Arab League Sec-Gen: No International Will to Stop Israel's Aggression on Gaza

The Arab League headquarters is seen in Cairo, Egypt (Reuters)
The Arab League headquarters is seen in Cairo, Egypt (Reuters)
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Arab League Sec-Gen: No International Will to Stop Israel's Aggression on Gaza

The Arab League headquarters is seen in Cairo, Egypt (Reuters)
The Arab League headquarters is seen in Cairo, Egypt (Reuters)

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said it was shameful that the Security Council failed to vote in favor of the two resolutions on the situation in Gaza.

Aboul Gheit stressed that the failure embodies a lack of genuine international will to end the Israeli military operation in Gaza despite the flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the targeting civilians.

On Thursday, the Sec-Gen said the failure to reach a Resolution puts the Security Council's credibility and ability to maintain international peace and security to question.

He revealed that international forces reject a ceasefire and insist on giving Israel a license to destroy the Gaza Strip and target civilians claiming it was "right to self-defense."

Aboul Gheit warned that this situation contributes to the escalation of the conflict and expanding its scope.

The parties that insist on continuing this war, with all the tragedies and disasters it has produced, must review their positions and consider the consequences of granting Israel the green light to engage in killing and destruction, said the Sec-Gen.

The Arab League organized Thursday a session on "Arab Media in the Face of False Israeli Narrative about Gaza," asserting the need to strengthen media presence in support of the Palestinian cause, especially with "the increasing spread of violent speeches inciting hatred and ideological extremism.

The special session of the Arab Media Leaders Forum included the participation of several Arab media leaders and experts.

Speaking at the Forum, the Assistant Sec-Gen and Head of the Media and Communication Sector, Ahmed Rashid Khattabi, affirmed that the "destructive Israeli attacks" on the Gaza Strip have plunged the Palestinian-Israeli conflict into an extremely perilous state.

Khattabi asserted that the attacks underscored the urgent need to seek a political solution for this bitter conflict aimed at achieving a fair and sustainable resolution, the two-state solution, and the Arab Peace Initiative.

"Any delay or inaction in addressing the escalating tensions poses a significant threat to the security and stability of the Middle East region and global peace."

The forum aims to develop an Arab strategy to confront the Israeli narrative of the war.

The Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip has been ongoing since October 7.

"Beneath the tragic images of these brutal attacks on the Gaza Strip, a region already suffering from a severe blockade and ongoing Israeli incursions into the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, we are witnessing a media war, or more accurately, a propaganda battle waged through social media networks,” Khattabi stated.

He noted Israel's utilization of algorithms and application software to suppress Palestinian content on social media and hinder its dissemination in digital spaces, adding that these efforts extend to elements within Western media that support Israel at the expense of freedoms and rights.

Furthermore, Khattabi cautioned that the situation resulted in the imposition of sanctions or warnings against media figures, influencers, athletes, and artists who sought to make the Palestinian voice heard.

The recent period witnessed criticism of Western media outlets and social networking sites for adopting the Israeli narrative.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) even referred journalists for investigation for showing support for Palestine on their social media accounts.



Libya Says UK to Analyze Black Box from Crash That Killed General

Military personnel carry portraits of the Libyan chief of staff, General Mohamed al-Haddad (2-R), and his four advisers, who were killed in a plane crash in Türkiye, during an official repatriation ceremony at the Ministry of Defense headquarters in Tripoli, Libya, 27 December 2025. (EPA)
Military personnel carry portraits of the Libyan chief of staff, General Mohamed al-Haddad (2-R), and his four advisers, who were killed in a plane crash in Türkiye, during an official repatriation ceremony at the Ministry of Defense headquarters in Tripoli, Libya, 27 December 2025. (EPA)
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Libya Says UK to Analyze Black Box from Crash That Killed General

Military personnel carry portraits of the Libyan chief of staff, General Mohamed al-Haddad (2-R), and his four advisers, who were killed in a plane crash in Türkiye, during an official repatriation ceremony at the Ministry of Defense headquarters in Tripoli, Libya, 27 December 2025. (EPA)
Military personnel carry portraits of the Libyan chief of staff, General Mohamed al-Haddad (2-R), and his four advisers, who were killed in a plane crash in Türkiye, during an official repatriation ceremony at the Ministry of Defense headquarters in Tripoli, Libya, 27 December 2025. (EPA)

Libya said on Thursday that Britain had agreed to analyze the black box from a plane crash in Türkiye on December 23 that killed a Libyan military delegation, including the head of its army.

