Lebanon’s Salam meets Al-Sharaa in Damascus to revive Syria ties

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Updated 14 April 2025
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Lebanon’s Salam meets Al-Sharaa in Damascus to revive Syria ties

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, left, meets with Syria’s interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria.
  • Visit is the second such trip made by a Lebanese PM since the fall of the Assad regime last year
  • Cooperation on trade, refugee repatriation on the agenda after Saudi-brokered deal on border tensions agreed in March

BEIRUT: Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa held a meeting on Monday with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the People’s Palace in Damascus. 

It was Salam’s first official trip to Damascus, and the second visit by a Lebanese prime minister after Najib Mikati traveled in January, following the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime and the rise to power of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham under the leadership of Al-Sharaa.

It comes ahead of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s official two-day visit to Doha on Tuesday, following a formal invitation from Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

An official source told Arab News that Salam’s Syria visit aims “to explore a new path for correcting relations, based on mutual respect for each country’s sovereignty, and to establish and reinforce stability.”

The visit’s agenda includes unresolved issues between the two countries.

Salam was accompanied by Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, Defense Minister Michel Menassa, and Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar.

At the end of March, Saudi Arabia sponsored an agreement in Jeddah between Menassa and his Syrian counterpart Murhaf Abu Qasra.

The agreement addressed border issues following bloody clashes between smugglers, which escalated into confrontations between members of the new Syrian authority and armed Lebanese tribe members in overlapping villages in eastern Lebanon.

It prompted the Lebanese military to intervene, deploy reinforcements to stop the clashes, shut down illegal crossings, and later form a liaison committee to monitor the agreement’s implementation and prevent violations.

A joint operations room is planned to enhance security, reduce smuggling, and set up army monitoring points along the border to ensure stability in preparation for demarcation.

During the meeting between the Lebanese and Syrian defense ministers in Jeddah, also attended by Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, it was decided that they would return to Riyadh soon to assess the situation.

The agreement signed by the two ministers emphasized “the strategic importance of demarcating the borders between Lebanon and Syria.”

It also called for the formation of legal and specialized committees in various fields, along with the activation of coordination mechanisms to tackle security and military challenges, especially regarding any developments along their shared border.

The border between Lebanon and Syria spans 375 km and features a geographical intertwining of mountains, slopes, and plains. Notably, there are no visible markers indicating where one country ends and the other begins.

Six official border crossings connect the two nations, while numerous unofficial crossings exist in the north and east.

Over the years, Hezbollah exploited these unofficial routes, transforming them into areas of influence for smuggling weapons, money, people, and drugs.

Before his departure to Damascus, Salam met in Beirut with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, who was in the Lebanese capital to participate in the opening of the Sustainable Development Forum, which was held in partnership with the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.

The Prime Minister’s media office reported that Aboul Gheit emphasized the depth of Lebanese-Arab relations, as the Arab world has consistently stood by Lebanon during times of crisis.

“We have highlighted the importance of Lebanon committing to its reform agenda. This includes providing necessary support to Arab countries to uphold Lebanon’s sovereignty, exerting pressure on Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon, and ensuring that the Lebanese state has full authority over its territory,” the office said.

The forum addressed developments in the Gaza Strip, calling for an immediate end to Israeli military operations.

It also tackled the ongoing Arab and international efforts to uphold the principles of the 2002 Arab League Summit in Beirut, which endorsed a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Prime Minister Salam reviewed bilateral agreements during his discussions with Syrian leaders in Damascus.

Other issues include canceling the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council, addressing the border issue in preparation for demarcation through a joint committee under Riyadh’s sponsorship, and the matter of Syrian refugee repatriation. 

Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri has developed a plan to expedite the return of 400,000 refugees if an agreement is reached with Damascus.

The discussion includes investment agreements in agriculture, transit, oil and gas, which aim to transform both countries into secure export platforms for Arab goods.

The case of the missing Lebanese persons in Syrian prisons is also on the agenda, as well as the situation of detained Syrians in Lebanese jails, who currently account for about 45 percent of the total prison population in Lebanon, contributing to overcrowding in the cells.


UN chief at Baghdad summit repeats rejection of Israeli-US aid plan for Gaza

UN chief at Baghdad summit repeats rejection of Israeli-US aid plan for Gaza
Updated 14 sec ago
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UN chief at Baghdad summit repeats rejection of Israeli-US aid plan for Gaza

UN chief at Baghdad summit repeats rejection of Israeli-US aid plan for Gaza
  • Gaza dominates agenda at Arab League meet as Antonio Guterres hails major forum next month as ‘important opportunity’
  • UN secretary-general also draws attention to events in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Libya

NEW YORK CITY: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has repeated his rejection of a joint Israeli-US plan to bypass his organization in delivering aid to Gaza.

The UN chief’s comments came two days after satellite imagery revealed construction of new aid distribution centers in the enclave.

Guterres was speaking on Saturday at the annual Arab League summit in Baghdad, where the situation in Gaza dominated the agenda.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani said in his opening speech at the summit: “This genocide (in Gaza) has reached a level of ugliness unparalleled in all conflicts in history.”

