Arab League summit calls for UN peacekeepers in Palestinian territories

Arab League summit calls for UN peacekeepers in Palestinian territories
In this handout photograph, taken and released by the Saudi Press Agency on May 16, 2024, Arab leaders gesture for a group photograph at the 33rd Arab Summit in Manama, Bahrain. (SPA)
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Updated 17 May 2024
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Arab League summit calls for UN peacekeepers in Palestinian territories

Arab League summit calls for UN peacekeepers in Palestinian territories
  • The declaration also called for ‘all Palestinian factions to join under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization’
  • Arab League said it considered PLO, dominated by ruling Fatah movement, ‘sole legitimate representative of Palestinian people’

MANAMA: The Arab League on Thursday called for a United Nations peacekeeping force in the Palestinian territories at a summit dominated by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The “Manama Declaration” issued by the 22-member bloc called for “international protection and peacekeeping forces of the United Nations in the occupied Palestinian territories” until a two-state solution is implemented.
The declaration also called for “all Palestinian factions to join under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization,” which is dominated by the ruling Fatah movement, and added that it considered the PLO “the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.”
It also called for an “immediate” ceasefire in Gaza and an end to forced displacement in the Palestinian territory.
“We demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, a halt to all attempts at forced displacement, an end to all forms of siege and allowing full and sustainable access to aid,” the final communique said.
It further “strongly condemned the attacks on commercial ships,” saying they “threaten freedom of navigation, international trade, and the interests of countries and peoples of the world,” and reiterated the Arab League’s commitment to “ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea” and surrounding areas.
The King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, opened the summit by calling for an international conference for peace in the Middle East.
The king, as the summit’s host, also reaffirmed his country’s support for the full recognition of a Palestinian state and the acceptance of its membership in the United Nations.
He stressed that the establishment of a Palestinian state will reflect positively on the region.
Last week, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly backed a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member and called on the UN Security Council to reconsider the request.
The vote by the 193-member General Assembly was a global survey of support for the Palestinian bid to become a full UN member — a move that would effectively recognize a Palestinian state — after the US vetoed it in the UN Security Council last month.
“What the Palestinians are facing requires a unified international stance,” the King of Bahrain said.
During his opening remarks at the summit, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called for the establishment of an internationally recognized Palestinian state.
The prince was among the Arab delegates who arrived in Manama on Thursday for the Arab League Summit.
During his speech, the prince highlighted the Kingdom’s efforts in alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, reiterating Saudi Arabia’s support for issues of the Arab world.
He urged the international community to back ceasefire efforts and halt the aggression on Palestinian civilians.
It is the first time the Arab leaders come together after Riyadh hosted an extraordinary summit in November where the bloc condemned Israel’s “barbaric” actions in Gaza.
The one-day summit was set to discuss events in Gaza, propose a ceasefire and push for a Palestinian state.
“The Kingdom calls for conflict resolution through peaceful means,” the prince said.
Palestinian leader slams Hamas
The Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas criticized Hamas for giving Israel the ‘pretext to attack’ Gaza with the Oct. 7 attack.
“Hamas’ rejection of ending the division serves Israel’s interest in ending the two-state solution,” he noted, pointing to the long-standing tensions between the Palestinian Authority and the militant group governing Gaza.
He said the Palestinian government has not received the financial support it had expected from international and regional partners, noting that Israel is still withholding the funds and creating a dire situation.
The Palestinian leader called on Arab countries for financial support and the US to pressure Israel into releasing the funds.
“It has now become critical to activate the Arab safety net, to boost the resilience of our people and to enable the government to carry out its duties,” Abbas added.
He also urged the international community to start immediately with the implementation of the two-state solution and reiterated ‘full rejection’ of the displacement of Palestinians, who just marked the 76th anniversary of the 1948 Nakba.
Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, UAE’s Vice President and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid, Kuwait’s Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and Syria’s President Bashar Al Assad were among the attendees on Thursday.


