Latest news with #Al-Quds
Ya Libnan
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Trump's meeting with Saudi leader set to include Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian leaders
File photo : Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas with US President Donald Trump at the Palace Hotel during the 72nd United Nations General Assembly on September 20, 2017, in New York. (AFP Photo/Brendan Smialowski) Israeli concerns grew after reports that Trump plans to meet Palestinian, Syrian & Lebanese presidents in Saudi Arabia after reports revealed that Trump would announce US recognition of Palestinian state during his trip Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, aka MbS , expects US president to agree to Saudi conditions for Saudi normalization with Israel on Palestinian statehood, source tells Arab media US President Donald Trump's meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Tuesday is also set to include Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Syria's de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, Arabic media reported Sunday. Citing an informed source who declined to be identified, Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds said the Saudi Crown prince 'looks forward to Trump's agreement to the Saudi condition of establishing a Palestinian state.' Trump had said in February that Saudi Arabia was no longer demanding Palestinian statehood as a condition for normalizing ties with Israel, a statement that at the time drew an urgent Saudi denial. According to the source cited by Al-Quds, Trump had acceded to bin Salman's request to include the other Arab leaders in the meeting, which will come at the start of Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates between May 13 and 16. Trump wo will not be visiting Israel this time predicted ahead of his trip that Saudi-Israeli normalization would happen 'very quickly,' but reportedly dropped normalization with Israel as a condition for progress on Saudi Arabia's civilian nuclear program. It had been reported Saturday that Trump would announce US recognition of Palestinian statehood. Trump announced last week that he will be making a huge announcement during his trip. Israel-Saudi normalization seemed just around the corner before the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, that started the war in Gaza. Two Israeli ministers made unprecedented state visits to the the kingdom in the weeks before the assault, but the prospect of normalization faded as anti-Israel sentiment reached new heights in the Arab world amid the war. During his first term, Trump brokered the Abraham Accords normalization agreements between Israel, the UAE, Morocco, Sudan and Bahrain, partly in exchange for Israel backing away from a plan to annex the West Bank, the seat of the Palestinian Authority. The meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday comes as Trump has reportedly expressed frustration over the failure to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, which has been devastated over 19 months of war. The PA had previously threatened to cut ties with Trump over a plan he announced in February to take over Gaza, oust its residents and rebuild the devastated Strip as a coastal resort. A rival Egyptian plan for postwar Gaza would have ultimately handed the Strip over to the PA, but Netanyahu has rejected any role for the unpopular body in Gaza's postwar governance. Separately, Israel continues to occupy 5 strategic hills in Lebanon despite the ceasefire deal that was reached last November and continues to carr out military strikes in southern Lebanon Israel also has been attacking Syria since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad by Ahmed al Sharaa' Both Lebanese President Aoun and Syria's interim leader Sharaa have demanded that Israel withdraw from their respective countries. Trump Tower in Damascus A Trump Tower in Damascus, a detente with Israel and U.S. access to Syria's oil and gas are part of Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa's strategic pitch to try to meet with Trump during his trip to the Middle East, according to several sources familiar with the push to woo Washington. Jonathan Bass, an American pro-Trump activist, who on April 30 met Sharaa for four hours in Damascus, along with Syrian activists and Gulf Arab states has been trying to arrange a meeting between the two leaders this week on the sidelines of Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, according to a report by Reuters . Syria has struggled to implement conditions set out by Washington for relief from U.S. sanctions, which keep the country cut off from the global financial system and make economic recovery extremely challenging after 14 years of grinding war. News Agencies
Roya News
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
Trump's Middle East Summit to Include Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian Leaders: Sources
A high-stakes meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 13, 2025, between US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to include Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, and Syria's leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, according to Arabic media reports. The summit, taking place in Riyadh at the start of Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from May 13 to 16, marks a significant moment in Middle East diplomacy as regional leaders gather to address pressing issues, including the 'Israeli' genocide on Gaza and Saudi-'Israeli' normalization. Citing an anonymous source, the Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds reported that Crown Prince bin Salman is hopeful that Trump will agree to Saudi Arabia's longstanding condition of establishing a Palestinian state as a prerequisite for normalizing ties with 'Israel'. This expectation contrasts with Trump's February 2025 claim that Saudi Arabia had dropped its demand for Palestinian statehood in exchange for normalization, a statement that prompted a swift denial from Riyadh. The inclusion of Abbas, Aoun, and al-Sharaa in the meeting, at bin Salman's request, suggests Saudi Arabia's intent to broaden the dialogue and reinforce its diplomatic influence in the region. The Riyadh summit comes amid heightened tensions and complex regional dynamics. Trump has reportedly expressed frustration over the failure to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, where 19 months of genocide have left the enclave devastated. The Palestinian Authority, led by Abbas, had previously threatened to sever ties with Trump following his controversial February proposal to take control of Gaza, displace its residents, and redevelop the area as a coastal resort. This plan was met with opposition from the PA and rival proposals, such as an Egyptian initiative to transfer postwar Gaza governance to the PA, which 'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has firmly rejected. Speculation about US recognition of a Palestinian state has also surfaced, with reports on Saturday suggesting Trump might announce such a move during his trip. However, US Ambassador to 'Israel' Mike Huckabee dismissed these claims as 'nonsense,' indicating that no such policy shift is imminent. Meanwhile, Trump has predicted that Saudi-'Israeli' normalization could occur 'very quickly,' though he has reportedly deprioritized this goal in favor of advancing Saudi Arabia's civilian nuclear program without tying it to normalization with 'Israel'. The presence of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa underscores the broader regional implications of the summit. Aoun, who has been working to mend ties with Saudi Arabia after years of strain due to Iran's influence in Lebanon, and al-Sharaa, who assumed power following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, represent key players in navigating the region's shifting alliances. Their participation signals Saudi Arabia's ambition to mediate between Washington and emerging Arab leadership to address issues like Gaza's reconstruction, Iran's nuclear ambitions, and regional stability. As Trump embarks on his first major foreign trip of his second term, the Riyadh meeting is poised to shape the contours of US engagement in the Middle East. While the prospect of Saudi-'Israeli' normalization remains a focal point, the inclusion of Palestinian, Lebanese, and Syrian leaders suggests a broader agenda aimed at addressing longstanding conflicts and fostering economic cooperation.
