BEIRUT: Lebanon thwarted militant plans to attack places of worship and government buildings over the holidays after gaining rare access to a Daesh operative, the interior minister said Friday.
Nohad Machnouk said at a press conference that an elite unit in Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces (ISF) had arrested an Iraqi Daesh commander in Beirut last June.
The commander, known as Abu Jaafar Al-Iraqi, had been tasked by the Daesh leadership to establish an Daesh network in Lebanon, according to information presented at the briefing.
This network would not only carry out attacks in Lebanon, but could have potentially hosted top Daesh officials fleeing Iraq and Syria.
Full details of the operation and the current whereabouts of Abu Jaafar were not revealed.
But Mashnuq said that for five months after the Iraqi commander’s arrest the ISF kept tabs on him through a mysterious “volunteer,” who had gained his trust and rented a home for him that was bugged by Lebanese authorities.
“This is one of those rare operations where you have someone this important in the terrorist organization, and you’re able to use him for five months to find out about the plans supposed to happen during the holidays, against places of worship and government buildings,” Mashnuq told reporters.
“The nature of this operation, as we explained, is unprecedented in the Arab world,” he claimed.
Daesh’s now-defunct “caliphate” spread across swathes of Iraq and Syria but never officially included territory inside Lebanon.
Militants from Daesh were entrenched along the Lebanese-Syrian border for several years however and claimed several deadly attacks in Lebanon.
According to a film shown at Friday’s briefing, Lebanese authorities had worked since the end of 2016 to lure Abu Jaafar to Lebanon with the help of Arab and international authorities.
An intermediary, trained in Turkey and cooperating with the ISF, rented out an apartment for Abu Jaafar that was being surveilled and met with him there several times.
Audio and video clips from the apartment were aired during the press conference.
Abu Jaafar allegedly asked Daesh leaders in Iraq and Syria for help in planning attacks on New Year’s Eve in Lebanon, and they said they may be able to provide suicide belts and automatic weapons.
He was ultimately unable to pull together an operation, the clip said.
The film mentioned one Lebanese Daesh member who had been arrested as part of the year-long operation. The minister did not mention any other arrests nor did he elaborate on the intelligence gained.
Lebanon says foiled Daesh holiday attacks using informant
Lebanon says foiled Daesh holiday attacks using informant
Students urge government for evacuation as five Pakistanis injured in Kyrgyzstan mob violence
- Around 6,000 Pakistanis are studying in Bishkek, where violence erupted after some Egyptians quarreled with locals
- Pakistan embassy has asked students to stay indoors, though many of them suspect resumption of violence tonight
ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Pakistani students in Kyrgyzstan on Saturday urged their country’s administration to make arrangements for their evacuation from the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek after mob violence against foreign nationals enrolled in various universities broke out on Friday evening in which five Pakistani medical students got injured.
A Facebook post by Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in the Central Asian city said the violence began after the emergence of online videos showing a brawl between Kyrgyz and Egyptian medical students that took place on May 13.
The mobs mostly targeted hostels of medical universities and private residences of international students, including Pakistanis, in Bishkek. According to the Pakistan embassy, around 10,000 Pakistani students are enrolled in different institutes in Kyrgyzstan and nearly 6,000 of them live and study in Bishkek.
Speaking to Arab News over the phone, Rana Taha, a final year medical student in the Kyrgyz city, he was stuck at his flat with other Pakistani students without any food and water.
“We have been frantically calling our embassy and the local authorities for assistance, but they are only advising us to stay indoors,” he said. “The paramilitary troops are patrolling the streets since the situation is still not under control.”
“The locals attacked our flat twice in the early hours of the day, but luckily they failed to barge in,” he continued. “We appeal our embassy to evacuate us to safety or make arrangements for our safe flights to back home.”
Nisar Ali, a fourth-year medical student from Peshawar, said the local police appeared to be “assisting the rioters,” instead of stopping them.
“They [rioters] are not discriminating among international students,” he informed. “Although it started between Egyptian students and locals, they are now attacking every foreigner, whether they are Indian, Pakistani, Egyptian, Bangladeshi, or citizens of any other country. Every other student is injured. Several of my friends who lived in the hostel have been attacked and are severely injured.”
Ali said the violence started at about 10pm on Friday, but the Pakistan embassy did not answer the calls until morning.
“I live with Pakistani friends in an apartment,” he added. “We have locked ourselves in with all lights off. We have nothing to eat, and we cannot go out, as going out means you are going to be attacked.”
He noted some peace was restored when the army troops arrived in Bishkek, but the students were still not feeling safe.
“We appeal to the government of Pakistan to safely evacuate us,” he said.
Pakistan’s ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Hasan Zaigham confirmed while speaking to Arab News over the phone that five Pakistani students had been injured.
“One of them is admitted in a local hospital with some jaw injuries, while four others were released after first aid,” he informed.
“No Pakistani is killed or raped in the violence,” he said, rebutting rumors on social media. “The situation is under control now as Bishkek authorities have dispersed all the miscreants.”
The ambassador said they had advised Pakistani students to stay indoors and get in touch with the embassy in case of any urgency.
“We are in touch with the local law enforcement authorities to ensure safety of our students,” he added.
However, Muhammad Waleed, a final year medical student, said they had not received any “support from the Pakistan embassy despite our repeated calls and messages,” though they were informed to stay indoors.
“I am taking shelter here in Bishkek at a human rights organization’s office along with dozens of other Pakistani students,” Waleed informed over the phone. “Most of the students are still stuck in their hostels and apartments.”
He acknowledged the situation got better when the paramilitary troops were deployed in the city, though he said the situation was still fluid.
“We want Pakistani government to immediately arrange for our safe travel to back home as the situation may escalate again once the troops are pulled out,” he added.
Raj Kumar, a resident of Tharparkar district in Pakistan, told Arab News his sister was a medical student in Bishkek, adding that students there were suspecting the resumption of violence tonight.
“Those girls including my sisters are terrified by the situation,” he said. “They need to be relocated to a safer place.”
“We want to know what is the course of action contemplated by the Pakistan embassy there and the ministry of foreign affairs in particular,” he added.
Tariq Aziz, a Karachi resident, also said his daughter was “trapped inside a flat along with three friends,” which was located opposite to the hostel that was attacked last night.
“When I talked a little while ago, my daughter told me that only one message came from the Pakistan embassy, saying not to leave the flat. But there is no guarantee that the rioters, just like they broke the doors of several other flats where students were residing, will not break door of their flat too,” he told Arab News.
“A long time has passed since the violence started. The Pakistan embassy should not send messages but arrange security for the girls and safely take them to the airport,” he added.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry summoned Kyrgyzstan’s top diplomat in the country in response to the mob violence and handed him a protest note.
“It was impressed on the Kyrgyz charge d’affaires that the Kyrgyz government should take all possible measures to ensure the safety and security of Pakistani students and citizens,” it said in a statement.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the Pakistani foreign office spokeswoman, said the Pakistani embassy had responded to hundreds of queries by students and their families. She said the country’s envoy and his team were available on the emergency contact numbers: +996555554476 and +996507567667.
“In case the numbers do not connect because of phone traffic, please text/WhatsApp,” Baloch said on X.
The Pakistani embassy reported earlier it had been able to contact over 250 students and their family members in Pakistan, adding the violence appeared to be directed at all foreign students and was not specific to Pakistanis.
It said this was an evolving situation and they would inform the Pakistani community in Kyrgyzstan and their relatives in Pakistan about any further developments.
Israel eyes scrapping free trade deal with Turkiye
- War in Gaza has stirred public reaction significantly ahead of March 31 local elections
ANKARA: After Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Thursday that Israel intends to scrap its free trade agreement with Turkiye and impose a 100 percent tariff on other imports from the country in retaliation for Ankara’s recent decision to halt exports to Israel, eyes are now turning to imminent implications for regional trade.
The plan, which aims to reduce Israel’s dependence on Turkiye, has not been finalized yet and will have to be submitted to the Cabinet for approval.
If approved, all reduced tariffs on goods imported from Turkiye under the current free trade agreement would be abolished, while a tariff of 100 percent of the value of the goods would be imposed on all imported products, in addition to the existing tariff.
Experts note that trade ties between the two countries had been mostly insulated from political disagreements in the past. Trade continued when diplomatic relations hit rock bottom, especially between 2010 and 2020, a politically tense period during which parties chose not to burn “trade bridges.”
