Gaza truce talks in Cairo as heavy fighting rages

The Israeli military said it intensified operations in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. (File/AFP)
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Updated 06 March 2024
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Gaza truce talks in Cairo as heavy fighting rages

  • Israel boycotts talks, intensifies operations in Khan Younis
  • Arab foreign ministers’ meeting in Riyadh calls for ceasefire
  • US envoy Amos Hochstein to visit Beirut

RIYADH: Mediators in Cairo made a renewed push for a Gaza ceasefire, but differences remained as fighting raged on in the Palestinian territory gripped by desperate food shortages.

US, Qatari and Hamas envoys travelled to Cairo for the latest effort toward a six-week truce, stepped-up aid deliveries and the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

Their goal has been to secure a truce by the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on March 10 or 11.

But sticking points remained, including a Hamas demand that the Israeli armed forces entirely withdraw from the Gaza Strip after almost five months of devastating war.

Israel boycotted the ceasefire talks in Cairo after Hamas rejected its demand for a complete list naming hostages that are still alive, an Israeli newspaper reported.

A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for the talks, billed as a possible final hurdle before an agreement that would halt the fighting for six weeks. But by early evening there was no sign of the Israelis.

“There is no Israeli delegation in Cairo,” Ynet, the online version of Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, quoted unidentified Israeli officials as saying.

A Hamas source on Sunday told AFP its delegation to Cairo is being led by senior leader Khalil Al-Haya.

“The delegation will meet Egyptian mediators and deliver the group’s response to the new Paris proposal,” the source said, in reference to negotiations held last month in the French capital with Israel’s presence.

In Riyadh, Arab foreign ministers on Friday stressed the importance of achieving an immediate ceasefire and ensuring the security of relief corridors for the delivery of humanitarian, food and medical aid.

The 159th regular session of the Foreign Ministerial Council was held at the GCC headquarters of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Joint ministerial meetings between the GCC countries and Egypt, Morocco, and Jordan were held to further strengthen cooperation and discuss urgent matters related to besieged Gaza.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan participated in the meetings, chaired by Sheikh Mohammed Al-Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and minister of foreign affairs.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that what was happening in Gaza is part of a systematic plan to annihilate Palestine, adding that “security solutions to the conflict have brought nothing but destruction to the region, and the escalation in Gaza (has) extended to the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab.”

Pope Francis called for Gaza civilians to be given “safe access to the humanitarian aid they urgently need,” telling the faithful at the Vatican that he supports an “immediate ceasefire” and hostage release.

Washington has insisted the ceasefire deal is close and should be in place in time to halt fighting by the start of Ramadan.

But the warring sides have given little sign in public of backing away from previous demands.

After the Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo, a Palestinian official said the deal was “not yet there.” From the Israeli side, there was no official comment.

Also on Sunday, a senior Lebanese official said US envoy Amos Hochstein was due to visit Beirut on Monday to continue diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating the conflict across the Lebanese-Israeli border and bringing stability,

Lebanon’s deputy parliament speaker Elias Bou Saab, one of the officials due to meet Hochstein, said he believed the timing of his visit pointed to progress in efforts to secure a Gaza truce “within the next few hours or days.”

The war began on October 7 with an unprecedented Hamas attack on southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.

Gaza militants also abducted 250 hostages, of whom 130 remain in captivity according to Israel, a figure that includes 31 presumed dead.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive on the besieged Palestinian territory has killed 30,410 people, mostly women and children, the Gaza health ministry reported Sunday.

(With AFP)


Aoun urges UNHCR chief to organize the return of Syrian refugees

Updated 35 min 13 sec ago
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Aoun urges UNHCR chief to organize the return of Syrian refugees

  • Joseph Aoun said that Lebanon ‘wants the return of Syrian refugees to their country as soon as possible, especially since the reasons for their displacement no longer exist’
  • Filippo Grandi: Return of refugees ‘must be accompanied by financial support and respect for rights to prevent displacement again’

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on the UNHCR’s commissioner, Filippo Grandi, to “start organizing return convoys for the displaced Syrians in Lebanon.”

Aoun said Lebanon “can no longer support the burden resulting from their presence at different levels.”

