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Aqaba Summit Calls for Gaza Ceasefire, Two-State Solution

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (dpa)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (dpa)
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Aqaba Summit Calls for Gaza Ceasefire, Two-State Solution

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (dpa)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (dpa)

Jordan's King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stressed the need to increase pressure to halt the Israeli aggression in Gaza, and protect civilians. They also reiterated their commitment to a two-state solution for the Palestinian issue.

This came during their summit in Aqaba to discuss the critical situation in Gaza, during which they also emphasized their opposition to any plans to displace Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

They further rejected any Israeli plans to separate Gaza from the West Bank, adding the two entities were the basis of a future Palestinian state.

The three leaders confirmed "a complete rejection of any attempt to reoccupy parts of Gaza, and the need to enable its people to return to their homes."

The summit reiterated the importance of ensuring the permanent and sufficient delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, alleviating the tragic humanitarian situation in the region.

Moreover, the leaders drew attention to hostile actions by extremist settlers in the West Bank against the Palestinian people, and violations of Islamic and Christian sanctities in Jerusalem, which could lead to the situation in the West Bank spiraling out of control, and regional escalation.

They agreed to continue working collectively, coordinating with Arab and influential countries, to find a political horizon for the Palestinian issue, achieving a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, which would restore all legitimate rights to the Palestinian people, ensuring the establishment of their independent, sovereign state along the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Jordan’s King warned against any escalation that could widen the circle of war and complicate efforts to reach a ceasefire, highlighting the seriousness of the situation requiring an exceptional effort to determine the steps in the upcoming phase.

Before the tripartite summit, King Abdullah held separate meetings with the Egyptian and Palestinian presidents to discuss efforts aimed at an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

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Hezbollah’s Tunnels: Safe Haven Against Israeli Ground Assault

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. Reuters
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. Reuters
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Hezbollah’s Tunnels: Safe Haven Against Israeli Ground Assault

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. Reuters
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. Reuters

Israel has voiced fresh concerns about Hezbollah’s tunnel network in southern Lebanon, seeing it as a major advantage for the group amid growing threats of a broader conflict along the Lebanese-Israeli border.

These concerns are supported by security reports, including one from the French newspaper “Libération” earlier this year.

The report claims that Hezbollah’s tunnels are more advanced than those of Hamas in Gaza, stretching for hundreds of kilometers with branches reaching into Israel and possibly Syria.

Experts warn that this network could pose significant challenges for the Israeli military if it decides to invade southern Lebanon.

Military expert Brigadier General Dr. Hassan Jouni says Hezbollah's tunnels are crucial for countering Israeli attacks.

“These tunnels offer a safe way to move and are a key part of Hezbollah’s strategy,” Jouni told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He added that the tunnels help balance the fight against Israel’s air superiority, making combat more about underground movements.

Jouni, former head of the Lebanese Army Command and Staff College, emphasized that the tunnels are a major strength for Hezbollah. They enable the group to move fighters, weapons, and missiles secretly, allowing for unexpected maneuvers in battle.

The Alma Research and Education Center, dedicated to researching the security challenges on Israel’s northern borders, reported that since the 2006 Lebanon War, Hezbollah, with assistance from North Korean and Iranian experts, has developed a regional tunnel network in Lebanon that surpasses Hamas’ metro in Gaza.

The center notes that southern Lebanon’s terrain—characterized by rocky hills and valleys—differs significantly from Gaza’s, making the task of digging tunnels up to 10 kilometers deep into Israeli territory particularly challenging.

The center suggests that the Israeli estimates struggle to accept the possibility that Hezbollah could have successfully excavated such extensive tunnels through this rugged terrain.

According to Alma, achieving this would be an extraordinary feat, potentially considered a major military embarrassment rather than a mere failure for Israel.

Israel targets sites it believes are military, missile, or weapon storage areas in its confrontations with Hezbollah but struggles to map or fully understand the group’s tunnel network.

Jouni points out that Hezbollah has built its tunnels with advanced techniques, benefiting from favorable conditions and possibly using technology from North Korea.

Jouni suggests that these tunnels enhance Hezbollah’s ability to conduct guerilla warfare and might even be used for military operations, potentially reaching into the occupied Palestinian territories.

Unlike Hamas, Hezbollah hasn’t publicized its tunnel network despite increasing Israeli threats and the risk of a ground invasion. This secrecy suggests Israel may lack detailed information about the tunnels and fears potential surprises.

Dr. Riadh Kahwaji, a Middle East security and defense analyst and director of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA), says Hezbollah’s extensive tunnels allow safe underground movement while Israel, with its strong air superiority, can only monitor surface activity.

Kahwaji explains that, similar to Gaza, where tunnels serve various functions, Hezbollah’s network is even larger and more complex.