LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday called on all sides to exercise “caution” on the border between Israel and Lebanon, in his first telephone conversation since he was elected with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Starmer told his counterpart the “situation on the northern border of Israel was very concerning, and it was crucial all parties acted with caution,” a spokesperson for his 10 Downing Street office said.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement on Sunday fired another 20 rockets at northern Israel, leaving one person injured there, the latest cross-border attacks launched in solidarity with Hamas.
Hezbollah has traded near daily fire with the Israeli army across Lebanon’s southern border since its Palestinian ally Hamas attacked Israel last year, triggering the war in Gaza.
Discussing the conflict, the prime minister reiterated his condolences for the mass loss of life during the October 7 attacks, the spokesperson said.
“He then set out the clear and urgent need for a ceasefire, the return of hostages and an immediate increase in the volume of humanitarian aid reaching civilians.”
In his conversation with Netanyahu, Starmer added that it was also “important to ensure the long-term conditions for a two-state solution were in place, including ensuring the Palestinian Authority had the financial means to operate effectively.”
Efforts toward a truce are continuing with US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators hoping to halt the worst-ever Gaza war, which has caused mass civilian casualties and devastated the coastal territory.
The spokesperson said the prime minister also spoke by phone to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.
Starmer told Abbas that his “longstanding policy on recognition to contribute to a peace process had not changed, and it was the undeniable right of Palestinians.”
The October 7 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
The militants also seized 251 hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza, including 42 the military says are dead.
In response, Israel’s military offensive has killed at least 38,153 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory.
UK’s Starmer urges ‘caution’ on Israel-Lebanon border
https://arab.news/jwdfj
UK’s Starmer urges ‘caution’ on Israel-Lebanon border
- Starmer told Abbas that his “longstanding policy on recognition to contribute to a peace process had not changed, and it was the undeniable right of Palestinians”
Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Aidrous Al-Zubaidi Flees to Unknown Location
- Aidrous Al-Zubaidi fails to board plane bound for Saudi Arabia
RIYADH: Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki stated that the head of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) Aidrous Al-Zubaidi has fled to an unknown location.
Major General Al-Malki announced that on Jan. 4, 2026, the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition informed Al-Zubaidi that he must travel to Saudi Arabia within 48 hours to meet with President of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) of the Republic of Yemen Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, and the Coalition Forces Command to address the reasons behind the escalation and attacks by forces affiliated with the STC on the governorates of Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra.
On Jan. 5, the Presidency of the STC reiterated its appreciation for the efforts led by Saudi Arabia in preparing for a comprehensive Southern conference to discuss ways to resolve the Southern issue, and affirmed its active participation in ensuring the conference’s success.
Consequently, Al-Zubaidi informed the Kingdom of his intention to attend on Jan. 6, and the delegation proceeded to the airport.
However, the departure of Yemenia Airways flight IYE 532, scheduled for 10.10 p.m. and carrying the delegation, was delayed for more than three hours. The legitimate government and the coalition received intelligence indicating that Al-Zubaidi had moved a large force—including armored vehicles, combat vehicles, heavy and light weapons, and ammunition—from the Jabal Hadid and Al-Solban camps towards Al-Dhale' around midnight.
Subsequently, the aforementioned flight was allowed to depart, carrying a large number of STC leaders but excluding the council's head Aidrous Al-Zubaidi, who fled to an unknown location.
He left the members and leaders of the STC without any details regarding his whereabouts. This occurred after he distributed weapons and ammunition to dozens of elements inside Aden, led by Mu'min Al-Saqqaf and Mukhtar Al-Nubi, with the aim of creating unrest in Aden in the coming hours.
This prompted the National Shield Forces and the coalition to request Vice President of the Presidential Leadership Council Abdul Rahman Al-Mahrami (Abu Zara'a) to impose security, prevent any clashes within Aden, spare its residents any disturbances, protect lives and property, and cooperate with the National Shield Forces.
The coalition forces monitored the movement of the aforementioned military units as they emerged from the camps and took up positions in a building near Al-Zand camp in Al-Dhale' Governorate. At 4 a.m., coalition forces, in coordination with legitimate government forces and the National Shield Forces, launched limited preemptive strikes to disrupt these forces and thwart Al-Zubaidi's attempts to escalate the conflict and extend it into Al-Dhale'.
The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen affirms that it is working with the Yemeni government and the local authority in Aden to support and maintain security efforts and confront any military forces targeting cities and civilians. The command urges all residents to stay away from camps in Aden and Al-Dhale', avoid any gatherings of military vehicles for their own safety, and provide information to security agencies regarding any suspicious military movements.