He called on the international community to provide material and humanitarian support to achieve the return of displaced Syrians.

Some countries have already started their support, he added.

Grandi visited Aoun at the Presidential Palace to congratulate him on his election.

During the meeting, the president affirmed that Lebanon “wants the return of Syrian refugees to their country as soon as possible, especially since the reasons for their displacement no longer exist.”

Aoun, who also met with Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam, tackled the infiltration of several Syrians into Lebanon following the developments in the neighboring country.

He emphasized “the importance of working to stop infiltration on both sides of the Lebanese-Syrian border.”

Citing UNHCR estimations, Grandi said that more than 200,000 displaced Syrians had returned to their country from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and other countries since the fall of the former Syrian regime on Dec. 8.

Many others also wish to return home, he added.

He added that a survey conducted by the UNHCR showed that the number of those wishing to return had increased from about 1 percent to 30 percent in a matter of weeks.

Grandi affirmed that the UNHCR was “supporting those who returned and that we have already started doing so.”

He said the UNHCR’s relationship with the new authorities across Syria was constructive, and they had started prioritizing the issue.

Grandi said UNHCR wanted to work with Lebanon to build a practical way to support the return of Syrians.

To achieve this, the president can play a vital role with the international community, he added. 

After the meeting Grandi explained that his visits to Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Turkiye aim to “discuss the issue of Syrian refugees, particularly in light of recent political changes in Syria.

“We believe that these changes may allow refugees to return to their home country and leave their host nations, including Lebanon, which has hosted them with great generosity and patience for nearly 14 years.”

He added: “During the most recent war in Lebanon, between September and October, over 450,000 Syrian refugees returned to Syria.

“We believe that, with the return of this significant number of Syrian refugees, sustained support is crucial to ensure their permanent return.

“Therefore, we began implementing a program designed to support returnees from different countries by offering material assistance and other means of support.

“Material support is essential, as well as efforts to restore life in the areas where refugees are resettling,” he said.

“Otherwise, they will leave again, most probably to their host countries.

“It is important to note that the new Syrian authorities have welcomed the Syrian refugees back, which is a positive sign,” Grandi said.

“However, the new authorities must stay on course — respecting minorities, preserving the rights of all citizens, and lifting Syria to new horizons that rebuild trust among Syrians, including returning refugees,” he added.

Grandi held talks as Lebanese military authorities prepared for the withdrawal of Israeli forces following their incursion into southern Lebanon since Oct. 1. The 60-day stage of the ceasefire deal is set to expire at dawn on Sunday.

In a meeting with acting Lebanese Army Commander Maj.-Gen. Hassan Odeh, caretaker Defense Minister Maurice Slim underlined Lebanon’s “firm commitment to the withdrawal of the Israeli forces within the agreed deadline in the ceasefire agreement.”

Slim’s office stated that the discussion focused on the deployment of the Lebanese Army in all the areas from which the Israeli forces would withdraw.

Slim said the army was ready to be deployed in throughout the region.

The Lebanese Army entered the border town of Kafr Shuba in the eastern sector.

Units had been stationed on the outskirts of the town, facing Al-Sammaqa, an Israeli military site.

Other units have been deployed in Hanin, where Civil Defense teams recovered the bodies of several Hezbollah fighters.

Also on Saturday, the Israeli military destroyed rest facilities on the banks of the Wazzani River, and eight houses in the town of Taybeh were deliberately burned.

Video footage was taken by dozens of residents returning to their villages after the Lebanese Army deployed there, showing the extent of the destruction of property and facilities, especially in the town of Khiyam.

The Israeli military claimed that “forces of the 810th Brigade, operating under the command of the 210th Division, found and seized a large number of weapons in the Shebaa Farms, including anti-tank launchers, rocket launchers, machine guns, binoculars, and rockets aimed at Israeli territory.”

In a statement, the Israeli military said that “the forces of the 7th Brigade, operating under the command of the 91st Division, are continuing their activities in southern Lebanon to protect Israel's security.”

It claimed that “they are operating under the understandings reached between Israel and Lebanon while maintaining compliance with the conditions of the ceasefire agreement.”

