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Arab Leaders Denounce Israel Attacks on Gaza as Risks to Region

Seen on a large screen the Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi opens the International Peace Summit in Cairo on October 21, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
Seen on a large screen the Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi opens the International Peace Summit in Cairo on October 21, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
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Arab Leaders Denounce Israel Attacks on Gaza as Risks to Region

Seen on a large screen the Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi opens the International Peace Summit in Cairo on October 21, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
Seen on a large screen the Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi opens the International Peace Summit in Cairo on October 21, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)

Arab leaders at a Cairo summit on Saturday condemned Israeli bombardment of Gaza as Europeans said civilians should be shielded, but with Israel and senior US officials absent there was no agreement towards containing the violence.

Egypt, which called the meeting and hosted it, said it had hoped participants would call for peace and resume efforts to resolve the decades-long Palestinian quest for statehood.

But the meeting ended without leaders and foreign ministers agreeing a joint statement, two weeks into a conflict that has killed thousands and visited a humanitarian catastrophe on the blockaded Gaza enclave of 2.3 million people.

Diplomats attending the talks had not been optimistic of a breakthrough, with Israel preparing a ground invasion of Gaza aimed at wiping out the militant Palestinian group Hamas that rampaged through its towns on Oct. 7, killing 1,400 people.

Gaza's Health Ministry said on Saturday Israel's air and missile strikes had killed at least 4,385 Palestinians since the Hamas attack.

While Arab and Muslim states called for an immediate end to Israel's offensive, Western countries mostly voiced more modest goals such as humanitarian relief for civilians.

Jordan's King Abdullah II denounced what he termed global silence about Israel's attacks, which have killed thousands in Hamas-ruled Gaza and made over a million homeless, and urged an even-handed approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"The message the Arab world is hearing is that Palestinian lives matter less than Israeli ones," he said, adding he was outraged and grieved by acts of violence waged against innocent civilians in Gaza, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and Israel.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Palestinians would not be displaced or driven off their land.

"We won't leave, we won't leave," he told the summit.

France called for a humanitarian corridor into Gaza that it said could lead to a ceasefire. Britain and Germany both urged Israel's military to show restraint and Italy said it was important to avoid escalation.

The United States, Israel's closest ally and a vital player in all past peace efforts in the region, only sent its Cairo charge d'affaires who did not address the meeting in public.

European Council President Charles Michel said the main goal of the summit was "to listen to each other".

However, "we understand that we need to work more together" on issues including the humanitarian situation, avoiding a regional escalation and a Palestinian-Israeli peace process, he added.

Israel has vowed to wipe the Iranian-backed Hamas militant group "off the face of the earth" over the shock Oct. 7 assault, the deadliest Palestinian militant attack in Israel's 75-year history.

It has said it told Palestinians to move south within Gaza for their own safety, although the coastal strip is only 45 km (28 miles) long and Israeli air strikes have also hit the south.

The meeting was meant to explore how to head off a wider regional war. But diplomats knew public agreement would be hard because of sensitivities around calls for a ceasefire, whether to include mention of Hamas' attack and Israel's right to defend itself.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said his country opposed what he called the displacement of Palestinians into Egypt's largely desert Sinai region, adding the only solution was an independent Palestinian state.

King Abdullah said forced displacement "is a war crime according to international law, and a red line for all of us."

Shortly before the summit opening, trucks loaded with humanitarian aid began entering the Rafah crossing into Gaza. Egypt has been trying for days to channel humanitarian relief to Gaza through the crossing, the one access point not controlled by Israel.

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Arab World

Extensive Power Cuts Hamper Life in Sudan

A blacksmith attempts to operate a welding machine at his workshop in Omdurman, Sudan, August 20, 2026. (Reuters)
A blacksmith attempts to operate a welding machine at his workshop in Omdurman, Sudan, August 20, 2026. (Reuters)
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Extensive Power Cuts Hamper Life in Sudan

A blacksmith attempts to operate a welding machine at his workshop in Omdurman, Sudan, August 20, 2026. (Reuters)
A blacksmith attempts to operate a welding machine at his workshop in Omdurman, Sudan, August 20, 2026. (Reuters)

Sudanese welder Shannan Mohammed has been building furniture for a family in Omdurman little by little as constant blackouts interrupt his work.

Pointing to half-built doors, chairs, and tables in the courtyard of a home, he says, "All this is money that has been frozen because of lack of electricity stopping the work."

