Abbas announces long-awaited Palestinian elections

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas speaks in the West Bank's Ramallah on September 3, 2020, as he meets by video conference with representatives of Palestinian factions gathered at the Palestinian embassy in Beirut in rare talks on how to respond to such accords and to a Middle East peace plan announced by Washington this year. (File/AFP)
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Updated 16 January 2021
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Abbas announces long-awaited Palestinian elections

  • The last Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 saw Hamas win an unexpected landslide
  • The 2005 Palestinian presidential vote saw Abbas elected with 62 percent support to replace the late Yasser Arafat

RAMALLAH: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Friday announced dates for the first Palestinian elections in more than 15 years, setting legislative polls for May 22 and a July 31 presidential vote.
Abbas’s Fatah party, which controls the Palestinian Authority based in the occupied West Bank, and the Hamas group, who hold power in Gaza, have for years expressed interest in taking Palestinians back to the polls.
A long-standing rivalry between the two main Palestinian factions was seen as a leading factor in stalling progress toward a new vote.
But Fatah and Hamas have lately been engaged in unity talks, reaching an agreement in principle in September to hold elections in 2021.
Hamas on Friday welcomed Abbas’s announcement.
“In recent months, we have worked to overcome obstacles in order to reach this day,” it said in a statement.
It added that it looked to “free elections in which voters can express themselves without pressure and without restrictions, in all fairness and transparency.”
A statement on the official Palestinian Wafa news agency said Abbas has signed “a presidential decree concerning elections,” specifying the May and July dates.
“This announcement was eagerly awaited,” Palestinian analyst Arif Jaffal, head of the Arab World Democracy and Electoral Monitor, told AFP.
“It is a very important step,” he said.
The 2005 Palestinian presidential vote saw Abbas elected with 62 percent support to replace the late Yasser Arafat.
There has been no indication from Fatah as to whether the 85-year-old Abbas intends to seek re-election.
A rare poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Research carried out last year said Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh would beat Abbas in a presidential election.

The statement from Abbas said he expects polls will be held “in all governorates of Palestine, including east Jerusalem,” which was annexed by Israel following the 1967 Six-Day War but is considered occupied territory.
Israel bans all Palestinian Authority activity in east Jerusalem, and there was no indication the Jewish state would allow a Palestinian vote within the city.
Israel’s right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces his own re-election contest in March, describes Jerusalem as Israel’s “undivided capital.”
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said his government “was ready to get things going to facilitate the electoral process, in total transparency, while waiting for pluralism.”
Some 2.8 million Palestinians live in the West Bank, while the densely populated Gaza Strip is home to two million.
The last Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 saw Hamas win an unexpected landslide.
The polls resulted in a brief unity government but it soon collapsed and in 2007, bloody clashes erupted in the Gaza Strip between the two principal Palestinian factions, with Hamas ultimately seizing control of Gaza.
Numerous attempts at reconciliation, including a prisoner exchange agreement in 2012 and a short-lived coalition government two years later, have failed to close the rift.
But experts have said intra-Palestinian reconciliation talks have taken on greater urgency following a series of US-brokered normalization agreements signed between Israel and four Arab states.
The deals to normalize ties with Israel signed by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan were condemned across the Palestinian political spectrum.
They also broke with decades of Arab League consensus against recognition of Israel until it reached an agreement to end the Palestinian conflict that included the creation of Palestinian state, with a capital in east Jerusalem.
Palestinian leaders have also voiced hope that the incoming administration of US President-elect Joe Biden will lead to renewed diplomacy on the Palestinian cause.
The PA cut ties with President Donald Trump’s administration, accusing it of egregious bias toward Israel.


US says ‘bridge proposal’ on table for Gaza ceasefire but window ‘closing fast’

Updated 6 sec ago
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US says ‘bridge proposal’ on table for Gaza ceasefire but window ‘closing fast’

“It would also see the release of a substantial number of Palestinians held in Israeli jails,” a spokesperson said

WASHINGTON: The US State Department said on Wednesday there was still “a bridge proposal on the table that would extend the ceasefire” in Gaza but the opportunity for it was “closing fast.”
“Right now, we still have a bridge proposal on the table that would extend the ceasefire and see the release of five live hostages, including American Edan Alexander. It would also see the release of a substantial number of Palestinians held in Israeli jails,” a State Department spokesperson said, blaming Palestinian Hamas militants.
“The opportunity is still there, but it’s closing fast.”

