Latest news with #ArabCoalition
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arab, Islamic countries condemn Netanyahu's ‘Greater Israel' remark
A coalition of Arab and Muslim nations has condemned 'in the strongest terms' statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding his vision for a 'Greater Israel'. When interviewer Sharon Gal with the Israeli i24NEWS channel asked Netanyahu if he subscribed to a 'vision' for a 'Greater Israel', Netanyahu said 'absolutely'. Asked during the interview aired on Tuesday if he felt connected to the 'Greater Israel' vision, Netanyahu said: 'Very much.' The 'Greater Israel' concept supported by ultranationalist Israelis is understood to refer to an expansionist vision that lays claim to the occupied West Bank, Gaza, parts of Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Jordan. 'These statements represent a grave disregard for, and a blatant and dangerous violation of, the rules of international law and the foundations of stable international relations,' said a joint statement by a coalition of 31 Arab and Islamic countries and the Arab League. 'They also constitute a direct threat to Arab national security, to the sovereignty of states, and to regional and international peace and security,' the statement released on Friday said. The signatories of the statement included the secretaries-general of the League of Arab States, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Arab and Islamic nations also condemned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's announcement on Thursday to push ahead with settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. The statement said the move is 'a blatant violation of international law and a flagrant assault on the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to realise their independent, sovereign state on the lines of June 4, 1967, with Occupied Jerusalem as its capital'. The statement added that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Palestinian territory. Smotrich said he would approve thousands of housing units in a long-delayed illegal settlement project in the West Bank, saying the move 'buries the idea of a Palestinian state'. Last September, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) overwhelmingly adopted a resolution calling on Israel to end its illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories within 12 months. The resolution backed an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – the UN's top court – which found that Israel's presence in the Palestinian territories is unlawful and must end. In January 2024, the ICJ said Israel was 'plausibly committing genocide'. The top UN court has yet to announce its verdict in the case brought by South and Smotrich made the remarks during Israel's devastating 22-month war on Gaza, which has killed at least 61,827 people and wounded 155,275 people in the enclave. Last week, Israel's Security Cabinet approved Netanyahu's plan to fully occupy Gaza City, and in Tuesday's interview, Netanyahu also revived calls to 'allow' Palestinians to leave Gaza, telling i24NEWS: 'We are not pushing them out, but we are allowing them to leave.' Campaigners said Netanyahu's use of the word 'leave' was a euphemism for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza – home to 2.1 million people, most of whom are refugees and their descendants from the 1948 Nakba when more than 700,000 Palestinians were forced to flee from what became the state of Israel. Past calls to resettle people from Gaza outside the war-battered territory, including from United States President Donald Trump, have sparked fears of forced displacement among Palestinians and condemnation from the international community. In their statement on Saturday, the Islamic countries reiterated their 'rejection and condemnation of Israel's crimes of aggression, genocide, and ethnic cleansing' in Gaza and highlighted the need for a ceasefire in the enclave while 'ensuring unconditional access to humanitarian aid to halt the systematic starvation policy used by Israel as a weapon of genocide'. They also reaffirmed their 'complete and absolute rejection of the displacement of the Palestinian people in any form and under any pretext' and called on the international community to pressure Israel to halt its aggression and fully withdraw from the Gaza Strip. Solve the daily Crossword
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Arab, Islamic countries condemn Netanyahu's ‘Greater Israel' remark
