UK foreign secretary Cameron hosts Arab, Islamic ministers to discuss Israel-Hamas conflict

UK foreign secretary Cameron hosts Arab, Islamic ministers to discuss Israel-Hamas conflict
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British Foreign Secretary David Cameron greets the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan, Ayman Safadi, as he welcomes Arab and Islamic counterparts to Lancaster House in London on Nov. 22, 2023. (Reuters)
UK foreign secretary Cameron hosts Arab, Islamic ministers to discuss Israel-Hamas conflict
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Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Palestine’s Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki pose for a photograph ahead of a meeting of Arab and Islamic Leaders, at Lancaster House in London on Nov. 22, 2023. (AFP)
UK foreign secretary Cameron hosts Arab, Islamic ministers to discuss Israel-Hamas conflict
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British Foreign Secretary David Cameron greets the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, as he welcomes Arab and Islamic counterparts to Lancaster House in London on Nov. 22, 2023. (Reuters)
UK foreign secretary Cameron hosts Arab, Islamic ministers to discuss Israel-Hamas conflict
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Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron and his counterparts from Arab and Islamic countries in London ahead of a meeting at Lancaster House in London on Nov. 22, 2023. (AFP)
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Updated 22 November 2023
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UK foreign secretary Cameron hosts Arab, Islamic ministers to discuss Israel-Hamas conflict

UK foreign secretary Cameron hosts Arab, Islamic ministers to discuss Israel-Hamas conflict
  • UK foreign secretary Cameron hosts Arab, Islamic ministers to discuss Israel-Hamas conflict
  • Pledges support to prevent regional escalation, including in Lebanon and Yemen

LONDON: UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron on Wednesday met with foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries in London to discuss cooperation on the crisis in Israel and Gaza, how to secure the release of all hostages, increase the amount of aid into Gaza, and reach a long-term political solution to the crisis.

The ministerial committee mandated by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit was headed by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and included his counterparts from Jordan, Egypt, the Palestinian Authority, Turkiye, Indonesia and Nigeria, as well as Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

UK Minister of State for Foreign Commonwealth and Development Affairs for Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and the United Nations at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Lord Ahmad also attended the talks.

The visit followed an agreement reached overnight between Israel and Hamas on coordinated hostage releases and a pause in the fighting, the UK’s FCDO said in a statement.

Cameron emphasised the importance of allowing humanitarian organizations to bring in more fuel so they can carry out lifesaving work unimpeded, including powering hospitals or desalination plants, which supply 80 percent of Gaza’s water.

“The foreign secretary discussed with leaders at the meeting how to reinvigorate diplomatic efforts toward a viable two-state solution, which provides security for both Israelis and Palestinians, and restated the UK’s condemnation of the rise in settler violence in the West Bank,” the FCDO said.

“He committed to continued UK support to prevent wider regional escalation, including in Lebanon and Yemen,” it added.

Cameron said: “Today I have chaired a meeting of leaders from Arab countries and other Islamic states on the situation in Israel and Gaza.

“The agreement reached last night is an important opportunity to get the hostages out and more aid into Gaza to help the Palestinian people.

“We discussed how to use this step forward to think about the future and how we can build a peaceful future which provides security for Israel but also peace and stability for the Palestinian people.”

The meeting welcomed the joint mediation efforts of Egypt, Qatar, and the US, which resulted in the truce, the timing of which will be announced within 24 hours and is extendable, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The ministerial committee stressed the importance of the members of the Security Council and the international community taking effective and urgent measures for a complete cease-fire in the Palestinian enclave, saying that this is a priority for all Arab and Islamic countries.

Members of the committee called on Britain to play a balanced role consistent with international law and international humanitarian law to reach an immediate cease-fire and implement all relevant international resolutions, SPA said.

The meeting discussed the need to revive the peace process, and the Arab and Islamic officials stressed the importance of ensuring a just, lasting and comprehensive peace, through the implementation of international resolutions related to the two-state solution, and enabling the Palestinian people to achieve their legitimate rights to establish an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

“The members of the ministerial committee called on the international community to assume its responsibility by rejecting all forms of selectivity in the application of international legal and moral standards, and condoning the heinous crimes committed by the occupation forces and settler militias against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” SPA reported.

The delegation, which was formed as a “Peace Committee” at the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit, held in Riyadh on Nov. 11, is visiting the capitals of UN Security Council permanent members, arriving in London after meetings in Beijing and Moscow, and with further trips planned to Paris and Washington.

The UK has helped lead the international response to the humanitarian crisis by recently announcing £30 million ($37.4 million) in additional aid to the Palestinian territories, more than doubling the aid commitment for this year, the FCDO said.


Two Egyptian pilots killed in helicopter crash in Suez: army

Two Egyptian pilots killed in helicopter crash in Suez: army
Updated 57 min 17 sec ago
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Two Egyptian pilots killed in helicopter crash in Suez: army

Two Egyptian pilots killed in helicopter crash in Suez: army
  • The Egyptian air force operates aircraft from various countries

CAIRO: Two Egyptian air force officers were killed on Tuesday when a helicopter crashed during a training exercise, the military said.
The helicopter went down near a key air base in the town of Shalufa, in Suez province, “due to a technical malfunction,” military spokesman Gharib Abdel Hafez said in a post on his official Facebook page.
He did not specify the manufacturer or model of the aircraft.
The Egyptian air force operates aircraft from various countries, including France, Russia and the United States.
In November 2022, the military said a fighter jet had crashed during a military exercise but it reported no casualties.
In December 2019, an aircraft crashed during a training exercise. The pilot ejected safely.


