Latest news with #MayaGebeily
Arab News
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Hezbollah says Lebanon cabinet decision to limit arms to state is 'grave sin'
BEIRUT, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Lebanese armed group Hezbollah on Wednesday condemned the cabinet's decision to move towards a state monopoly on arms, saying it was a "grave sin" that only served Israel. In a written statement, the group said the move was a result of U.S. diktats and that its members would treat it as if it did not exist. (Reporting by Maya Gebeily and Laila Bassam)
USA Today
15-07-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Israel strikes Syrian city, vows to protect Druze minority from government forces
SWEIDA, July 15 (Reuters) - Israel carried out strikes against Syrian government forces in the Sweida region of southern Syria on Tuesday, saying it was acting to protect the Druze minority and vowing to ensure the area near the Israeli border remained demilitarized. A Reuters reporter heard at least four strikes as drones could be heard overhead and saw a damaged tank being towed away from the city, where bursts of gunfire were heard as violence entered a third day. The upsurge in violence in the predominantly Druze city marks the latest challenge for interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in a corner of Syria where Israel has vowed to protect the Druze minority. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the military "to immediately strike regime forces and weaponry that were brought into the Sweida region … for the regime's operations against the Druze," they said in a statement. More: Israeli missile hits children in Gaza collecting water "Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherhood alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel," they said. "We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them and to ensure the demilitarization of the area adjacent to our border with Syria. Earlier on Tuesday an influential Druze leader, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, issued a statement accusing Syrian government forces of breaching a ceasefire and bombarding the city and called on fighters to confront government troops. Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra later issued a statement declaring that a complete ceasefire was in place, and saying government forces would only open fire if fired upon. (Reporting by Karam Masri in Sweida, Khalil Ashawi in Damascus and Maya Gebeily in Beirut; Writing by Maya Gebeily and Tom Perry; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Zawya
26-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
World Bank approves $250mln for Lebanon to rebuild war-hit infrastructure
BEIRUT - The World Bank has approved $250 million in financing for Lebanon to aid in the reconstruction of critical public infrastructure and the management of rubble in areas affected by the war, the organisation said on Wednesday. (Reporting by Jana Choukeir and Maya Gebeily; Editing by Alison Williams)
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
IMF sees 'some progress' on Lebanon reforms, says external support needed
By Maya Gebeily BEIRUT (Reuters) -Lebanon has made progress on reforms needed to revive its economy but still has key steps to take and will need external funding on concessional terms, the International Monetary Fund said on Thursday after a week of meetings in Beirut. Lebanon's economy went into a tailspin in late 2019, prompted by decades of profligate spending by the country's ruling elite. Reforms required to access IMF funding were repeatedly derailed by political and private interests. Lebanon's new president and prime minister, both of whom took office in early 2025, pledged to prioritise reforms and secure an IMF financing agreement - but the country now faces additional needs with the widespread destruction and displacement caused by Israel's military campaign last year. "The authorities have made some progress recently, including the amendment of the Bank Secrecy Law and submission of a new bank resolution law to Parliament," the IMF's Lebanon mission chief Ramirez Rigo said in a written statement. Rigo said his mission held "productive discussions" with Lebanese officials, including on restoring the viability of the banking sector, fiscal and debt sustainability and enhancing anti-money laundering and terrorism financing measures. He said Lebanon's medium-term fiscal framework should support the restructuring of Eurobond debts, which Lebanon defaulted on in 2020, leading to a sovereign default on its $31 billion of outstanding international bonds. "Given Lebanon's substantial reconstruction needs, limited fiscal space and lack of capacity to borrow, the country will require significant support from external partners on highly concessional terms," the IMF statement said. The World Bank estimated Lebanon's recovery and reconstruction needs following Israel's military campaign at $11 billion. But the U.S. has said it opposes any reconstruction funds to Lebanon until Hezbollah - the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group that fought Israel last year - is disarmed.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Syrian letter delivers response to US conditions for sanctions relief
