Latest news with #VarsenAghabekian
The National
3 days ago
- Business
- The National
More countries expected to recognise 'our state' at upcoming conference, says Palestinian minister
More countries are expected to recognise a Palestinian state at an upcoming UN conference in New York, a Palestinian minister has said, amid growing international support, and mounting pressure on Israel to end its war in Gaza. Major partners of Israel have become more critical over the war, the chaotic nature of the country's humanitarian aid scheme and its expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank. "Arab states are our backbone. We have seen this during the collective voicing of disapproval of displacement of Palestinians, by all Arab states - which paid off, because that idea has been put aside for the time being," Palestinian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Varsen Aghabekian told The National. Ms Aghabekian said the anticipated recognition of Palestine by additional countries at the UN conference, scheduled for June 17–20 and led by France and Saudi Arabia, will not be merely "symbolic". High-level participation will hold "everyone" to account and bring an opportunity to "revive a credible peace process", she said. While it remains unclear whether the US will be among the countries recognising Palestine as a state, Ms Aghabekian said she would "love" to see that happen. Currently, 149 of the 193 UN General Assembly member states recognise Palestine. Ms Aghabekian recently concluded a diplomatic tour that included several European nations. Speaking to The National from Ramallah, she said there has been a noticeable shift in global perspectives, not only on the Palestinian cause but also on Israel. "There has been some shift ... and some countries are using a new narrative we've not heard before," she said in an apparent reference to the sharper tone adopted by the UK, Canada and France. They warned Israel this month that they could impose targeted sanctions if it continues to broaden its war on Gaza and to expand settlements in the West Bank. But even after this criticism, Israel on Thursday approved 22 new settlements, reflecting what the Palestinian official said is the need for a two-pronged approach that does not rely solely on the recognition itself. "It would mean a lot if this was accompanied by measures on the ground to hold Israel accountable ... but again, it doesn't mean a lot to the people on the ground who have had their homes demolished and suffocated by the occupation," she said. This change in perspective, Ms Aghabekian added, was influenced by the scenes in Gaza during "Israel's genocidal war", which has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians and wounded 123,492 since October 2023, according to Gaza's health officials. She also criticised "Israel's growing belligerence". On Friday, Israeli media reported that Israel will prevent a delegation of Arab foreign ministers from entering Ramallah to attend a planned meeting in the Palestinian administrative capital. "I don't think this comes as a shock to anybody. Israel has been following the exclusion policy for decades and is failing to understand that it needs to integrate in the region," Ms Aghabekian said. Most of the countries reportedly scheduled to visit Ramallah had normalised ties with Israel. The fact that even these are not being allowed in is "very telling and impedes further normalisation", the minister said. She noted that by not letting these countries visit - even to discuss peace - Israel is further propagating the idea that it does not wish to comply "with anyone" and would continue its aggression against the Palestinians.
Arab News
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
New demand by Israel risks shaky Gaza truce
CAIRO: The fragile truce in Gaza was hanging by a thread on Friday after Israel demanded a six-week extension to the first phase of the deal. The 42-day first stage of the ceasefire — under which Hamas released 33 Israeli hostages, more than 2,000 Palestinian prisoners were freed from Israeli jails and its forces partially withdrew from Gaza — ends on Saturday. Talks on the second stage — the release of all remaining hostages and Israel's complete military withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave — should have begun last month, but Egyptian security sources said on Friday that Israeli negotiators in Cairo were insisting on a further 42 days of the first stage. Hamas opposes the extension and insists on proceeding to the second phase of the deal as originally agreed. 'We call on the international community to pressure the occupation to... immediately enter the second phase of the agreement without any delay,' it said on Friday. Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian also said on Friday that she would like the ceasefire phases to move ahead as originally planned. 'I doubt anyone in Gaza will want to go back to war,' she said. However, there is also no sign of consensus on Gaza's future. That uncertainty is complicating efforts to negotiate a lasting resolution. A hostage-prisoner swap early Thursday was the final one under the initial stage of the truce. Hamas returned the bodies of four Israelis and 643 Palestinians were released from Israeli jails. Many were awaiting treatment on Friday at a hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Among those freed was Nael Barghouti, the longest-serving Palestinian prisoner who spent more than four decades behind bars. Another released prisoner, Yahya Shraideh, said: 'We were in hell and we came out of hell.'
