Tony Blair and Palestinian vice president discuss ceasefire, Gaza reconstruction

Tony Blair and Palestinian vice president discuss ceasefire, Gaza reconstruction
Former British prime minister Tony Blair held a meeting in Ramallah with the vice president of the Palestinian Authority, Hussein al-Sheikh, on Sunday. (Wafa)
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Updated 13 October 2025
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Tony Blair and Palestinian vice president discuss ceasefire, Gaza reconstruction

Tony Blair and Palestinian vice president discuss ceasefire, Gaza reconstruction
  • Hussein Al-Sheikh, Blair hold talks on Donald Trump’s plan
  • Meeting precedes the release of Palestinian, Israeli captives

LONDON: Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, held talks on Sunday with Hussein Al-Sheikh, the vice president of the Palestinian Authority, on implementing US President Donald Trump’s peace plan.

The meeting in Ramallah, the administrative seat of the PA, took place on the eve of the Israeli regime and Hamas preparing to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and several Israeli hostages on Monday.

Al-Sheikh and Blair are working to help stop Israel’s war and establish lasting peace in the region, the Wafa news agency reported.

“We have confirmed our readiness to work with President Trump, Mr. Blair and the partners to consolidate the ceasefire, the entry of aid, the release of hostages and prisoners, and then start with the recovery and reconstruction,” Al-Sheikh wrote on X.

“We stressed the importance of stopping the undermining of the Palestinian Authority, and especially the return of the withheld Palestinian revenues and preventing the undermining of the two-state solution in preparation for a comprehensive and lasting peace in accordance with international legitimacy.”

Blair, who served as the special envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East from 2007 to 2015, is included in Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan.

He is expected to be part of an international transitional body responsible for overseeing and supervising the funding and redevelopment of the Palestinian coastal territory.


Lebanon warns Israeli violations threaten stability as UN peacekeepers enter final phase of mission

Lebanon warns Israeli violations threaten stability as UN peacekeepers enter final phase of mission
Updated 11 November 2025
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Lebanon warns Israeli violations threaten stability as UN peacekeepers enter final phase of mission

Lebanon warns Israeli violations threaten stability as UN peacekeepers enter final phase of mission
  • UN envoy accuses Israel of jeopardizing ‘hard-won progress’ by undermining Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity through airstrikes and border violations
  • He says Lebanon’s army commander has presented to ministers his second progress report on a plan to extend state authority country-wide and limit weapons to state control

NEW YORK CITY: Lebanon has warned that Israeli airstrikes and border violations risk undermining progress toward achieving stability in southern Lebanon, as the UN peacekeeping mission in the country begins preparations for its withdrawal.

Speaking before the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee, Lebanon’s permanent representative to the organization, Ahmad Arafa, welcomed the recent renewal of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon’s mandate under Security Council Resolution 2790. This authorized the extension of the force’s operations until Dec. 31, 2026, followed by an “orderly, safe and coordinated” drawdown within a year.

“The Lebanese Armed Forces have been working tirelessly to ensure full implementation of Resolution 1701,” Arafa said, referring to the 2006 resolution that ended the war that year between Israel and Hezbollah.

It calls for the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon, including Hezbollah. The US has consistently pressured Lebanese authorities to disarm the group, designating it a terrorist organization.

The November 2024 ceasefire deal with Israel also requires Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah and establish a state monopoly on arms. The agreement states that only state security forces should bear arms, which is interpreted by Israel and others as requiring the full disarmament of Hezbollah. The group insists it applies only to southern Lebanon.

Arafa said the commander of the Lebanese army has presented to the Council of Ministers his second progress report on a plan to extend state authority throughout the country and confine possession of weapons to legitimate state institutions.

However, he accused Israel of jeopardizing the “hard-won progress” that has been made, through what he described as ongoing violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, including airstrikes, the continued occupation of Lebanese territory, and the creation of “so-called buffer zones.”

UNIFIL spokesperson Dany Ghafri said last week that Israel had carried out more than 7,000 airspace violations since the cessation of hostilities in November last year, Arafa noted. UNIFIL has warned that the airstrikes breach Resolution 1701, “threaten the safety of civilians, and undermine progress toward a political and diplomatic solution,” he added

Lebanon also condemned Israeli attacks on UNIFIL personnel and positions, describing them as “a blatant violation of international law.”

Arafa expressed gratitude to the leadership of the UN force, and the countries that contribute troops, for their “dedication and sacrifice” since the mission was established in 1978. He called for the avoidance of any “security vacuum” during the upcoming transitional period, while maintaining stability and respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty.