Latest news with #ArabStates
LBCI
15-07-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
France says UN conference to work on post-war Gaza, Palestinian state recognition
A rescheduled United Nations conference this month will discuss post-war plans for Gaza and preparations for the recognition of a Palestinian state by France and others, France's foreign minister said on Tuesday. France and Saudi Arabia had planned to host the conference in New York from June 17-20, aiming to lay out the parameters of a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security. "The aim is to sketch out post-war Gaza and prepare the recognition of a Palestinian state by France and countries that will engage in this approach," Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in Brussels before a meeting of European Union foreign ministers. The conference was postponed under U.S. pressure and after the 12-day Israel-Iran air war began, during which regional airspace was closed, making it hard for representatives of some Arab states to attend. Diplomats said on Friday it had been rescheduled for July 28-29.
LBCI
13-07-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Netanyahu says working with Trump on Arab normalization
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that he is coordinating closely with U.S. President Donald Trump to pursue normalization agreements with additional Arab states, as well as a potential deal in Gaza. In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said, "I worked with Trump during my last visit to the United States on an agreement regarding Gaza. I hope an agreement is reached, and I believe we will eventually achieve all of our goals in Gaza, including the destruction of Hamas." On Iran, Netanyahu emphasized the importance of maintaining pressure. "We scored a great victory over Iran," he claimed, suggesting that this could lead to "tremendous growth." He also made a controversial remark regarding targeted assassinations, stating: "We have killed Iranian nuclear scientists in the past, but not like the senior scientists we eliminated in the recent war."
Fox News
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Netanyahu and Trump to meet in DC as Gaza's fate without Hamas is debated
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are set to meet at the White House on Monday. One of the most difficult questions on the table is what Gaza might look like without Hamas. Experts tell Fox News Digital that while the need for an alternative is clear, almost every proposed solution comes with serious structural, political and security limitations. John Hannah, a senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) and veteran of both Republican and Democratic administrations, said building an alternative to Hamas must happen in parallel with dismantling it. "Part of how you win is by showing there's a viable alternative," Hannah said. "People need to see there's a future beyond Hamas" That future, experts believe, lies in a non-Hamas technocratic government – comprised of Palestinians unaffiliated with either Hamas or the PLO – backed by a coalition of key Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the UAE. "While a new administration in Gaza should be independent, some symbolic link to the Palestinian Authority could enhance its legitimacy with the Arabs. Perhaps Ramallah could serve as a pass-through for paying salaries. But the PA won't call the shots," Hannah said. "The default right now, if Israel ends up leaving Gaza, is Hamas," said Ghaith al-Omari, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "There is no one on the ground who can challenge them. And there is no Arab involvement without the defeat of Hamas. Not just a ceasefire – actual disarmament." At best, said al-Omari who served as the former executive director of the American Task Force on Palestine, the PA might offer a "kosher stamp" to satisfy Arab states, which have made clear they will only intervene in Gaza under a Palestinian national umbrella. "Without that symbolic PA invitation, Egypt and others won't come in," said al-Omari. "But they still need a political framework – some commitment to a two-state solution. Without that, they have absolutely no incentive to play a role in Gaza." Securing Israeli approval for any new Gaza administration is another major hurdle. An Israeli security official told Fox News Digital that any deal would need to include guarantees that Israel retains counterterrorism access to prevent Hamas from reemerging. "Something like what exists in the West Bank – buffer zones, perimeter security, and the right of the IDF or Shin Bet to act on intelligence when needed," Hannah said. That framework, he noted, would require intensive American-led diplomacy with sustained presence and coordination. "I can't see anyone else but the United States doing it – there are too many inner-Arab rivalries," Hannah said, "No other actor has the relationships, resources or trust required to bridge the deep divides between Israel, Arab states and international players. Everyone's going to want the U.S. at the center of this. And there's no doubt President Trump wants to solve it." "Qatar is the elephant in the room," said Hannah, "They bring a lot of much-needed money, but they've had a deeply problematic relationship with Hamas. If they want a seat at the table, it has to be with strict conditions – money flowing through trusted, externally controlled channels. But they can't be a key player in this effort." The United Nations, meanwhile, is largely out. "UNRWA's days are over," said Hannah. "They can't run education or the economy in Gaza anymore. At most, the U.N. might endorse a U.S.-Arab-Israeli plan with a Security Council resolution – but they won't play an operational role." One proposal gaining quiet traction in Israeli and American circles is the idea of empowering local clans to establish self-governing enclaves. Joseph Braude, president of the Center for Peace Communications, has spoken extensively with activists on the ground and believes this model could mark the beginning of an alternative. "It may not be realistic to talk about one civil administration managing all of Gaza right now," Braude said, "But in discrete geographical enclaves within the strip, you can pilot non-Hamas self-rule. Local Gazans patrol internally while the IDF or another force secures the perimeter. " "There's a fiber of educated, civically minded individuals in Gaza – from engineers to teachers – who are not Islamists," he added, "If vetted properly, they can manage administration, education and basic services. But you have to start by identifying who they are and what they actually believe." Braude pointed to one such case: Yasser Abu Shabab, a local militia leader. "This is the first anti-Hamas militia to emerge in Gaza in a generation. He's a local fighter from a Bedouin clan with family ties to Egyptian forces battling ISIS in Sinai. He says he wants to invite civil servants to begin staffing an administration." But not everyone agrees this is feasible. "These groups are fragmented, displaced and lack the legitimacy or cohesion to govern," said al-Omari. "You might use these militias to secure aid deliveries in a specific area, but they can't form the basis of governance." Dr. Michael Milstein, head of the Forum for Palestinian Studies at Tel Aviv University, told Fox News Digital, "Since the war began, several attempts to promote clans as an alternative to Hamas have also failed, like the Doghmush clan, whose leaders were executed by Hamas in early 2024." "Even now, figures like Abu Shabab in Rafah or the Barbakh family in Khan Younis are fringe cases," Milstein added. "Hamas still controls most of the public space. Clans may offer localized solutions, but they are no cohesive or legitimate alternative. Many are openly loyal to Hamas." "Many say, until Palestinians teach their children to love themselves more than they hate Israel, there will never be peace," Braude said, "That's true. But who is actually working to foster a Palestinian leadership [that] does so? That's the challenge – and the opportunity – right now."