Middle East Eye
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Report: Israeli soldier ordered killing of 15 paramedics works as a mercenary in DRC Congo
Nikolai Ashurov, an Israeli commander who is accused of ordering and taking part in the killing of 15 paramedics, rescue workers and UN staff in Rafah, has surfaced in the DRC Congo as a mercenary training local forces, Al-Quds newspaper reported. On 30 March, the Palestinian Civil Defence said the bodies of 15 paramedics, rescue workers and UN staff were found in a mass grave in Rafah, each with around 20 gunshot wounds. They had gone missing a week earlier after responding to a distress call. The report said, the evidence compiled by the draft included military records, social media activity, and multiple interactions with acquaintances and soldiers connected to the officer, all of which prove that Ashurov ordered ordered the ambulances to be fired indiscriminately as soon as they passed. According to an eyewitness Dr Saeed al-Bardawil, who was detained by Israeli forces and witnessed the crime firsthand, Ashurov himself opened fire on a UN vehicle, killing Kamal Shahtout, the UN field security officer in Rafah. Dismissed from the Israeli military three days before the report, Ashurov now works for a private security company in DRC Congo, the report said.
Arab News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Israel arrests veteran Palestinian journalist in West Bank
DUBAI: Israeli forces arrested prominent Palestinian journalist Ali Al-Samoudi during an overnight raid on Tuesday in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, according to media reports. Al-Quds newspaper correspondent Al-Samoudi, 58, was detained after the Israeli military raided and searched up his home in Al-Zahraa neighborhood, destroying 'some of its contents'. According to the military, he is accused of having ties with the militant Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization and transferring funds to the group. However, the military did not provide evidence to support the claim. After he was interrogated at a disclosed location, Al-Samoudi was transferred to an Israeli hospital due to his health deteriorating, his son Mohammed told the BBC. His family, who denies the accusations, was not informed of the name of the hospital where he was being treated, or any other details. Al-Samoudi previously survived an attack by Israeli forces in 2022, the same assault that killed prominent Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh, who was a correspondent for Al-Jazeera. Al-Samoudi was shot and wounded in his back. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned Al-Samoudi's arrest in a statement on Tuesday. As of April 30, 2025, the Committee to Protect Journalists has documented 79 arrests of journalists by Israel in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza since Oct. 7 war began, in addition to five other arrests by the Palestinian authorities. Forty-nine of these journalists, including the five held by Palestinian authorities, have since been released, while 35 remain under arrest. The CPJ's preliminary investigations also showed at least 176 journalists and media staff were killed during Israel's war on Gaza, West Bank and Lebanon, marking the deadliest period for journalists in the region.
Egypt Independent
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Israeli forces detain prominent Palestinian journalist in early morning West Bank raid
Jerusalem CNN — Israeli forces detained prominent Palestinian journalist Ali Samoudi in an early morning raid on his son's home in the occupied West Bank. The raid occurred in the city of Jenin, where Samoudi's son told CNN the Israeli military came in at 5 a.m. and took the 58-year-old journalist to an undisclosed location. Samoudi 'underwent a field interrogation' by Israeli forces for 30 minutes, Mohammad Samoudi told CNN, saying they had searched the house and destroyed some of its contents. CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment. In addition to writing for the Palestinian Al-Quds newspaper, Samoudi routinely worked with international news outlets, including CNN, Al-Jazeera, Reuters, and others. In May 2022, Samoudi was working near the entrance to the Jenin refugee camp when Israeli forces shot and killed Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Samoudi was shot and injured in the gunfire. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned the raid and Samoudi's arrest. Samoudi is the latest of dozens Palestinian journalists to be arrested by Israeli forces over the past 18 months. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Israel has arrested at least 84 journalists in the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023.
