Israel says missile launched from Yemen was intercepted
The Iran-aligned Houthi militia, which controls the most populous parts of Yemen, has been firing on Israel and attacking shipping lanes.
The Houthi armed group has said its attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel's military campaign since late 2023 has killed more than 57,000 people, according to Gaza authorities.
Most of the dozens of missiles and drones launched have either been intercepted or fallen short. Israel has conducted a series of retaliatory strikes in response.
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Arab News
13 minutes ago
- Arab News
Historic opportunity to transform Lebanon is being squandered
A few days before US Special Envoy Tom Barrack's visit to Lebanon on Monday, Hezbollah organized mass demonstrations in Beirut's southern suburbs, giving its answer to the American request for the group's disarmament. Hezbollah stated clearly: it will not disarm. Thousands of its members took to the streets chanting slogans such as 'the resistance will not kneel,' 'no to American dictates,' and 'weapons protect the homeland.' This show of force diverges from the written answer given to Barrack by President Joseph Aoun, which the former described as 'something spectacular,' adding he was 'unbelievably satisfied' with it. While the content of the letter has not been shared, it clearly contradicts Hezbollah's message of sending its people to the streets and rejecting the US-backed plan calling for a phased disarmament. Moreover, in a televised speech, Secretary-General Naim Qassem reaffirmed that Hezbollah would not consider laying down its arms for now. This represents a clear departure from the negotiated path that Aoun stated he was aiming for, as well as the US requests. Let us call it what it is: Hezbollah can only send messages of threat to the Lebanese and no one else. It was soundly defeated by the Israelis. Moreover, its own master was also delivered a severe military blow while it stood silent. And so, these weapons are worthless in terms of national defense and they are not a form of resistance but of oppression. I agree (though not for the same reasons) with Hezbollah that its arsenal should not be subject to negotiations, because it should be surrendered immediately, without any preconditions or a political solution. These weapons are nothing but a threat to other Lebanese and the sovereignty of the country. These weapons are the cause of the destruction, as much so as the dangerous ideology pushed by Hezbollah. Hezbollah's weapons are worthless in terms of national defense and they are not a form of resistance but of oppression Khaled Abou Zahr What comes next? Hezbollah will probably execute 'loosely' on the Israeli requests for disarmament, particularly regarding its presence south of the Litani River. And so, the exit formula will be another version of what was witnessed between Iran and Israel following their 12-day war: a formula that gives enough butter to Hezbollah's leaders to spread on their bread and to shift their speech into a symbolic victory to market to their crowd. Do the group's members still believe this? Even after the severe hits it has taken. The reality is that Israel is the only victor here and a historic opportunity for the Lebanese government to transform the country is being lost. Unfortunately, the Lebanese state will not be able to push forward with a full disarmament. It has surrendered to Hezbollah's will, like all its predecessors. Moreover, the US will not act with increased pressure, nor will it propose a timeline. It is up to the Lebanese to take care of themselves. This was very clear from Barrack's statement: great words for and about the Lebanese people, including Hezbollah, which he qualified as a political force that Israel must accept. Nothing solid delivered or to deliver. And it is better this way. Let the Lebanese handle it. There is, hence, a total acceptance of Hezbollah's status within the Lebanese state. The direct threat to Israel has been eliminated and the rest now seems irrelevant. The Lebanese leadership has submitted to the will of Hezbollah and Lebanon will continue to drift in chaos. Barrack said as much to the Lebanese, just dipped in a honeyed speech of greatness: 'Good luck with that, you can do it' was the message. The total collapse of the Lebanese file has a different tone this time, and I do not think the Lebanese even care anymore Khaled Abou Zahr The total collapse of the Lebanese file has a different tone this time, and I do not think the Lebanese even care anymore. Life under occupation and amid geopolitical shifts has taken its toll. Aside from a small minority, the Lebanese have accepted this situation and will live with it. Just like the Iranian nuclear program, no one knows when Hezbollah will rise from the ashes and push for another round of fighting. Even if one thing is sure: it has been hurt badly and will think more than in the past before any new provocation. It is also a certainty that there will be another round. Sooner or later. And its outcome will not differ from the previous rounds: destruction for Lebanon. The biggest threat to Lebanon regarding Hezbollah's disarmament is that its continued provocations may force a response from Damascus. The group is inviting renewed foreign interference that will further undermine Lebanese sovereignty. This is the biggest difference in our current environment. The US does not need to threaten; it can leave it to the new leadership in Syria to deal with this if things get out of hand. This solution will not bring stability to Lebanon, as we can all imagine. It will perpetuate the never-ending cycle of interference. Taking the transformation in Syria and Barrack's speech into account, Hezbollah should act fast and smart: deliver its arsenal to the Lebanese state, free its community and free Lebanon from this regional entanglement. The odds of this happening are slim to none. Yet the risk of other groups resorting to weapons to protect themselves against Hezbollah's domestic show of force is increasing by the day. Geopolitical situational awareness is needed by all. In this current scenario, where the centralized government is not able to reassert full sovereignty over the country, the decline will certainly continue. How can we not see that federalism is the best solution? It will give each group local autonomy while preserving national unity. This is a final chance before the total dissolution of the country.
