GCC’s chief urges regional collective action at counter-terrorism conference in Kuwait

Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi addressed a high-level conference on counter-terrorism and border security. (X/@GCCSG)
Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi addressed a high-level conference on counter-terrorism and border security. (X/@GCCSG)
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Updated 04 November 2024
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GCC’s chief urges regional collective action at counter-terrorism conference in Kuwait

GCC’s chief urges regional collective action at counter-terrorism conference in Kuwait
  • Meeting gathers ministers, UN agency representatives, international organizations

KUWAIT CITY: Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi addressed a high-level conference on counter-terrorism and border security on Monday.

The conference, which is being held in Kuwait and ends on Tuesday, has been organized by Kuwait in partnership with Tajikistan and the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism.

It gathered ministers, UN agency representatives, and international and regional organizations to help bolster international counter-terrorism efforts.

Al-Budaiwi said: “This important regional conference focuses on border security and combating terrorism, which are vital issues requiring collective action.”

Al-Budaiwi spoke of the GCC’s achievements in security collaboration, including information-sharing and laws targeting terrorism financing.

He added: “The GCC countries have built a common security system through joint agreements, enhancing cooperation in border protection and addressing security threats.”

He stressed the region’s proactive approach in utilizing technology and training personnel to safeguard borders against transnational threats like arms and human trafficking.


Syrian, Iraqi, Iranian foreign ministers to meet on Friday

Syrian, Iraqi, Iranian foreign ministers to meet on Friday
Updated 26 sec ago
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Syrian, Iraqi, Iranian foreign ministers to meet on Friday

Syrian, Iraqi, Iranian foreign ministers to meet on Friday
CAIRO: Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein will meet his Syrian and Iranian counterparts on Friday to discuss the situation in Syria, the Iraqi state news agency said on Thursday.
The Friday meeting comes after a whirlwind advance by Syrian rebels that started last week as they captured the main northern city of Aleppo from Iran-backed Syrian President Bashar Assad and then captured the city of Hama on Thursday.
Earlier on Thursday, Syrian foreign minister Bassam Sabbagh arrived in Iraq’s capital Baghdad, the Iraqi state news agency (INA) said, adding that the Iranian foreign minister is to arrive on Friday.
Some Iraqi fighters entered Syria early this week to support Assad, Iraqi and Syrian sources said. Iraq’s Iran-aligned Hashd Al-Shaabi paramilitary coalition has mobilized along the border with Syria, saying this was purely preventative in case of spillover into Iraq.

Cargo ship crew rescued in Red Sea operation

Cargo ship crew rescued in Red Sea operation
Updated 54 min 17 sec ago
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Cargo ship crew rescued in Red Sea operation

Cargo ship crew rescued in Red Sea operation

The crew of Panama-flagged cargo ship MV ISA STAR has been rescued in the Red Sea after sending a distress signal, the EU’s Aspides naval mission said.

“All crew members aboard the MV ISA STAR have been rescued and will be transported to Djibouti, the nearest safe port of call,” Aspides said in a statement on Facebook.

The vessel had reported flooding in the engine room, and the master requested assistance, as its crew of 20 were forced to abandon it.

One maritime security source said that the ship experienced engine problems, and another said it had reported an internal explosion. 

Details on the current condition of the vessel were not immediately available.

The sources said the ship was about 100 nautical miles off the port of Hodeidah, Yemen when it called for assistance.

Houthis have launched attacks on international shipping near Yemen since November 2023.

It was not clear if this incident was linked to Houthi activity.


Flareup of Syria civil war is ‘bitter fruit of collective failure’ of diplomacy: UN chief

Flareup of Syria civil war is ‘bitter fruit of collective failure’ of diplomacy: UN chief
Updated 57 min 57 sec ago
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Flareup of Syria civil war is ‘bitter fruit of collective failure’ of diplomacy: UN chief

Flareup of Syria civil war is ‘bitter fruit of collective failure’ of diplomacy: UN chief
  • Antonio Guterres: ‘Syria is a crossroads of civilization. It’s painful to see its progressive fragmentation’
  • Coalition of opposition forces have launched their largest offensive in years, seizing Aleppo and now Hama

NEW YORK: The current flareup of the Syrian civil war is the “bitter fruit of a chronic collective failure” to agree a nationwide ceasefire and implement Security Council resolutions, the UN secretary-general said on Thursday.