Israel’s outgoing ambassador to the US, Michael Herzog, claimed that talks were being held with the administration of President Donald Trump to extend the withdrawal date from Lebanon scheduled for next Sunday.

The Trump administration is pressuring Israel to withdraw from Lebanon in accordance with the scheduled date on Sunday, the Israeli Army Radio reported.


Saudi Arabia optimistic about Lebanon’s future, FM says after meeting President Aoun

Updated 23 January 2025
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Saudi Arabia optimistic about Lebanon’s future, FM says after meeting President Aoun

  • Prince Faisal said Saudi Arabia was “optimistic about Lebanon’s future, in light of the reformist approach outlined in the president’s inaugural address”

BEIRUT: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has congratulated Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on his election as president on behalf of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Following his meeting with Aoun at the Presidential Palace, which lasted about half an hour, Prince Faisal said that they discussed “developments in the region; I conveyed to him the Kingdom’s support for Lebanon and its brotherly people in all fields.”

He emphasized “the importance of adhering to the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon and the importance of implementing Resolution 1701.”

Prince Faisal said that Saudi Arabia was “optimistic about Lebanon’s future, in light of the reformist approach outlined in the president’s inaugural address.”

He added: “We have great confidence in the president and the prime minister-designate to implement the required reforms in Lebanon, which will enhance the world’s confidence in Lebanon and contribute to stabilizing the political and economic situation in the country.

“We are optimistic that Lebanese leaders will seize the opportunity and work earnestly for Lebanon.”

The Kingdom, Prince Faisal said, “will continue to provide full support to Lebanon to achieve stability and development in various fields.”

He stressed the “necessity of continuous coordination between the two countries to achieve their shared goals.”

His visit marked a turning point in years of strained relations between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

The tension was caused by Hezbollah’s dominance over Lebanon’s political decisions over the past years, and the use of illegal crossings for drug smuggling, particularly Captagon, to Gulf states.

The Saudi minister emphasized from Davos that the election of Aoun as Lebanon’s president was a “very positive development.”

Prince Faisal welcomed the “formation of the government,” but emphasized the need for “real reforms and a forward-looking approach to ensure sustainable progress.”

He also reiterated that “the future of Lebanon rests in the hands of its people to make decisions that steer the country in a new direction.”

Meanwhile, Qatar’s ambassador to Lebanon, Saud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, expressed hope for “the formation of the new government in Lebanon, allowing it to focus on accomplishing its awaited tasks, which would foster stability and ensure the flow of aid for Lebanon’s reconstruction.”

He highlighted “the Gulf’s interest in Lebanon, illustrated by the visits of the Saudi and Kuwaiti ministers of foreign affairs, along with the Gulf Cooperation Council’s secretary-general, to Beirut.

“I believe Israel will withdraw from the territories it recently occupied in southern Lebanon. The international ceasefire monitoring committee is fulfilling its role, with the US and France supporting this outcome.”

The ambassador also said that “Gulf nationals, including Qataris, are expected to return to Lebanon for the summer season.”

Meanwhile, Emirati businessman Khalaf Al-Habtoor said that he plans to invest in a “large and ambitious project in Lebanon once the new government is formed. The project has a vision to contribute to the economic renaissance and provide thousands of jobs, to be a real addition to support the Lebanese economy and restore confidence in it.”

However, Al-Habtoor stressed that any new investment would be contingent on the formation of a properly constituted government.

“The new government must be free of subordination and quotas, and it must not include those who ruined Lebanon, caused the collapse of the economy and instigated its wars,” he said.

“This phase requires trustworthy leaders and a Cabinet of experienced and qualified individuals who are committed to prioritizing Lebanon’s interests. Security and stability are the foundation of any recovery, and these can only be achieved through a strong and independent government capable of restoring the confidence of Lebanese, Arab and international investors.”

Al-Habtoor also cautioned that “any leniency in the formation process or acceptance of subordination will only lead to the continuation of the crisis and will close the doors of investment and renaissance to Lebanon and its people.”