Al Arabiya
19 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
Hamas-Israel talks for Gaza truce enter fifth day in Qatar: Official
Indirect negotiations aimed at securing a truce in Gaza between Hamas and Israel entered their fifth day in Qatar on Thursday, an official with knowledge of the talks told AFP. The current negotiations -- taking place after 21 months of fighting and multiple previous rounds of talks that failed to yield a breakthrough -- began in the capital Doha on Sunday in hopes of clinching a deal based on a US-backed framework that envisages an initial 60-day truce. 'Hamas and Israel remain in Qatar,' the official said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of talks. Mediators were 'shuttling between the two sides to exchange ideas with the aim of closing the remaining gaps and maintaining momentum towards a deal,' the official added. Talks in the Gulf country have coincided with a visit to the United States by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the official confirmed that a meeting between Israeli, US and Qatari representatives took place in Washington on Tuesday. The discussions in the US capital 'aimed to progress the negotiations and support the ongoing talks in Doha,' the official said. Qatar, along with fellow mediators the United States and Egypt, has brokered back-and-forth talks aimed at a truce since the earliest days of the war, which erupted with Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Despite a week-long truce in November 2023 and a two-month halt that began in January 2025, the indirect talks, principally held in Doha and Cairo, have failed to bring about a durable end to the hostilities.
Al Arabiya
35 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
A weapon threatening global security
In Lebanon, Hezbollah's weapons are no longer just a divisive domestic issue. They have evolved into an international concern that threatens global peace, hinders the establishment of a functioning state, and paralyzes the entire political system. Despite the cautious optimism expressed by US Envoy Tom Barrack regarding Lebanon's response to the disarmament file, the party's leadership continues to reaffirm its unwavering attachment to its arms. As stated explicitly by Hezbollah's Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem: 'Hezbollah can't be told to give up our weapons.' This statement is not just political posturing – it is a clear declaration that weapons have become a substitute identity for the state itself, serving as a shield for consolidating power rather than liberating land. For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. The model of a party or faction monopolizing power outside of state institutions is not unique to Lebanon. We also see it in Yemen, though it has escalated there in a more alarming form. Last week, Yemen's Minister of Information Moammar al-Eryani warned of the start of ballistic missile and drone manufacturing programs being localized in areas under Houthi control – specifically in Saada, Hajjah, and the outskirts of Sanaa. According to al-Eryani's warning, the situation has moved beyond smuggling into a stage of organized transfer of advanced military capabilities into environments that fall outside any form of legal oversight and do not recognize the concept of a national state. The shift from merely using weapons to manufacturing them within areas outside of control not only threatens Yemen, but also pushes regional and global security to the brink. Yemen's geographic position near the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Arabian Sea makes it a vital corridor for global trade. Any tension or escalation in this region would destabilize international shipping routes and global supply chains. These warnings do not appear isolated from the broader international context. A 2022 report by Canada's National Defence Studies Centre noted that the Houthis, along with four other groups in the region, have developed advanced and sustainable drone programs. These programs differ in methods but are equally dangerous. The report emphasized that the real threat lies not just in possessing the technology but in incorporating it into aggressive military doctrines beyond any legal or regulatory framework. The report stressed that innovation and rapid adaptation in such programs – especially in areas beyond state control – represent a serious challenge that cannot be countered by traditional means. According to the report, each armed group has developed its own approach to drone warfare, tailored to its operational environment and objectives. This makes such programs flexible, scalable, and too complex to be addressed through temporary or reactive measures. What we are witnessing today cannot be dismissed as a passing or temporary phenomenon. It is the result of a long path of accumulating advanced weaponry in the hands of groups that do not recognize state sovereignty and are not hesitant to use these weapons across borders – in open defiance of the state. If Hezbollah's experience in Lebanon has ended in political paralysis and factional dominance over state institutions, then what the Houthis are building in Yemen signals something far more dangerous: a wide-open threat to global maritime security, given its proximity to a strategic waterway and one of the most vital straits in global supply chains. The real danger lies in the political vacuum that allows such groups to develop, store, and operate weapons without accountability or oversight. In an extremely sensitive region like the southern Red Sea, any reckless act could ignite a crisis that spreads far beyond the Yemeni conflict. Even so, the responsibility of Yemen's legitimate government is not only to express concern, but also to strengthen its political presence and intensify its efforts to confront this threat – even if that requires seeking international support to control the situation. Additionally, there must be a way to bring the Houthis back to the negotiating table in an attempt to find a way out of the broader crisis. Leaving this type of weaponry in areas beyond state control will transform Yemen from a site of internal conflict into a platform for global threat. Dealing with the issue of drones and ballistic missiles outside of state authority has become an urgent necessity that demands coordinated international action. When weapons are made in the shadows, tested at sea, and launched across borders, then talk of local security becomes meaningless – because the threat is now global, and weapons no longer recognize borders.