Calling for the restoration of Syria’s “sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity,” Antonio Guterres added that “after 14 years of conflict, it’s high time for all parties to engage seriously with Geir Pedersen, my special envoy for Syria, to finally chart a new, inclusive and comprehensive approach to resolving this crisis, in line with Security Council Resolution 2254. It’s time for serious dialogue.”

Resolution 2254, adopted in 2015, outlines a roadmap for a political resolution to the conflict, calling for a ceasefire, humanitarian access, and a Syrian-led political process involving all parties.

It emphasizes free and fair elections, constitutional reform and a transitional government, with the goal of achieving peace and stability in Syria.

The civil war, which had been at a stalemate for the past few years, was reignited last week when a coalition of opposition forces, including Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham — which is sanctioned by the UN Security Council — and an umbrella group of Turkey-backed militias called the Syrian National Army launched their largest offensive against the government in years.

They quickly swept through villages outside Aleppo, the largest city in Syria, much of which they now control. They met little resistance there as the Syrian military quickly withdrew.

On Thursday, they swept into the central city of Hama from which government forces again redeployed.

Rebels now appear to be heading further south, inching ever closer to the capital Damascus, President Bashar Assad’s seat of power.

There have been reports of civilian casualties, displacements of tens of thousands of people, damage to civilian infrastructure, and interruptions in essential services and humanitarian aid. 

Guterres discussed the current “grave developments” with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

He told reporters in New York that he emphasized to Erdogan “all” parties’ obligations to protect civilians, “the urgent need for immediate humanitarian access to all civilians in need, and a return to the UN-facilitated political process to end the bloodshed.” 

Erdogan’s office said he told the UN chief that the conflict has reached a new phase that is “being managed calmly.”

Guterres said: “Syria is a crossroads of civilization. It’s painful to see its progressive fragmentation.”

He added that during his tenure as high commissioner for refugees, he witnessed “the immense generosity” of the Syrian people who opened “their hearts and their homes” to countless Iraqi refugees.

“There were no refugee camps in Syria. Refugees lived among the Syrian people,” he said. “It breaks my heart to see their suffering grow, along with the threats to regional and indeed international security.”

Guterres again urged “all those with influence to do their part for the long-suffering people of Syria.”


Lebanon medics flee from border area amid Israeli strikes

Lebanon medics flee from border area amid Israeli strikes
Updated 40 min 15 sec ago
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Lebanon medics flee from border area amid Israeli strikes

Lebanon medics flee from border area amid Israeli strikes
  • US, French representatives of ceasefire monitoring committee meet PM Mikati and Parliament Speaker Berri
  • Hezbollah ‘remains committed to agreement’
  • Deputy Parliament Speaker Elias Bou Saab raps Israeli violations of truce

BEIRUT: The Israeli military on Thursday launched an attack near Lebanese Civil Defense members recovering bodies from clashes between Hezbollah and Israel by the border, forcing paramedics to leave the area.

A few hours before the attack, the paramedics were subject to Israeli artillery shelling while they were looking for bodies under the rubble of destroyed buildings in Chamaa village.

Several villages in Tyre, which were previously invaded by the Israeli military before the ceasefire agreement took effect on Nov. 27, remain subject to Israeli hostilities under the pretext that the Israeli military has 60 days to withdraw from the area under the ceasefire agreement.

The Israeli forces prevented the area’s residents from returning until further notice and imposed a curfew on those already residing in the region.

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health’s statistics, the expanded war resulted in over 4,047 deaths and 16,638 injuries, most of which were recorded during the last weeks as Israeli hostilities escalated in different Lebanese areas.

The Lebanese Civil Defense headed on Thursday morning to three villages that were subject to previous confrontations, using large machinery to continue searching for bodies, most of which were Hezbollah members.

They found nine bodies in Chamaa, six in Al-Bayadah, and one in Naqoura.