Militia detains 300 migrants in the desert in Libya’s effort to contain sea crossings

Militia detains 300 migrants in the desert in Libya’s effort to contain sea crossings
Updated 23 sec ago
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Militia detains 300 migrants in the desert in Libya’s effort to contain sea crossings

Militia detains 300 migrants in the desert in Libya’s effort to contain sea crossings
The group in a post on Facebook condemned smuggling and human trafficking and said its patrols would continue efforts to block smuggling routes
The apprehensions come as Libya remains a primary point of departure for men, women and children from the Middle East and Africa aiming to reach Europe

TRIPOLI: Libyan military officials said Monday they apprehended hundreds of migrants traversing the country’s vast desert hoping to ultimately cross the Mediterranean Sea in pursuit of a better life in Europe.
The 444 Brigade, a powerful militia group that operates under the auspices of the Libyan army, said in a statement that its patrolling commanders detained more than 300 migrants and referred them to authorities.
The group in a post on Facebook condemned smuggling and human trafficking and said its patrols would continue efforts to block smuggling routes. It posted satellite images of the desert and pictures of what appeared to be migrants sitting in rows in front of armed and masked militants.
The apprehensions come as Libya remains a primary point of departure for men, women and children from the Middle East and Africa aiming to reach Europe. Many are escaping war or poverty and many employ smugglers to help them negotiate treacherous deserts and sea routes. Roughly 38,000 people have arrived in Italy and Malta from Libya this year, according to UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency.
The overcrowded boats used by migrants and smugglers are known to routinely capsize and a key priority for European leaders has been to encourage North African countries to prevent migrants from reaching the sea. But unlike in Morocco and Tunisia — where tens of thousands of migrants also attempt to pass through en route to the southern shores of Europe — fighting between rival governments in Libya has added additional challenges to migration management partnerships.
Migrant apprehensions are rarely reported in Libya, though the country’s state news service LANA reported more than 2,000 arrests in July.
The oil-rich country plunged into turmoil after a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi. Since then, the country has been divided between dueling governments in the east and west, each backed by militias and foreign powers. Human traffickers have for years benefited from the political chaos.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk in July said migrants in the country had been subjected to torture, forced labor and starvation while being detained.

Major food aid ‘scale-up’ underway to famine-hit Sudan, WFP says

Major food aid ‘scale-up’ underway to famine-hit Sudan, WFP says
Updated 9 min 54 sec ago
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Major food aid ‘scale-up’ underway to famine-hit Sudan, WFP says

Major food aid ‘scale-up’ underway to famine-hit Sudan, WFP says
  • “In total, the trucks will carry about 17,500 tons of food assistance, enough to feed 1.5 million people for one month,” said WFP Sudan spokesperson Leni Kinzli
  • The WFP fleet will be clearly labelled in the hope that access will be facilitated

GENEVA: More than 700 trucks are on their way to famine-stricken areas of Sudan as part of a major scale-up after clearance came through from the Sudanese government, a World Food Programme spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been locked in conflict since April 2023 that has caused acute hunger and disease across the country. Both sides are accused of impeding aid deliveries, the RSF by looting and the army by bureaucratic delays.
“In total, the trucks will carry about 17,500 tons of food assistance, enough to feed 1.5 million people for one month,” WFP Sudan spokesperson Leni Kinzli told a press briefing in Geneva.
“We’ve received around 700 clearances from the government in Sudan, from the Humanitarian Aid Commission, to start to move and transport assistance to some of these hard-to-reach areas,” she added, saying the start of the dry season was another factor enabling the scale-up.
The WFP fleet will be clearly labelled in the hope that access will be facilitated, she said.
Some of the food is intended for 14 areas of the country that face famine or are at risk of famine, including Zamzam camp in the Darfur region.
The first food arrived there on Friday prompting cheers from crowds of people who had resorted to eating crushed peanut shells normally fed to animals, Kinzli said.
A second convoy for the camp is currently about 300 km (186 miles) away, she said.
On Monday, the head of Sudan’s sovereign council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, said he would allow the airports in El Obeid, Kadugli, and Damazine — army-controlled areas isolated by the fighting — to serve as humanitarian hubs for UN agencies to facilitate deliveries.


