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‘We reject war,’ Lebanon tells Iranian foreign minister

Lebanon’s caretaker Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib, right, and Iran’s acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani hold a press conference in Beirut on June 3, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 03 June 2024
NAJIA HOUSSARI
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‘We reject war,’ Lebanon tells Iranian foreign minister

  • Israeli army, Hezbollah continue attacks as Lebanese security analyst sees ‘a state of military deterrence’
  • FM Kani stressed that ‘the close relationship between Iran and Lebanon is a major indicator of stability in the region and that resistance is the basis of stability in the region’
Updated 03 June 2024
NAJIA HOUSSARI

BEIRUT: Lebanon wants to avoid a wider war and is looking for sustainable solutions that restore calm and stability to the south, Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib said on Monday.

His remarks at a joint press conference in Beirut with acting Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani came as Hezbollah said it launched a squadron of drones toward the headquarters of the Israeli military’s Galilee formation.

An Israeli military drone targeted a car on Monday on the road between the villages of Kharayeb, Zrariyeh, and Kauthariyet Al-Rez with four rockets, killing one person.

The acting Iranian foreign minister arrived in Beirut on Monday for a visit during which he planned meetings with Lebanese officials as well as representatives from Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad.

Kani held talks with his counterpart in the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At the joint press conference, Kani said Iran has “always supported stability, safety, security, and progress in Lebanon and has spared no effort to promote the progress and well-being of the Lebanese people.”

Kani stressed that “the close relationship between Iran and Lebanon is a major indicator of stability in the region and that resistance is the basis of stability in the region.”

The Iranian official said the discussion focused on “events in Gaza, especially in Rafah, and we agreed on the necessity for countries in the region, especially Islamic countries, to adopt a joint movement to confront Israeli aggression and protect the Palestinian people.

“We also agreed on an initiative to hold an emergency meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation as a common proposal that enables us to take a decisive collective step in this regard.”

The Lebanese minister said Kani affirmed Iran’s keenness to preserve Lebanon’s stability.

Bou Habib reiterated Lebanon’s position rejecting war and its vision for a solution that would “restore calm and stability” through the implementation of UN Resolution 1701, approved in 2006 to resolve the Lebanon War that same year.

Kani’s visit to Lebanon is the first since the death of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian in a helicopter crash last month.

The talks took place as hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli army entered a new tense phase. Israeli attacks on Monday reached the outskirts of Saida and Iqlim Al-Tuffah — some 15 km from the southern border

The Israeli moves indicate “serious connotations and fear that the almost eight-month-long operations will turn into an open war,” said a political observer.

Israeli warplanes raided Jabal Al-Rihan, Jabal Abou Rashed, and the outskirts of Meidoun in Jezzine in five stages.

A drone struck a motorcycle in Naqoura, killing one person and injuring another.

Other warplanes carried out mock raids over the southern region, breaking the sound barrier over Al-Zahrani, which shattered the glass of several houses and shops in Kharayeb, Zrariyeh, and Erzay, as well as the window of a special needs school in Sarafand.

Israeli artillery shelling and raids targeted the outskirts of Mhaibib, Khiam, Aita Al-Shaab, Hanin in Bint Jbeil, and the Kasaret Al-Arayesh, Aramta heights, in Iqlim Al-Tuffah.

Ali Abbas Hamieh, researcher and writer in strategic and military affairs, told Arab News that Israel had taken its ongoing war to a new phase.

He commented that Hezbollah had yet to announce moving to a new stage of confrontation but believes that “the ongoing military operations show that the Israeli side is no longer superior (at) the military level."

Hamieh added that Israel has “lost its ability to hide, as its soldiers are being killed in their combat positions, while Hezbollah’s members are being targeted on their way home and not in their combat positions.”

As for the depth of the ongoing and escalating Israeli hostilities in southern Lebanon, Hamieh sees “a change in the Israeli military strategy.”

As for Hezbollah, “they are taking proactive measures.

“Hezbollah is now striking weapon factories in northern Israel in retaliation for any Israeli escalation inside Lebanon.”

Hamieh added: “There will be no more surprises from now on. We are in a state of military deterrence.”

He added: “I believe that Israel will avoid attacking sensitive locations in Lebanon because Hezbollah knows even more critical Israeli targets that it can attack.