As well as Gaza, the UN chief also drew attention to events in the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Libya.

He opened his speech by praising Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit and said that the UN hopes to “further strengthen” its partnership with the league.

“I am alarmed by reported plans by Israel to expand ground operations and more,” he added, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the unimpeded flow of aid to the enclave.

Since March, Israel has implemented a total blockade of humanitarian aid entering Gaza in a bid to step up pressure on Hamas.

The latest Israeli plan to allow third parties to deliver aid aims to ensure deliveries reach the right people, the country’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, has said.

However, Guterres has repeatedly rejected the Israeli plan.

“I emphasize that the UN will not participate in any so-called aid operation that does not adhere to international law and the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality,” he said on Saturday.

The UN chief also highlighted the situation in the West Bank, where settler annexation and the building of illegal settlements has escalated.

“Annexation is illegal. Settlements are illegal,” he said.

Guterres highlighted next month’s high-level conference on the Palestinian issue, co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France, as an “important opportunity.”

He said: “The world, the region — and, most of all, the people of Palestine and Israel — cannot afford to watch the two-state solution disappear before our eyes.”

On Lebanon, Guterres praised the “stated commitment by Lebanese officials to ensure a state monopoly over weapons.”

It comes as the UN’s peacekeeping force in the country, UNIFIL, works in tandem with the Lebanese army to seize Hezbollah arms caches in the country’s south.

In neighboring Syria, a political process “based on the key principles of Security Council resolution 2254” will “safeguard the rights and participation of all Syrians regardless of ethnicity and religion, and ensure their protection,” Guterres said.

The UN chief also welcomed the Houthi-US ceasefire mediated by Oman that was reached earlier this month.

“The trajectory of violence must cease as we work for a negotiated Yemeni-led political settlement,” he said.

Guterres said he was “very grateful” to the Arab League and African Union for “the excellent coordination meeting that we managed to have yesterday” on the situation in Sudan.

“In Libya, we are actively engaging with national and international actors to end the confrontation between armed groups, to preserve the independence of key oversight institutions, to address the obstacles preventing national elections, and set the course for long-term stability and prosperity — in line with the Libyan people’s needs and aspirations,” he said.

The Arab League is a “vital partner” in these efforts, he added.

“Despite the enormous challenges, let us draw lessons and hope from here in Baghdad. Working in unity and solidarity, we can help resolve conflicts and build a future of peace and prosperity,” Guterres said.

“That is the shared goal of the Arab League and the UN, and I look forward to continue to deepen our partnership together.”


Syrian government forces raid Daesh hideouts in Aleppo

Syrian government forces raid Daesh hideouts in Aleppo
Updated 17 May 2025
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Syrian government forces raid Daesh hideouts in Aleppo

Syrian government forces raid Daesh hideouts in Aleppo
  • The security forces seized weapons, bombs and uniforms with the security forces’ insignia
  • A security source said the raids had targeted sleeper cells in four locations

DAMASCUS: Syrian security forces raided Daesh hideouts in Aleppo on Saturday, killing at least one militant and arresting others, the Interior Ministry said, the first time such an operation has been announced under the country’s new Islamist rulers.

A member of the security forces was also killed, the statement issued by Interior Ministry spokesperson said. The security forces seized weapons, bombs and uniforms with the security forces’ insignia.

A security source said the raids had targeted sleeper cells in four locations. One Daesh militant had blown himself up, and another had been killed in clashes, the source said.

Syria’s interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who once led a branch of Al-Qaeda, has long been an adversary of Daesh, and battled the group’s self-declared caliphate during the Syrian war.

US President Donald Trump met Sharaa earlier this week, and praised him as an “attractive guy with a very strong past” after the encounter in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

Trump also declared the United States would lift sanctions, a major US policy shift that should help revive the shattered economy and marked a major boost for Sharaa.

Sharaa seized power in Damascus in December after veteran leader Bashar Assad was ousted. Sharaa cut ties with Al-Qaeda in 2016.

Daesh controlled swathes of Syria and Iraq at the height of its power, before being beaten out of the territory by enemies including a US-led military alliance.


Hamas: new Gaza talks ‘without any preconditions’ underway in Doha

Hamas: new Gaza talks ‘without any preconditions’ underway in Doha
Updated 50 min 9 sec ago
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Hamas: new Gaza talks ‘without any preconditions’ underway in Doha

Hamas: new Gaza talks ‘without any preconditions’ underway in Doha
  • “This round of negotiations began without any preconditions from either side,” said Al-Nunu
  • “Hamas will present its viewpoint on all issues, especially ending the war”

DOHA: A senior Hamas official said a new round of indirect negotiations with Israel aimed at ending the war in Gaza started in Doha “without any preconditions” on Saturday.

The announcement came as Israel’s military launched a new Gaza offensive, saying it was part of “the expansion of the battle in the Gaza Strip” aimed at defeating the Palestinian militant group.

“This round of negotiations began without any preconditions from either side, and the negotiations are open to discussing all issues,” said senior Hamas official Taher Al-Nunu.

