Latest news with #PalestinianFactions
Arab News
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Lebanese army shuts illegal crossings along border with Syria
BEIRUT: A patrol from the Lebanese army and the Intelligence Directorate on Monday closed several smuggling routes in Masharih Al-Qaa, a region between Lebanon and Syria that lacks clearly defined borders. A Lebanese military source said the area was used for smuggling goods, fuel and people and that the army head 'erected dirt mounds and rocks to prevent the passage of vehicles and motorcycles.' The border between Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic stretches about 375 km and runs through towns, villages and mountainous regions. The Lebanese government estimates there to be 136 illegal crossing points, of which more than half are in the Bekaa region. A shortage of personnel and surveillance equipment means many of these areas are vulnerable to criminal activity, including human trafficking and the smuggling of weapons, drugs and other goods. These open borders have served the interests of Hezbollah and Palestinian factions allied with Syria. Over the years, Hezbollah has established its own border crossings and helped protect others used by smugglers from its support base. Palestinian factions also established their border posts, which served as channels for weapons and people. Dismantling them was the first task undertaken by the Lebanese army in implementing the policy of confining weapons to the hands of the state. The army on Sunday denied claims made on social media that armed men had entered Lebanon from Syria via the eastern mountain range and that it had withdrawn from border areas in the Bekaa. Military units 'continue to carry out their routine missions to control the Lebanese-Syrian border, while also monitoring the internal security situation to prevent any breach,' it said. It also appealed for 'accuracy in reporting news related to the army and the security situation, to act responsibly and to refrain from spreading rumors that lead to tension among citizens.' Since the regime change in Syria, several meetings between the two countries have been held to improve coordination on border security. On March 28, Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa and his Syrian counterpart, Murhaf Abu Qasra, signed an agreement in Jeddah regarding border demarcation and the strengthening of security coordination. This came in the wake of violent clashes between the Syrian army and groups affiliated with Hezbollah along the border earlier in the month. The issue of undefined borders dates back to the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916, when France was granted the mandate over the two countries and drew the borders in a vague and incomplete manner. Some parts were demarcated in 1934, but large areas remained undefined. The Syrian regime later refused to officially recognize Lebanon as an independent state and considered it part of 'Greater Syria.' Kuwait expresses solidarity On Monday, the Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. He said that Lebanon 'will remain Lebanon' and that the 'arms issue will be resolved soon.' He also affirmed Kuwait's support for Lebanon 'in all areas, especially security cooperation' and called for activating the work of the Kuwaiti-Lebanese Higher Joint Committee to explore avenues for assisting Lebanon. The president's media office said Aoun told the Kuwaiti minister of the 'importance of coordination to address common challenges, particularly in terms of security cooperation to combat drug smuggling and anything that threatens security in both countries.'
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hamas requests 'unacceptable' changes to Gaza deal, PMO says
The reports came after Hamas said it discussed the current deal framework with other Palestinian factions, and they were "unified" in their "positive" response. Israel has deemed the changes Hamas attempted to make to the recent proposal for a Gazaceasefire and hostage release agreement 'unacceptable,' the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement Saturday night. 'Following a situation assessment, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed to respond positively to the invitation for proximity talks and to continue the negotiations for the return of our hostages based on the Qatari proposal that Israel has agreed to,' the PMO said. Israel's negotiation team will depart on Sunday to Qatar for negotiations These 'close talks' with Hamas would be an attempt to close the remaining gaps between the parties and conclude the details of the hostage and ceasefire deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to leave Sunday for a meeting with US President Donald Trump on Monday. Hamas recently said they discussed the current US-backed ceasefire-hostage deal framework with other Palestinian factions, and they were 'unified' in their 'positive' response to the proposal. However, there seem to be several details in the response that have not been clarified yet. Qatari outlet Al-Araby reported that Hamas requested 'minor amendments' to the plan, which mediators in Doha based on the Witkoff proposal. Ynet reported that the three changes to the deal that Hamas is seeking regard aid distribution in the Gaza Strip, the withdrawal of IDF troops, and a commitment to not resume fighting after the 60-day period ends. On the last point, Hamas is reportedly demanding security guarantees from the US, Qatar, and Egypt. In the deal, 10 live hostages are supposed to be released over the course of 60 days: eight on the first day and two more released on day 50. The bodies of 18 deceased hostages would be returned in three phases across the two-month ceasefire. The Jerusalem Post originally reported that in exchange for the hostages, 125 Palestinian prisoners plus 1,111 Gazans arrested after October 7, 2023, would be released. Hamas is reportedly demanding that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation be removed from the enclave and that the distribution of aid return to the format from previous ceasefires. The Ynet report noted that the agreement, as originally seen by Hamas, only stated that 'aid will be distributed through agreed channels, including the UN and the Red Crescent,' and did not mention the GHF. Hamas also allegedly is pushing for a segmented withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza, which was outlined in an earlier version of the agreement. However, the current Qatari-drafted agreement states that the IDF will redeploy its forces to 'maps to be agreed upon,' thus indicating some discrepancies. In the original Witkoff framework, the IDF will redeploy to northern Gaza and the Netzarim corridor at the start of the ceasefire. However, after a week and pending the release of several hostages' remains, the military will pivot and redeploy to southern Gaza. A military source told Ynet that 'during the ceasefire, the IDF will remain in the original perimeter set in the buffer zone, plus 250 meters into the Strip.' This implies a new buffer zone extending 1.2 to 1.4 kilometers into the Gaza Strip. Additionally, the army 'will not withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor.' Within Gaza, there appears to be mutual support for the ceasefire deal. Palestinian Islamic Jihad stated that Hamas had informed it of the deal and that it was 'interested in progressing toward an agreement.' Israel's security cabinet was meeting late Saturday night. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has said that Hamas must be eliminated before any agreement and that Israel should encourage emigration from Gaza. 'It is time to stop the slogging in the Strip and strive for a quick resolution of Hamas, which is the ultimate goal of the war,' he said. Similarly, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that he would oppose any agreements that would end the fighting in Gaza. 'I can tell you with all my heart that it won't happen. I'm talking to Netanyahu about it, and I don't get the impression that he's on his way there,' Smotrich said. However, Trump has said that he intends to be 'very firm' with Netanyahu about ending the war in Gaza during their meeting on Monday. Relatives of hostages held captive in Gaza held rallies urging the government to seal a deal with Hamas for the release of their loved ones all at once.