But this time, Turkiye’s continuation of trade relations with Israel while at the same time being vocal in denouncing its war in Gaza stirred public reaction significantly ahead of the March 31 local elections, when large crowds and some Islamist breakaway parties criticized the government for not taking a hardline stance against Israel and for not matching rhetoric with action.
In late April, Turkiye, whose bilateral trade with Israel was worth about $7 billion a year, announced it would impose trade restrictions on 54 products exported to Israel until a permanent ceasefire in Gaza was declared.
The product range was diverse, from cement to dry food, iron, steel, and electrical devices.
However, companies have three months to fulfill existing orders via third countries.
In his statement, Smotrich described Turkiye’s move as a serious violation of international trade agreements to which Ankara is a signatory.
He added that Israel’s latest decision would last as long as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remained in power.
Turkiye and Israel have had a free trade agreement since the mid-1990s, making Ankara a key commercial partner for Israeli importers. Relatively cheap imports were transited quite quickly, and Turkiye was Israel’s fifth-largest source of imported goods.
Israel mainly imported steel, iron, motor vehicles, electrical devices, machinery, plastics, and cement products, as well as textiles, olive oil, and fruits and vegetables from Turkiye, while Turkiye mostly bought chemicals, metals, and some other industrial products from the Middle Eastern country, with Turkiye’s trade with Israel tilted in Ankara’s favor.
“Since Erdogan announced that Turkiye would impose a trade ban on imports and exports from Israel, Israeli officials have been trying to determine how best to respond,” Gabriel Mitchell, a policy fellow at the Mitvim Institute, told Arab News.
“The first was Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who criticized Turkiye’s decision and later announced that Turkiye had lifted many of the restrictions. This put pressure — once again — on Erdogan to show the Turkish public that he is willing to ‘put his money where his mouth is’ with Israel and forced the Turkish government to deny these rumors,” he said, adding that it also compelled “Erdogan to be even more vocal in his criticism of Israeli policy.”
According to Mitchell, Smotrich — who is a minister but not a member of the Likud party — saw this as an opportunity to make his own headlines in proposing the move to cancel the free trade agreement.
As this move requires Cabinet approval, Mitchell said he would be very surprised if it were approved.
“It would be an escalatory step and undoubtedly have serious short-term economic consequences,” he said.
“It is important to bear in mind the domestic situation in Israel. There is increasing pressure on Netanyahu, and as a result, the more radical voices feel that by pushing populist policies, they are in a win-win situation: Either their policy is adopted, and they get credit for the idea, or it is rejected by others in the government, and they can criticize them for being soft,” Mitchell added.
“Erdogan is very unpopular in Israel — arguably the most unpopular regional leader — so some believe that while there are voices in Israel that would oppose the decision, there are many that would go along with it without really understanding the economic implications.”
Mitchell also noted a caveat, saying that the free trade agreement would be canceled until Erdogan steps down.
“I don’t understand what that means, given that such agreements are made bilaterally. Who is to assume that in 2028, Erdogan will no longer be president, and whoever succeeds him will be interested in signing a free trade agreement with Israel? It is a risky approach,” he said.
“My final point, and it is worth considering, is that Smotrich also wrote (in) a letter to Netanyahu that ‘representatives of Turkiye’s president, the anti-Semitic enemy of Israel, Erdogan’ were involved in the hostage negotiations — so it all gets mixed up and confused,” Mitchell added.
Continuing its strong rhetoric, Turkiye recently announced that it would join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
From its side, Israel filed a complaint to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development against Turkiye over the latter’s decision to suspend trade with Israel.
Sinan Ulgen, director of the Istanbul-based think-tank EDAM and a visiting fellow at Carnegie Europe, says Israel’s latest decision should be seen as an economic and political response to the Turkish government’s earlier decision to impose a trade embargo on Israel.
“The economic impact can be significant, especially on some of Israel’s critical products imported from Turkiye, such as construction materials, including cement. However, this does not mean Israel couldn’t import these items from other countries.
“But for Israel, it would be a costly trade diversion, and it will increase the internal cost of these products and possibly have an impact on domestic inflation,” he told Arab News.
Israel imports about a third of its cement and almost 70 percent of its iron construction materials from Turkiye.
“Another consequence is that unlike Turkiye’s decision to impose a temporary trade embargo with conditions, Israel is now moving in the direction of essentially imposing a permanent and lasting measure, which is to cancel a free-trade agreement that has been in place since the mid-1990s,” Ulgen said.
