Arab League Demands a Halt to Weapons Exports to Israel

A previous meeting of the Arab League (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A previous meeting of the Arab League (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT

Arab League Demands a Halt to Weapons Exports to Israel

A previous meeting of the Arab League (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A previous meeting of the Arab League (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Arab League has demanded a halt to arms export to Israel, saying that countries that continue to provide Tel Aviv with weapons are complicit in killing Palestinians and destroying their homes and infrastructure.

The Arab League opened an emergency meeting in Cairo on Monday to discuss Israel's deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip. The meeting was chaired by Morocco and held at the level of permanent representatives at Palestine's request.

The League formed an ad hoc committee of the permanent representatives and General Secretariat to examine possible Arab measures that could be undertaken at the legal, economic, political, and diplomatic levels to activate and implement the resolution.

The meeting issued a 26-item resolution, during which it condemned the ongoing Israeli crimes in the Gaza Strip and the systematic destruction of infrastructure, describing what Tel Aviv is doing as "a crime of genocide."

The resolution called on the UN Security Council to assume its responsibilities to preserve international security and peace.

It called on the Security Council to adopt a binding decision to stop the widespread and systematic Israeli crimes that threaten regional and international peace and security.

During the meeting, the Palestinian representative, Ambassador Mohannad al-Aklouk, referred to the joint extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit held in Riyadh on Nov. 11 and its call for taking political, diplomatic, economic, and legal action to force Israel to stop its aggression against Palestinians.

Aklouk called for "more diplomatic and political measures and activating economic and legal tools."

In turn, Jordan's representative, Ambassador Amjad al-Adaileh, said the Israeli extremist government's expansionist intentions and displacement agendas in occupied Palestine have never been clearer and more arrogant than they are today.

Adaileh asserted that it has become clear that the most extremist and racist government in the history of the occupation is racing against time to implement its agendas.

The diplomat said that since Oct. 7, Israel has been seeking to consolidate the occupation and eliminate the remaining chances of achieving peace based on the two-state solution, placing the Palestinian people before two options that have no third choice: either death or displacement.

The Arab League resolution accused the US of following a double standards policy, saying it should adopt stances that are consistent with international and humanitarian law by calling for a full and sustainable ceasefire.

The resolution warned of the danger of forced displacement of about two million Palestinians in Gaza, cautioning against Tel Aviv's intentions to complete their displacement outside the Palestinian territories by systematically pushing them towards the Egyptian border.

"The Arab countries cannot tolerate the recurrence of the Nakba scenario of 1948 and will adopt all legal, diplomatic and economic steps to prevent displacement of the Palestinian people," according to the resolution.

The resolution recalled the UN Security Council Resolution 2720 (2023) calling for immediate unhindered aid delivery on a safe and large scale across Gaza.

Egypt's Permanent Representative, Ambassador Mohamed Arfi, said that the massacre against Palestinian people constitutes compelling evidence of double standards and global shame and stressed that Cairo continues to support Palestinian rights.

The League's Council denounced the deadly Israeli attacks on Palestinian refugee camps and homes in the West Bank, the detention of thousands of Palestinians daily, and the attacks and intimidation perpetrated by Jewish settlers against Palestinians under Israeli police protection.

The Council also condemned the 100+ day siege of the Israeli occupation authorities on the al-Aqsa Mosque, which undermined the freedom of worship, as well as the repeated incursions into and desecration of the site by Jewish settlers.

The Assistant Secretary-General and President of the Palestine and Occupied Arab Territories Sector, Saeed Abu Ali, confirmed in his speech that the Palestinians are being subjected to systematic attacks against all international laws and divine laws.

Abu Ali underscored the need to redouble efforts and take necessary measures to halt the ongoing crime and bring an end to the genocide war.

The League lauded the efforts of South Africa to prosecute the Israeli occupation entity at the International Court of Justice for violating its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG).