Al Arabiya
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Israel to send delegation to Qatar for Gaza ceasefire talks: Report
Israel has decided to send a delegation to Qatar for talks on a possible Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, Israel's Channel 12 reported on Saturday, citing a senior Israeli official. It was unclear whether the delegation would fly to Qatar on Saturday or Sunday. Israel was considering its response on Saturday after Hamas said it was ready to start talks ' immediately ' on a US-sponsored proposal for a Gaza ceasefire. The security cabinet was expected to meet after the end of the Jewish sabbath at sundown to discuss Israel's next steps, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to head to Washington for talks on Monday with US President Donald Trump. Trump has been making a renewed push to end nearly 21 months of war in Gaza, where the civil defense agency said 35 people were killed in Israeli military operations on Saturday. 'No decision has been made yet on that issue,' an Israeli government official told AFP when asked about Hamas's positive response to the latest ceasefire proposal. Hamas made its announcement late Friday after holding consultations with other Palestinian factions. 'The movement is ready to engage immediately and seriously in a cycle of negotiations on the mechanism to put in place' the US-backed truce proposal, the militant group said in a statement. Two Palestinian sources close to the discussions told AFP that the proposal included a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and several bodies in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel. However, they said, the group was also demanding certain conditions for Israel's withdrawal, guarantees against a resumption of fighting during negotiations and the return of the UN-led aid distribution system. Hamas ally Islamic Jihad said it supported ceasefire talks, but demanded guarantees that Israel 'will not resume its aggression' once hostages held in Gaza are freed. Trump, when asked about Hamas's response aboard Air Force One, said: 'That's good. They haven't briefed me on it. We have to get it over with. We have to do something about Gaza.' The war in Gaza began with Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, which sparked a massive Israeli offensive in the territory that aimed to destroy Hamas and bring home all the hostages seized by Palestinian militants. Two previous ceasefires mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States secured temporary halts in fighting and the return of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Of the 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants during the October 2023 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. 'Comprehensive deal' The Egyptian foreign ministry said Saturday that top diplomat Badr Abdelatty held a phone call with Washington's main representative in the truce talks, Steve Witkoff, to discuss recent developments 'and preparations for holding indirect meetings between the two parties concerned to reach an agreement.' Meanwhile, ahead of its weekly protest demanding the return of the hostages, the main group representing their families renewed its call for a negotiated agreement to bring them home. 'This is the hour to bring about a comprehensive deal that will guarantee the return of the last hostage,' the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said. But recent efforts to broker a new truce have repeatedly failed, with the primary point of contention being Israel's rejection of Hamas's demand for guarantees of a lasting ceasefire. Nearly 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has recently expanded its military operations. A US- and Israel-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, took the lead in food distribution in the territory in late May, when Israel partially lifted a more than two-month blockade on aid deliveries. The group said two of its US staff members were wounded 'in a targeted terrorist attack' at one of its aid centers in southern Gaza's Khan Yunis on Saturday, adding that reports indicated a pair of assailants 'threw two grenades at the Americans.' The Israeli military said it had evacuated the injured. UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. Its operations have been marred by near-daily reports of Israeli fire on people waiting to collect rations. UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Friday that more than 500 people have been killed waiting to access food from GHF distribution points. But GHF chairman Johnnie Moore, a Christian evangelical leader allied to Trump, on Wednesday rejected calls for the lead role in Gaza aid distributions to revert to UN agencies, saying: 'We will not be shut down.' Civil defense says 35 killed Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal said Israeli military operations killed 35 people across Gaza on Saturday. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defense agency. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it could not comment on specific strikes without precise coordinates. The Hamas attack of October 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 57,338 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
Asharq Al-Awsat
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Trump Says there Could Be a Gaza Deal Next Week
President Donald Trump said on Friday it was good that Hamas said it had responded in "a positive spirit" to a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire proposal. He told reporters aboard Air Force One there could be a deal on a Gaza ceasefire by next week but that he had not been briefed on the current state of negotiations. Hamas announced on Friday that it has completed its internal consultations, as well as discussions with Palestinian factions and forces, regarding the latest ceasefire proposal put forward by mediators to end the assault on the Gaza Strip. In a press statement, the movement confirmed that it had submitted its response to the mediators, describing it as positive. Hamas also expressed its readiness to immediately engage in serious negotiations on the mechanism for implementing the proposed framework. A Palestinian official familiar with the matter told Reuters that Hamas had submitted its response to the US-brokered ceasefire proposal, describing it as positive and likely to facilitate reaching an agreement.
