Syrian minister makes first trip to EU as powers look to aid transition

Syrian minister makes first trip to EU as powers look to aid transition
Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al Shibani looks on during the 55th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2025. (Reuters)
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Updated 13 February 2025

Syrian minister makes first trip to EU as powers look to aid transition

Syrian minister makes first trip to EU as powers look to aid transition

PARIS: Syria’s foreign minister will attend an international conference in Paris on Thursday as regional and Western powers seek to shield the country during its fragile transition amid ongoing instability across the region.
Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani is leading a delegation for a first trip to the European Union since the overthrow of Bashar Assad and days after President Emmanuel Macron invited Syria’s UN-sanctioned President Ahmed Al-Sharaa to France.
“This Paris meeting in a way is to help create a protective bubble around the Syria crisis to give them time to resolve it by dissuading the bad losers from destabilising the country,” a French official said.
Regional ministers, including from , Turkiye and Lebanon, will be joined with Western partners, although the United States will only have a low level diplomatic presence.
The meeting aims to coordinate efforts to bring a peaceful transition ensuring the country’s sovereignty and security, mobilize Syria’s main neighbors and partners to coordinate aid and economic support, the French foreign ministry said.
It will also discuss transitional justice and the fight against impunity.
The conference does not aim to raise funds, which will be left to an annual pledging conference in Brussels in March, but issues such as the lifting of sanctions would be discussed.
The EU has moved forward in lifting some sanctions, although that still remains blocked amid opposition from Cyprus and Greece amid concerns over maritime delimitation talks between Syria and Turkiye and assurances that sanctions could be restored quickly, two diplomats said.
They said they were hopeful a compromise could be reached this month.
Ahead of the meeting, main international donors will also take stock of the humanitarian situation, notably in northeastern Syria, where the impact of US aid cuts has had a “terrifying” impact, according to a European official.
Officials also said the subject of Western-backed Kurdish Syrian forces, the central government and Turkiye, which deems part of those forces as terrorist groups, would also be discussed.
A Turkish diplomatic source said Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz, who will attend the meeting, would “draw attention to the threats Syria is facing, namely the separatist terrorist organization and emphasize our country’s determination regarding the total clearance of the country from terror elements.”


Lebanese govt receives first progress report on disarming Hezbollah

Lebanon’s army was tasked in August with drafting and overseeing the plan to disarm Hezbollah. (Supplied)
Lebanon’s army was tasked in August with drafting and overseeing the plan to disarm Hezbollah. (Supplied)
Updated 35 sec ago

Lebanese govt receives first progress report on disarming Hezbollah

Lebanon’s army was tasked in August with drafting and overseeing the plan to disarm Hezbollah. (Supplied)
  • Lebanon’s Cabinet on Monday received its first progress report on the disarmament of Hezbollah

BEIRUT: Army chief Gen. Rodolphe Haykal presented the Army Command report on the newly implemented plan to establish exclusive state control over weapons.

The Lebanese state, under President Joseph Aoun, is attempting to seize weapons belonging to Hezbollah in an attempt to secure a monopoly on arms and greater authority over events in the country.

Hezbollah, the Shiite political party and paramilitary group, has long been viewed as one of the word’s most powerful non-state actors.

Monday’s meeting was chaired by Aoun at the Presidential Palace. It focused on measures undertaken in the South Litani sector and beyond, in areas where illegal weapons and military activity have historically challenged state authority.

Lebanon’s army was tasked in August with drafting and overseeing the plan to disarm Hezbollah.

While the military institution has remained tight-lipped about the details of its plan, Haykal — who had just toured several military units in the South Litani sector to review progress — said in a speech distributed by Army Command that the next phase “will once again prove that the army holds the power of right, and that it is the (sole) protector of the national interests.”

The army’s plan, particularly south of the Litani River, is being implemented in coordination with UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force, amid heightened tensions from regular Israeli cross-border strikes and the continued occupation of Lebanese border territory.

