
Syria, Israel discuss containing escalation in southern Syria, Ekhbariya TV reports
The diplomatic source said the meeting did not result in any final agreements but they agreed to continue talks and evaluate steps aimed at maintaining stability in southern Syria.

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Arab News
7 hours ago
- Arab News
Israel intercepts Houthi missile fired from Yemen
JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen on Friday, which the Iran-backed Houthi militants said they had launched. 'Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted,' the Israeli military said. The Houthis targeted Israel's Ben Gurion airport 'using a 'Palestine 2' hypersonic ballistic missile,' their military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a video statement. The militants have launched repeated missile and drone attacks against Israel since their Palestinian ally Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war. The Houthis, who say they are acting in support of the Palestinians, paused their attacks during a two-month ceasefire in Gaza that ended in March, but renewed them after Israel resumed major operations. Israel has carried out several retaliatory strikes in Yemen, targeting Houthi-held ports and the airport in the militant-held capital Sanaa.`


Arab News
8 hours ago
- Arab News
A settler accused of killing a Palestinian activist is to be freed, as Israel still holds the body
TEL AVIV: An Israeli settler accused of killing a prominent Palestinian activist during a confrontation captured on video in the occupied West Bank will be released from house arrest, an Israeli court ruled Friday. The video shot by a Palestinian witness shows Yinon Levi brandishing a pistol and tussling with a group of unarmed Palestinians. He can be seen firing two shots, but the video does not show where the bullets hit. Witnesses said one of the shots killed Awdah Hathaleen, an English teacher and father of three, who was uninvolved and was standing nearby. The Israeli military is still holding Hathaleen's body and says it will only be returned if the family agrees to bury him in a nearby city. It said the measure was being taken to 'prevent public disorder.' The confrontation occurred on Monday in the village of Umm Al-Khair, in an area of the West Bank featured in 'No Other Land,' an Oscar-winning documentary about settler violence and life under Israeli military rule. In a court decision obtained by The Associated Press, Judge Havi Toker wrote that there was 'no dispute' that Levi shot his gun in the village that day, but she said he may have been acting in self-defense and that the court could not establish that the shots killed Hathaleen. Israel's military and police did not respond to a request for comment on whether anyone else may have fired shots that day. Multiple calls placed to Levi and his lawyer have not been answered. The judge said Levi did not pose such a danger as to justify his continued house arrest but barred him from contact with the villagers for a month. Levi has been sanctioned by the United States and other Western countries over allegations of past violence toward Palestinians. President Donald Trump lifted the US sanctions on Levi and other radical settlers shortly after returning to office. A total of 18 Palestinians from the village were arrested after the incident. Six remain in detention. Eitay Mack, an Israeli lawyer who has lobbied for sanctions against radical settlers, including Levi, said the court ruling did not come as a surprise. 'Automatically, Palestinian victims are considered suspects, while Jewish suspects are considered victims,' he said. Levi helped establish an settler outpost near Umm Al-Khair that anti-settlement activists say is a bastion for violent settlers who have displaced hundreds since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Palestinians and rights groups have long accused Israeli authorities of turning a blind eye to settler violence, which has surged since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, along with attacks by Palestinians. In a 2024 interview, Levi said he was protecting his own land and denied using violence. Some 70 women in Umm Al-Khair said they were beginning a hunger strike on Friday to call for Hathaleen's body to be returned and for the right of his family to bury him in the village. Israel's military said in a statement to the AP that it would return the body if the family agrees to bury him in the 'nearest authorized cemetery.' Hathaleen, 31, had written and spoke out against settler violence, and had helped produce the Oscar-winning film. Supporters have erected murals in his honor in Rome, held vigils in New York and have held signs bearing his name at anti-war protests in Tel Aviv.


Asharq Al-Awsat
8 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Lebanon's Finance Minister: No Sale of State Assets, But Strategic Partnerships Ahead
Lebanon is preparing to take a major step toward restoring financial stability by the end of this month, with Parliament expected to approve a draft law to restructure the banking sector. This legislation follows the adoption of the banking secrecy law and paves the way for tackling the long-delayed 'financial gap' law, a critical component in resolving Lebanon's severe economic, monetary, and financial crises. In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Finance Minister Yassin Jaber emphasized that there is no justification for further delays. The government has already reorganized Lebanon's monetary institutions, enabling them to assess bank conditions, categorize depositors, and prepare comprehensive financial data required for the next steps. These measures will help fairly distribute losses estimated at around $73 billion. Jaber described the banking and financial reform process as the toughest challenge facing the government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, the first under President Joseph Aoun. These reforms coincide with critical efforts to resolve political challenges, including ending daily Israeli aggressions and consolidating state control over arms. The minister stressed the need to end a prolonged state of denial, which has fueled piecemeal responses to a deep-rooted crisis. Lebanon, he warned, risks being downgraded to a 'blacklisted' status globally if urgent reforms are not enacted. One of the government's top priorities, Jaber explained, is addressing the financial gap -larger than twice the GDP - by clarifying responsibilities for the losses, including the role of the Central Bank and commercial banks. The upcoming law will outline these responsibilities and enable better coordination among the Central Bank, its oversight bodies, and relevant stakeholders. Despite severe liquidity shortages, Lebanon will not sell its public assets, Jaber stated firmly. 'The country is not bankrupt,' he said, echoing assurances from both the President and Prime Minister. Instead, the focus will be on optimizing the use of state assets and attracting strategic partnerships, especially in electricity, telecommunications, ports, and other vital sectors, without resorting to privatization. Efforts are also underway to modernize public finance. The 2026 budget will include measures to boost revenues through tighter customs enforcement and more efficient tax collection. Jaber said ministries are contributing to a medium-term fiscal framework for 2026–2029 to better align spending with economic goals. Jaber concluded by reaffirming the government's commitment to transforming Lebanon from a debt-driven, consumption-based economy into a productive one centered on public-private partnership projects. He noted that the government is continuing to appoint regulatory authorities in key sectors that are attractive to investors - moves that will pave the way for strategic partnerships, not asset sales, as he emphasized once more. These partnerships aim to improve the quality of essential services at fair costs, particularly in electricity, telecommunications, air and sea transport, real estate, and other vital areas. Jaber also highlighted the importance of economic reforms in strengthening cooperation with international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Union, and the World Bank.