“The losses are significant on both sides, and the costs are high, which everyone is mindful of.”

Hezbollah announced on Monday that it launched “attack drones on the new command headquarters of the Eastern Front in the Galilee Division (Nahal Gershon, east of Dishon) and the locations of its officers and soldiers.”

It said the drones hit their targets “accurately, causing fire to erupt and killing and injuring enemy soldiers.”

Hezbollah also said it had targeted “a military vehicle at the Israeli Har Addir site with guided missiles and hit it directly, leading to its destruction, leaving its crew dead and wounded.”

Additionally, Hezbollah targeted espionage equipment at the Al-Malikiyah site with artillery shells and a group of soldiers at the Khallet Wardah site with rockets.

Topics: War on Gaza Lebanon Iran Ali Bagheri Kani Abdullah Bou Habib

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‘New Syria’ offers historic moment of hope but also threats and uncertainty, says UN chief

Updated 19 December 2024
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‘New Syria’ offers historic moment of hope but also threats and uncertainty, says UN chief

  • Secretary-General Antonia Guterres warned of Daesh threats in parts of the country and called for Israeli airstrikes to stop
  • Progress could unravel ‘if the ongoing situation is not managed carefully by Syrians themselves’ with international support, he adds
Updated 19 December 2024
Ephrem Kossaify

NEW YORK CITY: While recent developments in Syria offer a long-awaited opportunity for Syrians to realize their aspirations for freedom “there is a real risk that progress could unravel” if the situation is not managed carefully, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Thursday.

Long-time dictator Bashar Assad fled the country on Dec. 8 following a swift offensive by a group of rebels. Their operation, which lasted less than two weeks, met little resistance.

Guterres noted that the end of more than five decades of “brutal, dictatorial rule” by the Assad family offers a long-sought opportunity for all Syrians to fulfill the aspirations that sparked their peaceful movement for change in 2011. The slogan that echoed across the country, “The Syrian people are one,” has never been more relevant, he added.

“It holds great promise for a country so rich in diversity, history and culture, along with its deep-rooted traditions of generosity, which I witnessed first-hand as high commissioner for refugees when the Syrian people welcomed millions of displaced Iraqis,” Guterres said.

However, he stressed that “nothing is guaranteed” and warned: “If the ongoing situation is not managed carefully by Syrians themselves, with the support of the international community, there is a real risk that progress could unravel.”

Guterres emphasized that “all communities must be fully integrated into the new Syria,” and “the rights of women and girls must be fully respected.” He also reiterated the importance of ensuring the process is guided by the principles outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

Adopted in 2015, the resolution calls for a ceasefire agreement and political settlement in Syria, and sets out a road map for the country’s transition, including “free and fair” elections.

Although some parts of Syria are relatively stable following the fall of Assad, Guterres warned that the conflict is far from over and civilians continue to be killed, injured and displaced. Daesh remains a threat in some areas, while Israel continues to target the country with extensive airstrikes.

“These are violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Guterres said. “They must stop.”

In the Golan Heights, he said, the UN’s Disengagement Observer Force has reported an ongoing Israeli military presence in several locations within the Area of Separation, despite long-standing agreements prohibiting such deployments.

The peacekeeping mission has also observed Israeli personnel and equipment in at least one place inside the Area of Limitation. The 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria stipulates that this area must remain free of military forces.

Guterres called on Israel and Syria to fully comply with the terms of the agreement, which “remains in full force.”

He added: “Let me be clear: There should be no military forces in the Area of Separation other than UN peacekeepers, period. Syria’s sovereignty, territorial unity and integrity must be fully restored, and all acts of aggression must come to an immediate end.”

Neighboring country Turkiye has “a very important role” to play in convincing parties in Syria of the need for inclusive dialogue, Guterres said. However, he also stressed the need to establish a permanent ceasefire in northeastern Syria, and to stem the activities of Daesh in the area.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in the country remains one of the worst in the world, with the recent escalation further exacerbating the needs of people nationwide. Guterres stressed the urgent need to ensure humanitarian and recovery efforts receive adequate funding. The UN’s humanitarian chief has already warned that the appeal for aid to Syria, one of the largest in the world, remains severely underfunded.

