Yemen’s information minister praises Saudi Arabia’s constructive, supportive stance
Yemen’s information minister praises Saudi Arabia’s constructive, supportive stance/node/2457411/middle-east
Yemen’s information minister praises Saudi Arabia’s constructive, supportive stance
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In its latest project, the Saudi Program for the Development and Reconstruction constructed a 23-kilometer-long internal road rehabilitation project in the Yemeni city of Al-Ghaydah. (X: @SaudiDRPY)
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Project Masam has carried out the removal of landmines, improvised explosive devices (IED), and unexploded ordnance in various parts of Yemen. In its latest report, Masam land mine experts destroyed 204 anti-tank mines, 163 unexploded ordnance, and one IED. (X: @Masam_ENG
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The Emergency Center for Epidemic Disease Control in Yemen's Hajjah governorate, funded by #KSrelief and operated by Tayba Foundation for Development, provides diagnostic, treatment, and laboratory services and epidemic prevention for the local community. (X: @KSRelief_EN)
Yemen’s information minister praises Saudi Arabia’s constructive, supportive stance
Updated 10 February 2024
Arab News
RIYADH: Yemen’s Minister of Information Moammar Al-Eryani has said he appreciates Saudi Arabia’s constructive stance toward his country’s government, and its support of the Yemeni people.
He stated his thanks for the second installment of the Kingdom’s grant to support the state’s general budget, amounting to $250 million, and its transfer to the central bank in the temporary capital Aden, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday, citing the official Yemen News Agency.
Al-Eryani said: “This support will contribute to supporting the efforts of the Yemeni government to normalize the situation, and enable it to carry out its responsibilities, including paying the salaries of state employees, recovering the national economy, restoring it to its balance, and stabilizing the national currency.
“This step comes in the context of the continuous support that the Kingdom provides to Yemen through grants, bank deposits, grants of oil derivatives, and development projects and initiatives implemented by the Saudi Program for the Development and Reconstruction of Yemen, and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center.”
The minister also gave his appreciation for the generous and unlimited support provided by the Kingdom under the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
He added: “The support is an expression of the firm position in support of the Presidential Leadership Council and the legitimate government in the country.”
Israeli PM Netanyahu to hold security meeting after delegation returns from Cairo
Hamas called on Friday for the international community to press Israel to immediately enter the second phase without delay
Israel has killed more than 48,000 people, according to Palestinian authorities, while destroying large swathes of the tiny, crowded territory and leaving most of its 2 million inhabitants homeless
Trump proposed this month that the US should take over Gaza and redevelop it as a “Riviera of the Middle East” with its population displaced into Egypt and Jordan
Updated 6 sec ago
Reuters
CAIRO/JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to hold consultations with security chiefs and ministers on Friday after an Israeli delegation returned from Cairo with no agreement on extending the Gaza ceasefire, two Israeli officials said.
A Hamas official confirmed that Israel had sought to extend the 42-day truce agreed as a first stage in the ceasefire agreement through the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which begins this weekend. But he said Hamas wanted to move on to negotiations over the second stage, opening the way to a permanent end to the war.
“We are committed to the agreement,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Egyptian and Qatari mediators asked for some time over the next few days to resolve the impasse over the ceasefire, which is due to expire on Saturday, the officials said.
The agreement reached last month halted 15 months of fighting, allowing the exchange of 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees and was meant to lead to subsequent talks to build on the truce.
Israeli officials have previously said Israel was ready to resume fighting in Gaza if all its remaining hostages are not returned.
However, Israel and Hamas remain far apart on key issues and each has accused the other of violating the ceasefire, casting doubt over the second phase of the deal meant to include releases of additional hostages and prisoners as well as steps toward a permanent end of the war.
There is no sign of agreement, either among or between Israelis and Palestinians, or between Western and Arab governments, over Gaza’s future. That uncertainty is complicating efforts to negotiate a lasting resolution.
Hamas called on Friday for the international community to press Israel to immediately enter the second phase without delay. It is unclear what will happen if the first phase ends on Saturday without a deal.
