ANKARA: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres in a call on Thursday that a new phase “being managed calmly” has been reached in the Syrian conflict, his office said.
Syrian militants captured the key city of Hama on Thursday, bringing the insurgents a major victory after a lightning advance across northern Syria and dealing a new blow to President Bashar Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies.
Erdogan told Guterres that the Syrian government needed to rapidly engage with its people to achieve a political solution, and added Turkiye was working to de-escalate tensions, protect civilians and pave the way for a political solution, his office said in a statement on X.
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Turkiye’s Erdogan tells UN’s Guterres new phase reached in Syrian conflict, presidency says
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Turkiye’s Erdogan tells UN’s Guterres new phase reached in Syrian conflict, presidency says
- Syrian militants captured the key city of Hama on Thursday
UK in talks with France, Saudi Arabia over Palestinian statehood
- Foreign Secretary David Lammy: Discussions taking place ahead of UN conference in June
- ‘It’s unacceptable for any group of people to have lived with no state for longer than I’ve been alive’
LONDON: The British government is in talks with its French and Saudi counterparts over official recognition of a Palestinian state, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has revealed.
Discussions are set to take place at a conference at the UN in June, The Guardian reported.
So far, 160 countries recognize Palestine, including most recently Spain, Norway and Ireland. If a deal can be reached, it would mean adding two permanent UN Security Council members — and key allies of Israel — to that list.
Lammy told the House of Lords International Relations Select Committee that EU countries’ recognition of Palestine had made little to no difference on progress toward statehood, and that the UK wanted something more than to make a symbolic gesture.
“It’s unacceptable for any group of people to have lived with no state for longer than I’ve been alive,” he told the committee.
“No one has a veto on when the UK recognizes that Palestinian state … We’ve always said that recognition isn’t an end in of itself, and we’ll prefer recognition as a part of a process to two states.
“(French) President (Emmanuel) Macron has had a lot to say about that, most recently, alongside the Saudis, and of course we’re in discussion with them at this time.”
Lammy said a viable state could not include Hamas remaining in power in Gaza, and a full demilitarization process of the enclave would need to be undertaken.
He added that the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank is a threat to a two-state solution, and that settler violence against Palestinians is “shocking.”
He also took aim at Israel for its continuing prevention of aid entering Gaza, saying: “The blockade of necessary aid into Gaza is horrendous, the suffering is dire, the need is huge, the loss of life is extreme.”
On April 9, Macron said France would likely recognize a Palestinian state at the June conference, following an official visit to Egypt.
He later said the move, which would be the first such act of recognition by a G7 state, is intended to “trigger a series of other recognitions … including the recognition of Israel by states that do not currently do so.”
Michel Duclos, a special adviser at the Paris-based think tank Institut Montaigne, told The Guardian that the outcome of the June conference “may be nothing more than a roadmap or set of proposals.”
He added: “The dilemma for France may soon become more challenging — can it continue postponing its recognition of Palestine while waiting for a true two-state momentum? Or would further postponement undermine its credibility?”
Saudi Arabia has made clear that normalizing ties with Israel is conditional on a pathway to achieving a two-state solution.
Lebanon says three killed in Israeli strike on vehicle in south
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s health ministry said three people were killed in an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in the country’s south on Thursday, despite a fragile ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel.
The ministry said in a statement that an “Israeli enemy” drone strike on a vehicle in the southern town of Mais Al-Jabal killed “a Lebanese and two Syrians.”
UAE, Lebanon agree to deepen economic and diplomatic ties during President Aoun’s visit
- The UAE’s Knowledge Exchange Office will visit Beirut to share expertise on improving government performance and institutional excellence
- The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development will dispatch a delegation to Lebanon to evaluate potential joint economic projects
- Both sides also agreed to facilitate travel between their countries
DUBAI: The UAE and Lebanon have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation through a series of initiatives, state news agnecy WAM reported on Thursday.
