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Abbas to Macron: We Recognize the State of Israel, Want it to Recognize Palestine

French President Emmanuel Macron and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meet in Ramallah in the West Bank on Tuesday. (AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meet in Ramallah in the West Bank on Tuesday. (AP)
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Abbas to Macron: We Recognize the State of Israel, Want it to Recognize Palestine

French President Emmanuel Macron and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meet in Ramallah in the West Bank on Tuesday. (AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meet in Ramallah in the West Bank on Tuesday. (AP)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Tuesday that Palestine has recognized the State of Israel and its right to exist for 40 years, asking Israel in turn to recognize a Palestinian state and its right to exist.

Abbas received French President Emmanuel Macron in Ramallah, who visited Israel to show solidarity following the Hamas attack on Oct. 7.

The Palestinian President demanded a "complete ceasefire" in the Gaza Strip and the opening of permanent corridors to deliver humanitarian aid to people in the coastal enclave.

Abbas urged France to use its influence in the United Nations Security Council to stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza immediately, provide urgent international protection for the Palestinians, hold an international peace conference, and work on a political solution.

Abbas accused Israel of choosing a destructive military option instead of peace, saying Tel Aviv and the countries backing it were responsible for the destruction and deaths in the Strip.

The President rejected displacing Palestinians from their homes and lands, whether they are in Gaza, the West Bank, or Jerusalem.

He warned that military options may lead to a regional or global war.

The Gaza Strip is part of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, said Abbas, asserting his rejection of any partial or security solutions for the enclave.

Moreover, Abbas stressed the commitment of Palestine to international legitimacy and signed agreements, policies of non-violence, and peaceful popular resistance.

The Palestinian leader condemned the killing of civilians on both sides and called for the release of civilians, prisoners, and detainees held by both parties.

For his part, Macron focused on an international coalition against Hamas, saying it does not represent the Palestinian people.

He told reporters that "nothing can justify" the suffering of civilians in the Palestinian territory, stressing that civilian lives have the same value, regardless of nationality.

Macron described Hamas as terrorist, telling Abbas there must be a security and peace initiative based on combating all terrorist groups.

In Ramallah, Palestinians protested against Macron's visit, following his positions in support of Israel.

Macron pledged to ensure financial support for the Palestinians in the West Bank and accelerate sending aid to the Gaza Strip.

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Arab World

Arab League Chief Pushes for Concrete Support for Lebanon

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomes Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy (Lebanese Presidency)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomes Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy (Lebanese Presidency)
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Arab League Chief Pushes for Concrete Support for Lebanon

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomes Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy (Lebanese Presidency)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomes Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy (Lebanese Presidency)

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy has called for concrete political and financial support for Lebanon, as Lebanese leaders pressed for a diplomatic solution, Israel’s withdrawal and reconstruction.

“Lebanon is among the Arab League’s priorities, and among my own priorities as its secretary-general,” he said on Monday during a visit to Beirut that included meetings with President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

Meeting the Arab League chief, Aoun accused Israel of failing to comply with the agreed framework and continuing its violations in South Lebanon, saying such actions only strengthened Lebanese determination to defend their land and rights.

He reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to diplomacy despite its difficulties, describing it as far less costly than a devastating war.

Declaring that it was time for Lebanon to enjoy some respite, Aoun welcomed Arab efforts to help the country overcome its challenges and stressed the importance of dialogue and negotiations.

The secretary-general said his visit followed a decision by Arab foreign ministers reaffirming support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, institutions and citizens.

He called for tangible financial and practical assistance that would strengthen state institutions and directly benefit the population, pledging to intensify contacts with Arab and Western governments.

Asked about the risk of a wider regional war, Fahmy denied conveying specific warnings to Aoun but acknowledged discussing the dangers posed by multiple conflicts and the possibility of a broader escalation.

He also reaffirmed the Arab League’s support for ending Israeli occupation and preserving Lebanon’s stability, stressing that each country had the right to determine its negotiating approach when asked about US-sponsored Lebanese-Israeli talks.

In talks with Berri, the Arab League chief reviewed regional developments and continued Israeli attacks, pledging to pursue diplomatic initiatives to secure assistance for Lebanese institutions and citizens.

The two also discussed the future of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), whose planned departure has raised concerns over a security vacuum.

The secretary-general said the Arab League opposed ending the mission, arguing that a continued UN presence offered the strongest framework for international oversight and accountability. Any alternative, he stressed, would require Lebanese agreement and a clear international legal mandate.

Salam urged continued Arab efforts to secure Israel’s complete withdrawal from Lebanese territory and extend state authority nationwide through its own forces.

He also urged support for recovery and reconstruction to help residents remain in their communities and strengthen state institutions.

The prime minister encouraged Arab investment in infrastructure and regional connectivity projects to stimulate growth and deepen Lebanon’s integration with its Arab neighbors.

Fahmy announced plans to visit South Lebanon to assess conditions firsthand and help shape further diplomatic engagement with Arab governments and international partners.

