BEIRUT: Brazil’s foreign minister during a visit to Beirut called on Israel to end its attacks on southern Lebanon.
Mauro Vieira, who is on a wider diplomatic tour of region, was welcomed to the Lebanese capital by Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
The foreign minister condemned Israel for violating international resolutions during its war on Hamas and skirmishes with Hezbollah on Lebanon’s southern border.
Brazil contributes a peacekeeping military unit to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL.
Vieira briefed Mikati on the outcome of his visits to Saudi Arabia and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
He said that Brazil, through a broader coalition of states, is aiming to solidify Palestine’s membership in the UN.
His remarks came as Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lazaro, UNIFIL’s head of mission and force commander, called on all parties involved in skirmishes across southern Lebanon to abide by UN resolutions.
Israeli shelling and raids in Lebanon prevented UNIFIL from commemorating the 46th anniversary of its establishment.
The mission holds its yearly ceremony at its headquarters in Naqoura, with diplomats, Lebanese army officials and local mayors usually in attendance.
The UN Security Council set up UNIFIL under Resolutions 425 and 426 on March 19, 1978, to oversee Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon and help the Lebanese government regain control of its territory.
UN Resolution 1701 — which ended a destructive war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006 — strengthened the presence of UNIFIL and entrusted the mission with monitoring a ceasefire.
Under the resolution, the Lebanese army was deployed for the first time in decades on the border in a bid to prevent any illegal military presence.
On Tuesday, Lazaro paid tribute to civilian and military peacekeepers “who have served the mission over the years, including over 330 members who have died serving for peace.”
In a speech, he said: “Current events have challenged Resolution 1701, but it remains as relevant and necessary as ever.
“Our more than 10,000 peacekeepers from 49 countries continue their critical monitoring, de-escalation and liaison work, and we stand ready to support a peaceful resolution to the current crisis.
Lazaro added: “The sacrifice of those who lost their lives here is not in vain.
“Our efforts today, in these challenging circumstances, are a tribute to their memories. Their sacrifice motivates us to continue our work toward de-escalation in the short term and peace in the long term.
“The peacekeepers, alongside their civilian colleagues, and despite relentless and daily exchanges of fire, have stayed their course in monitoring the fast-evolving situation in south Lebanon, maintaining high operational tempo and visible presence, and assisting local communities.”
Lazaro’s comments follow mounting concern over Israeli attacks on the border region. In some cases, artillery shells have hit targets close to UNIFIL positions, resulting in minor injuries to several peacekeepers.
Israel also struck a joint patrol between UNIFIL and the Lebanese army earlier this month.
UNIFIL has repeatedly expressed concerns over the escalating conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.
Periodic tripartite meetings in Naqoura between representatives of the Israeli and Lebanese armies, overseen by UNIFIL, had been suspended since the outbreak of hostilities in October last year.
But the two sides have agreed to resume the talks as part of a French plan to quell tensions on the border.
Meanwhile, Lebanon on Tuesday filed a complaint to the UN over Israel’s jamming of GPS systems at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport.
Caretaker Public Works Minister Ali Hamieh said Israel had taken the measure in some airports across the region following the outbreak of violence last October.
The jamming has allowed Israeli drones to carry out assassinations deep into Lebanese territory.
Authorities at the airport and seaports across Lebanon have adopted backup systems to continue operations.
Brazilian FM in Beirut demands end to Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon
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Brazilian FM in Beirut demands end to Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon
- On UNIFIL’s anniversary, commander urges compliance with UN Resolution 1701
- Lebanon files UN complaint over Israel’s jamming of Beirut airport
GCC countries can play pivotal role in Africa’s economic development, African stakeholders say
- Economic relations between Africa and the GCC are set to grow significantly in the coming years
RIYADH: Member nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council can play a pivotal role in developing African economies, a special meeting of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh was told on Sunday.
Economic relations between Africa and the GCC are set to grow significantly in the coming years, economists have said, driven by mutual interests in economic diversification, investment and sustainable development.
Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso, the Republic of Congo’s international cooperation minister, said countries in central and western Africa had traditionally looked to Western powers, such as the US, France and the UK, for assistance with their development but were increasingly looking to forge links with GCC countries.
“It’s a good opportunity and position to start to work on this cooperation with (countries such as) Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain. They can help (African) countries to develop their economies and infrastructure projects,” he said.
“We’re not looking for an equal economy (with GCC states), but we’d like to build some bridges toward partnerships between our countries, to promote the public-private partnership.”
Boitumelo Mosako, CEO at the Development Bank of Southern Africa, told the panel that the GCC and African Union were founded on the same date, which coincides with Africa Day.
The GCC and the Organization of African Unity, which was replaced by the African Union, were both founded on May 25.
This was a symbol of the strong partnerships that had evolved between Africa and GCC countries, especially in direct trade, Mosako said.
“When it comes to infrastructure, that is where I see the greatest opportunity. As we all know, (Africa) is a continent with an infrastructure backlog, but we are one with aspirations of implementing an African free-trade agreement.”
But in order for this to be achieved, infrastructure projects had to be built quickly, which would not only benefit African economies but also global partners as Africa’s exports to those countries would be able to increase exponentially, Mosako said.
Highlighting opportunities in energy investment from GCC countries, she added: “We have seen this in South Africa, where GCC companies have partnered local entities as part of a renewable energy program, so it’s not something far-fetched, it’s actually happening. It’s an opportunity to close the energy gap for the continent.”
Ousmane Dione, vice president for the Middle East and North Africa at the World Bank, said that at its shortest distance, there were only 26 km between Africa and the GCC, but there was a much bigger metaphorical gap in investment from the GCC states into Africa, which he called a “land of opportunity.”
He said that by 2035, there would be 430 million young Africans coming into the labor market competing for just 100 million jobs if current policies remained in place.
This could either be a “demographic liability or a demographic dividend” depending on how other countries viewed it, he said.
“I see the GCC countries really being a part of what will be the future of that relationship, in terms of a partnership.”
Houthis expecting ‘hostile’ reaction from US over Red Sea attacks, drone downing
- US Defense Department says MQ-9 Reaper crashed in Yemen
- British-owned oil tanker damaged after being hit by missiles
AL-MUKALLA: The Houthis claim the US is planning a new round of strikes on Yemen in response to its attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the downing of an American drone.
In a post on X on Saturday afternoon, Hussein Al-Ezzi, the militia’s deputy foreign minister, said: “Now America and its mercenaries are considering new hostile plans, and we tell them the same thing: you will fail.”
In a separate message, posted on X on Saturday morning, Al-Ezzi said the Houthis were aware that the US was plotting a fresh military campaign against them and pledged to strike back against US interests wherever they may be.
That warning came after military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the militia launched missiles at the British-owned and Panamanian-flagged Andromeda Star oil tanker in the Red Sea and shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone above its stronghold in the northern province of Saada.
US Defense Department spokesperson Lt. Col. Bryon J. McGarry told The Associated Press on Saturday that an MQ-9 drone had crashed in Yemen and that an inquiry was underway.
The US Central Command said on Saturday morning that the Andromeda Star received minor damage after being hit by missiles launched by the Houthis on Friday afternoon.
Shipping website Marinetraffic.com said the tanker was traveling from the Port of Sudan to an unnamed destination.
Houthi missiles on Friday also fell near the MV MAISHA, an oil tanker controlled by Liberia and traveling under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, the Central Command said.
Since November, the Houthis have seized one commercial ship, sunk another and launched hundreds of missiles and drones at commercial and navy vessels in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden.
The group claims it targets vessels bound for or with links to Israel in a bid to force it to break its blockade on the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday, the Houthis ended a nearly two-week break in their attacks by claiming credit for hitting a US-owned ship, a US Navy destroyer and an Israeli vessel in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.
Meanwhile, the Yemeni government and the Houthis swapped accusations on Saturday after a drone laden with explosives killed five women in the Maqbanah district of Taiz province.