Washington Post
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
The Middle East confronts a ‘be bold' diplomatic moment
The 'day after' in the tragic war in Gaza might finally be approaching, as Israel, the United States and key Arab states discuss terms for what officials hope could be a lasting truce. President Donald Trump signaled the new negotiating push on Tuesday when he posted that 'Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War.' Hamas has not yet agreed, but Arab officials in touch with group leaders tell me it might soon.
Daily Mail
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Report: Netanyahu agreed to end Gaza war after US strike on Iran
Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu agreed on a rapid end to the war in Gaza during a phone call after the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites, Israeli media has reported quoting a source 'familiar with the conversation'. The two leaders agreed that four Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates and Egypt , would jointly govern the strip in place of Hamas , Israel Hayom is reporting. Leaders of the Hamas terror group would be exiled and all hostages released, a source is said to have told the outlet. But it remains unclear how such a proposal would be implemented, with Hamas vowing it will not leave the territory and Arab states repeatedly asserting that they would not step into a governing role. Trump and Netanyahu held the call on Monday a day after US bombers hit nuclear targets in Iran , with a source reportedly describing the call as 'euphoric'. They were joined on the call by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, according to the report. Under the agreement, Palestinians who wished to leave Gaza would be taken in by unnamed states, the men reportedly said, and Saudi Arabia and Syria would establish diplomatic ties with Israel. Israel in turn would express support for a future two-state solution on the condition that the Palestinian Authority bring in reforms, according to the report. The United States would recognise Israeli sovereignty over parts of the West Bank as part of the agreement, it also said. Israel Hayom reports that the 'ambitious' nature of the plan explains Trump's fury over Israel's planned retaliation against Iran for its 'minor' breach of the US-brokered ceasefire on Tuesday. Trump called the Israeli prime minister and warned him to 'stop the planes', reportedly telling him he did not understand why Netanyahu was 'disrupting' their agreed upon 'plan for peace' because of a 'small tactical incident'. The outlet also claims that Trump's post calling for an end to Netanyahu's trial was also linked to the plan. The Mail has contacted the White House for comment regarding the report. It comes as Trump has received praise from world leaders for his part in ending the 12-day conflict, with suggestions that the bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities forced Tehran to the negotiating table. Among those who commended him was Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who spoke to reporters as he departed from the NATO summit. 'I told Trump that, referring to his efforts in the Israel-Iran ceasefire, the same level of effort is expected to help end the conflicts in Gaza as well as in the Russia-Ukraine war,' Erdogan said. In March, the US and Israel rejected an Arab plan for the post-war reconstruction of Gaza, which was designed to allow the 2.1 million Palestinians living in the Strip to remain. The proposal was backed by Arab leaders at a summit in Cairo, and was drawn up as an alternative to Trump's suggestion for the US to take over Gaza and permanently resettle its population. Trump suggested that the US could 'own' Gaza and turn it into the 'Riviera of the Middle East'. His suggestion was deemed 'unacceptable' by the Arab League and sparked outrage across the world, with many condemning it as amounting to the forced displacement of Palestinians from their homes. 'This is against international law and, we have said this time and again, this is not a way to treat this man-made crisis,' Assistant Secretary General of the Arab League, Hossam Zaki, told the BBC. The UN estimates that more than 1.9 million people have been internally displaced in Gaza amid Israel's unrelenting bombardment of the territory, which has been ongoing for more than 600 days. The war in Gaza began when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing nearly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 others hostage into Gaza. In response, Israel launched a military campaign that has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, according to local health authorities in Gaza. At least 118 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since Wednesday, local health authorities said, including some shot near an aid distribution point, the latest in a series of such incidents. Twenty hostages remain in captivity in Gaza, while Hamas is also holding the bodies of 30 who have died. Israel this afternoon announced that it has stopped aid entering Gaza for two days to prevent it being seized by Hamas. Images have been circulated of masked men on aid trucks. Clan leaders have said these individuals were protecting aid, and are not Hamas stealing it from civilians. Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer later told reporters that aid was still entering Gaza from the south, but did not specify whether any supplies were entering the north. A United Nations source said that all aid that was due to enter northern Gaza had been put on hold.