A resident of one of the areas that witnessed the confrontations said dozens of Hezbollah members had been killed, and “we were unable to contact them for weeks to avoid revealing their locations.”

The Israeli military continued on Thursday morning to destroy houses and facilities in the border area.

Its attacks included neighborhoods in Yaroun and Bint Jbeil.

The Lebanese National News Agency reported that an Israeli infantry force — backed by a bulldozer and Merkava tanks — advanced on Thursday morning to the western side of Shebaa town, where it erected earthen barriers blocking the road linking the border village to the Naqqar Pond front.

Deputy Parliament Speaker Elias Bou Saab emphasized that Israel’s attacks “are a flagrant violation of the agreement.”

He added: “These attacks are unjustified. The agreement does not allow Israel to do what it is doing.”

Bou Saab said Israel “tries to justify its actions to the international community under the pretext of self-defense, but in reality, these are hostile acts and a breach of the agreement.”

Bou Saab affirmed that the ceasefire “was designed to remain in place and succeed,” adding that “in the coming days, the situation will change ... the committee tasked with monitoring the implementation process will become effective, and violations and attacks on the Lebanese will stop.”

Representatives of the committee tasked with monitoring the ceasefire agreement’s implementation in accordance with UN Resolution 1701 have arrived.

On Wednesday, the Lebanese military redeployed in three locations in Shebaa while consolidating its forces in Tyre over the past two days in preparation for redeployment in the border area following the withdrawal of the Israeli military.

Also on Thursday, the head of the ceasefire monitoring committee, US Gen. Jasper Jeffers, and the accompanying military delegation met with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

Berri’s media office said the meeting included “a review of the field conditions since the ceasefire took effect and the committee's tasks.”

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati received the French representative, Gen. Guillaume Ponchin, who arrived in Beirut at the head of a military delegation.

Mikati’s media office said he emphasized the Lebanese priorities, which include the cessation of fire, halting Israeli violations, the withdrawal of the Israeli military from Lebanese territories, and strengthening the deployment of the Lebanese military in the south.

The ceasefire monitoring committee is scheduled to hold its first official and operational meeting next Tuesday in Naqoura, a border town that hosts the UNIFIL headquarters.

Representatives from Lebanon, Israel, and UNIFIL will join.

A preliminary meeting of the committee is expected within the next 24 hours.

Lebanon is closely watching the start of the monitoring committee’s work, which relies on halting the Israeli violations, officially recorded as exceeding 100 breaches.

The committee’s work under the agreement will focus on “monitoring the borders and preventing violations, with each party (Lebanon and Israel) reporting any perceived threats to the committee.”

The Lebanese Cabinet is scheduled to hold an exceptional session on Saturday in a military barracks in the southern city of Tyre.

This symbolic step aims to show solidarity with the areas affected by Israeli attacks, including Tyre, which lies just a few kilometers from the confrontation lines with the Israeli military.

The Lebanese Cabinet will hold a special session on Saturday at a military barracks in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre in a symbolic move aimed at expressing solidarity with the areas affected by Israeli attacks, including Tyre, which is just a few kilometers away from the frontlines with the Israeli military.

The session will be attended by Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun, who will brief ministers on the army’s deployment plan in the south.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah organized a field tour for media professionals in the south, starting in Chehaybiyeh and its commercial market, followed by Khirbet Selm and Souaneh.

Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad said: “The operation carried out by Hezbollah last Monday, which targeted the Israeli Ruwaysat Al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms, was a preliminary defensive reminder in response to the attacks and violations carried out by Israel over the past few days.”

He said Israel had left no act undone in its attack on civilian targets.

In Kfarkela, Israeli forces targeted sports facilities, and in Khiam, they continued to destroy homes and demolish roads. They have also demolished places of worship in other areas.

He added: “These practices cannot be seen as adherence to the ceasefire agreement procedures.

“They exceed the agreement, undermining both the established protocols and the credibility of monitoring bodies.”

Fayyad stressed Lebanon’s right to defend itself and the people’s right to respond to these aggressions.