US soldier injured during Gaza pier operation has died: military

US soldier injured during Gaza pier operation has died: military
Updated 05 November 2024
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US soldier injured during Gaza pier operation has died: military

US soldier injured during Gaza pier operation has died: military
  • “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Sgt. Quandarius Davon Stanley,” Captain Shkeila Milford-Glover said
  • In addition to the injuries, the project faced other problems starting in May, when the pier was damaged by bad weather and had to be removed for repairs

WASHINGTON: An American soldier has died after being injured during Washington’s problem-plagued operation to establish a temporary aid pier on the coast of Gaza, the US military said Tuesday.
The pier effort aimed to boost deliveries of desperately needed humanitarian assistance into the war-wracked Palestinian territory as Israel held up shipments by land.
But the effort ran into repeated weather issues and the United States ended it in mid-July, some two months after its installation.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Sgt. Quandarius Davon Stanley, a recently retired motor transport operator,” Captain Shkeila Milford-Glover, spokesperson for the 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, said in a statement.
She did not say when Stanley died or what kind of injury he had sustained, specifying only that the soldier had been receiving treatment in a long-term care facility.
He was one of three US military personnel who suffered non-combat injuries at sea during the pier operation.
The two others suffered minor injuries, a sprained ankle and a hurt back, the military said in May.
In addition to the injuries, the project faced other problems starting in May, when the pier was damaged by bad weather and had to be removed for repairs.
It was then reattached on June 7, but was moved to Ashdod on June 14 to protect it from anticipated high seas — a situation that was repeated later in the month.
US President Joe Biden announced the pier project during his State of the Union address in March as Israel held up deliveries of assistance by land, and the Pentagon has said it helped push the Israeli government to open more aid routes.


Japanese prime minister praises Saudi Arabia’s role in addressing the Gaza crisis

Japanese prime minister praises Saudi Arabia’s role in addressing the Gaza crisis
Updated 05 November 2024
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Japanese prime minister praises Saudi Arabia’s role in addressing the Gaza crisis

Japanese prime minister praises Saudi Arabia’s role in addressing the Gaza crisis
  • PM Ishiba made the remarks during a telephone summit with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
  • Ishiba stated that he would like to strengthen the strategic partnership between Japan and Saudi Arabia

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba hailed “Saudi Arabia’s leadership on Gaza” and expressed his determination to continue working with the Kingdom to bring stability to the Middle East.

Ishiba made the remarks during a telephone summit with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, during which he expressed his hope that Saudi Arabia would continue to play a leading role in stabilizing the global oil market.

The Foreign Ministry in Tokyo said the crown prince expressed his wish to deepen cooperation with Japan in various fields, including politics, economics, security, and potentially technology transfer and cultural exchange.

Ishiba said he would like Japan and Saudi Arabia to expand cooperation to areas including clean energy, advanced technology, and entertainment.

With 2025 marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Ishiba reiterated his commitment to peace and stability in the region. He stated that he would like to strengthen the strategic partnership between Japan and Saudi Arabia and work even more closely together to promote these values. The crown prince also affirmed his commitment to these goals, stating that Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to its relations with Japan and welcomes further cooperation.

The Foreign Ministry added that both leaders shared their concerns about conflicts in the Middle East and the need for all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint. Ishiba said he appreciated Saudi Arabia’s leadership on Gaza, and the two leaders agreed to continue working closely together to achieve stability in the Middle East.


Israeli attack targets town in Syria’s Homs province, state TV reports

Israeli attack targets town in Syria’s Homs province, state TV reports
Updated 45 min 16 sec ago
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Israeli attack targets town in Syria’s Homs province, state TV reports

Israeli attack targets town in Syria’s Homs province, state TV reports
  • Israel’s military issued a statement on the incident, saying it attacked ammunition depots used by Hezbollah’s weapons unit in Syria

DAMASCUS: An Israeli attack targeted an industrial zone and some residential buildings in the town of Qusayr in Homs province in central Syria on Tuesday, Syrian state TV reported.
The outlet quoted the Homs province’s health director as saying there were no injuries as a result of the attack.
Israel’s military later issued a statement on the incident, saying it attacked ammunition depots used by Hezbollah’s weapons unit in Syria.
“Hezbollah’s munitions unit is responsible for the storage of weapons in Lebanon and has recently expanded its activities into Syria in the area of Qusayr. This is a further example of Hezbollah establishing logistical infrastructure to transfer weapons from Syria to Lebanon through smuggling routes,” the statement said.
A previous Israeli attack on Qusayr on Thursday wounded a number of civilians and caused material damage, state media reported.
Israel’s military said in reference to that attack that it had hit weapons storage facilities and command centers used by militant group Hezbollah.
The Israeli military also said on Monday that it struck Hezbollah intelligence assets near the Syrian capital, Damascus.
Israel says it has been carrying out strikes to reduce the transfer of weapons from Iran through Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon. 


Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll at 43,391

Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll at 43,391
Updated 05 November 2024
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Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll at 43,391

Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll at 43,391
  • The toll includes 17 deaths in the previous 24 hours

GAZA STRIP: The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Tuesday that at least 43,391 people have been killed in the year-old war between Israel and Palestinian militants.
The toll includes 17 deaths in the previous 24 hours, according to the ministry, which said 102,347 people have been wounded in the Gaza Strip since the war began when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.