Abbas Says Gaza War Must End, Conference Needed to Reach Settlementhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/4716736-abbas-says-gaza-war-must-end-conference-needed-reach-settlement
Abbas Says Gaza War Must End, Conference Needed to Reach Settlement
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Reuters
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday called for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and an international peace conference to work out a lasting political solution leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
In an interview with Reuters at his office in Ramallah, Abbas, 87, said the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in general had reached an alarming stage that requires an international conference and guarantees by world powers.
Besides Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza, he said Israeli forces have intensified their attacks everywhere in the occupied West Bank over the past year with settlers escalating violence against Palestinian towns.
He reiterated his longstanding position in favor of negotiation rather than armed resistance to end the longstanding occupation.
"I am with peaceful resistance. I am for negotiations based on an international peace conference and under international auspices that would lead to a solution that will be protected by world powers to establish a sovereign Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem," he said.
Abbas was speaking as Israel increased its strikes on Gaza. In two months of warfare, it has killed more than 17,000 people, wounded 46,000 and forced the displacement of around 1.9 million people, over half of them now sheltering in areas in central Gaza or close to the Egyptian border.
Abbas said that based on a binding international agreement, he would revive the weakened Palestinian Authority, implement long-awaited reforms and hold presidential and parliamentary elections, which were suspended after Hamas won in 2006 and later pushed the PA out of Gaza.
He said the PA had abided by all the peace deals signed with Israel since the 1993 Oslo Accord and the understandings that followed over the years but that Israel had reneged on its pledges to end the occupation.
Asked whether he would risk holding elections given the possibility that Hamas could win as it did in 2006, he said: "Whoever wins wins, these will be democratic elections."
Abbas said he had planned to hold elections in April 2021 but the European Union envoy told him before the due date that Israel was objecting to voting in East Jerusalem so he was forced to call it off.
He insisted that there would not be elections without East Jerusalem, saying the PA held three rounds of elections in the past that included East Jerusalem before Israel imposed the ban.
Israel Seizes Powers over Hebron Shrine from Palestinian Authorityhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5284837-israel-seizes-powers-over-hebron-shrine-palestinian-authority
Israeli flags flutter on the Ibrahimi mosque, also known as the Cave of the Patriarchs, in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank April 21, 2026. REUTERS/Yosri Aljamal/File Photo
Israel Seizes Powers over Hebron Shrine from Palestinian Authority
Israeli flags flutter on the Ibrahimi mosque, also known as the Cave of the Patriarchs, in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank April 21, 2026. REUTERS/Yosri Aljamal/File Photo
Israel has seized planning and construction powers at a Jewish and Muslim shrine in the occupied West Bank from the Palestinian Authority, scrapping an agreement in place since the 1990s, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Tuesday.
Under the 1997 Hebron Agreement, Palestinians controlled planning and construction in the entire city, including the Jewish Tomb of the Patriarchs and the adjoining Muslim Ibrahimi Mosque.
The far-right minister said he had given the final sign-off late on Monday to the transfer of those powers as they affected the religious site and the nearby Jewish settlement to Israeli authorities.
Israel's right to control the West Bank, which it captured in the 1967 Middle East War, is not recognized internationally. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's office called the seizure of powers an "infringement upon the political and legal status of Hebron", and a violation of international law.
In a speech marking the establishment of a new Israeli settlement near Hebron, Smotrich said the "historic step" would deepen "Israeli sovereignty" in the West Bank, which Palestinians seek as the heart of a future independent state.
Israel is due to call an election by the end of October, ahead of which Smotrich is struggling in the polls. A settler himself, he has long pushed for the annexation of the West Bank and his party draws much of its support from ideologically motivated settlers who view the West Bank as their biblical heartland.
Hebron has at times been a flashpoint for Israeli-Palestinian violence. In 1994, a Jewish settler killed 29 Muslims praying at the shrine.
The decision to transfer the powers was taken by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet in February, one of a series of measures meant to make it easier for settlers to buy land and give Israeli authorities more enforcement powers in the territory.
Smotrich has been key to a rapid expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which has been accompanied by a rise in violence.
UN bodies and most countries have found Israel's settlements in the West Bank to be illegal. Israel disputes this view, citing biblical and historical ties, as well as security needs.
Settlers have killed 13 Palestinians this year, according to UN data.
Arab League Condemns Opening of Embassy for So-Called 'Somaliland Region' in Occupied Jerusalemhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5284813-arab-league-condemns-opening-embassy-so-called-somaliland-region-occupied
Arab League Condemns Opening of Embassy for So-Called 'Somaliland Region' in Occupied Jerusalem
The Arab League headquarters in Cairo (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The General Secretariat of the Arab League strongly condemned the move by the so-called "Somaliland Region" to open an embassy in occupied Jerusalem. It described the step as a challenge to international law and international legitimacy resolutions concerning the legal status of the city.
In a statement issued by the Palestine and Occupied Arab Territories Sector, the Arab League said the move further entrenches the illegal occupation and forms part of attempts to alter the legal, historical, and demographic status quo of Jerusalem and isolate it from its Palestinian surroundings. It stressed that such measures are null and void and carry no legal effect, SPA reported.