Describing the current moment in Syria as one of “hope and history” but also “great uncertainty,” Guterres said: “Some will try to exploit the situation for their own narrow interests. But it is the obligation of the international community to stand with the people of Syria, who have suffered so much.

“Syria’s future must be shaped by its people, for its people, with the support of all of us.”

Topics: Fall of Assad United Nations (UN) Antonio Guterres

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Putin says fall of Assad not a ‘defeat’ for Russia

Updated 19 December 2024
AFP
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Putin says fall of Assad not a ‘defeat’ for Russia

  • Assad’s departure came over 13 years after crackdown on democracy protests precipitated civil war
  • Russia was Assad’s key backer and swept to his aid in 2015, turning the tide of the conflict in his favor
Updated 19 December 2024
AFP

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the fall of ex-Syrian leader Bashar Assad was not a “defeat” for Russia, claiming Moscow had achieved its goals in the country.
Assad fled to Moscow earlier this month after a shock militant advance ended half a century of rule by the Assad family, marked by repression and allegations of vast human rights abuses and civil war.
His departure came more than 13 years after his crackdown on democracy protests precipitated a civil war.
Russia was Assad’s key backer and had swept to his aid in 2015, turning the tide of the conflict.
“You want to present what is happening in Syria as a defeat for Russia,” Putin said at his annual end-of-year press conference.
“I assure you it is not,” he said, responding to a question from an American journalist.
“We came to Syria 10 years ago so that a terrorist enclave would not be created there like in Afghanistan. On the whole, we have achieved our goal,” Putin said.
The Kremlin leader said he had yet to meet with Assad in Moscow, but planned to do so soon.
“I haven’t yet seen president Assad since his arrival in Moscow but I plan to, I will definitely speak with him,” he said.
Putin was addressing the situation in Syria publicly for the first time since Assad’s fall.
Moscow is keen to secure the fate of two military bases in the country.
The Tartus naval base and Hmeimim air base are Russia’s only military outposts outside the former Soviet Union and have been key to the Kremlin’s activities in Africa and the Middle East.
Putin said there was support for Russia keeping hold of the bases.
“We maintain contacts with all those who control the situation there, with all the countries of the region. An overwhelming majority of them say they are interested in our military bases staying there,” Putin said.
He also said Russia had evacuated 4,000 Iranian soldiers from the country at the request from Tehran.

Syrian girls’ right to schooling unrestricted, new education minister says

Updated 19 December 2024
AFP
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Syrian girls’ right to schooling unrestricted, new education minister says

  • New rulers promise equal treatment for all minority groups
  • Education minister assures girls’ right to education remains unchanged
  • Half of Syria’s schools destroyed or damaged, Qadri says
Updated 19 December 2024
AFP

DAMASCUS: Syria will remove all references to the former ruling Baath party from its educational system as of next week but will not otherwise change school curricula or restrict the rights of girls to learn, the country’s new education minister said.
“Education is a red line for the Syrian people, more important than food and water,” Nazir Mohammad Al-Qadri said in an interview from his office in Damascus.
“The right to education is not limited to one specific gender. ... There may be more girls in our schools than boys,” he said.
The secular, pan-Arab nationalist Baath Party governed Syria since a 1963 coup d’etat, seeing education as an important tool for instilling life-long loyalty among the young to the country’s authoritarian ruling system.
President Bashar Assad was toppled on Dec. 8 by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist rebel group that some Syrians fear may seek to implement a conservative form of Islamist governance.
But Qadri’s plans reflect their wider management approach and moderate messaging so far.
Syria has long been seen to have one of the Arab world’s strongest education systems, a reputation that has largely survived 13 years of civil war.
Qadri said religion — both Muslim and Christian — will continue to be taught as a subject in school.
Primary schools will remain mixed between boys and girls, while secondary education will stay largely segregated, he said.
“After primary school, there were always schools for females and schools for males. We won’t change that,” said Qadri, who had taken to his ornately-furnished office so recently that he had not yet procured Syria’s new green, white and black flag.
Syria’s new rulers, who have long-since disavowed their former Al-Qaeda links, have said that all of Syria’s minority groups including Kurds, Christians, Druze and Alawites will be treated equal as the new government focuses on rebuilding.
They face a formidable challenge.
Syria remains under tight Western sanctions.
Entire cities were levelled in 13 years of war that Qadri said had also left about half the country’s 18,000 schools damaged or destroyed.
But the rebels have moved into government fast, extending a hand to former state employees who have shown up to work in droves.
Most of the new ministers are young — in their 30s or 40s — making 54-year-old Qadri among the oldest in government.
Born and raised in Damascus, he was imprisoned by the Assad regime in 2008 on what he said were spurious charges of inciting sectarian strife, preventing him from finishing his bachelor’s degree.
He was released a decade later and fled to northern Idlib, then under the control of HTS, becoming education minister in its Salvation Government in 2022.
He is currently finishing his masters thesis in Arabic language.
With the political and social contours of the new Syrian state still being drawn, Qadri said students would not be tested on their mandatory “nationalist studies” — previously a vehicle for teaching Baathism and Assad family history — this year.