Lebanese army begins securing border with Syria, closes illegal crossings

Updated 31 min 19 sec ago
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Lebanese army begins securing border with Syria, closes illegal crossings

  • Lebanese Army vehicles reached the town’s administrative border as established in official Lebanese state maps
  • The development follows communications between the Syrian and Lebanese sides to halt armed clashes that began last Sunday

BEIRUT: The Lebanese army on Wednesday entered the town of Hawsh Al-Sayyid Ali, on Lebanon’s eastern border with the Syrian Arab Republic.
Its vehicles reached the town’s administrative border as established in official Lebanese state maps.
According to these maps, the town is divided into two: one part in Syrian territory, inhabited by Lebanese citizens; and the other in Lebanese territory.
The development follows communications between the Syrian and Lebanese sides to halt armed clashes that began last Sunday as a result of disputes among smugglers in an area teeming with illegal crossings.
The conflict escalated on Monday after the killing of three Syrian gunmen, and evolved into a broader confrontation between Lebanese tribes and armed members of the new Syrian authorities.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the clashes and killings resulted in “the death of seven Lebanese citizens and the injury of 52 others.”
Additionally, property and buildings suffered heavy damage in the exchange of shelling between Syrian forces and Lebanese tribes.
Forces affiliated with the Syrian Ministry of Defense entered the Syrian part of the Lebanese town on Monday night.
Negotiations between the Lebanese and Syrian sides over deployment zones, based on border maps between the two countries, delayed the Lebanese army’s deployment for several hours, when a Lebanese army convoy of 60 vehicles arrived on the outskirts of Hawsh Al-Sayyid Ali.
An official source in the area said the Lebanese army’s deployment “was not smooth, as it faced protests related to the confiscation of weapons belonging to local clans. However, the situation soon returned to normal, allowing the army to continue its mission.
The Lebanese army command announced that its units “commenced implementing security measures in the Hawsh Al-Sayyid Ali area of Hermel, including the deployment of patrols, to maintain security and ensure stability in the border region.”
It said the army has taken measures “to close illegal crossings between Lebanon and Syria,” adding: “As part of the efforts to monitor and secure the borders in light of the current situation, and to prevent infiltration and smuggling activities, a unit of the army has closed the illegal crossings, which include Al-Matlaba in the Qasr-Hermel area, as well as Al-Fatha, Al-Maarawiya, and Shahit Al-Hujairi in the Mashari’ Al-Qaa-Baalbek region.”
President Joseph Aoun monitored the security developments along the northeastern border through a series of communications with army chief Gen. Rodolphe Haikal.
According to the presidency, Haikal briefed the president on “the measures being implemented by the army to restore calm and stability to the area.”
Aoun underlined “the importance of consolidating the ceasefire, halting aggression, and controlling the borders adjacent to the villages.”
On Monday he said that the situation on the eastern and northeastern borders cannot persist and that “the army will not allow the chaos to continue.” He then ordered the Lebanese army to respond to the sources of fire.
Subsequently, communications between Lebanon and Syria intensified, including talks between the two countries’ foreign ministers to find solutions to the escalation in border incidents.
These efforts led to a ceasefire agreement between the intelligence services of the two countries after a call between Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa and his Syrian counterpart, Murhaf Abu Qasra.
Syrian media outlets on Tuesday night reported that “Syrian forces seized a Hezbollah operations room in Hawsh Al-Sayyid Ali, which contained large quantities of weapons, ammunition, drugs and equipment used to manufacture counterfeit tobacco.”
After the army’s deployment, displaced families from Hawsh Al-Sayyid Ali on Wednesday started preparing to return to their homes.
Hezbollah has firmly denied any involvement in the border clashes with Syria.


UAE mediates exchange of 350 Russian, Ukrainian war captives

Updated 39 min 25 sec ago
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UAE mediates exchange of 350 Russian, Ukrainian war captives

  • UAE’s mediation efforts between the warring neighbors led to exchange of 3,233 prisoners of war
  • This is the 13th successful mediation led by Abu Dhabi since 2024

LONDON: The UAE facilitated the exchange of 350 prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine as part of mediation efforts to resolve the conflict in Eastern Europe.