The visit would support efforts to secure political and financial assistance for Lebanese institutions, including the army.

He said the trip would allow him to return to Cairo with a clearer assessment of Lebanon’s needs, paving the way for follow-up on Arab commitments and closer coordination of political and financial support.

Arab World

Jordan, Iraq Stress Importance of Implementing Basra-Aqaba Oil Pipeline Project

A view of the Shuaiba oil refinery southwest of Basra, Iraq (Reuters)
A view of the Shuaiba oil refinery southwest of Basra, Iraq (Reuters)
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Jordan, Iraq Stress Importance of Implementing Basra-Aqaba Oil Pipeline Project

A view of the Shuaiba oil refinery southwest of Basra, Iraq (Reuters)
A view of the Shuaiba oil refinery southwest of Basra, Iraq (Reuters)

Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Iraqi President Nizar Amidi have stressed the need to proceed with implementation of the Basra-Aqaba oil pipeline project, in service of the two countries and their peoples.

The king received a phone call from Amidi on Monday, during which they discussed the deep-rooted ties between Jordan and Iraq, as well as ways to enhance cooperation across various sectors.

The pipeline project, which has been stalled for years, would allow oil to be transported from Basra, on the Arabian Gulf coast, to the port of Aqaba in southern Jordan, bypassing the export route through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi described the project during a visit to Amman on June 7 as a “strategic option” for Iraq amid restrictions on oil exports through the strait.

The two countries signed a framework agreement in April 2012 to build a 1,700-kilometer pipeline with a capacity to transport one million barrels of oil per day. However, the project, whose cost is estimated at around $18 billion, has yet to be implemented.

The pipeline is expected to provide Jordan with about 150,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The project also includes the construction of storage facilities with a capacity of seven million barrels, as well as an oil export terminal.

Iraq has lost around $60 billion during the Middle East war, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said last week.

Iraq was producing about four million barrels of oil per day before the conflict, exporting about 3.5 million bpd -- mostly shipped from the country's south via the strait.

Iraq's foreign currency reserves have shrunk by 20 billion dollars and consumer prices have risen sharply.

Arab World

West Bank on Verge of ‘Explosion’, Says Senior Palestinian Official

Israeli soldiers take positions during an army raid in the Rafidia area of Nablus, West Bank, 19 October 2026. (EPA)
Israeli soldiers take positions during an army raid in the Rafidia area of Nablus, West Bank, 19 October 2026. (EPA)
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West Bank on Verge of ‘Explosion’, Says Senior Palestinian Official

Israeli soldiers take positions during an army raid in the Rafidia area of Nablus, West Bank, 19 October 2026. (EPA)
Israeli soldiers take positions during an army raid in the Rafidia area of Nablus, West Bank, 19 October 2026. (EPA)

Israeli settler attacks risk setting off an "explosion" in the occupied West Bank, a senior Palestinian leader told AFP, while urging that the response remain peaceful.

Jibril Rajoub, the secretary general of the central committee of the Palestinian Authority's ruling Fatah faction, said he called for "peaceful confrontation" as he took part in meetings in Cairo with other Palestinian movements including Gaza-based rival Hamas, which led the October 7, 2023 attacks against Israel.

"The terrorism carried out by the army and settlers, under the supervision of the Israeli government... is a prelude to a coming reaction and explosion," Rajoub told AFP in Cairo.

But he said that a "peaceful, nonviolent struggle is a necessity and a strategic choice for all Palestinians".

"Bloodshed is no longer an acceptable option," he said, calling for "peaceful confrontation with the occupation, despite the crimes it commits".

Settlers have carried out daily physical attacks, thefts and other attacks against Palestinians, with the violence intensifying in the run-up to October 27 elections, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, governing with the fiercely pro-settlement far-right, is seeking a new mandate.

Violence has picked up as extremist settlers seek to stop the Palestinian olive harvest, an annual season with cultural resonance for the community.

More than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements, which are considered illegal under international law, surrounded by around three million Palestinians.

The talks in Cairo came after Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who has ruled since 2005, delayed elections slated to start next month until September 2027.

Rajoub said the talks called for "unified political representation" with the principle of a "single authority" and "only one legitimate armed force".

Hamas took over Gaza in 2007, dividing the two Palestinian territories. Israel has vowed to obliterate Hamas after the October 7, 2023 attack, the deadliest day in Israel's history. The Hamas attack resulted in 1,221 deaths.

At least 1,125 Palestinians have died in the West Bank since October 2023, mostly by the Israeli military, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry figures.

Settler attacks have killed 23 Palestinians in that timeframe, according to the United Nations.

Palestinian attacks have killed at least 49 Israelis in the same period, according to Israeli figures.

In Gaza, the Israeli offensive has killed 74,459 Palestinians since October 2023, according to figures under the health ministry run under Hamas. The United Nations generally considers the figures reliable.