A senior official of the Palestinian Authority, State Minister of Foreign Affairs Varsen Aghabekian, also said on Friday that she would like the ceasefire phases to move ahead as originally planned.
“I doubt anyone in Gaza will want to go back to war,” she said in Geneva.
The Cairo talks are being mediated by Egypt and Qatar with US support. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday there were “pretty good talks going on.”
Asked whether the ceasefire deal would move into the second phase, Trump said: “Nobody really knows, but we’ll see what happens.”
The Gaza war is the latest confrontation in decades of conflict between Israel and Palestinians.
It began on Oct. 7, 2023, when fighters from the Islamist group Hamas stormed border defenses from Gaza and attacked Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
The Israeli military campaign in retaliation has killed more than 48,000 people, according to Palestinian authorities, while destroying large swathes of the tiny, crowded territory and leaving most of its 2 million inhabitants homeless.
CEASEFIRE
The ceasefire has mostly held during its first six weeks, although both sides have accused each other of breaches, particularly in the treatment of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees, and in the handling of releases.
The United Nations has described images of both emaciated Israeli hostages and released Palestinian detainees as distressing, saying they reflected the dire conditions in which they were held.
Hamas has staged shows of strength during hostage releases, parading them in front of cameras. Israeli authorities have made released detainees wear clothes bearing pro-Israeli slogans.
Israel is now negotiating to extend the first phase of the ceasefire deal by 42 days, according to the Egyptian security sources.
Israeli government officials said earlier this week that Israel would attempt to extend the initial phase with Hamas freeing three hostages a week in return for the release of Palestinian detainees.
Discussions on an end to the war are complicated by the lack of any agreement over basic questions such as how Gaza would be governed, how its security would be managed, how it could be rebuilt, and who would pay for that.
Trump proposed this month that the US should take over Gaza and redevelop it as a “Riviera of the Middle East” with its population displaced into Egypt and Jordan.
Arab countries have rejected that idea but have yet to announce their own plan.
European countries have also rejected the displacement of Palestinians and say they still support a two-state solution to the conflict.
The RSF has launched repeated attacks in North Darfur, including at the famine-stricken Zamzam camp south of Al-Fasher earlier this month
Updated 01 March 2025
Reuters AFP
CAIRO: Forces fighting alongside Sudan’s army said on Friday they had intercepted a substantial quantity of military supplies from a convoy destined for the rival Rapid Support Forces in North Darfur.
The RSF denied that a convoy had been attacked, telling Reuters the statement from the Joint Forces was “incorrect and mere lies.” Reuters was unable to verify the claims independently.
The Joint Forces, which include former rebel groups allied with the Sudanese army, accused the RSF of bringing in supplies for the indiscriminate shelling of neighborhoods in Al-Fasher, the army’s last holdout in the Darfur region, and Omdurman, as well as camps for displaced people.
BACKGROUND
At least 70 people have died from cholera and more than 2,200 have been infected in southern Sudan over the past week, Save the Children said on Thursday, citing Health Ministry data.
The RSF has launched repeated attacks in North Darfur, including at the famine-stricken Zamzam camp south of Al-Fasher earlier this month.
The RSF denies indiscriminate shelling of residential areas or targeting civilians and accuses the Joint Forces of using human shields.
The convoy, intercepted southeast of Al-Fasher, contained a large amount of military supplies, including 10,000 rounds of 40mm artillery shells, 12,000 rounds of howitzer shells, and various rockets and bombs, the Joint Forces statement said.
The Joint Forces said they also “neutralized” foreign mercenaries.
In recent months, the Joint Forces said they had intercepted Colombian mercenaries, prompting apologies from the South American country.
A power struggle between Sudan’s army and the RSF erupted into warfare in April 2023 ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule, triggering a massive displacement and hunger crisis.
On Thursday, the UN human rights chief Volker Turk warned of further escalation in Sudan and said there was a growing risk of deaths from starvation on a wide scale.
Sudan is facing the abyss and potentially hundreds of thousands of deaths unless the devastating war in the country ends and aid pours in, he warned.