By Timour Azhari and Maya Gebeily BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria has responded in writing to a list of U.S. conditions for possible partial sanctions relief, saying it had acted on most of them but others required "mutual understandings" with Washington, according to a copy of the letter seen by Reuters. The United States last month handed Syria a list of eight conditions it wants Damascus to fulfill, including destroying any remaining chemical weapons stockpiles and ensuring foreigners are not given senior governing roles. Syria is in desperate need of sanctions relief to kickstart an economy collapsed by 14 years of war, during which the United States, Britain and Europe imposed tough sanctions in a bid to put pressure on former president Bashar al-Assad. In January, the U.S. issued a six-month exemption for some sanctions to encourage aid, but this has had limited effect. In exchange for fulfilling all the U.S. demands, Washington would extend that suspension for two years and possibly issue another exemption, sources told Reuters in March. Reuters was first to report that senior U.S. official Natasha Franceschi handed the list of conditions to Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani at an in-person meeting on the sidelines of a Syria donor conference in Brussels on March 18. Shibani, in his first address to the United Nations Security Council on Friday, sought to show that Syria was already addressing the demands, including on chemical weapons and the search for missing Americans in Syria. His public comments were consistent with the contents of Syria's private letter to the U.S., an undated copy of which was seen by Reuters. Its contents have not been previously reported. Two Western officials and a Syrian official briefed on the letter said it was consistent with the copy seen by Reuters. In the four-page document, Syria pledges to set up a liaison office at the foreign ministry to find missing U.S. journalist Austin Tice and details its work to tackle chemical weapons stockpiles, including closer ties with a global arms watchdog. But it had less to say on other key demands, including removing foreign fighters and granting the U.S. permission for counterterrorism strikes, according to the letter. A State Department spokesperson confirmed Washington had received a response from Syrian authorities to a U.S. request for them to take "specific, detailed confidence building measures'. 'We are now evaluating the response and do not have anything to share at this time,' the spokesperson said, adding that the U.S. 'does not recognize any entity as the government of Syria and that any future normalization of relations will be determined by the interim authorities' actions. " Syria's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. FOREIGN FIGHTERS The letter said Syrian officials had discussed foreign fighters with former U.S. envoy Daniel Rubinstein but that the issue "requires a broader consultative session." "What can be confirmed for now is that the issuance of military ranks has been suspended following the earlier announcement regarding the promotion of six individuals," the letter says, an apparent reference to the appointment in December of foreign fighters including Uyghurs, a Jordanian and a Turk to positions in the country's armed force. It did not say whether those appointed ranks had been removed from the foreign fighters and did not list future steps to be taken. A source briefed on the Syrian government's approach to the issue said Damascus would delay addressing it as much as possible given its view that non-Syrian rebels who helped oust Assad should be treated well. On a U.S. request for coordination on counterterrorism matters and the ability to carry out strikes on terror targets, the letter said the "matter requires mutual understandings." It pledged that Syria's new government would not tolerate any threats to U.S. or Western interests in Syria and vowed to put in place "appropriate legal measures," without elaborating. Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa had said in an interview earlier this year that U.S. troops deployed in Syria were there without government approval, adding any such presence should be agreed with the state. A Syrian official briefed on the letter said Syrian officials were brainstorming other ways to weaken extremists without explicitly giving the U.S. permission to carry out strikes, seeing that as a controversial move after years of foreign air forces bombing Syria during its war. VOWS NOT TO THREATEN ISRAEL A senior diplomat and another person briefed on the letter told Reuters that they deemed it addressed five demands in full, but that the remaining were left "outstanding". They said the letter was sent on April 14 - just 10 days before Shibani arrived in New York to address the Security Council. It was unclear whether the United States had sent a reply to Syria's letter. A Syrian official and a U.S. source briefed on the letter both said Shibani was set to discuss its contents with U.S. officials during his trip to New York. Syria's letter said it hoped the actions taken, which it described as "guarantees," could lead to a meeting to discuss each point in detail, including reopening embassies and lifting sanctions. On Palestinian militants in Syria, it said Sharaa had formed a committee "to monitor the activities of Palestinian factions," and that armed factions outside state control will not be permitted. It was sent just days before Syria detained two Palestinian officials from the Islamic Jihad militant group. "While discussions on this matter can continue, the overarching position is that we will not allow Syria to become a source of threat to any party, including Israel," it said. The letter also acknowledged "ongoing communication" between Syria's counterterrorism authorities and U.S. representatives in Amman over combating Islamic State, and said Syria was inclined to expand that collaboration. The direct talks between Syria and the U.S. in Amman have not previously been reported.