A senior military source said that the army’s approach focuses on “containing Hezbollah’s weapons,” specifically restricting any transfer or new introduction of weapons that could allow the organization to reconstitute its armed capacity in the wake of its bruising war with Israel.

During a recent visit to meet officers and soldiers assigned to South Litani Sector Command, Haykal praised their professionalism in “achieving great accomplishments,” adding that they “have proven themselves equal to the immense responsibility placed upon them, earning the confidence of brotherly and friendly nations.

“This compels us to continue exerting efforts and making sacrifices to fulfill our duty.”

Before heading to the Presidential Palace on Monday, Haykal met US Gen. Joseph Clearfield, head of the Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire oversight mechanism. They discussed progress on the ceasefire agreement.

During Monday’s Cabinet session, discussions focused on Hezbollah’s controversial defiance of the Prime Minister’s Office.

In late September, members of the militia illuminated Beirut’s iconic Raouche Rock with images of former Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, despite being prohibited by official orders.

The illumination of Raouche Rock — a prominent tourist landmark — also took place despite warnings from prominent Beirut MPs.

The Cabinet agenda included a proposal to revoke the license of Hezbollah’s cultural association, Ressalat, for violating the terms of its permit by illuminating the site.

This triggered a deep rift between Hezbollah and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, escalating into a smear campaign against the prime minister led by Hezbollah supporters and officials, including coordinated attacks on social media.

An official source told Arab News that that the Cabinet sought to bridge this rift “by allowing each party to present its viewpoint, without voting on the step of withdrawing the license from the Ressalat Association, and awaiting the results of the administrative investigations into what happened.”

The source added that Lebanon’s interior minister, Ahmad Al-Hajjar, is expected to take appropriate measures, including issuing warnings and imposing fines, to deter the undermining of the state.

The country’s judiciary has investigated several activists who insulted and defamed Salam on social media; some have refused to appear before court.

Commenting on the incident, Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri said that “calling the prime minister a Zionist is contrary to political ethics.”

Meanwhile, Israel’s air force on Monday struck Bekaa Valley training camps belonging to Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, media reports said.

The strikes hit locations including Zaghrine, the barren areas around Hrabta and Hermel, as well as heights between Hrabta and Chaat.

Reports suggest that Hezbollah continues to store heavy weapons in the Bekaa region, particularly in the barren areas bordering Syria.

 


Israel blows up home of Palestinian prisoner involved in deadly Tel Aviv attack

Israel blows up home of Palestinian prisoner involved in deadly Tel Aviv attack
Updated 06 October 2025

Israel blows up home of Palestinian prisoner involved in deadly Tel Aviv attack

Israel blows up home of Palestinian prisoner involved in deadly Tel Aviv attack
  • Israeli forces stationed in Abu Kteileh neighborhood in Hebron entered Al-Haimouni’s apartment before blowing it up
  • The attack in Tel Aviv was claimed by Hamas’s armed wing, Izz-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, and resulted in the deaths of seven Israelis in October 2024

LONDON: Israeli forces demolished the home of a Palestinian prisoner in Hebron at dawn on Monday in the southern West Bank.

Israeli authorities accuse Ahmad Rafiq Al-Haimouni, 25, of carrying out a shooting and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv alongside Mohammed Misk, 19, who died during the incident. The attack, claimed by Hamas’s armed wing, Izz-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, resulted in the deaths of seven Israelis in October 2024.

On Monday, Israeli forces, consisting of vehicles, trucks, and equipment, stormed several neighborhoods in Hebron. They stationed themselves in Abu Kteileh neighborhood, where they entered Al-Haimouni’s apartment, located in a multi-story building, before blowing it up. According to the Wafa news agency, they fired sound bombs and tear gas at residents, preventing them from approaching the house.

In late September, Israeli forces demolished the home of Muthanna Amro in the town of Al-Qubaybah. His associate, Mohammed Taha, and he were shot dead by a security officer and an armed civilian after they carried out a shooting at a bus stop in Jerusalem on Sep. 8.