Army-controlled areas of Sudan have been plagued by blackouts that have worsened recently due to a combination of targeting of the power grid by the ‌rival Rapid Support ‌Forces (RSF) and meager government funding to carry out ‌repairs.

The ⁠blackouts have impeded ⁠the lives of hundreds of thousands who have returned to Khartoum since the army retook it last year and have undermined attempts to rebuild the devastated economy.

"They give you five hours [of power], and then it cuts. It comes back the next day. And it has no benefit for a working person because it comes at night," ⁠Mohammed said.

Even household tasks have become impossible, Mohammed's sister ‌Awatef told Reuters.

"Every time I ‌do the laundry, I don't get to finish it because the power cuts ‌off," she said. "We only eat take-out from the street, so ‌that nothing is left over for us to put in the refrigerator."

High gas prices put generators out of reach for many. Earlier this month, Sudan's prime minister exempted solar panels for personal use from customs and fees.

The conflict ‌in Sudan has increasingly turned into a drone war, with both sides targeting key civilian infrastructure ⁠in addition to ⁠military targets. The war has devastated livelihoods and spread famine in multiple parts of the country.

"The targeting of the electricity sector in particular was very significant," said a spokesperson for the Khartoum state government, Altayeb Saadeldin, listing looting of copper wires and fuel and other components, as well as drone attacks, as reasons for the outages.

Sudan's main power source, the Merowe dam, had been among targets hit, he said, adding that the delay of annual rains had also impacted power generation in other dams.

Asked for comment, an RSF source said allegations that the RSF had targeted the power grid were "incorrect and army propaganda".

Arab World

US Ambassador: Hezbollah Ties to Iran Affect Lebanon and the Course of Talks

President Joseph Aoun presiding over a ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of General Security (Lebanese Presidency)
President Joseph Aoun presiding over a ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of General Security (Lebanese Presidency)
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US Ambassador: Hezbollah Ties to Iran Affect Lebanon and the Course of Talks

President Joseph Aoun presiding over a ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of General Security (Lebanese Presidency)
President Joseph Aoun presiding over a ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of General Security (Lebanese Presidency)

The stalled US-Iranian negotiations remain uncertain, and their direct or indirect impact on Lebanon continues to loom over efforts to achieve tangible results in talks with Israel, meanwhile President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed the state's commitment to its institutions and role.

US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa made notable remarks, linking developments in southern Lebanon to events unfolding between Washington and Tehran. He also stressed that any engagement with Hezbollah would take place only through the Lebanese state.

Aoun: State moving forward

Aoun said the state was continuing to strengthen its presence and institutions, alongside the negotiations.

"We are engaged in an internal struggle between people who do not want state institutions, who are the antithesis of the state and live at its expense in its absence, and between us and you, who want the state and its institutions," Aoun said during a ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of the General Security.

He added: “We here tell them, whatever you do, we will continue. Not for your sake, but for the sake of citizens to whom we owe a duty."

Issa: Southern Lebanon talks tied to Washington-Tehran Tension

US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa said negotiations over southern Lebanon cannot be separated from regional developments, particularly talks between Washington and Tehran.

He said Hezbollah must surrender its weapons to the state, adding that continued links between the group and Iranian decision-making are affecting Lebanon and the course of negotiations.

Ministerial sources said US-Lebanese-Israeli talks would continue, with a new round expected in Rome in September, but acknowledged that progress hinges partly on the outcome of US-Iranian negotiations and Tehran’s ties with Hezbollah.

Issa clarifies US position: Any Contact with Hezbollah to Go Through the State

US Ambassador Michel Issa clarified that any US engagement with Hezbollah would take place through the Lebanese state, saying Washington could help bridge differences through negotiations. He reiterated that Hezbollah must surrender its weapons and accused the group of taking orders from Iran.

Issa also said talks with Israel are between the Lebanese and Israeli states, with Washington seeking to narrow differences while pressing Israel to reduce strikes in southern Lebanon. He added that Hezbollah’s future would depend partly on whether Iran maintains its support for the group.

Arab World

Arms Embargo: Can Washington Breach the Wall of Sudan’s War?

Massad Boulos, senior adviser to the US president for Arab and African affairs (AFP) 
Massad Boulos, senior adviser to the US president for Arab and African affairs (AFP) 
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Arms Embargo: Can Washington Breach the Wall of Sudan’s War?

