PARIS: French prosecutors have placed a finance ministry employee under formal investigation on suspicion of spying for Algeria, the Paris prosecutor’s office said on Thursday, at a time of mounting political tensions between France and its former colony.
The employee is accused of handing details on Algerian asylum seekers, including known opponents of the incumbent Algerian administration, to an Algerian contact working at the Algerian consulate in the Paris suburb of Creteil.
The employee was placed under formal investigation in December. In France, being put under formal investigation means there is serious or consistent evidence that points to likely involvement of a suspect in a crime. It does not imply guilt and it does not necessarily lead to a trial.
The Creteil consulate didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The French finance ministry declined to comment. The Algerian Embassy in Paris did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The same probe also led to the placing under formal investigation of a social worker at the French Office for Immigration and Integration. The woman is accused of sharing asylum seekers’ confidential details and breaching rules around professional secrecy.
The immigration office said it could not comment on an ongoing investigation.
Ties between Paris and Algiers have deteriorated in recent months after French President Emmanuel Macron recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara. That decision angered Algiers.
As the diplomatic feuding has escalated, France last month threatened to review a decades-old agreement that makes it easier for Algerian citizens to move to France unless Algeria agrees to take back those the French authorities wish to deport.
French finance ministry employee suspected of spying for Algeria, says prosecutor
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French finance ministry employee suspected of spying for Algeria, says prosecutor
- The employee is accused of handing details on Algerian asylum seekers
- The same probe also led to the placing under formal investigation of a social worker at the French Office for Immigration and Integration
Hamas to release US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander from Gaza: statement
- Hamas militants continue to hold 58 hostages seized during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel
- Talks discussed the exchange of Edan Alexander, a US-Israeli captive held in Gaza
GAZA CITY: Hamas announced Sunday it would release US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, held since the October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the Gaza war, as part of talks with the United States toward a ceasefire.
“Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, a dual US national, will be released as part efforts toward a ceasefire” in Gaza and the reopening of aid crossings, Hamas said in a statement.
Hamas and US representatives have held direct talks in Doha in recent days, two officials from the Palestinian militant group told AFP on Sunday, with one saying there had been “progress” toward a truce in Gaza.
“Direct talks have taken place in Doha between the Hamas leadership and the United States regarding a ceasefire in Gaza, a prisoner exchange and the entry of humanitarian aid,” said a senior Hamas official, adding that the talks “are still ongoing.”
A second official from the Palestinian group said there was “progress made... notably on the entry of aid to the Gaza Strip” and the potential exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody, “particular concerning Edan Alexander,” a US-Israeli captive held by militants.
The second official also reported progress “on the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.”
Hamas militants continue to hold 58 hostages seized during their October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel ended the last ceasefire, which lasted two months, on March 18, launching a major offensive in Gaza and ramping up its bombardment of the territory.
It has also cut off all aid to Gaza, saying it would pressure Hamas to release the remaining hostages.
Indirect talks between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, have taken place from the early months of the war without bringing it to an end.
Washington had for decades refused publicly to engage directly with Hamas, which it labels a terrorist organization, before first doing so in March.
Hamas has continued to insist on a deal that ends the war and on April 18 rejected an Israeli proposal for a 45-day truce and hostage-prisoner exchange.
Hamas’s 2023 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Sunday that at least 2,720 people have been killed since Israel resumed its campaign, bringing the overall death toll since the war broke out to 52,829.
Qatar delivers more than 60,000 tonnes of fuel to Lebanese army
- Delivery is third and final shipment of fuel for 25
- Qatar’s actions indicate its support for the Lebanese people
LONDON: Qatar dispatched more than 60,000 tonnes of fuel to Lebanon on Sunday as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the country’s security capabilities.
The Qatar Fund for Development delivered the third and final fuel shipment for 2025, which comprised 62,000 tonnes of fuel, to the northern Lebanese port of Tripoli.
The fund stated that the shipment is intended to strengthen the Lebanese army’s operational capabilities and contribute to Lebanon's security and stability, the Qatar News Agency reported.
The delivery is a sign of Qatar’s support for the Lebanese people, as well as a contribution to prosperity and stability in the country, the QNA added.
Palestinian vice president discusses Gaza, West Bank with Qatar’s prime minister
- Hussein Al-Sheikh calls for Palestinian Authority to take on civil, security responsibilities in Gaza
- Qatari official briefed on latest developments in West Bank
LONDON: Hussein Al-Sheikh, the vice president of Palestine, has discussed in Doha the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and West Bank with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani.
Al-Sheikh spoke of the Palestinian stance on Gaza, calling for the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave to allow the Palestinian Authority to take on civil and security responsibilities, the Palestine News Agency reported.
The officials looked at the preparations for the upcoming Arab League Summit in Baghdad and the anticipated visit of US President Donald Trump to the region this week.
Al-Sheikh also briefed the Qatari official on the latest developments in the West Bank, highlighting the urgent need for a ceasefire and the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Qatar’s prime minister reaffirmed his country’s strong support for the Palestinian cause, emphasizing the importance of international law and the establishment of a Palestinian state, the WAFA Agency added.
Al-Sheikh was appointed vice president by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas after being selected as the deputy chairman of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization in April.
He met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Jeddah last week during his first regional visit following his appointment.
UK maritime agency reports incident northwest of UAE port
CAIRO: The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Sunday it received a report of an incident 80 nautical miles off the United Arab Emirates’ Jebel Ali port.
UKMTO said a vessel in the area reported a small craft colliding with it and was seen attempting to collide with other vessels in the area, adding that all crew were safe.
Gaza war cannot be solved by military means, says German foreign minister in Jerusalem
- “That is why we are appealing for a return to serious negotiations on a ceasefire,” Wadephul said
- He also said it was clear that Gaza is part of the Palestinian territory
JERUSALEM: The conflict in Gaza cannot be solved by military means and a political solution must be found to end the war permanently, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said in Jerusalem on Sunday.
“I do not believe that this conflict can be permanently resolved by military means,” Wadephul said. “Nevertheless, it is urgently necessary that Hamas is disarmed and that it can no longer have military control over Gaza.”
He said that Germany would do whatever it takes to guarantee Israel’s security, but this does not mean that his country cannot criticize Israel’s course of action, adding that this “must not lead to antisemitism.”
Hamas’ attacks on October 7, 2023 killed 1,200 people and 251 were taken hostage back to Gaza, according to Israel. Israel’s campaign has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to Hamas-run health authorities.
“I am not sure whether all of Israel’s strategic goals can be achieved in this way (through a military campaign) and whether this will serve Israel’s security in the long term,” Wadephul said. “That is why we are appealing for a return to serious negotiations on a ceasefire.”
Wadephul repeated that the return of hostages is the German government’s priority. He also said it was clear that Gaza is part of the Palestinian territory.
“We need a political solution for the reconstruction of Gaza without Hamas,” Wadephul said.