General Mohammed al-Haddad and four aides died after a visit to Ankara, with Turkish officials saying an electrical failure caused their Falcon 50 jet to crash shortly after takeoff.

Three crew members, two of them French, were also killed.

The aircraft's black box flight recorder was found on farmland near the crash site.

"We coordinated directly with Britain for the analysis" of the black box, Mohamed al-Chahoubi, transport minister in the Government of National Unity (GNU), said at a press conference in Tripoli.

Haddad was very popular in Libya despite deep divisions between west and east.

Haddad was chief of staff for the Tripoli-based GNU.

Chahoubi told AFP a request for the analysis was "made to Germany, which demanded France's assistance" to examine the aircraft's flight recorders.

"However, the Chicago Convention stipulates that the country analyzing the black box must be neutral," he said.

"Since France is a manufacturer of the aircraft and the crew was French, it is not qualified to participate. The United Kingdom, on the other hand, was accepted by Libya and Turkey."

After meeting the British ambassador to Tripoli on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Taher al-Baour said a joint request had been submitted by Libya and Türkiye to Britain "to obtain technical and legal support for the analysis of the black box".

Chahoubi told Thursday's press briefing that Britain "announced its agreement, in coordination with the Libyan Ministry of Transport and the Turkish authorities".

He said it was not yet possible to say how long it would take to retrieve the flight data, as this depended on the state of the black box.

"The findings will be made public once they are known," Chahoubi said, warning against "false information" and urging the public not to pay attention to rumors.


STC Says Handing over Positions to National Shield Forces in Yemen's Hadhramaut, Mahra

National Shield forces in Hadhramaut. (National Shield forces)
National Shield forces in Hadhramaut. (National Shield forces)
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STC Says Handing over Positions to National Shield Forces in Yemen's Hadhramaut, Mahra

National Shield forces in Hadhramaut. (National Shield forces)
National Shield forces in Hadhramaut. (National Shield forces)

Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces in Yemen began on Thursday handing over military positions to the government’s National Shield forces in the Hadhramaut and al-Mahra provinces in eastern Yemen.

Local sources in Hadhramaut confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the handover kicked off after meetings were held between the two sides.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the sources said the National Shield commanders met with STC leaderships to discuss future arrangements. The sourced did not elaborate, but they confirmed that Emirati armored vehicles, which had entered Balhaf port in Shabwah were seen departing on a UAE vessel, in line with a Yemeni government request.

The National Shield is overseen by Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Chairman Dr. Rashad al-Alimi.

A Yemeni official described Thursday’s developments as “positive” step towards uniting ranks and legitimacy against a common enemy – the Houthi groups.

The official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, underscored to Asharq Al-Awsat the importance of “partnership between components of the legitimacy and of dialogue to resolve any future differences.”

Meanwhile, on the ground, Yemeni military sources revealed that some STC forces had refused to quit their positions, prompting the forces to dispatch an official to Hadhramaut’s Seiyun city to negotiate the situation.


One Dead as Israeli Forces Open Fire on West Bank Stone-Throwers

Israeli troops during a military operation in the Palestinian village of Qabatiya, near the West Bank city of Jenin, 27 December 2025. (EPA)
Israeli troops during a military operation in the Palestinian village of Qabatiya, near the West Bank city of Jenin, 27 December 2025. (EPA)
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One Dead as Israeli Forces Open Fire on West Bank Stone-Throwers

Israeli troops during a military operation in the Palestinian village of Qabatiya, near the West Bank city of Jenin, 27 December 2025. (EPA)
Israeli troops during a military operation in the Palestinian village of Qabatiya, near the West Bank city of Jenin, 27 December 2025. (EPA)

The Israeli military said its forces killed a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank in the early hours on Thursday as they opened fire on people who were throwing stones at soldiers.

Two other people were hit on a main ‌road near the ‌village of Luban ‌al-Sharqiya ⁠in Nablus, ‌the military statement added. It described the people as militants and said the stone-throwing was part of an ambush.

Palestinian authorities in the West Bank said ⁠a 26-year-old man they named as ‌Khattab Al Sarhan was ‍killed and ‍another person wounded.

Israeli forces had ‍closed the main entrance to the village of Luban al-Sharqiya, in Nablus, and blocked several secondary roads on Wednesday, the Palestinian Authority's official news agency WAFA reported.

More ⁠than a thousand Palestinians were killed in the West Bank between October 2023 and October 2025, mostly in operations by security forces and some by settler violence, the UN has said.

Over the same period, 57 Israelis were killed ‌in Palestinian attacks.