Israel’s failure to commit to full withdrawal contradicts promises made to Lebanon, Aoun says

Special Israel’s failure to commit to full withdrawal contradicts promises made to Lebanon, Aoun says
Joseph Aoun meets with Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles. (X/@Defensagob)
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Updated 21 January 2025
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Israel’s failure to commit to full withdrawal contradicts promises made to Lebanon, Aoun says

Israel’s failure to commit to full withdrawal contradicts promises made to Lebanon, Aoun says
  • Aoun told Spanish Def Min Margarita Robles that Israel’s failure to commit to the withdrawal contradicts the promises made to Lebanon during the negotiations preceding the agreement
  • President praised the role of the Spanish battalion operating within the UNIFIL in southern Lebanon and the exceptional efforts of UNIFIL commander Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lazaro

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday reaffirmed Lebanon’s adherence to “the completion of Israel’s withdrawal from the remaining occupied territories in the south within the 60-day deadline stipulated in the agreement reached on Nov. 27, 2024, which expires in four days.”

Aoun told Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles, during their meeting at the Presidential Palace, that “Israel’s failure to commit to the withdrawal contradicts the promises made to Lebanon during the negotiations preceding the agreement.”

This, he said, “perpetuates tension in the border villages, prevents establishing stability, delays the return of residents to their towns, and obstructs the reconstruction of what the Israeli enemy destroyed during its aggression against Lebanon.”

Aoun said he had sent several messages to force Israel to withdraw, receiving support from the international community, “which is expected to exert pressure in this regard.”

The president praised the role of “the Spanish battalion operating within the UNIFIL in southern Lebanon and the exceptional efforts of UNIFIL commander Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lazaro, as well as the complete coordination with army units deployed in the international operations area.”

The Spanish minister underlined her country’s “support for the role Aoun is playing in Lebanon’s recovery after the difficult circumstances it has faced.”

She said: “Spain will stand by Lebanon and its people and will continue its work within the international forces,” emphasizing “the necessity of achieving the Israeli withdrawal on time to preserve stability in the south and the progress made so far.”

Robles also highlighted “Spain's collaboration with the EU to assist Lebanon in all fields.”

Meanwhile, Aoun emphasized the importance of rejecting sectarianism.

During a meeting with Sheikh Ali Qaddour, head of the Alawite Islamic Council, who came to congratulate the president, Aoun said: “Lebanon comprises various sects, and this constitutes its wealth. Each sect has its own elites, and it is essential for all groups to have representation in the government, parliament, and public administrations, similar to the representation found within the army.”

Aoun said he hoped to “form a government as soon as possible so that we can create political, economic and security stability so that citizens can live in dignity and not just in luxury.”

Aoun said: “We are at a crossroads; we can either take advantage of the current situation and rise above the trivialities of sectarian, confessional, and political matters, or we may find ourselves in a different place where the fault lies not with others, but with us for failing to fulfill our responsibilities.”

Nawaf Salam, the designated prime minister, is expected to visit Aoun to present the draft list of proposed names for the government.

Salam insists the Cabinet should consist of non-partisan and non-parliamentary figures, comprising 24 ministers.

Aoun is seeking the formation of the government before the deadline for the Israeli withdrawal, so that the new government can address the expected challenges.

Israeli forces carried out more demolition operations in the border area and bulldozed roads linking the inner neighborhoods in the town of Maroun Al-Ras.

Israeli media reported that preparations are ongoing along the border with Lebanon for the establishment of new positions for the Israeli army.

Construction teams are working to set up these new sites, which will primarily be situated between the settlements and the border fence.


Hezbollah's slain former chief Hassan Nasrallah to be buried in February

Hezbollah's slain former chief Hassan Nasrallah to be buried in February
People place a picture of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah over the rubble of the shrine of Shamoun al-Safa in southern L
Updated 29 min 49 sec ago
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Hezbollah's slain former chief Hassan Nasrallah to be buried in February

Hezbollah's slain former chief Hassan Nasrallah to be buried in February
  • Hassan Nasrallah would be laid to rest nearly five months after he was killed in an Israeli air attack
  • He will be buried on the outskirts of Beirut

BEIRUT: The funeral for Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, killed last year in an Israeli strike, will be held on Feb. 23, said the Iran-backed group’s current chief Naim Qassem on Sunday.
“After security conditions prevented holding a funeral” during two months of all-out war between the group and Israel that ended on Nov. 27, Hezbollah has decided to hold “on February 23 a grand... public funeral” for Nasrallah, Qassem said in a televised speech.

Nasrallah, who was born in 1960, would be laid to rest nearly five months after he was killed in an Israeli air attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Nasrallah was killed on Sept. 27 and had been buried discretely and temporarily according to religious decree, as Hezbollah officials had deemed the security situation too unsafe for officials and religious leaders to appear publicly to honor him.

He will be buried on the outskirts of Beirut “in a plot of land we chose between the old and new airport roads,” Qassem said.

Hezbollah's chief also confirmed for the first time that leading official Hashem Safieddine had been chosen to succeed Nasrallah before he, too, was killed in an Israeli raid in October.

The group will hold Safieddine’s funeral on the same day, Feb. 23, and he will be buried in his hometown of Deir Qanun in southern Lebanon.

Safieddine will be buried “as Secretary-General” or leader of Hezbollah, because “we had... elected His Eminence Sayyed Hashem as Secretary-General... but he was martyred on October 3, a day or two before the announcement,” Qassem said.


King of Jordan to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington

King of Jordan to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington
Updated 02 February 2025
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King of Jordan to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington

King of Jordan to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington
  • King Abdullah will be the first Arab leader to meet with Trump in his second term

LONDON: Jordan’s King Abdullah II will meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., the Jordan News Agency, also known as Petra, reported.