Turk painted a bleak outlook for Sudan, where famine has already taken hold and millions have fled their homes amid intense fighting between rival forces.
“Sudan is a powder keg, on the verge of a further explosion into chaos, and at increasing risk of atrocity crimes and mass deaths from famine,” Turk warned the UN Human Rights Council.
He called the country “the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophe.”
“We are looking into the abyss. Humanitarian agencies warn that without action to end the war, deliver emergency aid, and get agriculture back on its feet, hundreds of thousands of people could die.”
Turk said more than 600,000 people were “on the brink of starvation,” with famine reported to have taken hold in five areas, including the Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur.
Turk said five more areas could face famine in the next three months, while 17 are considered at risk.
He said an estimated 8.8 million people had been forced from their homes within Sudan, while 3.5 million more have fled across borders.
“This is the biggest displacement crisis in the world,” he said.
“Some 30.4 million people need assistance, from health care to food and other humanitarian support,” he said.
Presenting his annual report on the human rights situation in Sudan, Turk said some of the acts it documented may constitute war crimes and other atrocity crimes.
Turk said the Sudanese people had endured “unfathomable suffering and pain” since the conflict began, “with no peaceful solution in sight.”
Responding to the report, Sudanese Justice Minister Muawiya Osman blamed the RSF for starting the war and accused them of having “forced people out of their regions, humiliating them, and trying to cleanse specific regions from their original populations, just like West Darfur.”
He accused the RSF of “blocking humanitarian deliveries.”
Louvre Abu Dhabi invites visitors to embrace spirit of Ramadan with its month-long program
The temporary ‘Kings and Queens of Africa’ exhibition will remain open until 1 a.m. throughout the holy month
The museum is also hosting a series of cultural talks and a diverse selection of pop-up dining options
Updated 01 March 2025
Arab News
ABU DHABI: Louvre Abu Dhabi is inviting visitors to experience the warmth and spirituality of Ramadan through a special program during the holy month that includes extended opening hours, immersive cultural talks and a diverse selection of pop-up dining options.
While the permanent galleries will continue to close at the usual time (8:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday and 6:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday), the “Kings and Queens of Africa,” a temporary exhibition running until May 25, will remain open until 1 a.m. throughout the month.
This gives visitors an additional opportunity to view the works in an exhibition the museum says reflects its commitment to the celebration of African artistic heritage, including “Projection of Harmony” by renowned South African artist Esther Mahlangu.
The museum, in collaboration with the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute, will also host a series of talks on the subject of Islamic philosophy. Scholars Taneli Kukkonen and Nader Bizri will delve into significant works of Islamic thought, drawing parallels between them and contemporary culture. The discussions will be accompanied by readings in the Hakawati style, an Arabic word that means “storyteller,” led by Lamya Tawfiq.
The first session, “Hayy Ibn Yaqzan and his Castaway Companions,” is on March 8. It will explore author Ibn Tufayl’s 12th-century masterpiece, which laid the foundations for the castaway genre and influenced classics such as Daniel Defoe’s 1719 novel “Robinson Crusoe,” and the 2000 Tom Hanks film “Cast Away.”
The second talk, “The Brethren of Purity and the Enduring Legacy of Animal Fables” on March 15, will examine the influence of Islamic fables on animal-related storytelling traditions worldwide, from the ancient Greek “Aesop’s Fables” to 20th century works such as “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” and “The Hundred and One Dalmatians.”
Visitors will also be able to sample offerings from a number of Ramadan-inspired food pop-ups provided by establishments such as Ethr Cafe, Sky Garden by Ethr Cafe, Aptitude, Fouquet’s, Art Lounge, and Toby’s Estate.
Families visiting the museum during Ramadan and Eid can also participate in interactive workshops, including a “Create Your Own Headdress” event on March 29 and 30.
Meanwhile, Louvre Abu Dhabi has launched season three of its podcast series, “Adventures at the Museum,” which is billed as taking listeners on a journey through art history, storytelling and adventure. New episodes are released every Thursday.
NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for the Arab world to show unity ahead of a major summit next week to discuss the rebuilding of Gaza, which he said has become “a nexus of death, displacement, hunger, and disease” following 15 months of Israeli military action in the enclave.
A unified response among Arab nations “will help guide the way forward” in efforts to bring stability to the region, he said.
The UN chief will attend the Extraordinary Summit of the League of Arab States in Cairo next Tuesday.
Speaking ahead of the conference, Guterres reiterated the UN’s rejection of any ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and emphasized the need to establish a unified Palestinian government that enjoys the support of its people.
“There must be no long-term Israeli military presence in Gaza, and any transitional arrangements should aim to achieve a unified Palestinian government,” he said.
Guterres also called for urgent de-escalation in the West Bank, urging an end to settlement expansion and violence against civilians.
The UN secretary-general reiterated his call for a two-state solution, underscoring the need for Israel and Palestine to coexist peacefully in accordance with international law.
“The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, chart their own future, and live in freedom and security,” he said, stressing that the only path to lasting peace is through a negotiated two-state solution with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.
In Cairo, Guterres is expected to outline these key priorities to leaders from across the Arab world, calling for unified action to bring stability to the region.
“Their unified position will help guide the way forward,” he said.
The Cairo summit represents a critical moment for international diplomacy as efforts intensify to secure a lasting resolution to the Gaza crisis and lay the groundwork for future peace in the region, amid a fragile ceasefire.
Since the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, Gaza has experienced unprecedented destruction.
“Hospitals, schools, and water facilities have been destroyed and reduced to rubble,” Guterres said. He warned that “the risk of further destruction looms over the population.”
The UN chief urged all parties involved in the ceasefire and hostage deal to uphold their commitments.
“The parties must spare no effort to avoid a breakdown of this deal,” Guterres said. “The coming days are critical,” he warned, emphasizing the importance of ensuring the safe, dignified, and unconditional release of hostages, alongside the continued flow of humanitarian aid to those in desperate need.
He called for the humanitarian lifeline to remain open and for continued support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Since the temporary ceasefire was brokered, humanitarian agencies have managed to scale up operations in Gaza, delivering essential aid, food, water, and medical supplies.
“With the right conditions and access, we can do far more,” Guterres said.
However, the UN chief made it clear that ending the immediate humanitarian crisis is only the first step.
He called for a comprehensive political framework to address Gaza’s long-term recovery, which must be grounded in international law and ensure the preservation of Palestinian sovereignty.
Guterres also called for tangible steps toward peace and stability, based on “clear principles.”
“This means staying true to the bedrock of international law,” he said. “It means preventing any form of ethnic cleansing. It means there should be no long-term Israeli military presence in Gaza.
“It means addressing Israel’s legitimate security concerns. It means accountability for violations of international law.”
Nawaf Salam visits border areas, promises people safe return home
Army entrusted with defending homeland, protecting property, PM says
Updated 28 February 2025
NAJIA HOUSSARI
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Friday called for a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the country, and promised residents of border villages a safe return home and reconstruction of their properties.
Salam was speaking during a visit to the border area amid a partial Israel withdrawal.
However, Israeli troops continue to occupy five strategic hills in the region, blocking the road connecting the border areas.
BACKGROUND
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s visit to areas near the border with Israel that suffered wide destruction during the war came two days after his government won a vote of confidence in parliament.
Salam said on Friday that the Lebanese army “is carrying out its responsibilities to the fullest, reinforcing its deployment with determination and resolve to uphold stability in the south and ensure the safe return of our people to their villages and homes.”
Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam visits the border area. (X @nawafasalam)
He said that “the army is the entity in charge of defending Lebanon and accordingly, it should preserve the country’s security, protect its people, and safeguard its sovereignty and the unity and security of its territory.”
After his government won a confidence vote in parliament this week, Salam visited the army’s barracks in Tyre and Marjayoun, as well as Khiam and Nabatieh.
Ministers and Maj. Gen. Hassan Aoude, the acting army commander, accompanied the prime minister.