A coalition of Arab and Muslim nations has condemned 'in the strongest terms' statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding his vision for a 'Greater Israel'. When interviewer Sharon Gal with the Israeli i24NEWS channel asked Netanyahu if he subscribed to a 'vision' for a 'Greater Israel', Netanyahu said 'absolutely'. Asked during the interview aired on Tuesday if he felt connected to the 'Greater Israel' vision, Netanyahu said: 'Very much.' The 'Greater Israel' concept supported by ultranationalist Israelis is understood to refer to an expansionist vision that lays claim to the occupied West Bank, Gaza, parts of Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Jordan. 'These statements represent a grave disregard for, and a blatant and dangerous violation of, the rules of international law and the foundations of stable international relations,' said a joint statement by a coalition of 31 Arab and Islamic countries and the Arab League. 'They also constitute a direct threat to Arab national security, to the sovereignty of states, and to regional and international peace and security,' the statement released on Friday said. The signatories of the statement included the secretaries-general of the League of Arab States, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council. The Arab and Islamic nations also condemned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's announcement on Thursday to push ahead with settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. The statement said the move is 'a blatant violation of international law and a flagrant assault on the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to realise their independent, sovereign state on the lines of June 4, 1967, with Occupied Jerusalem as its capital'. The statement added that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Palestinian territory. Smotrich said he would approve thousands of housing units in a long-delayed illegal settlement project in the West Bank, saying the move 'buries the idea of a Palestinian state'. Last September, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) overwhelmingly adopted a resolution calling on Israel to end its illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories within 12 months. The resolution backed an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – the UN's top court – which found that Israel's presence in the Palestinian territories is unlawful and must end. In February 2024, the ICJ said Israel was 'plausibly committing genocide'. The top UN court has yet to announce its verdict in the case brought by South Africa. Netanyahu and Smotrich made the remarks during Israel's devastating 22-month war on Gaza, which has killed at least 61,827 people and wounded 155,275 people in the enclave. Last week, Israel's Security Cabinet approved Netanyahu's plan to fully occupy Gaza City, and in Tuesday's interview, Netanyahu also revived calls to 'allow' Palestinians to leave Gaza, telling i24NEWS: 'We are not pushing them out, but we are allowing them to leave.' Campaigners said Netanyahu's use of the word 'leave' was a euphemism for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza – home to 2.1 million people, most of whom are refugees and their descendants from the 1948 Nakba when more than 700,000 Palestinians were forced to flee from what became the state of Israel. Past calls to resettle people from Gaza outside the war-battered territory, including from United States President Donald Trump, have sparked fears of forced displacement among Palestinians and condemnation from the international community. In their statement on Saturday, the Islamic countries reiterated their 'rejection and condemnation of Israel's crimes of aggression, genocide, and ethnic cleansing' in Gaza and highlighted the need for a ceasefire in the enclave while 'ensuring unconditional access to humanitarian aid to halt the systematic starvation policy used by Israel as a weapon of genocide'. They also reaffirmed their 'complete and absolute rejection of the displacement of the Palestinian people in any form and under any pretext' and called on the international community to pressure Israel to halt its aggression and fully withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
Al Arabiya
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
US strike on Yemen kills al-Qaeda members: Yemeni security sources
Five al-Qaeda members have been killed in a strike blamed on the United States in southern Yemen, two Yemeni security sources told AFP on Saturday. 'Residents of the area informed us of the US strike... five Al-Qaeda members were eliminated,' said a security source in Abyan province, which borders the seat of Yemen's internationally-recognized government in Aden. 'The US strike on Friday evening north of Khabar Al-Maraqsha killed five,' said a second source, referring to a mountainous area known to be used by al-Qaeda. The second security source added that, though the names of those killed in the strike were not known, it was believed one of al-Qaeda's local leaders was among the dead. Washington once regarded the group, known as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), as the militant network's most dangerous branch. AQAP grew and developed in the chaos of Yemen's war, which since 2015 has pitted the Iran-backed Houthis against an Arab-led coalition backing the government. Earlier this month, the United States agreed a ceasefire with the Houthis, who have controlled large swathes of Yemen for more than a decade, ending weeks of intense American strikes on Houthi-held areas of the country. The Houthis began firing at shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in November 2023, weeks after the start of the Israel-Hamas war, prompting military strikes by the US and Britain beginning in January 2024. The conflict in Yemen has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths and triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, although fighting decreased significantly after a UN-negotiated six-month truce in 2022.
