DUBAI: Sustainable peace solutions demand leadership from within the region, emphasized leaders during a high-profile panel discussion titled ‘How to Lower the Temperature in the Middle East’ at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday. 

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Al-Safadi made a strong appeal for empowering Middle Eastern nations to take the lead in resolving their own crises.  

“In the region, we are ready to do the heavy lifting to resolve our crises. We need our partners, but we also need them to understand that we know our region well. We know what it takes to achieve peace, and we need the space to offer our solutions. Most importantly, we need to be listened to—not talked at—as we address these challenges,” Al-Safadi said. 

The panel explored the complex and interconnected challenges in the Middle East, including the ongoing war in Gaza, a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon, political transitions in Syria, and rising tensions in the Red Sea and Horn of Africa. The panelists emphasized the importance of regional collaboration, diplomacy, and addressing root causes of instability. 

West Bank Tensions 

Al-Safadi also warned of the dangers of neglecting the situation in the West Bank, describing it as “extremely dangerous.” He highlighted that while Gaza is seeing a degree of calm after intense fighting, escalating tensions in the West Bank could reignite violence.  

“If that happens, we’ll find ourselves trapped in the same cycle all over again,” he said. 

Israel’s military operation in the West Bank’s Jenin entered its third day on Thursday, coming shortly after a ceasefire agreement was reached in Gaza. 

The raid has forced hundreds of residents to flee the refugee camp, with Israeli forces applying tactics previously used in Gaza. At least 10 Palestinians have been killed during the “Iron Wall” campaign, which Defense Minister Israel Katz described as a shift in Israel’s military strategy in the West Bank. 

Varsen Aghabekian, the Palestinian National Authority’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, called for a durable peace process that prioritizes Palestinian rights.  

“We hope this ceasefire becomes a permanent one. The US has proven it can play a key role, as we’ve seen in the past week, but durable peace must go beyond past frameworks and address the realities on the ground. The status quo in the Middle East cannot continue,” she said. 

Syria: Sanctions and Stability

Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad Hasan Al-Shaibani echoed the call for regional collaboration, emphasizing the need for international support.  

“We bring hope to all Syrians by working to restore stability and security. What we seek from our international partners is support for Syria’s political process and a new path for the country’s future,” he stated.  

Al-Shaibani also called for lifting sanctions on Syria, describing them as a significant barrier to the country’s development and stability. 

Northern Syria and Regional Security Risks

Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein highlighted the risks posed by any renewed fighting in northern Syria, warning that it could lead to a surge of refugees into Iraq and pose security threats to both nations.  

“Fighting in that area threatens the prisons holding thousands of Daesh and Al-Qaeda terrorists. Imagine if they are freed—what would that mean for Syrian and Iraqi security?” Hussein said. 

Hussein also addressed the ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States, noting that Iraq is directly affected by this strained relationship.  

“We hope both sides choose different approaches,” he said, adding that while Iran has signaled a willingness to negotiate, the US has not yet shown readiness. 

JENIN, Palestinian Territories: A Palestinian official said hundreds of people began leaving their homes in a flashpoint area of the West Bank on Thursday as Israeli forces pressed a deadly operation there.
The Israeli military launched this week a raid in the Jenin area, a hotbed of Palestinian militancy, days into a ceasefire in the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the objective of the operation, dubbed “Iron Wall,” was to “eradicate terrorism” in the area.
He linked the operation to a broader strategy of countering Iran “wherever it sends its arms — in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen” and the West Bank.
The Israeli government has accused Iran, which supports armed groups across the Middle East, including Hamas in Gaza, of attempting to funnel weapons and funds to militants in the occupied Palestinian territory.
“Hundreds of camp residents have begun leaving after the Israeli army, using loudspeakers on drones and military vehicles, ordered them to evacuate the camp,” Jenin governor Kamal Abu Al-Rub told AFP.
The Israeli army told AFP that it was “unaware of any evacuation orders for residents in Jenin as of now.”
Since it began on Tuesday, the operation has killed at least 10 Palestinians and injured 40 more in the Jenin area, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
“There are dozens of camp residents who have begun to leave,” Jenin resident Salim Saadi said.
“The army is in front of my house. They could enter at any moment.”
Israeli forces have also detained several Palestinians from the Jenin area, with an AFP photographer seeing a row of blindfolded men in white jumpsuits being transported out of the West Bank.
Palestinians had already begun fleeing the Jenin area on foot on Wednesday, with AFPTV images showing a group of men, women and children making their way down a muddy road, the sound of drones buzzing above them clearly audible.
The Israeli military said Thursday it killed two Palestinian militants near Jenin during the night, accusing them of murdering three Israelis.
In a statement, the military said that Israeli forces found the two militants barricaded in a house in the village of Burqin.
“After an exchange of fire, they were eliminated by the forces,” it said, adding one soldier was injured in the gunfight.
The two men were wanted for the killing of three Israelis and wounding of six others in a January 6 an attack on a bus in the West Bank.
Violence has surged throughout the occupied West Bank since the Gaza war erupted on October 7, 2023 with Hamas’s attack on southern Israel.
According to the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 850 Palestinians in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war began.
During the same period, at least 29 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations in the territory, according to official Israeli figures.
The Jenin raid began days after a truce took effect in Gaza on Sunday, after 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas.
On Wednesday, the Israeli military said it had killed a militant in Gaza from the Hamas-allied movement Islamic Jihad, the first such reported death since the start of the truce.
The military said it was abiding by the terms of the ceasefire, saying it was “determined to fully maintain the terms of the agreement in order to return the hostages.”
The ceasefire followed months of fruitless negotiations mediated by Qatar, the United States and Egypt.