Israeli strikes pound central Beirut, suburbs

Smoke billows over Beirut's southern suburbs, after an Israeli strike, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon, November 26, 2024. Reuters
Smoke billows over Beirut's southern suburbs, after an Israeli strike, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon, November 26, 2024. Reuters
Updated 13 min 17 sec ago
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Israeli strikes pound central Beirut, suburbs

Smoke billows over Beirut's southern suburbs, after an Israeli strike, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon, November 26, 2024. Reuters
  • A strike on Beirut hit the Noueiri district with no evacuation warning and killed at least one person, Lebanon’s health ministry said in a preliminary toll

BEIRUT: Israeli strikes pounded a densely-populated part of the Lebanese capital and its southern suburbs on Tuesday, hours ahead of an anticipated announcement of a ceasefire ending hostilities between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
A strike on Beirut hit the Noueiri district with no evacuation warning and killed at least one person, Lebanon’s health ministry said in a preliminary toll.
Minutes later, at least 10 Israeli strikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs. They began approximately 30 minutes after the Israeli military issued evacuation orders for 20 locations in the area, the largest such warning yet.
As the strikes were under way, Israel’s military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the air force was conducting a “widespread attack” on Hezbollah targets across the city.


Germany says Lebanon ceasefire ‘within reach’

Germany says Lebanon ceasefire ‘within reach’
Updated 25 min 44 sec ago
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Germany says Lebanon ceasefire ‘within reach’

Germany says Lebanon ceasefire ‘within reach’
Baerbock said a proposed ceasefire in the conflict in Lebanon was “within reach“

FIUGGI, Italy: Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Tuesday that an agreement on a proposed ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon was “within reach.”
“A ceasefire and steps toward a political solution along the lines of UN Resolution 1701 are within reach thanks to direct US and French mediation,” Baerbock told reporters on the sidelines of a G7 foreign ministers meeting in Italy.

Prospect of Lebanon ceasefire leaves Gazans feeling abandoned

Prospect of Lebanon ceasefire leaves Gazans feeling abandoned
Updated 26 November 2024
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Prospect of Lebanon ceasefire leaves Gazans feeling abandoned

Prospect of Lebanon ceasefire leaves Gazans feeling abandoned

CAIRO: The prospect of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah without a similar deal with Hamas in Gaza has left Palestinians feeling abandoned and fearful that Israel will focus squarely on its onslaught in the enclave.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah began firing missiles at Israel in solidarity with Hamas after the Palestinian militant group attacked Israel in October of 2023, triggering the Gaza war.
Hostilities in Lebanon have drastically escalated in the last two months, with Israel stepping up airstrikes and sending in ground forces to Lebanon’s south and Hezbollah sustaining rocket fire on Israel.
Now Israel looks set to approve a US plan for a ceasefire with Hezbollah when its security cabinet meets on Tuesday, while Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib expressed hope that a ceasefire would be reached by Tuesday night.
While diplomacy focuses on Lebanon, Palestinians feel let down by the world after 14 months of conflict which has devastated the Gaza Strip and killed more than 44,000 people. “It showed Gaza is an orphan, with no support and no mercy from the unjust world,” said Abdel-Ghani, a father of five who only gave a first name.
“I am angry against the world that has failed to bring one solution to the two regions,” Abdel-Ghani. “Maybe, there will be another deal for Gaza, maybe.”
An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire without a deal for Gaza would be a blow to Hamas, whose leaders had hoped the expansion of the war into Lebanon would pressure Israel to reach a comprehensive ceasefire. Hezbollah had insisted that it would not agree to a ceasefire until the war in Gaza ends, but it dropped that condition.
“We had high hopes that Hezbollah would remain steadfast until the end but it seems they couldn’t,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman, who like most Gazans has been displaced from his home. “We are afraid the Israeli army will now have a free hand in Gaza.”
While a Lebanon deal could leave some Hezbollah commanders in place after Israel killed the heavily armed group’s veteran leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and his successor, Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas completely.
“We hoped the expansion of the war meant one solution for all, but we were left alone in the face of the monstrous (Israeli) occupation,” said Zakeya Rezik, 56, a mother of six.
“Enough is enough, we are exhausted. How many more had to die before they stopped the war? Gaza war must stop, the people are being wiped out, starved, and bombed every day.”