Netanyahu says will instruct military this week on how to proceed to meet war goals
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Al Arabiya
19 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
Lebanon's cabinet meets to discuss Hezbollah's arms after US pressure
Lebanon's cabinet will meet on Tuesday to discuss Hezbollah's arsenal, after Washington ramped up pressure on ministers to publicly commit to disarming the Iran-backed group and amid fears Israel could intensify strikes if they fail to do so. The session scheduled for 3:00 p.m. (1200 GMT) at Lebanon's presidential palace is the first time that cabinet will discuss the fate of Hezbollah's weapons - unimaginable when the group was at the zenith of its power just two years ago. Pressure from the US and Hezbollah's domestic rivals for the group to relinquish its arms has spiked following last year's war with Israel, which killed Hezbollah's top leaders and thousands of fighters and destroyed much of its rocket arsenal. In June, US envoy Thomas Barrack proposed a roadmap to Lebanese officials to fully disarm Hezbollah, in exchange for Israel halting its strikes on Lebanon and withdrawing its troops from five points they still occupy in southern Lebanon. That proposal included a condition that Lebanon's government pass a cabinet decision clearly pledging to disarm Hezbollah. After Barrack made several trips to Lebanon to urge progress on the plan, Washington's patience began wearing thin, Reuters reported last week. It pressured Lebanon's ministers to swiftly make the public pledge so that talks could continue. But Lebanese officials and diplomats say such an explicit vow could spark communal tensions in Lebanon, where Hezbollah and its arsenal retain significant support among the country's Shia Muslim community. Proposed wording On Monday evening, a group of dozens of motorcycles set out from a neighborhood in Beirut's suburbs where Hezbollah has strong support, carrying the party's flags. Hezbollah's main ally, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, has been in talks with President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam ahead of Tuesday's session to agree on a general phrase to include in a cabinet decision to appease the US and buy Lebanon more time, two Lebanese officials said. Berri's proposed wording would commit Lebanon to forming a national defense strategy and maintaining a ceasefire with Israel, but would avoid an explicit pledge to disarm Hezbollah across Lebanon, the officials said. But other Lebanese ministers plan to propose a formulation that commits Lebanon to a deadline to disarm Hezbollah, said Kamal Shehadi, a minister affiliated with the anti-Hezbollah Lebanese Forces party. 'There's frankly no need to kick the can down the road and postpone a decision. We have to put Lebanon's interest first and take a decision today,' Shehadi told Reuters. Lebanese officials and foreign envoys say Lebanese leaders fear that a failure to issue a clear decision on Tuesday could prompt Israel to escalate its strikes, including on Beirut. A US-brokered ceasefire last November ended the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, though Israel has continued to carry out strikes on what it says are Hezbollah arms depots and fighters, mostly in southern Lebanon.
Asharq Al-Awsat
an hour ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Turkish Parliamentary Committee Begins Work on PKK Peace Initiative
A newly formed parliamentary committee tasked with overseeing a peace initiative with a Kurdish militant group held its inaugural meeting on Tuesday, marking a further significant step toward ending a decades-long insurgency. The 51-member committee, comprised of legislators from most major parties, has been charged with proposing and supervising legal and political reforms aimed at advancing the peace process, following the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK's, decision to disband and lay down arms. Fighters from the group began laying down their weapons in a symbolic ceremony in northern Iraq last month, the first concrete step toward disarmament. In his opening remarks, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus called the committee's launch a 'historic turning point.' 'The commission gathered here is no ordinary delegation; it is a historic one, demonstrating the courage to repair our future and the will to strengthen social integration,' he said. 'In this hall, we are witnessing the beginning of a new era, representing the will of the nation,' he said, before the proceedings were closed to journalists. The committee was on Tuesday expected to decide on how to proceed and to select an official name. The PKK announced in May that it would disband and renounce armed conflict, ending four decades of hostilities. The move came after PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned on an island near Istanbul since 1999, urged his group in February to convene a congress and formally disband and disarm. The PKK has waged an armed insurgency against Türkiye since 1984, initially with the aim of establishing a Kurdish state in the southeast of the country. Over time, the objective evolved into a campaign for autonomy and rights for Kurds within Türkiye. The conflict between militants and state forces, which has spread beyond Türkiye's borders into Iraq and Syria, has killed tens of thousands of people. The PKK is considered to be a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union. Previous peace efforts between Türkiye and the PKK have ended in failure — most recently in 2015.
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Israel's Katz says military will ‘professionally implement' Gaza policies
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the military will 'professionally Implement' policies towards Gaza that may be set following a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Netanyahu is leaning towards an expanded offensive and taking control of the entire enclave after 22 months of war against militant group Hamas, Israeli Channel 12 reported. Developing...