Arab News
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Israeli PM Netanyahu to hold security meeting after delegation returns from Cairo
CAIRO/JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to hold consultations with security chiefs and ministers on Friday after an Israeli delegation returned from Cairo with no agreement on extending the Gaza ceasefire, two Israeli officials said. A Hamas official confirmed that Israel had sought to extend the 42-day truce agreed as a first stage in the ceasefire agreement through the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which begins this weekend. But he said Hamas wanted to move on to negotiations over the second stage, opening the way to a permanent end to the war. 'We are committed to the agreement,' said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Egyptian and Qatari mediators asked for some time over the next few days to resolve the impasse over the ceasefire, which is due to expire on Saturday, the officials said. The agreement reached last month halted 15 months of fighting, allowing the exchange of 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees and was meant to lead to subsequent talks to build on the truce. Israeli officials have previously said Israel was ready to resume fighting in Gaza if all its remaining hostages are not returned. However, Israel and Hamas remain far apart on key issues and each has accused the other of violating the ceasefire, casting doubt over the second phase of the deal meant to include releases of additional hostages and prisoners as well as steps toward a permanent end of the war. There is no sign of agreement, either among or between Israelis and Palestinians, or between Western and Arab governments, over Gaza's future. That uncertainty is complicating efforts to negotiate a lasting resolution. Hamas called on Friday for the international community to press Israel to immediately enter the second phase without delay. It is unclear what will happen if the first phase ends on Saturday without a deal. A senior official of the Palestinian Authority, State Minister of Foreign Affairs Varsen Aghabekian, also said on Friday that she would like the ceasefire phases to move ahead as originally planned. 'I doubt anyone in Gaza will want to go back to war,' she said in Geneva. The Cairo talks are being mediated by Egypt and Qatar with US support. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday there were 'pretty good talks going on.' Asked whether the ceasefire deal would move into the second phase, Trump said: 'Nobody really knows, but we'll see what happens.' The Gaza war is the latest confrontation in decades of conflict between Israel and Palestinians. It began on Oct. 7, 2023, when fighters from the Islamist group Hamas stormed border defenses from Gaza and attacked Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The Israeli military campaign in retaliation has killed more than 48,000 people, according to Palestinian authorities, while destroying large swathes of the tiny, crowded territory and leaving most of its 2 million inhabitants homeless. CEASEFIRE The ceasefire has mostly held during its first six weeks, although both sides have accused each other of breaches, particularly in the treatment of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees, and in the handling of releases. The United Nations has described images of both emaciated Israeli hostages and released Palestinian detainees as distressing, saying they reflected the dire conditions in which they were held. Hamas has staged shows of strength during hostage releases, parading them in front of cameras. Israeli authorities have made released detainees wear clothes bearing pro-Israeli slogans. Israel is now negotiating to extend the first phase of the ceasefire deal by 42 days, according to the Egyptian security sources. Israeli government officials said earlier this week that Israel would attempt to extend the initial phase with Hamas freeing three hostages a week in return for the release of Palestinian detainees. Discussions on an end to the war are complicated by the lack of any agreement over basic questions such as how Gaza would be governed, how its security would be managed, how it could be rebuilt, and who would pay for that. Trump proposed this month that the US should take over Gaza and redevelop it as a 'Riviera of the Middle East' with its population displaced into Egypt and Jordan. Arab countries have rejected that idea but have yet to announce their own plan. European countries have also rejected the displacement of Palestinians and say they still support a two-state solution to the conflict.
Al Arabiya
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Israeli PM Netanyahu to hold security meeting after delegation returns from Cairo
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to hold consultations with security chiefs and ministers on Friday after an Israeli delegation returned from Cairo with no agreement on extending the Gaza ceasefire, two Israeli officials said. A Hamas official confirmed that Israel had sought to extend the 42-day truce agreed as a first stage in the ceasefire agreement through the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which begins this weekend. But he said Hamas wanted to move on to negotiations over the second stage, opening the way to a permanent end to the war. 'We are committed to the agreement,' said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Egyptian and Qatari mediators asked for some time over the next few days to resolve the impasse over the ceasefire, which is due to expire on Saturday, the officials said. The agreement reached last month halted 15 months of fighting, allowing the exchange of 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees and was meant to lead to subsequent talks to build on the truce. Israeli officials have previously said Israel was ready to resume fighting in Gaza if all its remaining hostages are not returned. However, Israel and Hamas remain far apart on key issues and each has accused the other of violating the ceasefire, casting doubt over the second phase of the deal meant to include releases of additional hostages and prisoners as well as steps toward a permanent end of the war. There is no sign of agreement, either among or between Israelis and Palestinians, or between Western and Arab governments, over Gaza's future. That uncertainty is complicating efforts to negotiate a lasting resolution. Hamas called on Friday for the international community to press Israel to immediately enter the second phase without delay. It is unclear what will happen if the first phase ends on Saturday without a deal. A senior official of the Palestinian Authority, State Minister of Foreign Affairs Varsen Aghabekian, also said on Friday that she would like the ceasefire phases to move ahead as originally planned. 