MAKKAH: Palestinian press photographer Rami Fathi never thought his hobby would be the cause of his death at the hands of Israeli soldiers.
His 68-year-old father Hajj Hussain Rayan, from Gaza, told Arab News while on pilgrimage in Mina: “I had my first child, Rami, after 14 years of sterility. We were so happy, and remained so until he became a victim of an Israeli sniper. The wound of our loss remains so painful.”
He spoke about how his son, who has two boys and two girls, joined the Palestine News Network. “Despite attempts by his mother to dissuade him, he used to say, ‘we have to expose the crimes of the Zionists to the world’,” said Rayan.
“He recorded many stories about the courage of Palestinians. We saw his photographs on international news agencies and satellite channels. So he became a target for the Zionists, who wanted to block stories and photographs of what was really happening by intimidating and killing journalists.”
Rayan described how three years ago, his son, who was 26 at the time, went to Shuja’iyya neighborhood in Gaza to record aggression by Israeli soldiers on camera. They violated a three-hour truce and attacked people. Fathi was hit, fell next to his camera and was taken to hospital.
“I was at home. My wife was listening to the news, and she told me about the battle in Shuja’iyya. I asked her to turn off the radio because I didn’t want my blood pressure and diabetes to get worse,” said Rayan with tears in his eyes.
“Later I went out and found the neighbors at my door. They told me Rami had a foot injury. But on my way to the hospital, I met a Palestinian soldier who told me my son had been martyred. I passed out, and regained consciousness at the hospital with doctors around me. We’ve suffered ever since.”
But Rayan said having his Hajj expenses, and those of his wife, covered by King Salman “has relieved that deep pain by his gift for us to perform the pilgrimage for the first time. Throughout Hajj, we’ve prayed for King Salman and our martyred son.”
Meanwhile, leaders of Islamic institutions and centers in European countries praised the efforts exerted by the Kingdom led by King Salman to serve pilgrims in performing Hajj.
The president of the Spanish Islamic Community, Mohammed Kamal Mustafa said: “The Kingdom exerts major efforts to unify Muslims. It has always worked toward the success of matters related to the Islamic nation, despite the political, economic and cultural challenges it is facing. It has assumed a great role in fighting terrorism, and it works toward world peace and humanitarian action. Thus, the Kingdom is the leader of the Islamic world and the heart of all Muslims.”
He said that Muslims around the world appreciate the efforts exerted by the Kingdom to serve pilgrims and guests, expand the Two Holy Mosques and equip Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites.
The president of the European Islamic Institute in Brussels, Cheikh Abd Al-Hadi, also spoke of the efforts of the Kingdom as reflected in the expansion of the Two Holy Mosques and the reception of over 2 million pilgrims who were able to perform Hajj this year.
The executive director of Al-Risalah Scandinavian Foundation, Hussein Al-Daoudi, thanked the Kingdom for its efforts in Muslim-minority countries in the West and the ongoing attempts to achieve success in Islamic matters at the regional and international levels, especially the Palestinian cause.
The governor of Strasbourg Mosque in France, Cheaib Al-Sukari, said that the Kingdom seeks to unify the Islamic nation and advocate for just causes in order to overcome obstacles. He emphasized the important and effective role of the Kingdom in supporting the joint work at the Arab and Islamic level, and assisting the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in development and cultural spheres in Islamic member states.
Palestinian pilgrim: King Salman’s Hajj gift relieved pain of son’s death
Palestinian pilgrim: King Salman’s Hajj gift relieved pain of son’s death
Threat to Kingdom’s security is ‘red line’ that will be ‘addressed and neutralized,’ Saudi envoy says
- Abdulaziz Alwasil tells UN Security Council the situation in southern Yemen is ‘a just cause with social and historic dimensions’ that can only be resolved through dialogue
- Recent military activity in the south was unilateral, resulting in an escalation that harms the interests of Yemeni people and undermines efforts to address issues in the south, he said
NEW YORK CITY: Any attempt to threaten Saudi Arabia’s national security is a “red line” and will be met with decisive action, the Kingdom’s ambassador to the UN told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Speaking during a meeting of the council to discuss Yemen, Abdulaziz Alwasil said the situation in the south of the country is “a just cause with social and historic dimensions” that can only be resolved through dialogue.
“We stress that any attempt to threaten our national security is a red line, and we will not hesitate to take the necessary actions and steps to address it and neutralize it,” he added.
Alwasil reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for Yemeni President Rashad Al-Alimi, the Presidential Leadership Council, and the Yemeni government in their efforts to achieve security, stability, development and peace while preserving national unity.
He said military activity by Southern Transitional Council forces in Hadramout and Al-Mahra on Dec. 2, 2025, was unilateral, did not have the approval of the Presidential Leadership Council, and was not carried out in coordination with the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen.
It had resulted in an unjustified escalation that harmed the interests of the Yemeni people, undermined efforts to address the issues in the south, and ran counter to the coalition’s objectives, Alwasil added.
The Kingdom, working with its coalition partners, the Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government, had moved to contain the situation by dispatching a military force to coordinate arrangements with the Southern Transitional Council in Aden, he said.
The aim was to ensure the return of the southern council’s forces to their previous positions outside of Hadramout and Al-Mahra, and the handover of camps to legitimate government forces and local authorities in line with agreed procedures, Alwasil added.
He expressed regret over the military operations that took place in Hadramout and Al-Mahra, close to Saudi Arabia’s southern border, which he said posed a direct threat to the Kingdom’s national security, as well as the security of Yemen and regional stability. Such steps were extremely dangerous, he added, and contradicted the principles on which the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen had been founded.
Alwasil welcomed a prisoner and detainee exchange agreement signed in Muscat on Dec. 23, which he described as an important humanitarian measure to alleviate suffering and build confidence.
He praised Oman for hosting and sponsoring the consultations and supporting negotiations, and commended the efforts of UN’s special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, the International Committee of the Red Cross and all others that has played a part.
Regarding the political efforts to resolve the crisis, Alwasil said Saudi Arabia welcomed President Al-Alimi’s call for an inclusive conference in Riyadh to bring together all stakeholders to discuss just solutions to the situation in southern Yemen.
Preparations for the conference have begun, he added, in cooperation with the Yemeni government and southern representatives, reflecting the close ties between the two countries and their shared interests in stabilizing Yemen.
He urged all southern stakeholders to participate actively and constructively in the talks, to help find comprehensive and just solutions that meet the legitimate aspirations of the people of southern Yemen.
Alwasil called on all Yemeni forces and stakeholders to cooperate and intensify their efforts to reach a lasting political settlement that would ensure security and stability.
He described the southern issue as “a just cause with social and historic dimensions,” adding that “the only way to address it is through dialogue that leads to a comprehensive political solution” based on nationally and internationally agreed terms of reference.