The initiatives include the formation of a joint Emirati-Lebanese Business Council, efforts to increase mutual diplomatic representation, and support for Lebanon’s economic development and institutional reform.
The announcement came during Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s working visit to the UAE, where he was received by President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan at Al-Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi.
The two leaders discussed ways to expand cooperation in economic, investment, and government sectors. As part of this effort, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development will send a delegation to Lebanon to assess potential joint projects, while the UAE’s Knowledge Exchange Office will visit Beirut to share best practices on government performance and institutional excellence.
Sheikh Mohamed reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to supporting Lebanon’s stability, security, and sovereignty, emphasizing its strategic role within the Arab region. He expressed hope that the visit would bolster relations and advance mutual development goals.
The UAE president also said the reopening of its embassy in Beirut was a symbol of the country’s commitment to supporting Lebanon’s new phase.
Both sides also agreed to facilitate travel between their countries through appropriate mechanisms.
The leaders exchanged views on regional developments and stressed the importance of Arab unity and security.
President Aoun thanked the UAE for its longstanding support and expressed readiness to enhance bilateral ties.
UN: At least 542 killed in North Darfur in past three weeks
- The war has left tens of thousands dead and triggered what aid agencies describe as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises
GENEVA: At least 542 civilians have been confirmed killed in Sudan’s North Darfur region in the past three weeks, the United Nations said Thursday, warning the actual death toll was likely “much higher.”
“The horror unfolding in Sudan knows no bounds,” UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement, referring to the country’s ongoing civil war.
Darfur in particular has become a key battleground in the war that erupted on April 15, 2023 between the regular army, led by Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), headed by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The war has left tens of thousands dead and triggered what aid agencies describe as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises.
The battle for El-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur to elude RSF control, has intensified in recent weeks as the paramilitaries have sought to compensate for their loss of the capital Khartoum last month.
Turk pointed to an attack three days ago by the RSF on El-Fasher and the Abu Shouk camp that killed at least 40 civilians.
“This brings the confirmed number of civilians killed in North Darfur to at least 542 in just the last three weeks,” he said.
“The actual death toll is likely much higher.”
He also cited “the ominous warning by the RSF of ‘bloodshed’ ahead of imminent battles with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their associated armed movements.”
“Everything must be done to protect civilians trapped amid dire conditions in and around El-Fasher.”
Turk also highlighted “reports of extrajudicial executions in Khartoum state,” which he described as “extremely disturbing.”
“Horrific videos circulating on social media show at least 30 men in civilian clothing being rounded up and executed by armed men in RSF uniforms in Al-Salha in southern Omdurman,” he said, adding that in a subsequent video, “an RSF field commander acknowledged the killings.”
Those videos came after “shocking reports in recent weeks of the extrajudicial execution of dozens of people accused of collaborating with the RSF in southern Khartoum, allegedly committed by the Al-Baraa Brigade,” a pro-SAF militia, Turk said.
“Deliberately taking the life of a civilian or anyone no longer directly taking part in hostilities is a war crime,” he insisted.
The UN rights chief said he had “personally alerted both leaders of the RSF and SAF to the catastrophic human rights consequences of this war.”
“These harrowing consequences are a daily, lived reality for millions of Sudanese. It is well past time for this conflict to stop.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin receives UAE’s interior minister to discuss bilateral cooperation
- 2 sides discuss joint initiatives in fields of security, policing
DUBAI: Russian President Vladimir Putin received Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAE’s deputy prime minister and minister of interior, during an official meeting, the Emirates News Agency reported on Thursday.
The two sides discussed bilateral ties, highlighting their shared commitment to promoting peace and global cooperation.
They also looked at joint initiatives in the fields of security and policing, including progress on strategic police dialogue, training programs in child protection, and other collaborative efforts.
The meeting was also attended by Dr. Mohammed Ahmed Al-Jaber, the UAE’s ambassador to the Russian Federation.
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