The visit came hours after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed in a statement that “Israel has received a green light from the US to stay in the buffer zone in southern Lebanon.”
He said that “our forces will stay indefinitely in the buffer zone, south of Lebanon.”
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the Israeli defense minister’s claims, saying that “the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon clearly stipulates that Israel must withdraw from the south, including the five strategic points.”
Salam was taken to the Benoit Barakat Barracks in Tyre by military helicopter.
The Lebanese PM and his delegation held a meeting at the sector’s headquarters with Brig. Gen. Edgar Lawandos, commander of the southern Litani sector in the Lebanese army.
Salam said that the government “is committed to supporting the Lebanese army, by expanding its manpower, upgrading its equipment and training, and improving service conditions, to enhance its defensive capabilities.”
He also condemned “any attack on UNIFIL,” in light of the Feb. 15 violence on the Beirut Airport road.
Protesters — angered by the denial of landing clearance for an Iranian plane — attacked a UNIFIL convoy heading to the airport, injuring the deputy commander and his escort, who were both taken to the hospital.
Salam said that “firm action” will be taken to arrest and hold those responsible to account.
“We are taking all necessary measures to ensure it does not recur,” he said.
Salam commended UNIFIL’s role as a peacekeeping force in Lebanon and the south since 1978, with “many of its members sacrificing their lives to fulfill its mission.”
He praised UNIFIL’s “close cooperation with the army and Lebanese authorities to implement UN Resolution 1701, to enhance the security and stability of Lebanon and the south.”
On Thursday, the Government Commissioner at the Military Court, Judge Fadi Akiki, charged 20 people, including four detainees and two minors, with involvement in the attack on the UNIFIL convoy.
The charges included “attempted murder of the convoy’s members by burning the vehicle, assaulting the security forces and forming a group to undermine the authority and steal money worth $29,000 that was in the wallet of the UNIFIL deputy commander who was leaving Lebanon and returning to his country at the end of his mission.”
Following his visit to the military barracks, Salam met with a delegation from the border town of Dhayra.
Residents staged a protest outside the barracks to voice their suffering to the prime minister over the Israeli forces’ incursions into their lands, especially the destroyed southern neighborhood.
Salam promised the delegation that ministers will work to ensure “a safe return to your homes as soon as possible, and a commitment to the reconstruction process for the residents to return with dignity.”
He said: “Before receiving the confidence vote, the government started to mobilize all Arab and international support to force the enemy to withdraw from our lands and the so-called five points; There is no real and sustainable stability without Israel’s complete withdrawal.”
From Khiam, where he surveyed the Israeli destruction, Salam said: “We will only accept the complete withdrawal of the enemy from Lebanon, as Israel has repeatedly violated our sovereignty and land.”
In Nabatieh, several protesters criticized the prime minister for failing to thank “the resistance and only expressing gratitude to the army in the south.”
Another protester questioned “the possibility of reclaiming the occupied hills through dialogue.”
Salam’s visit to the south coincided with further Israeli airspace violations over Lebanon, as Hezbollah held funerals for 130 people, including party fighters and civilians killed in Israeli airstrikes during the recent war.
Trucks carried dozens of coffins along the road to the towns of Aitaroun and Aita Al-Shaab on Friday.
Israeli forces stationed at border positions, meanwhile, carried out intensive patrol operations toward the outskirts of Aitaroun ahead of the funerals.
Israeli violations also extended to the Bekaa, with aircraft flying at low altitude over Baalbek and northern Bekaa.
On Thursday, airstrikes targeted a Hezbollah official and another person in a pickup truck in the city of Hermel, killing both.
Later, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said that one of the victims was “Mohammed Mahdi Ali Shahin, a Hezbollah operative responsible for acquiring combat equipment along the Syrian-Lebanese border since the Israel-Lebanon agreements came into effect.”
He added: “Shahin was one of the key members of Hezbollah’s geographical unit overseeing Lebanon’s Bekaa region, which has recently been focused on transferring combat equipment from Syria to Lebanon.”