LONDON: The UAE has welcomed the announcement of an UN-brokered truce in Yemen and the halt of all military operations there and on the Saudi-Yemeni border, the UAE’s state news agency WAM reported on Saturday.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation stressed its support for all efforts made by the UN envoy to enhance prospects for peace and stability in Yemen and the region, and the importance of Saudi Arabia’s pivotal role in achieving stability and security for Yemen, reiterating its commitment to stand by the Yemeni people and support their legitimate aspirations for development and prosperity.
Bahrain praised the response of the leadership of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen and said it hopes that it will constitute an important step as an opportunity to stop the war in Yemen, reach a comprehensive political settlement between the Yemeni parties, and return security, stability and peace to the country.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation praised the efforts of UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg, expressing hope that the truce would ease the suffering of the Yemeni people, and provide appropriate conditions for the Yemeni parties to reduce escalation and reach a comprehensive political settlement to the conflict.
Oman, Qatar, the Arab League and the European Union also issued similar statements welcoming the truce.
International community welcomes two-month truce in Yemen
https://arab.news/2srm8
International community welcomes two-month truce in Yemen
Israel defense minister vows to stay in Gaza, establish outposts
- His remarks, reported across Israeli media, come as a fragile US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas holds in Gaza
JERUSALEM: Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday vowed Israel will remain in Gaza and pledged to establish outposts in the north of the Palestinian territory, according to a video of a speech published by Israeli media.
His remarks, reported across Israeli media, come as a fragile US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas holds in Gaza.
Mediators are pressing for the implementation of the next phases of the truce, which would involve an Israeli withdrawal from the territory.
Speaking at an event in the Israeli settlement of Beit El in the occupied West Bank, Katz said: “We are deep inside Gaza, and we will never leave Gaza — there will be no such thing.”
“We are there to protect, to prevent what happened (from happening again),” he added, according to a video published by Israeli news site Ynet.
Katz also vowed to establish outposts in the north of Gaza in place of settlements that had been evacuated during Israel’s unilateral disengagement from the territory in 2005.
“When the time comes, God willing, we will establish in northern Gaza, Nahal outposts in place of the communities that were uprooted,” Katz said, referring to military-agricultural settlements set up by Israeli soldiers.
“We will do this in the right way and at the appropriate time.”
Katz’s remarks were slammed by former minister and chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, who accused the government of “acting against the broad national consensus, during a critical period for Israel’s national security.”
“While the government votes with one hand in favor of the Trump plan, with the other hand it sells fables about isolated settlement nuclei in the (Gaza) Strip,” he wrote on X, referring to the Gaza peace plan brokered by US President Donald Trump.
The next phases of Trump’s plan would involve an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the establishment of an interim authority to govern the territory in place of Hamas and the deployment of an international stabilization force.
It also envisages the demilitarization of Gaza, including the disarmament of Hamas, which the group has refused.
On Thursday, several Israelis entered the Gaza Strip in defiance of army orders and held a symbolic flag-raising ceremony to call for the reoccupation and resettlement of the Palestinian territory.