The government said the Houthis launched the drone at women gathering water from a well and also fired artillery rounds and heavy machine guns into civilian areas and military sites southeast of Taiz.
The Houthi Ministry of Health said three women and two children were killed after a drone launched by Yemeni government soldiers cut through a crowd of villagers getting water from a well in Al-Shajeen village in Maqbanah.
Hamas official says delegation to respond to Gaza truce plan in Egypt Monday
- There is growing international pressure for Hamas and Israel to reach a ceasefire deal and avert an Israeli attack on Rafah
- Hamas delegation to visit Cairo on Monday for ceasefire talks
TEL AVIV: A senior Hamas official on Sunday said that the group would deliver its response to Israel’s latest counterproposal for a Gaza ceasefire on Monday in Egypt.
“A Hamas delegation headed by Khalil Al-Hayya will arrive in Egypt tomorrow... and deliver the movement’s response” to the Israeli proposal during a meeting with Egyptian intelligence officials, said the official who declined to be named told AFP.
Mediator Egypt had sent its own delegation to Israel this week to jump-start stalled negotiations even as fighting in the Gaza Strip rages.
Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been unsuccessfully trying to broker a new Gaza truce deal ever since a one-week halt to the fighting in November saw 80 Israeli hostages exchanged for 240 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Earlier, a senior Qatari official has urged both Israel and Hamas to show “more commitment and more seriousness” in ceasefire negotiations in interviews with Israeli media, as pressure builds on both sides to move toward a deal that would set Israeli hostages free and bring potential respite in the nearly 7-month-long war in Gaza.
The interviews with the liberal daily Haaretz and the Israeli public broadcaster Kan were published and aired Saturday evening. They came as Israel still promises to invade Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah despite global concern for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians sheltering there and as the sides are exchanging proposals surrounding a ceasefire deal.
Qatar, which hosts Hamas headquarters in Doha, has been a key intermediary throughout the Israel-Hamas war. Along with the US and Egypt, Qatar was instrumental in helping negotiate a brief halt to the fighting in November that led to the release of dozens of hostages.
The sides have held numerous rounds of negotiations since, none of which produced an additional truce. In a sign of its frustration, Qatar last week said it was reassessing its role as mediator.
In the interviews, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari expressed disappointment in both Hamas and Israel, saying each side has made its decisions based on political interests and not with the good of civilians in mind.
“We were hoping to see more commitment and more seriousness on both sides,” he told Haaretz.
He did not reveal details of the current state of the talks, other than to say they have “effectively stopped,” with “both sides entrenched in their positions.”
“If there is a renewed sense of commitment on both sides, I’m sure we can reach a deal,” he said.
The Israeli journalists conducted the interviews in Qatar, which has no formal diplomatic ties with Israel.
Relations between Qatar and Israel have been strained throughout the war, as some politicians in Israel, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have criticized Qatar for not putting enough pressure on Hamas.
Israeli legislators have also cleared the way for the country to expel Al Jazeera, the Qatar-owned broadcaster.
Al-Ansari’s remarks came after an Egyptian delegation had discussed with Israeli officials a “new vision” for a prolonged ceasefire in Gaza, according to an Egyptian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to freely discuss the developments.
Hamas meanwhile said Saturday it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal for a ceasefire, which came in response to a Hamas proposal from two weeks ago.
Negotiations earlier this month centered on a six-week ceasefire proposal and the release of 40 civilian and sick hostages held by Hamas in exchange for freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
There is growing international pressure for Hamas and Israel to reach a ceasefire deal and avert an Israeli attack on Rafah.
A letter penned by US President Joe Biden along with 17 other world leaders urged Hamas to release the hostages immediately.
Hamas in recent days has released new videos of three hostages it holds, which appear to be meant to push Israel to make concessions.
Israel meanwhile has massed dozens of tanks and armored vehicles ahead of an expected offensive in Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million population is seeking shelter. The planned incursion has raised global alarm because of concerns over potential harm to civilians. The troop buildup may also be a pressure tactic on Hamas in the truce talks.