Free Malaysia Today
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Hamas says responded to Gaza ceasefire proposal in ‘a positive spirit'
Hamas said it has finished discussions on the latest mediation proposal to stop the violence in Gaza. (AP pic) CAIRO : Hamas said it had responded on Friday in 'a positive spirit' to a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire proposal and was prepared to enter into talks on implementing the deal which envisages a release of hostages and negotiations on ending the conflict. US President Donald Trump earlier announced a 'final proposal' for a 60-day ceasefire in the nearly 21-month-old war between Israel and Hamas, stating he anticipated a reply from the parties in the coming hours. Hamas wrote on its official website: 'The Hamas movement has completed its internal consultations as well as discussions with Palestinian factions and forces regarding the latest proposal by the mediators to halt the aggression against our people in Gaza. 'The movement has delivered its response to the brotherly mediators, which was characterised by a positive spirit. Hamas is fully prepared, with all seriousness, to immediately enter a new round of negotiations on the mechanism for implementing this framework,' the statement said. In a sign of potential challenges still facing the sides, a Palestinian official of a group allied with Hamas said concerns remain over humanitarian aid, passage through the Rafah crossing to Egypt and clarity over a timetable of Israeli troop withdrawals. Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had agreed 'to the necessary conditions to finalise' a 60-day ceasefire, during which efforts would be made to end the US ally's war in the Palestinian enclave. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to comment on Trump's announcement and in their public statements, the two sides remain far apart. Netanyahu has repeatedly said Hamas must be disarmed, a position the group, which is thought to be holding 20 living hostages, has so far refused to discuss. Netanyahu is due to meet Trump in Washington on Monday. Trump has said he would be 'very firm' with Netanyahu on the need for a speedy Gaza ceasefire, while noting that the Israeli leader wants one as well. 'We hope it's going to happen. And we're looking forward to it happening sometime next week,' he told reporters earlier this week. 'We want to get the hostages out.' Attacks overnight Israeli attacks have killed at least 138 Palestinians in Gaza over the past 24 hours, local health officials said. Health officials at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, said the Israeli military had carried out an airstrike on a tent encampment west of the city around 2am, killing 15 Palestinians displaced by nearly two years of war. The Israeli military said troops operating in the Khan Younis area had eliminated militants, confiscated weapons and dismantled Hamas outposts in the last 24 hours while striking 100 targets across Gaza, including military structures, weapons storage facilities and launchers. Later on Friday, Palestinians gathered to perform funeral prayers before burying those killed overnight. 'There should have been a ceasefire long ago before I lost my brother,' said 13-year-old Mayar Al Farr as she wept. Her brother, Mahmoud, was shot dead in another incident, she said. 'He went to get aid so he can get a bag of flour for us to eat. He got a bullet in his neck,' she said. 'Makes the deal' In Tel Aviv, families and friends of hostages held in Gaza were among demonstrators who gathered outside a US Embassy building on US Independence Day, calling on Trump to secure a deal for all of the captives. Demonstrators set up a symbolic Sabbath dinner table, placing 50 empty chairs to represent those who are still held in Gaza. Banners hung nearby displaying a post by Trump from his Truth Social platform that read, 'MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!' 'Only you can make the deal. We want one beautiful deal. One beautiful hostage deal,' said Gideon Rosenberg, 48, from Tel Aviv. Rosenberg was wearing a shirt with the image of hostage Avinatan Or, one of his employees who was abducted by Palestinian militants from the Nova musical festival on Oct 7, 2023. He is among the 20 hostages who are believed to be alive after more than 600 days of captivity. An official familiar with the negotiations said on Thursday that the proposal envisages the return of 10 of the hostages during the 60 days, along with the bodies of 18 others who had been held hostage. Ruby Chen, 55, the father of 19-year-old American-Israeli Itay, who is believed to have been killed after being taken captive, urged Netanyahu to return from meeting with Trump with a deal that brings back all hostages. Itay Chen, also a German national, was serving as an Israeli soldier when Hamas carried out its surprise attack on Oct 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking another 251 hostage. Israel's retaliatory war against Hamas has devastated Gaza, which the group has ruled for almost two decades but now only controls in parts, displacing most of the population of more than 2 million and triggering widespread hunger. More than 57,000 Palestinians have been killed in nearly two years of fighting, most of them civilians, according to local health officials.