“Hamas will present its viewpoint on all issues, especially ending the war, (Israel’s) withdrawal and prisoner exchange.”

Prior rounds of negotiations have failed to secure a breakthrough on ending the war, and a two-month ceasefire between the sides fell apart when Israel resumed its operations in Gaza on March 18.

The renewed fighting came after Israel imposed a total aid blockade on the territory that UN agencies warn has created critical shortages of food, clean water, fuel and medicines.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz credited the intensified campaign with bringing Hamas back to the table.

“With the opening of Operation ‘Gideon’s Chariots’ in Gaza, which is being led by the IDF (Israeli army) command with great force, the Hamas delegation in Doha announced a return to negotiations on a hostage deal — in contrast to the recalcitrant position they had taken up until that moment,” he said.

Negotiations for the release of the captives held in Gaza have been ongoing, with the latest talks taking place in Doha.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week he had instructed a negotiating team to head to the Qatari capital.


Erdogan sees end in sight for US sanctions on Turkish defense sector

Erdogan sees end in sight for US sanctions on Turkish defense sector
Updated 17 May 2025
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Erdogan sees end in sight for US sanctions on Turkish defense sector

Erdogan sees end in sight for US sanctions on Turkish defense sector
  • “We can easily say that there is a softening in CAATSA,,” he told reporters
  • The move soured ties between the two NATO member countries

ISTANBUL: Turkiye has seen an easing of US sanctions on its defense sector since Donald Trump became president, with steps toward ending the measure advancing quickly, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday.

“We can easily say that there is a softening in CAATSA,,” he told reporters while returning from a European summit, referring to US sanctions legislation.

In 2020, Washington imposed sanctions on Ankara over its purchase of an S-400 Russian surface-to-air missile defense system under a 2017 law known as CAATSA, which aims to limit Russia’s military influence.

The move soured ties between the two NATO member countries.

It also booted Turkiye out of its F-35 program, with Washington saying the presence of the S-400 would allow the Russians to collect information on the stealth jet’s capabilities.

Erdogan said Turkiye had raised the sanctions issue with Trump and his newly-appointed envoy to Ankara, Tom Barrack

“With my friend Trump taking office, we have achieved a more open, more constructive and more sincere communication on these issues,” Erdogan added, saying Turkiye valued “every positive step in this direction.”

“I believe we will overcome the CAATSA process much faster. As two great NATO allies, there should be no restrictions or obstacles in the field of defense between us,” he said.

Turkiye’s partnership with the United States was “of vital importance for the establishment of stability in our region and the world” he said.

In March, Erdogan spoke to Trump about the need to finalize a deal to let Turkiye buy US F-16 fighter planes and be readmitted to the development program for F-35 warplanes.

Turkiye has been seeking to modernize its airforce, and has been seeking to buy 40 Eurofighter Typhoons which are built by a four-nation consortium grouping Germany, Britain, Spain and Italy.


Israel says killed Hezbollah commander in south Lebanon

Israel says killed Hezbollah commander in south Lebanon
Updated 17 May 2025
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Israel says killed Hezbollah commander in south Lebanon

Israel says killed Hezbollah commander in south Lebanon
  • One person was killed in an Israeli “drone strike” on a vehicle in south Lebanon’s Tyre district
  • The Israeli military said in a statement that its forces “struck and eliminated... a commander“

BEIRUT: Israel’s military said it killed a local Hezbollah commander on Saturday in south Lebanon, where authorities reported one dead in the fourth Israeli strike within days despite a November ceasefire.

Lebanon’s health ministry said one person was killed in an Israeli “drone strike” on a vehicle in south Lebanon’s Tyre district.

An AFP correspondent saw the charred wreckage of a vehicle in Abu Al-Aswad, an area around 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border.

The Israeli military said in a statement that its forces “struck and eliminated... a commander” involved in “the re-establishment of Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure” in south Lebanon.

Israel has continued to launch strikes on its neighbor despite the November 27 truce which sought to halt more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah militants including two months of full-blown war.

The Israeli military said that “the rebuilding of terrorist infrastructure and related activity constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”

Earlier this week, the Israeli military said three separate strikes in south Lebanon targeted Hezbollah operatives.

Under the ceasefire, the Iran-backed Hezbollah was to pull back its fighters north of Lebanon’s Litani River and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure to its south.

Israel was to withdraw all its forces from Lebanon, but it has kept troops in five areas that it deems “strategic.”

The Lebanese army has been deploying in the area as Israeli forces have withdrawn and has been dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure there.

At an Arab summit in Baghdad on Saturday, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denounced “daily Israeli violations” of Lebanese sovereignty and “the ongoing Israeli occupation of positions” in the south.

He said Lebanon was working to “fully implement” a United Nations Security Council resolution that formed the basis of the ceasefire.

The resolution says Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers should be the only forces in south Lebanon, and calls for the disarmament of all non-state groups.

Salam again urged international pressure “to oblige Israel to stop its attacks and immediately and fully withdraw from all Lebanese territory.”