It called on the peace-loving, law-abiding countries to back the legal steps initiated by South Africa, welcoming the decision of the Libyan Presidential Council to join the genocide case against Israel.

The Council renewed condemnation of the Israeli aggression on Syria and Lebanon, including the latest attack in Damascus on Saturday.

It warned that such attacks undermine the sovereignty of Syria and pose a serious threat to regional and international security.

The Council stressed that the only way to regional stability is through recognition of the Palestinians' legitimate and inalienable rights, notably the right to establish an independent, fully sovereign, and viable state within the pre-June 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital city.

It praised the Qatari-Egyptian mediation efforts aiming to reach a durable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and deliver aid to the residents in Gaza.

The League also appreciated the call of Algeria, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, to hold an emergency session by the Council to discuss the Israeli plans for the forcible evacuation of the Gazans.

It appreciated the UAE's successful lobbying during its term as a non-permanent member of the Council (2022-2023) for the Palestinian question, which led to the adoption of the Council resolutions 2712 and 2720 last year.



Israeli Army Strikes South of Beirut as Hezbollah Launches Rockets at Israel

First responders and security forces work at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a vehicle the Lebanese town of Jiyyeh, south of Beirut, on April 15, 2026. (AFP)
First responders and security forces work at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a vehicle the Lebanese town of Jiyyeh, south of Beirut, on April 15, 2026. (AFP)
TT

Israeli Army Strikes South of Beirut as Hezbollah Launches Rockets at Israel

First responders and security forces work at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a vehicle the Lebanese town of Jiyyeh, south of Beirut, on April 15, 2026. (AFP)
First responders and security forces work at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a vehicle the Lebanese town of Jiyyeh, south of Beirut, on April 15, 2026. (AFP)

Two Israeli strikes on Wednesday hit vehicles south of Beirut, state media reported, while Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel, hours after Lebanon and Israel agreed to hold direct negotiations.

Israel is continuing its strikes on southern Lebanon in its war with Iran-backed Hezbollah, but has not targeted the Lebanese capital since a series of attacks across the country on April 8 that killed more than 350 people.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported two separate Israeli strikes on two vehicles, one in the seafront town of Saadiyat and another on a coastal highway in neighboring Jiyyeh, around 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Beirut and outside Hezbollah's traditional strongholds.

NNA also reported several other strikes across southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military meanwhile said it had detected "approximately 30 launches" by Hezbollah towards Israel since the early hours, a spokesman told AFP.

Hezbollah said it launched rockets at 10 northern Israeli areas.

The attacks come a day after Lebanon and Israel's ambassadors to the United States held their first direct talks in decades in Washington and agreed to hold further direct negotiations, with the Lebanese envoy calling for a ceasefire.

Hezbollah strongly rejected the talks.

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced more than a million since March 2, according to Lebanese authorities.


Damascus to Take Over Prisons under SDF Control

People gather as prisoners from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) arrive after being released under an agreement between the SDF and the Syrian government, in Hasakeh, Syria, April 11, 2026. (Reuters)
People gather as prisoners from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) arrive after being released under an agreement between the SDF and the Syrian government, in Hasakeh, Syria, April 11, 2026. (Reuters)
TT

Damascus to Take Over Prisons under SDF Control

People gather as prisoners from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) arrive after being released under an agreement between the SDF and the Syrian government, in Hasakeh, Syria, April 11, 2026. (Reuters)
People gather as prisoners from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) arrive after being released under an agreement between the SDF and the Syrian government, in Hasakeh, Syria, April 11, 2026. (Reuters)

Syrian authorities are set to take control of prisons run by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a government official said, as part of efforts to resolve the detainee issue under an agreement reached on January 29.

Ahmad al-Hilali, spokesman for the presidential team overseeing implementation of the deal, said all SDF-run prisons would be handed over to the justice and interior ministries.

He noted that detainees held by the SDF are being released without conditions, with a new batch expected next week.

“The SDF is committed to the full release of detainees linked to the uprising,” Hilali said, adding that the Justice Ministry would review the cases of those accused of criminal offenses.