The Arab League reiterated that East Jerusalem is an integral part of the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. It also reaffirmed its commitment to the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the establishment of an independent state along the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The organization further reaffirmed its support for the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia and rejected any measures that undermine those principles. It called on the international community to uphold its responsibilities in preserving the legal and historical status quo of Jerusalem and preventing attempts to impose a new reality or legitimize the Israeli occupation and its illegal practices.
The Arab League stressed that establishing diplomatic missions in occupied Jerusalem or recognizing the city as a location for foreign missions violates the international consensus regarding the city's status. It added that such actions undermine efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution and international legitimacy resolutions.
Hezbollah's Financial Arm Referred to Lebanese Prosecutorshttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5284806-hezbollahs-financial-arm-referred-lebanese-prosecutors
Hezbollah's Financial Arm Referred to Lebanese Prosecutors
A photo circulating on social media showing an Al-Qard Al-Hassan ATM installed in Beirut's southern suburbs in 2018 (file photo).
In a move carrying legal, financial, and political implications, Lebanon's justice minister has referred Al-Qard Al-Hassan, Hezbollah's financial arm, to the Public Prosecutor's Office, requesting the opening of an investigation into its financial activities.
The step revives a longstanding dispute between Hezbollah and state institutions over financial operations that function outside Lebanon's banking system and the extent to which they comply with the country's laws and regulations.
The referral comes as Lebanon faces growing international pressure over anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing measures, alongside repeated calls for all financial and lending activities to be brought under the supervision of Banque du Liban and the relevant regulatory authorities.
Justice Minister Adel Nassar said the decision followed a ministry review of the matter.
"Based on a study conducted by the ministry, we reached conclusions and identified grounds that warranted placing the case before the Public Prosecutor's Office, which will now take the necessary steps," Nassar told Asharq Al-Awsat.
He added that the ministry had examined more than one issue and found sufficient reasons to make the referral, stressing that determining whether any offense had been committed was a matter for prosecutors.
"The ministry's role is limited to making a referral when information emerges that warrants an investigation," he said.
Internal Initiative, Not External Pressure
Al-Qard Al-Hassan has for years been subject to sanctions imposed by the US Treasury Department, which accuses it of providing financial services that support Hezbollah and its illicit activities. The institution is neither licensed nor recognized by Lebanon's banking authorities, while Banque du Liban has previously issued directives prohibiting licensed banks and financial institutions from dealing with it.
Asked whether the move resulted from requests by foreign parties, Nassar insisted that it stemmed from the ministry's own responsibilities and was not prompted by any external approach or demand.
"This is not limited to Al-Qard Al-Hassan," he said. "It also involves other entities, including Joud."
Nassar said the ministry's internal review had identified questions regarding the nature of the activities carried out by these entities and the financial operations that could stem from them.
He stressed that the judiciary would independently determine whether any violations or crimes had occurred and whether prosecution was warranted.
"That is a matter for the courts to decide, independently and without interference from any authority, including the Ministry of Justice," he said.
Investigation Taking Shape
Attention is now focused on the course of the judicial proceedings and whether they will lead to concrete decisions or legal measures against the institution or those responsible for running it.
A judicial source said Public Prosecutor Judge Rami Hajj received the referral on Monday and is currently reviewing it before setting dates for investigative sessions.
The source said the inquiry was likely to be complex and involve multiple authorities.
"Part of it may fall within the jurisdiction of General Security, while another part may involve the Interior Ministry in order to determine whether Al-Qard Al-Hassan's association license remains valid or has been suspended," the source told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The source added that if financial violations are established, part of the investigation would involve Banque du Liban and the Special Investigation Commission to determine the origin of the funds involved.
The move is widely seen as an important test of the Lebanese state's ability to enforce regulatory oversight over all financial institutions operating within the country, particularly after the financial collapse that struck the traditional banking sector in 2019.
That collapse was accompanied by the expansion of alternative financial networks, most notably Al-Qard Al-Hassan, which Hezbollah used to circumvent US sanctions. Over time, the institution developed into a de facto banking system serving the party and its support base, providing loans to thousands of clients in exchange for collateral including jewelry and real estate.
A photo circulating on social media showing an Al-Qard Al-Hassan ATM installed in Beirut's southern suburbs in 2018 (file photo).
ATMs and Transfers Under Scrutiny
The case is also expected to trigger political controversy and draw a response from Hezbollah, which views mounting pressure on Al-Qard Al-Hassan as part of a broader campaign of sanctions and financial restrictions imposed on the group and its constituency for years.
That perception has been reinforced during the recent conflict, as the institution played a role in providing assistance to large numbers of displaced residents from southern Lebanon, Beirut's southern suburbs, and the Bekaa Valley.
The judicial source said Hezbollah was expected to cooperate with the investigation and provide evidence to demonstrate that the institution had not engaged in unlawful activity.
The source also disclosed that a delegation of Hezbollah lawmakers met the Public Prosecutor around two weeks ago and pledged to suspend the institution's ATM operations, as well as any transfer or deposit activities that might conflict with the scope of its authorized license.
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