Massad Boulos, senior adviser to the US president for Arab and African affairs (AFP) 
Massad Boulos, senior adviser to the US president for Arab and African affairs (AFP) 

The United States has stirred the stagnant waters of Sudan’s war by announcing plans to expand an arms embargo imposed on Darfur for more than two decades to cover the entire country.

The move appears aimed at shifting from limited sanctions to a direct attempt to reduce the warring parties’ ability to keep fighting and force them to reconsider the cost of seeking a military victory compared with returning to negotiations. It is a risky step, but one that also signals Washington’s determination to make a breakthrough in a war described as one of the world’s largest and most severe humanitarian crises.

Massad Boulos, senior advisor to the US president for Arab and African affairs, told the UN Security Council days ago that the US proposal would cover drones, related technologies and components, while strengthening the work of the sanctions panel of experts tasked with monitoring violations.

The current Darfur arms embargo expires Sept. 12, making the coming weeks a test of Washington’s ability to build consensus in the Security Council. Russia has voiced clear reservations, saying it would not accept measures affecting the Sudanese army’s capabilities, while China has taken a cautious position on expanding sanctions, leaving adoption of the proposal in its current form uncertain.

Washington views the proposed embargo as a pressure tool rather than merely a punitive measure. According to The Associated Press, the US administration believes restricting the flow of weapons to the belligerents could push them back to the negotiating table. UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo has meanwhile warned against the parties’ continued reliance on a military solution and the steady influx of sophisticated weapons.

Sudan’s Sovereignty Council chairman and army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, however, has played down the possible impact of sanctions, saying they would neither affect Sudan nor weaken the armed forces’ resolve. He insisted the army would continue fighting until it retakes all areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces.

The contrast shows the political struggle surrounding the US proposal. Washington wants to convince both sides that the flow of weapons cannot remain open-ended, while Sudan’s military leadership continues to speak in terms of retaking territory by force. The RSF is likewise reinforcing its positions and relying on supply networks, weapons and drones.

The US premise is that the ability to rearm prolongs the war: As long as each side believes it can replace its losses and obtain more drones, ammunition, fuel and financing, its incentive to compromise remains limited. If supplies become more difficult and costly, military calculations could gradually shift toward a settlement.

Drone use has expanded significantly in recent months, with attacks extending beyond front lines to cities, markets, electricity and water facilities and health infrastructure. Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN's under secretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, said sophisticated weapons, including drones, have become a major factor in increasing the war’s toll on civilians.

Restricting drones and their components, ammunition and heavy weapons could therefore yield an immediate humanitarian benefit by reducing long-range attacks, civilian casualties, displacement and disruption to hospitals and electricity and water networks, while improving humanitarian access.

But the plan’s success will depend on enforcement. The Darfur embargo, in place since 2005, failed to stop weapons from entering the region, exposing the limits of UN resolutions without effective monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.

Opposition Welcomes Proposal

Sudanese civilian opposition forces welcomed the US proposal while stressing that it should be linked to a comprehensive political process.

Khalid Omer Yousif, a leader in the Sumoud alliance, said pressure on both warring parties should be part of an “integrated package” to end the fighting and restore the civilian political process, rather than an isolated punitive measure.

Yasir Arman, head of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–Revolutionary Democratic Current, warned that piecemeal measures could lead to “managing the war rather than ending it,” calling for a joint African Union-UN roadmap to halt the fighting and preserve Sudan’s unity.

The real test of Washington’s seriousness will be whether it can move from a Security Council resolution to pursuing supply networks, including flights, land routes, brokers, companies and individuals facilitating the purchase and transfer of weapons to Sudan.

Washington does not appear to be relying on the embargo alone to end the war. Rather, the proposal is likely part of a broader effort to raise the cost of continued fighting while pushing for negotiations. US officials say the goal is not to hand victory to one side over the other, but to reduce both sides’ ability to wage an open-ended war.

Ultimately, the seriousness of the US effort will be measured by its willingness to pressure the parties’ backers, not only the Sudanese belligerents themselves. If weapons continue to flow, expanding the embargo will amount to little more than a legal framework with limited effect. But if combined with monitoring, sanctions and simultaneous diplomatic pressure to reopen negotiations, it could become one of the strongest international tools of pressure deployed since the war began.

At its core, the US proposal brings two opposing calculations into direct confrontation: Washington wants to make continuing the war harder and more costly, while both sides insist on fighting until they recover all territory. Between them, civilians stand to benefit most from any measure that genuinely reduces the flow of instruments of war, even before a comprehensive political settlement is reached.