The attack, which left six people dead, was later claimed by Hamas.


Indirect Gaza talks begin between Hamas, Israel in Egypt: state-linked media

Indirect Gaza talks begin between Hamas, Israel in Egypt: state-linked media
Updated 06 October 2025

Indirect Gaza talks begin between Hamas, Israel in Egypt: state-linked media

Indirect Gaza talks begin between Hamas, Israel in Egypt: state-linked media
  • Negotiators are discussing the “ground conditions” to implement Trump’s plan for Gaza

CAIRO: Negotiators from Israel and Hamas began indirect discussions in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday for a hostage-prisoner exchange and Gaza ceasefire, Egyptian state-linked media reported.
Al-Qahera News, which is linked to state intelligence, said the delegations “are discussing preparing ground conditions for the release of detainees and prisoners,” in line with a proposal from US President Donald Trump to end the war in Gaza.
“Egyptian and Qatari mediators are working with both sides to establish a mechanism” for the exchange, they added.


Kuwait hosts GCC-EU talks to strengthen security, trade

Kuwait hosts GCC-EU talks to strengthen security, trade
Updated 06 October 2025

Kuwait hosts GCC-EU talks to strengthen security, trade

Kuwait hosts GCC-EU talks to strengthen security, trade
  • GCC and EU teams meet on Monday for the 29th GCC-EU Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting
  • Kuwait’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdullah Al-Yahya, chairs forum representing the GCC

LONDON: Kuwait recently hosted the 2nd High-Level Ministerial Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the EU, focusing on strengthening the strategic partnership between the two blocs.

Kuwait’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdullah Al-Yahya, chaired the forum representing the GCC, while Kaya Kallas, vice president of the European Commission, led the European delegation.

On Sunday, they discussed regional and international issues, including developments in the Middle East, cooperation in maritime security, the protection of sea lanes, and global trade.

Representatives from the GCC and the EU will meet on Monday for the 29th GCC-EU Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting in Kuwait. Discussions will focus on enhancing trade and energy cooperation, as well as addressing climate change, among other important topics, according to the Kuwait News Agency.


The Gaza twins whose whole lives have been war

The Gaza twins whose whole lives have been war
Updated 06 October 2025

The Gaza twins whose whole lives have been war

The Gaza twins whose whole lives have been war
  • Since they were born on November 2, 2023, the twins have lost their home and lived in tents and on the street

GAZA: Palestinian twins Uday and Hamza Abu Odah have known nothing but war since they were born in Gaza, less than a month after the conflict began on October 7, 2023.
Their lives have been defined and encompassed by Israel’s devastating military offensive, launched in response to the deadly attack on southern Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas two years ago.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has embraced a plan by US President Donald Trump for Gaza and Hamas has partially accepted it, but there is no certainty over when or whether the plan will end the fighting.

MOTHER’S DREAMS OF A BETTER FUTURE
Since they were born on November 2, 2023, the twins have lost their home and lived in tents and on the street.
Their father was killed seeking aid, and two brothers were wounded.
They have suffered constant hunger, frequent bouts of sickness and repeated episodes of terrifying bombardment.
They now live in a crowded beach encampment to a background of almost constant crying by the people around them, the shouting of street vendors, the menacing buzz of warplanes and the crackle of gunfire in the distance.
Their mother Iman wants a different future for them: peace, food, a home and schooling.
The boys are already traumatized and slow to develop. She fears that if Israel’s assault goes on, they – and the new generation of Gazans – will be ever more scarred.
“We are afraid this war will never stop, that it has a beginning and no end,” she said.