After the Turkish boycott of all trade with Israel, prices, especially in the housing sector, are expected to increase gradually, pushing up the cost of living in Israel.
Ulgen noted, however, that Turkish products could still indirectly reach Israel through third countries, for example, by transiting from the EU because Turkiye and the EU have a customs union. However, alternative transportation trade routes that circumvent the restrictions can be longer, more complex, and costlier.
Xavi denies reports that Barcelona’s leadership is considering firing him
BARCELONA: Xavi Hernández on Saturday denied a slew of reports in Spanish media outlets that Barcelona’s leadership is considering firing the coach for having said that the club’s poor finances will impede it from competing with Real Madrid.
“The club has transmitted to me that I should stay calm and continue working with the same motivation and commitment. Nothing has changed,” Xavi said at a pregame news conference.
Almost all the questions he faced were about the speculation in Spain’s sports press that club president Joan Laporta was upset with Xavi for having said earlier this week that “the situation is very difficult, above all on the economic level, for us to compete with our top rivals, whether it be Real Madrid or teams in Europe.”
The media reports said Laporta is pondering a replacement for Xavi this summer.
Xavi insisted Saturday that he had heard no such thing from the club.
“I don’t know and I don’t care where that information is coming from. I have the support of the president and Deco, our sports director,” the former Barcelona midfielder said.
Neither Laporta nor the club have made any public statements about the rumors. The club said it had no comment on them when asked by The Associated Press.
Even if it Barcelona keeps Xavi on, it is still an awkward situation for a coach who just three weeks prior had reversed a previous decision made in January to leave the club this summer. In April, Xavi said that he had changed his mind after his players showed him that they believed in the team’s potential and had improved their performances.
Laporta inherited a club mired in debts of more than 1.3 billion euros ($1.4 billion), and soccer’s most expensive payroll, when he returned to run the club for a second time in 2021.
A few months later he brought back fan favorite Xavi, who had been coaching in Qatar, to lead a team rebuild following the exit of superstar Lionel Messi.
But with no cash on hand and mounting debts, Laporta had to sell off future television revenues and other club assets, which Laporta dubbed financial “levers,” to sign Robert Lewandowski and other players two seasons ago.
With those reinforcements, Xavi guided Barcelona to the Spanish league title last campaign. But Barcelona has struggled this season and will finish it without any titles.
Xavi’s words earlier this week seemed aimed at curbing the expectations of fans used to the club making significant signings in the summer.
The club’s wages still exceed the salary cap established by the Spanish league and it is more likely to sell players this off-season than bring in new talent.
Barcelona plays Rayo Vallecano on Sunday seeking a win to lock up a second-placed finish in the domestic league and secure a spot in the Spanish Super Cup.
Kingdom assumes presidency of Arab League science, education body
- Saudi Arabia pledges regional cooperation, backs Palestinian cause and cultural heritage
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has assumed the presidency of the Executive Council of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization until 2026.
The official announcement was made on Friday during the 27th session of the ALECSO, which was held in Jeddah under the presidency of Saudi Arabia. During the session, Iraq handed over the presidency to the Kingdom.
In a speech delivered on behalf of Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Minister of Education and Chairman of the Saudi National Committee for Education, Culture and Science Yousef Al-Benyan welcomed the ministers and heads of national committees for education and science participating in the session.
Al-Benyan stressed the Kingdom’s humanitarian and fraternal support for the Gaza Strip within the framework of Arab cooperation and solidarity.
He affirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for Khalid Anan, the only Egyptian and Arab candidate for the position of director-general of the organization.
Al-Benyan concluded the speech by praising the efforts of Arab countries in supporting ALECSO, and building bridges of communication to achieve common regional goals.
Saudi Deputy Minister of Education Mohammed Al-Sudairi confirmed that holding the ALECSO meetings in Jeddah coincides with an increase in the role of Saudi national institutions to support the work of the organization.
He added that the number of Saudi initiatives exceeded 45, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s interest and belief in the importance of working with international organizations and its regional environment.
Iraqi Minister of Education Ibrahim Al-Jabouri, head of the 26th session, pointed out achievements made in the previous session, and various programs aimed at building bridges of cooperation between Arab culture and the rest of the world.