Topics: Fall of Assad Syria Education

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Palestinian health ministry says 4 killed in Israeli West Bank strike

Updated 19 December 2024
AFP
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Palestinian health ministry says 4 killed in Israeli West Bank strike

Updated 19 December 2024
AFP

RAMALLAH: The Palestinian health ministry said Thursday that an Israeli air strike on a car killed four Palestinians and wounded three near the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarem.
The ministry announced that the Palestinians were killed “as a result of the (Israeli) bombing of a vehicle in Tulkarem camp,” which the Israeli army did not immediately confirm to AFP.

Topics: west bank palestine War on Gaza

Turkiye, Iran leaders call for Syria unity at Muslim summit in Cairo

Updated 48 min 29 sec ago
AFP
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Turkiye, Iran leaders call for Syria unity at Muslim summit in Cairo

  • Relations between Egypt and Iran have been strained for decades, but diplomatic contacts have intensified since Cairo became a mediator in the war in Gaza
Updated 48 min 29 sec ago
AFP

CAIRO: The leaders of Turkiye and Iran called on Thursday for unity in Syria at a summit of eight Muslim-majority countries after the ouster of Syria’s president Bashar Assad.
Turkiye historically backed Assad’s opponents, while Iran supported his rule.
The gathering of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, also known as the Developing-8, was being held against a backdrop of regional turmoil including the conflict in Gaza, a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon and unrest in Syria.
In a speech at the summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, called for reconciliation in Syria and the restoration of the country’s “territorial integrity and unity.”
He also voiced hope for “the establishment of a Syria free of terrorism,” where “all religious sects and ethnic groups live side by side in peace.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also called for “the participation of all (Syrian) groups in the future government... as well as respect for different beliefs and religions.”
He added that “for more than 14 months, the Middle East region, in particular Gaza and southern Lebanon, and now... Syria, has been the target of massive attacks” by Israel.
“It is our religious, legal and human duty to prevent further harm” to those suffering in the conflict zones, he said.
Pezeshkian is the first Iranian president to visit Egypt since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2013.
Relations between Egypt and Iran have been strained for decades, but diplomatic contacts have intensified since Cairo became a mediator in the war in Gaza.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Egypt in October, while his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty traveled to Tehran in July to attend Pezeshkian’s inauguration.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, speaking at a special session on Gaza and Lebanon, said the international community should adopt “a single standard of justice” and ensure Israel “is held accountable and punished for violations of international law” in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.
Abbas called for the adoption of a political plan he presented at a November summit in Riyadh, which includes a ceasefire, Israel’s complete withdrawal from Gaza and full UN membership for Palestine.
Iran’s president expressed support for any agreement backed by all Palestinian factions.
“The right to self-determination of the Palestinian people must be respected,” said Pezeshkian.
He called on the international community to pressure Israel to implement a ceasefire in Gaza, end attacks on Lebanon and Syria and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
The Cairo summit also hosted a meeting between Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Pakistan and Bangladesh were once one nation but split in a brutal 1971 war, with Bangladesh then drawing closer to Pakistan’s arch-rival India.
Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus said he had “agreed to strengthen relations” with Pakistan, a move likely to further test his country’s frosty relations with India.
Established in 1997, the D-8 aims to foster cooperation among member states, spanning regions from Southeast Asia to Africa.
The organization includes Egypt, Turkiye, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia as member states.

Topics: Iran Turkiye Egypt

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