Iraqi amnesty law could free prisoners convicted of attacking US troops

Updated 23 January 2025
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Iraqi amnesty law could free prisoners convicted of attacking US troops

  • Judicial sources and lawmakers confirmed that those convicted of attacks against American forces in Iraq could benefit from the law
  • Sunni blocs in the Iraqi parliament have been pushing for the law

BAGHDAD: The Iraqi parliament has passed an amnesty law that could lead to the release of thousands of prisoners, including Iraqis convicted of attacks on US soldiers and people who fought for Islamic State, lawmakers said on Thursday.
A copy of the law seen by Reuters shows that those found guilty of terrorism leading to murder or disability, manslaughter, vandalising government institutions, and recruiting for or joining terrorist organizations can request a retrial if they allege a confession was extracted under duress.
Judicial sources and lawmakers confirmed that those convicted of attacks against American forces in Iraq could benefit from the law.
Sunni blocs in the Iraqi parliament have been pushing for the law as many of those in prison on such charges are Sunni Muslims, with most convicted of membership of Al Qaeda and Islamic State and carrying out attacks against Iraqi forces and civilians, mostly between 2004 and 2018.
Sunni lawmakers estimate that at least 30,000 Sunni prisoners will have the chance for a retrial.
Judicial sources say around 700 members of Shiite militias are also in prison convicted of terrorism, having been arrested by US forces between 2004 and 2008, for attacks on US soldiers.
Abul Karim Al-Mohammedawi, the Shiite head of parliament’s security and defense committee, said the top priority of the law should be releasing detainees who fought American forces in Iraq because “they are heroes and should be rewarded for their sacrifices, not left behind bars for the crime of defending their country.”
Sunni lawmaker Raad Al-Dahlaki said: “This law will not lead to the immediate release of prisoners. We, the Sunni bloc in parliament, demanded the retrial and review of all the prisoners’ investigations, and the courts will decide their fate.”
The law applies to all convicted Iraqis and those accused of crimes still under investigation or on trial. It also allows for the review of death sentences.
Government officials and judicial sources say the new law will alleviate pressure on overcrowded prisons, which currently house around 67,000 prisoners, far exceeding their capacity of 25,000.
Tuesday’s session also passed an amendment to the Iraqi personal status law, which was submitted by the majority Shiite blocs in parliament, that would allow Iraqi Muslims to choose either Sunni or Shi’ite sharia laws for personal status matters, instead of one standard regardless of sect or religion.
Critics say amendments that allow sect-based jurisprudence to govern personal matters, such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance, could institutionalize legal divisions between Sunni and Shiite Iraqis, further entrenching sectarian divides.
“This amendment could change the social fabric of the country at a time when sectarian tensions run high and stability remains precarious”, said Sarah Sanbar, Iraq researcher at Human Rights Watch.
The parliament also approved a law, which was pressed by the Kurds, allowing the return of farmlands confiscated before 2003 to their original owners, mainly Kurds.


Jordanian Foreign Ministry condemns Israeli military campaign in Jenin

Updated 23 January 2025
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Jordanian Foreign Ministry condemns Israeli military campaign in Jenin

  • Governor of Jenin says Israeli forces cut off electricity

LONDON: The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday condemned the Israeli military campaign in the city of Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank.

Sufian Al-Qudah, the spokesperson for the ministry, said that Jordan opposed and condemned the aggression of Israeli occupation forces in Jenin, which violated international humanitarian law.

He urged the international community to act to compel Israel to halt the escalation in action in the occupied West Bank, the Jordan News Agency reported.

The Governor of Jenin Kamal Abu Al-Rub told WAFA News Agency that Israeli forces had cut off electricity to the Jenin camp and surrounding areas on Thursday. This had resulted in a power outage at the Jenin Government and Ibn Sina hospitals.

The Israeli operation, which was launched just after a ceasefire in Gaza, has left at least 10 Palestinians dead, according to health authorities.


WEF panel discusses crises beyond Gaza, Ukraine, questions the ‘crisis of crisis management’

Updated 23 January 2025
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WEF panel discusses crises beyond Gaza, Ukraine, questions the ‘crisis of crisis management’

  • WEF draws attention to world’s flashpoints

DUBAI: More than 300 million people around the world will need humanitarian assistance and protection in 2025, according to the Global Humanitarian Overview.

The conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine have dominated international attention, while other crises — such as those in Sudan, Myanmar and Venezuela — continue to affect millions.

The World Economic Forum in Davos drew attention to these crises, bringing together Comfort Ero, the president and CEO of International Crisis Group; Catherine Russell, the executive director of UNICEF; and Ricardo Hausmann, founder and director of the Growth Lab at Harvard University. The panel they attended was titled “Crises Beneath the Headlines” and moderated by Ishaan Tharoor, the foreign affairs columnist at The Washington Post.

Ero said that it was the first time in the group’s 30 years of operations where its work was dominated by “big power rivalry and major power competition,” which “infects” and influences many conflicts.

Although there are fewer conflicts, particularly in Africa, it does not mean there are not any conflicts, she added.

Ero said: “I do not necessarily think that these conflicts are off the radar; they have been deprioritized because of the bandwidth and the capacity, and because there’s just an inordinate amount of conflicts on the rise at the same time.”

Russell said that UNICEF, too, was struggling to respond to the sheer number and scale of crises.

She said: “We estimate that more than 213 million children live in 146 countries and territories and will need humanitarian assistance. The numbers are just overwhelming.”

Crises in Haiti, Myanmar, Sudan and Syria are also on UNICEF’s agenda, but the organization faces funding issues with 50 percent of the humanitarian funding it receives going to only five emergencies, Russell said.

She spoke about the massive numbers of children affected in Haiti and Sudan.

Some 700,000 people, including 365,000 children, are displaced because of violence perpetrated by armed gangs, and 6 million people need humanitarian assistance, with serious food insecurity an added issue in Haiti.

In Sudan, 19 million children are school-aged and 17 million of them are out of school and have been for more than a year.

While Syria has had a recent moment of triumph, its infrastructure has completely collapsed and millions of children are out of school and living in areas with landmines, which have become a leading cause of death and injury, she added. 

“Attention draws resources, and so not having a lot of attention (drawn to these issues) is a problem,” Russell said.

Latin America is not free of issues either, with Venezuela being in the midst of a political and humanitarian crisis exacerbated by Nicolas Maduro, its president, remaining in office despite a six-month-long election dispute, international calls for him to stand aside, and an increase in the US reward offered for his capture.

Hausmann described the country’s downfall as “poetic in some dark sense.”

Despite Venezuela sitting on top of the largest oil reserves in the world, its gross domestic product has collapsed by 75 percent — “that’s three Great Depressions” — and 8 million people have left the country, he said.

Hausmann added that “Venezuela’s biggest obstacle is the government,” which has become an “international criminal organization” involved in “narco trafficking, money laundering, (and) the finance of terrorism.”

He said: “We have a situation where you have a government that has a deep internal sense of illegitimacy, and in the process of trying to survive it has destroyed the legitimacy of all other organizations (such as) the National Assembly, the Supreme Court, the attorney general, the army, etc.”

Looking to the future, he said, Venezuela was receiving mixed messages from the US with some people, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, “showing a willingness to be helpful in re-establishing democratic order,” while others, like Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno, were “more or less normalizing Maduro.”

Tharoor asked the panel how the work of international groups had been affected at a time when countries were shaping their messaging for a “Trumpist world” and becoming more “nation-first.”

Ero said that we “can’t divorce ourselves” from the nation-first approach or from “national interest.”

But, she added: “There is a serious question mark about the crisis of the crisis management system itself, where it’s very hard now to see who the key mediators are that have the influence and leverage to change the dynamics in a country like Sudan. We are in a crisis of peacemaking.”

Organizations like UNICEF and other humanitarian aid agencies are doing what they can but Russell described them as a “band-aid” that arrives due to political failures.

She said: “We save millions and millions of lives, but we’re not the answer. The answer is to stop the conflict in the first place. We have no power to do that, and so we are at the mercy of this really dysfunctional political system.”

She added that the countries that make up the UN Security Council “have to come together and decide that they’re going to put their own interests aside, hopefully, and try to look out for what’s best for their countries and their regions and the world at large.”