Yemen Online
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yemen Online
U.S. Airstrikes Against Houthis Ineffective Without Ground Forces — Calls to Replicate Southern Resistance Model
Military experts and analysts have warned that ongoing U.S. airstrikes targeting Houthi positions in Yemen, despite their precision and tactical impact, remain limited in long-term effectiveness without the support of ground forces. They argue that any serious effort to roll back Houthi control over northern Yemen must involve the deployment of effective and cohesive national forces capable of capitalizing on aerial operations to secure decisive ground gains. Analysts are urging the U.S. and its partners to consider leveraging local Yemeni forces to liberate strategic northern provinces such as Al-Bayda and Al-Hudaydah — the latter being a key port on the Red Sea and a launchpad for Houthi missile and drone attacks on international maritime routes. Observers point to the experience of the Saudi-led Arab Coalition, which ramped up airstrikes against the Houthis between 2015 and 2019. However, without reliable and unified ground forces in northern Yemen — particularly in areas nominally controlled by the internationally recognized government but heavily influenced by the Islamist Islah Party (Muslim Brotherhood affiliate) — the military campaign stalled. The lack of coordination and internal political rivalries among northern forces weakened operational performance, ultimately paving the way for the 2018 Stockholm Agreement. The deal allowed the Houthis to consolidate their grip over Al-Hudaydah under international protection. In stark contrast, experts highlight the success of the Southern Resistance, which, with logistical and air support from the UAE and Saudi Arabia, managed to liberate all southern territories from Houthi control. Backed by both Emirati and American forces, the same southern units also expelled Al-Qaeda from the city of Mukalla in Hadramawt — a landmark operation in Yemen's fight against terrorism. Analysts believe this southern model demonstrates the importance of working with local forces that possess clear loyalties and proven organizational and combat capabilities, rather than relying on fragmented factions tied to the agendas of political Islam. In this context, experts warn of the continued threat posed by Islamist political movements, including the Iran-backed Houthis and the Muslim Brotherhood-linked Islah Party. Both are seen as major destabilizing forces in the Arabian Peninsula and as threats to global interests, especially amid ongoing tensions in the Red Sea and surrounding maritime corridors. Some analysts place historical blame on the administration of former U.S. President Barack Obama, whose support for the 2011 'Arab Spring' uprisings helped empower Islamist factions across the region. Today, they argue, the world is bearing the consequences of those policies — policies that unleashed chaos and enabled the rise of radical militias and extremist ideologies throughout the Middle East.
Khabar Agency
20-03-2025
- Business
- Khabar Agency
Report Exposes Hodeidah Ports' Role in Funneling Hundreds of Millions to Houthis
As the Yemeni crisis persists, the ports of Hodeidah have become a critical financial lifeline for the terrorist Houthis. These strategic ports are a major source of revenue for the group, enabling them to fund military operations in direct violation of international resolutions banning financial support to the Houthis. A recent report by the "Recovering Stolen Assets – RgainYemen" Initiative, titled Ports of War, exposes how the Houthis exploit key Yemeni ports—particularly Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Issa—to generate hundreds of millions of dollars. These funds are used to sustain their military activities, flouting international laws and UN Security Council resolutions. Between May 2023 and June 2024, the Houthis collected $789.9 million in customs duties and taxes on imports through these ports. This comes at a time when millions of Yemenis are grappling with severe humanitarian crises, including skyrocketing prices and shortages of essential goods. The report highlights that the Houthis impose exorbitant customs fees on petroleum products. Gasoline imports alone generated 332.6 million, while diesel taxes brought in 332.6 million, while diesel taxes brought in 173.9 million. Gas imports also contributed significantly, with the militias collecting $95.7 million in fees. These inflated costs have driven up transportation and energy expenses, worsening the country's economic and humanitarian situation. Instead of using these funds to improve public services or support the local economy, the Houthis channel the money into military operations and the purchase of smuggled weapons via the Red Sea. This has led to a 40% surge in prices, the closure of numerous businesses and factories, rising unemployment, and a deepening electricity crisis. The report calls for immediate action to curb the Houthis' exploitation of these ports. It recommends shutting down Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Issa to imports and redirecting commercial activities to the ports of Aden and Mukalla to prevent the militias from benefiting from tax revenues. Additionally, the report urges stricter controls on shipments entering Yemen through the Arab Coalition to block the smuggling of fuel and goods into Houthi-controlled areas. It also demands sanctions against international companies and suppliers facilitating imports through Houthi-held ports and calls on global banks to restrict financial transactions linked to these operations. The report emphasizes the need to enforce UN Security Council resolutions and expand international sanctions against the Houthis, including measures to prevent them from using the global banking system to manage illicit revenues. It also stresses the importance of enhanced cooperation between the United States and the Arab Coalition to monitor Red Sea shipping activities and prevent the militias from exploiting humanitarian trade for funding. The report warns that the continued use of Hodeidah's ports to finance the Houthi war machine poses a direct threat to stability in Yemen and the broader region. It calls on the international community to act swiftly to ensure that port revenues are used to alleviate the humanitarian crisis rather than fuel the conflict.