King Abdullah will be the first Arab leader to meet with Trump since his inauguration to the Oval Office in January.

Petra announced on Sunday afternoon that the monarch will meet Trump on Feb. 11 after receiving an invitation from the White House.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit Washington on Tuesday, making him the first foreign leader to meet with Trump since his inauguration.

Analysts say Trump will discuss various issues with the two Middle Eastern leaders, including the terms of a second phase of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the flow of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian coastal enclave.


Omani army chief of staff meets French counterpart in Muscat

Omani army chief of staff meets French counterpart in Muscat
Updated 02 February 2025
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Omani army chief of staff meets French counterpart in Muscat

Omani army chief of staff meets French counterpart in Muscat
  • Thierry Burkhard also met Omani Deputy Prime Minister for Defense Affairs

LONDON: Vice-Admiral Abdullah Khamis Al-Raisi, the Omani Armed Forces’ chief of staff, received French Chief of Defence General Thierry Burkhard in his office at Al-Murta’a'a Garrison on Sunday.

During the meeting, both sides exchanged views and reviewed various military matters of mutual interest, reported the Oman News Agency.

Burkhard and his delegation were also received by Omani Deputy Prime Minister for Defense Affairs Sayyid Shihab bin Tarik Al-Said.

The meeting was attended by Nabil Hajlaoui, the French ambassador to Muscat, and the French military attache.


Arab League calls scientists to develop AI as technology becomes dominant

Arab League calls scientists to develop AI as technology becomes dominant
Updated 02 February 2025
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Arab League calls scientists to develop AI as technology becomes dominant

Arab League calls scientists to develop AI as technology becomes dominant
  • Saudi Arabia is a key player in the Middle East in adopting AI technologies
  • Ahmed Aboul Gheit said rapid advancements in AI resemble an 'arms race' between China and the US

LONDON: Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the secretary-general of the Arab League, called on Arab scientists to develop regulations and standards for artificial intelligence during a dialogue meeting on Sunday.

The two-day meeting, “Artificial Intelligence in the Arab World: Innovative Applications and Ethical Challenges,” held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, will explore the development of generative AI technologies, including drones and robotics.

Aboul Gheit said that computer scientists must set up standards for AI projects as the technology has become increasingly prevalent in several sectors in the past decade.

During the opening session, he noted that many Arab countries focused on maximizing AI’s benefits.

Saudi Arabia is a key player in the Middle East in adopting AI technologies across various sectors, including industry and energy. In 2019, the Kingdom established a dedicated organization called the Saudi Data and AI Authority to regulate, develop, and implement data and AI strategies.

Aboul Gheit noted the rapid advancements in AI, particularly in large language models and generative intelligence, resemble an “arms race” among major powers, including China and the US.

“Our scientists, politicians, and thinkers must keep pace with everything that is going on with AI in the world. This general-purpose technology will reshape the way we work, interact, and live,” he added.


Israeli military blows up several buildings in West Bank’s Jenin, Palestinian news agency says

Smoke rises during an Israeli army operation in Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 2, 2025. (Reuters)
Smoke rises during an Israeli army operation in Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 2, 2025. (Reuters)
Updated 02 February 2025
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Israeli military blows up several buildings in West Bank’s Jenin, Palestinian news agency says

Smoke rises during an Israeli army operation in Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 2, 2025. (Reuters)
  • Jenin Government Hospital Director Wisam Baker told the Palestinian state news agency that part of the hospital was damaged in the explosions
  • Palestinian state news agency said a 27 year-old man had been killed on Sunday by Israeli forces raiding a refugee camp near Hebron

RAMALLAH/JERUSALEM: The Israeli military blew up several buildings in the occupied West Bank on Sunday in a series of simultaneous explosions that the Palestinian state news agency said had leveled around 20 buildings in the Jenin refugee camp.

Thick clouds were seen rising from the Palestinian city where Israeli forces have been conducting a massive operation for nearly two weeks that the Israeli military says is targeted at local militants, including seizing weapons stockpiles.

Asked about the simultaneous demolition of buildings in Jenin, a spokesperson for the military said “several structures used as terrorist infrastructure” had been dismantled. More details would be released later, the person said.
Jenin Government Hospital Director Wisam Baker told the Palestinian state news agency that part of the hospital was damaged in the explosions but that there had been no casualties.
Jenin is a crowded township built for descendants of Palestinians who were driven out, or fled their homes, in the 1948 war when the state of Israel was established.

The refugee camp there has been a center of militant activity for decades and the target of repeated raids by Israeli security forces. Israeli forces, backed by helicopters and armored bulldozers, began the assault on the city on Jan. 21, two days after Israel reached a ceasefire in Gaza with militant group Hamas.
Hamas on Sunday called for an “escalation in the resistance” against Israel following the demolition of buildings in Jenin.
The Palestinian Authority, a Hamas rival, exercises limited governance over the West Bank where around 3 million Palestinians live and over which Israel maintains overall military control. Israeli forces have engaged in gunbattles with local militants since the operation began.

Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday said security forces would stay until the operation is complete, without saying when that would be.

At least 25 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli military operation began, including nine members of armed groups, a 73 year-old man and a two-year-old girl, according to Palestinian officials. The Israeli military says it has killed at least 35 militants and detained over 100 wanted individuals.
Dozens of homes and roads have been destroyed by Israeli forces in the latest campaign. The Palestinian state news agency also said that a 27 year-old man had been killed on Sunday by Israeli forces raiding a refugee camp near Hebron.