Israel sees Rafah as Hamas’ last major stronghold and has vowed to attack the militant group there in its bid to destroy its military and governing capabilities.
The war was sparked with Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7 into southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities, who say another 250 people were taken hostage. Hamas and other groups are holding about 130 people, including the remains of about 30, Israeli authorities say.
Israel’s retaliatory assault on Hamas has killed more than 34,000 people, most of them women and children, according to health authorities in Gaza, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants in their tally. The Israeli military says it has killed at least 12,000 militants, without providing evidence to back the claim.
France to make proposals in Lebanon to prevent war between Hezbollah and Israel
NAQOURA: France’s foreign minister said that he would make proposals to Lebanese officials on Sunday aimed at easing tensions between Hezbollah and Israel and preventing a war breaking out.
“If I look at the situation today if there was not a war in Gaza, we could be talking about a war in southern Lebanon given the number of strikes and the impact on the area,” Stephane Sejourne said after visiting the United Nations peace keeping force in Naqoura, southern Lebanon.
“I will pass messages and make proposals to the authorities here to stabilize this zone and avoid a war.”
France’s foreign minister looks to prevent Israel-Hezbollah conflict escalation in Lebanon visit
- Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry
- Israel has remained cautious on the French initiative, although Israeli and French officials say Israel supports efforts to defuse the cross-border tensions
BEIRUT: France’s foreign minister will push proposals to prevent further escalation and a potential war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah during a visit to Lebanon on Sunday as Paris seeks to refine a roadmap that both sides could accept to ease tensions.
France has historical ties with Lebanon and earlier this year Stephane Sejourne delivered an initiative that proposed Hezbollah’s elite unit pull back 10 km (6 miles) from the Israeli border, while Israel would halt strikes in southern Lebanon.
The two have exchanged tit for tat strikes in recent months, but the exchanges have increased since Iran launched a barrage of missiles on Israel in response to a suspected Israeli attack on the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus that killed members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps’ overseas Quds Force.
France’s proposal, which has been discussed with partners, notably the United States, has not moved forward, but Paris wants to keep momentum in talks and underscore to Lebanese officials that Israeli threats of a military operation in southern Lebanon should be taken seriously.
Hezbollah has maintained it will not enter any concrete discussion until there is a ceasefire in Gaza, where the war between Israel and Islamist militant group Hamas has entered its sixth month.
Israel has also said it wants to ensure calm is restored on its northern border so that thousands of displaced Israelis can return to the area without fear of rocket attacks from across the border.
“The objective is to prevent a regional conflagration and avoid that the situation deteriorates even more on the border between Israel and Lebanon,” foreign ministry deputy spokesperson Christophe Lemoine said at a news conference.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Nikati and Lebanese army chief Joseph Aoun met French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month, where they discussed the French proposal.
In a letter addressed to the French embassy in Beirut in March, Lebanon’s foreign ministry said Beirut believed the French initiative would be a significant step toward peace and security in Lebanon and the broader region.
Local Lebanese media had reported the government had provided feedback to the French on the proposal.
French officials say the responses so far have been general and lack consensus among the Lebanese. While they deem it too early for any form of accord, they believe it is vital to engage now so that when the moment comes both sides are ready.
Paris will also underline the urgency of breaking the political deadlock in the country. Lebanon has neither a head of state nor a fully empowered cabinet since Michel Aoun’s term as president ended in October 2022.
Israel has remained cautious on the French initiative, although Israeli and French officials say Israel supports efforts to defuse the cross-border tensions.
“The flames will flicker and tensions will continue,” said a Lebanese diplomat. “We are in a situation of strategic ambiguity on both sides.”
France has 700 troops based in southern Lebanon as part of the 10,000-strong United Nations peacekeeping force.
Officials say the UN troops are unable to carry out their mandate and part of France’s proposals are aimed at beefing up the mission by strengthening the Lebanese army.
After Lebanon, Sejourne will head to Saudi Arabia before traveling to Israel.
Arab and Western foreign ministers, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, will hold informal talks on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum event in Riyadh to discuss the Gaza war with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