On Wednesday, Moscow and Kyiv exchanged 175 Ukrainians and 175 Russians, who were captured amid the ongoing war since February 2022. The UAE’s mediation efforts between the warring neighbors led to the exchange of 3,233 prisoners of war.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs commended Russia and Ukraine for their collaboration with the mediation efforts and their role in the exchange, the Emirates News Agency reported.

This is the 13th successful mediation led by Abu Dhabi since 2024. The ministry added that Abu Dhabi is committed to finding a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine and appreciates both countries’ faith in the UAE as a trusted mediator, the WAM added.


US strikes hit targets in Yemeni capital, Houthi TV reports

Updated 34 min 59 sec ago
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US strikes hit targets in Yemeni capital, Houthi TV reports

  • Three residents said the strikes had hit the Al-Jarraf district of Sanaa, close to the city’s airport
  • Houthis have carried out over 100 attacks on shipping since Israel’s war with Hamas began in late 2023

SANAA: The United States struck targets in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Wednesday, Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported, the latest in a wave of strikes carried out in retaliation for attacks by the Iran-aligned group on shipping in the Red Sea.
Three residents told Reuters that the strikes had hit the Al-Jarraf district of Sanaa, close to the city’s airport.
The US began the current wave of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen last Saturday, killing at least 31 people in the biggest such operation since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January.
Trump also threatened to hold Iran accountable for any future Houthi attacks, warning of severe consequences. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the Houthis were independent and took their own strategic and operational decisions.
Unfazed by the US strikes and threats, the Houthis have said they will escalate their attacks, including on Israel, in response to the US campaign.
On Tuesday the Houthis said they had fired a ballistic missile toward Israel and that they would expand their range of targets in that country in the coming days in retaliation for renewed Israeli airstrikes in Gaza after weeks of relative calm.
The Houthis have carried out over 100 attacks on shipping since Israel’s war with Hamas began in late 2023, saying they were acting in solidarity with Gaza’s Palestinians.
The attacks have disrupted global commerce and set the US military off on a costly campaign to intercept missiles.
 


UN genocide advisers urge immediate action to deescalate violence in Gaza amid deadly airstrikes

Updated 19 March 2025
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UN genocide advisers urge immediate action to deescalate violence in Gaza amid deadly airstrikes

  • Senior officials warn of ‘irreversible consequences,’ with hundreds believed killed in strikes
  • Call comes amid worsening humanitarian crisis after Israel suspends aid entry to the enclave

NEW YORK: Two senior UN advisers have sounded the alarm over renewed violence in Gaza following a series of deadly Israeli airstrikes, warning the escalation could have “irreversible consequences.”
UN Acting Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Virginia Gamba, and Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, Mo Bleeker, called on all parties involved to prioritize the protection of civilians and immediately deescalate tensions to prevent further loss of life.
The airstrikes, which began on March 18, are the first major military action since a ceasefire was brokered two months ago.
Hundreds of people are believed to have died in the strikes, with many more injured.
In a joint statement, Gamba and Bleeker said: “These developments signal a troubling and dramatic escalation of violence with irreversible consequences. It is essential that the mutual imperatives of peace process, integrating aspects of prevention and protection, are prioritized urgently.”
In addition to the violence, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen. The two advisers expressed concern over Israel’s decision on March 2 to suspend the entry of aid into Gaza, exacerbating the already dire conditions.
Humanitarian organizations, the UN, and several member states have condemned the move, stressing that any further delays in the delivery of essential aid could lead to starvation and further suffering for Gaza’s civilian population.
Gamba and Bleeker also reiterated the need for a comprehensive political solution to the conflict.
“In line with the prevention of genocide and the responsibility to protect frameworks, we urge all parties to prioritize the protection of civilians and take immediate steps to deescalate tensions, prevent further loss of life, and engage in a solid political solution,” said the advisers.
They also echoed the UN secretary-general’s statement of “profound shock at these developments” and his urgent calls “for the ceasefire to be respected, for unimpeded humanitarian access to be restored, and for the unconditional release of all remaining hostages.”