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Israel to Allow Flour Shipments for Gaza Through Key Port

Empty trucks wait on the Gaza border with Egypt at Rafah for the aid trucks to cross from northern Egypt on October 21, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
Empty trucks wait on the Gaza border with Egypt at Rafah for the aid trucks to cross from northern Egypt on October 21, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
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Israel to Allow Flour Shipments for Gaza Through Key Port

Empty trucks wait on the Gaza border with Egypt at Rafah for the aid trucks to cross from northern Egypt on October 21, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)
Empty trucks wait on the Gaza border with Egypt at Rafah for the aid trucks to cross from northern Egypt on October 21, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (AFP)

Israel will let shipments of flour for Palestinians through the Israeli port of Ashdod, north of Gaza, the White House said Friday after President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke.

The move comes days after the UN called on Israel to allow access to the port for the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid for Gaza, besieged since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.

"The president welcomed the decision from the Government of Israel to permit the shipment of flour for the Palestinian people directly through Ashdod port," the White House said in a readout of their call.

US teams would "separately work on options for more direct maritime delivery of assistance into Gaza," it added.

Washington has backed Israel's offensive against Gaza since the Hamas attacks on October 7 while also calling on the Israelis to let in more aid to Palestinian civilians.

Three UN agencies -- the World Food Program (WFP), UNICEF and the World Health Organisation (WHO) -- pushed for the opening of Ashdod in a joint statement on Monday.

The use of Ashdod, located some 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of the Gaza border, is "critically needed by aid agencies," they said, while calling for a "fundamental step change in the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza."

The Israel-Hamas war has sparked a humanitarian catastrophe for Gaza's 2.4 million people, who are struggling to get food, water, fuel and medical care.

Opening the Ashdod port would reduce the time it takes to transport food to Gazans from the north, WFP's regional director for the Middle East, Corinne Fleischer, told AFP earlier this month.

In December, Israel approved the temporary delivery of aid into Gaza via its southern Kerem Shalom border crossing, opening a new route for supplies after weeks of pressure.

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Cairo May Request Extradition of Qaradawi’s Son from Abu Dhabi

Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)
Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)
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Cairo May Request Extradition of Qaradawi’s Son from Abu Dhabi

Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)
Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)

As Lebanese authorities proceed with the deportation of Egyptian activist Abdel Rahman al-Qaradawi, the son of the late cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi, to the United Arab Emirates, an Egyptian source involved in the case told Asharq Al-Awsat that Cairo plans to formally request his extradition from Abu Dhabi once he arrives there.

Controversy has surrounded the case since Lebanon announced that the government had approved the deportation of Qaradawi to the UAE instead of Egypt, where he holds citizenship.

Former Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour explained to Asharq Al-Awsat that citizenship is not an obstacle in extradition cases between countries, saying that a state may decide to extradite a person to another country even if they hold the nationality of a third state, as in the case of Qaradawi’s son.

According to Lebanese sources, the decision to extradite Qaradawi to the UAE is based on a warrant issued by the Council of Arab Interior Ministers. As a member of the council, Lebanon is obligated to comply with the UAE’s request, despite the absence of a direct bilateral extradition agreement between the two countries.

Additionally, the extradition decision was influenced by the fact that the charges against Qaradawi are criminal, not political, as political charges would prevent extradition and instead warrant protection under international conventions.

An Egyptian judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the International Cooperation Office of Egypt’s Public Prosecutor had prepared a comprehensive file containing all rulings issued against Qaradawi to ensure that the extradition request met all legal requirements. This file was sent to Lebanese judicial authorities through official channels. However, Egypt has yet to receive a response from Lebanon, though one is expected in the coming days.

Dr. Mohammed Mahmoud Mehran, a member of the American and European societies for international law, told Asharq Al-Awsat that international law generally allows extradition when the individual is either a citizen of the requesting state, has committed a crime on its territory, or when the requesting state has a direct legal interest in the case.

As Qaradawi is an Egyptian citizen, Egypt “has the legal right to request his extradition under international law and bilateral agreements, provided all legal conditions are met,” Mehran said.

Meanwhile, Qaradawi’s lawyer, Mohammed Sablouh, confirmed plans to file an urgent appeal in Lebanese courts to prevent his client’s extradition, according to Reuters. Mehran explained that extradition laws grant the individual the right to appeal in court, while the requesting states also have the right to challenge decisions.

Mehran suggested that if Qaradawi is ultimately handed over to the UAE, it is highly likely he will later be extradited to Egypt after procedural requirements in the Emirates are fulfilled. This is due to the strong bilateral relations and close security coordination between Egypt and the UAE.

Abdel Rahman al-Qaradawi, who holds dual Egyptian and Turkish citizenship, was arrested in Lebanon on December 28 after returning from Syria. His arrest followed an Interpol red notice issued based on an in absentia ruling by an Egyptian court sentencing him to five years in prison for spreading false news, inciting violence, and terrorism. Before his arrest, Qaradawi appeared in a video filmed at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, where he made remarks considered offensive to both Egypt and the UAE.