UN Secretary General Meets Alimi, Pledges Efforts to Renew Truce in Yemen

 Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, addresses the 78th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on September 21, 2023. (AFP)
Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, addresses the 78th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on September 21, 2023. (AFP)
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UN Secretary General Meets Alimi, Pledges Efforts to Renew Truce in Yemen

 Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, addresses the 78th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on September 21, 2023. (AFP)
Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, addresses the 78th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on September 21, 2023. (AFP)

UN Secretary-General António Guterres pledged ‏to exert all efforts to renew the truce in Yemen, ‏restart the political process, and enable Yemenis to build ‏a state based on partnership and respect for human rights

During a meeting in New York with Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) President Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, Guterres renewed the ‏international organization's commitment to supporting the ‏ PLC and government, the official Yemeni news agency SABA reported.‏

Alimi said‏ that the ‏government is open to initiatives that could lead to a comprehensive ‏solution agreed upon at national, regional and international levels, ‏particularly to those respecting UN resolutions.

He praised the mediation efforts ‏led by Saudi Arabia and Oman to ‏renew the truce and launch a political process under UN auspices.



US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
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US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)

The United States is deferring the removal of certain Lebanese citizens from the country, President Joe Biden said on Friday, citing humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon amid tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

The deferred designation, which lasts 18 months, allows Lebanese citizens to remain in the country with the right to work, according to a memorandum Biden sent to the Department of Homeland Security.

"Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel," Biden said in the memo.

"While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States."

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a "support front" with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel's military assault in Gaza.

The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.