JOY AND SORROW
The family fled their home near front lines at the start of the war and sought shelter in a crowded school. There was little fuel, and when Iman went into labor she had to walk to the hospital. The maternity wing was crammed with the wounded.
Gunfire, funeral processions and wailing from the nearby morgue mingled with the cries of newborn babies, recalled Mohammed Salem, a Reuters photographer working there that day.
“The feeling among the doctors and the patients in the ward was strange, an emotional mix of joy and sorrow,” he said.
Iman gave birth soon after arriving, her twins each weighing 3 kg (6.6 lb).
Israel had cut off all supplies into Gaza at the start of the war, and there were shortages of baby formula and other necessities such as diapers. It allowed some aid to start flowing into Gaza again weeks into the war, but aid agencies said only a fraction of what was needed came in.
“I’d go around the maternity ward to the women lying there and I’d say ‘Which of you girls has extra milk?’,” Iman said, hoping to find breastfeeding women who could donate some milk powder.
With few beds available, she had to walk back to the shelter — nearly a kilometer away — with her babies the same day, she said.

GAZA HAS BEEN DEVASTATED DURING THE WAR
The war, the latest and bloodiest episode in decades of conflict, began when Hamas gunmen burst through defenses on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and seizing about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
By the day of the twins’ birth on November 2, 2023, more than 9,000 people had already been killed in Gaza, local health authorities said that day.
Israel’s military response, with the declared goal of destroying Hamas, has now lasted two years, and killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities.
Nearly all residents of Gaza, a narrow, densely populated strip of land on the Mediterranean Sea, have been driven from their homes and cities have been levelled in what critics of Israel call indiscriminate attacks.
Israel says it tries to avoid killing civilians, but that Hamas hides among the civilian population and the military strikes the group wherever it emerges. Hamas denies hiding among civilians.

TWINS’ FLIGHT TO SAFETY DURING A BOMBARDMENT
During the twins’ first winter, Israeli military operations focused on Nasser Hospital near the school where the family was sheltering.
The area was surrounded, and they fled through a heavy bombardment, ending up at Mawasi, a beach area that was declared a safe zone.
Winter was hard in a tent, with temperatures dropping to a few degrees above freezing at night. There was no sewage system and little clean water nearby, and the children suffered from diarrhea.
With no diapers available, Iman cut strips of cloth that could be cleaned and reused, and attached them to plastic bags. Even so, the babies developed sores and rashes.
As 2024 progressed, it became harder to find food. The twins’ father, Ayman, was killed by Israeli forces while out buying vegetables on July 27 of that year, Iman said.
“We were hungry. There was nothing at all. When he went outside, shrapnel hit his neck and he was martyred immediately. What was his fault? He was going to get food for his children,” she said.

POOR HEALTH, SLOW DEVELOPMENT
When a truce was declared in January, Iman and the children returned to the damaged family home. Their respite was short-lived, and Israel imposed a total blockade and resumed military operations in March.
They had to flee again. Without a tent, they lived on the street next to Nasser Hospital for several weeks before they moved back to Mawasi to discover that their home had been destroyed.
Iman was not eating enough to sustain the twins with her own breastmilk and could find no formula. She made tea from herbs and dunked bread in it to feed them. Hungry and frightened, they mumbled in their sleep or woke at night, crying, she said.
Uday and Hamza were expected to start walking by May, when they turned 18 months, but while Uday started taking a few steps, Hamza was still only crawling. A doctor told Iman they had calcium deficiency, which was delaying their development.
In August, the world hunger monitor, the IPC, determined there was famine in Gaza. Israel rejected its findings.

LIFE IN THE CAMP
Now nearly two, the twins still barely walk and can speak only a few words including “mama” and the names of their siblings, Iman said.
Their eldest sister Hala, 20, spends most of the time with them — playing, helping them walk, feeding them and putting them to bed. When Iman bathes them, she uses the same bucket that she washes clothes in, the water brought across the camp in heavy plastic containers.
There is constant noise in the camp. There is also the odour of the sewage pit each family digs next to its tent and the smell of smoke from clay ovens as women bake small loaves of flat bread.
Those loaves, sometimes with a pan of vegetables, rice, pasta or lentils, are all the family has to eat.
The boys love going to the beach with their mother or siblings and sitting in the waves.
“I wish for the twins... I wish for them a happy life during this war. God willing, God will stop the war and our life will become better,” she said.