“The goal of the procedures is Israeli withdrawal, not making way to villages that it did not advance toward during the confrontations with the resistance,” he added.

He said that this puts the US “in a position of direct responsibility and full partnership in these violations, which undermine the implementation of the ceasefire procedures and represent a threat to the agreed-upon mechanism.

“We emphasize our commitment to the declaration of the cessation of hostilities stipulated in the paper and Lebanon's right to defend itself.”

Fayyad reaffirmed “the confidence in the important role of the Lebanese military, which is a pillar in protecting national sovereignty and security.

“Coordination and continuous follow-up with the army are ongoing,” he said.

Hezbollah MP Hussein Al-Hajj Hassan emphasized that Hezbollah “remains committed to the cessation of hostilities with Israel and to the agreement.”

Regarding Hezbollah’s strength, Al-Hajj Hassan said that “the party has not weakened, and its will remains strong.

“It has come out of a major aggression; no one could crush it, and it will only grow stronger.

“It is not an organization isolated from its people; It has allies who stood by it during the aggression and a large parliamentary bloc with many allies.”


Bereaved Gazans clear charred remains after deadly strike on camp

Bereaved Gazans clear charred remains after deadly strike on camp
Updated 05 December 2024
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Bereaved Gazans clear charred remains after deadly strike on camp

Bereaved Gazans clear charred remains after deadly strike on camp

KHAN YOUNIS: Palestinians in the southern Gaza Strip worked on Thursday to clear bent metal sheets and charred personal belongings from tents incinerated by an Israeli airstrike on a displacement camp.

Gaza’s Civil Defense agency said that the strike on the tents in the Al-Mawasi area — designated a humanitarian zone by the Israeli army — killed 21 and injured 40, “most of them children, women and the elderly.”

Agency spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said that at least five children were among the dead, most of whose bodies were left completely burnt by fires caused by the bombing.

“We heard a huge explosion, so we rushed to the place. I saw fire and smoke in the area of the displaced people’s tents. There was chaos everywhere,” said Mahmoud Shurrab, 39, who lives in his home in Al-Mawasi.

“The bodies were burned, limbs were everywhere, and there was a huge fire in dozens of tents,” said Shurrab, who lost four family members in the strike.

AFP could not independently verify Shurrab’s allegations but saw the large fire caused by the bombings Wednesday night.

On Thursday, an AFP journalist saw a large crater several meters deep in the sandy ground caused by the bomb’s impact, as well as piles of bent metal sheets that had been used for makeshift shelters.

Men carried a body away from the rubble wrapped in blankets used as a shroud.

The Israeli army said that the strike targeted “senior Hamas terrorists who were involved in terrorist activities” in Al-Mawasi.

Eyewitnesses told AFP journalists on the ground that about 50 tents for the displaced were burned in fires caused by the strike.

“A missile explosion shook the area, and a mass of flames and fire set the area alight,” Ahmad Al-Siqali, a displaced man in Khan Younis, said as he stood surrounded by the remains of the shelters that previously housed displaced families.

“Seconds later, the remains of the martyrs, women and children, who were safe in their tents, were scattered ... in the streets and on top of the tents,” Siqali added.

Ezz El-Din Abu Subha, a civil defense agency paramedic who was dispatched to the site, said that after the first Israeli strike, “we were helping the injured and helping the citizens and also retrieving the bodies, and the place was targeted again.”

“The place is full of tents for the displaced, sheltering people from all areas, most of them from different families displaced from Rafah, and each family has a tent,” he added.

Al-Mawasi is a coastal area in Khan Younis that Israeli forces unilaterally declared a humanitarian zone in the early days of the war, urging displaced Palestinians to move there.

As the nearly 14-month-long war has dragged on and almost all of Gaza’s 2.4 million inhabitants have been displaced, tents and makeshift shelters have covered the sandy area.

The area has repeatedly been hit by Israeli forces, including in significant deadly strikes in September and July.

The Oct. 7, 2023, attack sparked the war in Gaza.

Israel’s retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has resulted in at least 44,580 deaths, mostly civilians, according to data from the territory’s Health Ministry, which the UN considers reliable.