'I doubt anyone in Gaza will want to go back to war,' she said in Geneva. The Cairo talks are being mediated by Egypt and Qatar with US support. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday there were 'pretty good talks going on'. Asked whether the ceasefire deal would move into the second phase, Trump said: 'Nobody really knows, but we'll see what happens'. The Gaza war is the latest confrontation in decades of conflict between Israel and Palestinians. It began on Oct. 7, 2023, when fighters from the Islamist group Hamas stormed border defences from Gaza and attacked Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The Israeli military campaign in retaliation has killed more than 48,000 people, according to Palestinian authorities, while destroying large swathes of the tiny, crowded territory and leaving most of its 2 million inhabitants homeless. Ceasefire The ceasefire has mostly held during its first six weeks, although both sides have accused each other of breaches, particularly in the treatment of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees, and in the handling of releases. The United Nations has described images of both emaciated Israeli hostages and released Palestinian detainees as distressing, saying they reflected the dire conditions in which they were held. Hamas has staged shows of strength during hostage releases, parading them in front of cameras. Israeli authorities have made released detainees wear clothes bearing pro-Israeli slogans. Israel is now negotiating to extend the first phase of the ceasefire deal by 42 days, according to the Egyptian security sources. Israeli government officials said earlier this week that Israel would attempt to extend the initial phase with Hamas freeing three hostages a week in return for the release of Palestinian detainees. Discussions on an end to the war are complicated by the lack of any agreement over basic questions such as how Gaza would be governed, how its security would be managed, how it could be rebuilt, and who would pay for that. Trump proposed this month that the US should take over Gaza and redevelop it as a 'Riviera of the Middle East' with its population displaced into Egypt and Jordan. Arab countries have rejected that idea but have yet to announce their own plan. European countries have also rejected the displacement of Palestinians and say they still support a two-state solution to the conflict.
Reuters
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Israel and Hamas diverge over ceasefire with first phase set to expire
Summary CAIRO/JERUSALEM, Feb 28 (Reuters) - An Israeli delegation in Cairo is negotiating to extend the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire when it expires on Saturday rather than move to the second phase as originally planned and as Hamas wants, two Egyptian security sources said on Friday. The ceasefire agreement last month halted 15 months of fighting and paved the way for talks on ending the war, while also leading to the release of 44 Israeli hostages held in Gaza and around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel. However, Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the ceasefire, casting doubt over the second phase of the deal meant to include releases of additional hostages and prisoners as well as steps toward a permanent end of the war. There is no sign of agreement, either among or between Israelis and Palestinians, or between Western and Arab governments, over Gaza's future. That uncertainty is complicating efforts to negotiate a lasting resolution. Hamas called on Friday for the international community to press Israel to immediately enter the second phase without delay. It is unclear what will happen if the first phase ends on Saturday without a deal. A senior official of the Palestinian Authority, State Minister of Foreign Affairs Varsen Aghabekian, also said on Friday that she would like the ceasefire phases to move ahead as originally planned. "I doubt anyone in Gaza will want to go back to war," she said in Geneva. The Cairo talks are being mediated by Egypt and Qatar with U.S. support. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday there were "pretty good talks going on". Asked whether the ceasefire deal would move into the second phase, Trump said: "Nobody really knows, but we'll see what happens". The Gaza war is the latest in decades of conflict between Israel and Palestinians. It began on Oct. 7, 2023, when fighters from the Islamist group Hamas stormed border defences from Gaza and attacked Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and seizing about 250 as hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The Israeli military campaign in retaliation has killed more than 48,000 people, according to Palestinian authorities, while destroying large swathes of the tiny, crowded territory and leaving most of its 2 million inhabitants homeless. CEASEFIRE The ceasefire has mostly held during its first six weeks, although both sides have accused each other of breaches, particularly in the treatment of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees, and in the handling of releases. The United Nations has described images of both emaciated Israeli hostages and released Palestinian detainees as distressing, saying they reflected the dire conditions in which they were held. Hamas has staged shows of strength during hostage releases, parading them in front of cameras. Israeli authorities have made released detainees wear clothes bearing pro-Israeli slogans. Israel is now negotiating to extend the first phase of the ceasefire deal by 42 days, according to the Egyptian security sources. Israeli government officials said earlier this week that Israel would attempt to extend the initial phase with Hamas freeing three hostages a week in return for the release of Palestinian detainees. Discussions on an end to the war are complicated by the lack of any agreement over basic questions such as how Gaza would be governed, how its security would be managed, how it could be rebuilt, and who would pay for that. Trump proposed this month that the U.S. should take over Gaza and redevelop it as a "Riviera of the Middle East" with its population displaced into Egypt and Jordan. Arab countries have rejected that idea but have yet to announce their own plan. European countries have also rejected the displacement of Palestinians and say they still support a two-state solution to the conflict.