Director General of ALECSO Mohammed Ould Omar thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for hosting the event in Jeddah.
He presented the most prominent programs, initiatives, and projects implemented by the organization between the 26th and 27th sessions with international organizations, such as UNESCO, the work of the Arab Summit in Algeria, the Francophone Summit, the 13th Conference of Arab Ministers of Education in Rabat, and the International Conference on Adult Education, also held in Morocco.
At the end of the 27th session, ministers and heads of the Arab delegations agreed on the importance of supporting the Palestinian cause, condemning and denouncing the displacement that the Palestinian people, as well as the destruction of Palestinian antiquities.
They also addressed the importance of supporting culture, education, innovation, and science in the Arab world.
Israeli leaders split over post-war Gaza governance
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes under personal attack from Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for failing to rule out an Israeli government in Gaza after the war
JERUSALEM: New divisions have emerged among Israel’s leaders over post-war Gaza’s governance, with an unexpected Hamas fightback in parts of the Palestinian territory piling pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Israeli army has been battling Hamas militants across Gaza for more than seven months while also exchanging near-daily fire with Iran-backed Hezbollah forces along the northern border with Lebanon.
But after Hamas fighters regrouped in northern Gaza, where Israel previously said the group had been neutralized, broad splits emerged in the Israeli war cabinet in recent days.
Netanyahu came under personal attack from Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for failing to rule out an Israeli government in Gaza after the war.
The Israeli premier’s outright rejection of post-war Palestinian leadership in Gaza has broken a rift among top politicians wide open and frustrated relations with top ally the United States.
Experts say the lack of clarity only serves to benefit Hamas, whose leader has insisted no new authority can be established in the territory without its involvement.
“Without an alternative to fill the vacuum, Hamas will continue to grow,” International Crisis Group analyst Mairav Zonszein said.
Emmanuel Navon, a lecturer at Tel Aviv University, echoed this sentiment.
“If only Hamas is left in Gaza, of course they are going to appear here and there and the Israeli army will be forced to chase them around,” said Navon.
“Either you establish an Israeli military government or an Arab-led government.”
Gallant said in a televised address on Wednesday: “I call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make a decision and declare that Israel will not establish civilian control over the Gaza strip.”
The premier’s war planning also came under recent attack by army chief Herzi Halevi as well as top Shin Bet security agency officials, according to Israeli media reports.
Netanyahu is also under pressure from Washington to swiftly bring an end to the conflict and avoid being mired in a long counterinsurgency campaign.
Washington has previously called for a “revitalized” form of the Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza after the war.
But Netanyahu has rejected any role for the PA in post-war Gaza, saying Thursday that it “supports terror, educates terror, finances terror.”
Instead, Netanyahu has clung to his steadfast aim of “eliminating” Hamas, asserting that “there’s no alternative to military victory.”
Experts say confidence in Netanyahu is running thin.
“With Gallant’s criticism of Netanyahu’s failure to plan for the day after in terms of governing Gaza, some real fissures are beginning to emerge in the Israeli war cabinet,” Colin P. Clarke, director of policy and research at the Soufan Group think tank, wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“I’m not sure I know of many people, including the most ardent Israel supporters, who have confidence in Bibi,” he said, using Netanyahu’s nickname.
The Gaza war broke out after Hamas’s attack on southern Israel which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
The militants also seized about 250 hostages, 125 of whom Israel estimates remain in Gaza, including 37 the military says are dead.
Israel’s military retaliation has killed at least 35,386 people, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza’s health ministry, and an Israeli siege has brought dire food shortages and the threat of famine.
Many Israelis supported Netanyahu’s blunt goals to seek revenge on Hamas in the aftermath of the October 7 attack.
But now, hopes have faded for the return of the hostages and patience in Netanyahu may be running out, experts said.
On Friday, the army announced it had recovered bodies of three hostages who were killed during the October 7 attack.
After Israeli forces entered the far southern city of Rafah, where more than a million displaced Gazans were sheltering, talks mediated by Egypt, the United States and Qatar to release the hostages have ground to a standstill.
“The hostage deal is at a total impasse — you can no longer provide the appearance of progress,” said Zonszein of the International Crisis Group.
“Plus the breakdown with the US and the fact that Egypt has refused to pass aid through Rafah — all those things are coming to a head.”