He revealed that about 1,500 detainees had already been released, while around 500 others would have their cases examined.

Hilali said the transfer of prisons, particularly in Hasakeh province, would ensure that no detentions remain outside state oversight. He described the issue as humanitarian and said the SDF is moving toward integration into state institutions.

The presidential team, headed by Brig. Gen. Ziad al-Ayesh, arrived on Saturday at the Melbiya Regiment base in the Hasakeh countryside to oversee the release of a third batch of detainees under the agreement. The process included releases by both sides.

On Monday, the SDF freed a fourth group of detainees, according to Hasakeh’s media directorate, in a move carried out under the supervision of the presidential team, Syria TV reported.

Hilali said the government is moving to take over management of SDF-run prisons to end what he described as unregulated and ad hoc releases in recent months.

In a separate development, Hilali said a convoy carrying 800 families displaced from the Afrin region set off from Hasakeh province on Wednesday toward their home areas.

He described it as the largest organized return so far, reflecting progress in preparing conditions and basic services for returns, and underscoring what he said was the state’s commitment to addressing displacement.


International Airlines Resume Beirut Flights with US Assurances

Middle East Airlines aircraft sit on the tarmac at Beirut's Rafic Hariri airport on April 10, 2026. (AFP)
Middle East Airlines aircraft sit on the tarmac at Beirut's Rafic Hariri airport on April 10, 2026. (AFP)
TT

International Airlines Resume Beirut Flights with US Assurances

Middle East Airlines aircraft sit on the tarmac at Beirut's Rafic Hariri airport on April 10, 2026. (AFP)
Middle East Airlines aircraft sit on the tarmac at Beirut's Rafic Hariri airport on April 10, 2026. (AFP)

Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport began recovering on Tuesday from the fallout of the Iran war, as international airlines resumed flights to the Lebanese capital after a roughly 40-day suspension caused by ongoing war, amid US pressure on Israel to spare the airport.

The airport schedule showed the arrival of a Qatar Airways aircraft and another operated by Iraq’s UR Airlines, for the first time since the outbreak of the war. The conflict had disrupted airport operations in Lebanon and several Arab countries and prompted European carriers to cancel services to Beirut.

Qatar Airways had previously announced it would operate one daily commercial flight to Beirut.

Mohammad Aziz, head of Lebanon’s Civil Aviation Authority, said the airport “was not closed; airlines themselves suspended flights to Beirut due to risks posed by military operations to aviation safety.”

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Aziz said he hoped all other carriers would soon resume flights, aiding the airport’s recovery. He added that airlines that halted services due to recent developments were likely to return.

A Qatar Airways plane carrying humanitarian aid landed in Beirut last Friday, before the airline resumed commercial flights on Tuesday alongside UR Airlines.

Their services join those of Lebanon’s national carrier, Middle East Airlines, which maintained operations throughout the war, as well as regular flights by Royal Jordanian and intermittent services by other carriers.

Aziz said no new guarantees or procedures had been introduced.

“The security assurances are the same ones the Lebanese state received through the United States to spare the airport any bombardment,” he said.

He added that agreements between the Civil Aviation Authority and airlines operating in Beirut remain in force. The airport stayed open, while canceled flights listed on schedules reflected airline decisions rather than any change in agreements.

Lebanon received assurances from the United States at the start of the war that Washington was pressing Israel not to target Beirut airport, the country’s only functioning airport.

Aziz said there had been no changes to takeoff and landing procedures, adding that security measures remain strict and in line with international safety standards to ensure the safety of passengers, facilities and flights.

Passenger traffic at Beirut airport has fallen by between 60 and 70 percent since the war began in late February, amid the closure of some regional airports and the suspension of European flights.

Aziz said traffic was “normal” in the sense that arrivals roughly matched departures. On Monday, 2,266 passengers departed Lebanon, compared with 2,241 arrivals, most traveling on Middle East Airlines.