassan Mahmoud Rashad was appointed by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt as the director of the powerful general intelligence agency on Wednesday. Abbas Kamel, the agency’s departing commander, was designated an assistant to the president.

Under Sisi, the organization has taken the lead in managing both domestic security challenges related to a protracted crackdown on political dissent and foreign policy issues, such as the crises in Gaza, Sudan, and Libya.

Two security sources said that Rashad, who had previously been Kamel’s deputy, had assumed control of key files, such as the thawing of Egypt-Iran relations.

Although the potential effects of the transition were not immediately apparent, Sisi has relied significantly on Kamel, who frequently attended summits and talks with high-ranking foreign officials. Kamel frequently traveled overseas as an envoy.

Prior to being named head of the intelligence agency in 2018, Kamel, 68, served as director of Sisi’s office and in military intelligence.
According to the security sources, he recently requested that some of his onerous job be delegated after experiencing health issues.

Overseen by Kamel, another top intelligence official has been in charge of the stalled ceasefire talks in Gaza, where Egypt has served as a mediator alongside the United States and Qatar.

Rashad and Kamel met Sisi, and Rashad took an oath in front of the president, according to photos made public and a statement from the administration.

Rashad is a graduate of the Military Technical College in Cairo, which has long served as a training ground for intelligence service commanders.