Aboul Gheit Emphasizes Arab, Int’l Rejection of Forced Displacement of Palestinians

Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit speaks during a press conference after the 33rd Arab Summit, in Manama, Bahrain, May 16, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit speaks during a press conference after the 33rd Arab Summit, in Manama, Bahrain, May 16, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
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Aboul Gheit Emphasizes Arab, Int’l Rejection of Forced Displacement of Palestinians

Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit speaks during a press conference after the 33rd Arab Summit, in Manama, Bahrain, May 16, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit speaks during a press conference after the 33rd Arab Summit, in Manama, Bahrain, May 16, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

The Secretary General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, stressed on Thursday Arab and international rejection of the forced displacement of the Palestinian people, condemning it morally, humanely, and legally.

He called on the international community to hold an international peace conference that embodies the two-state solution, which enjoys global consensus.
In his speech at the 33rd Arab Summit held in Manama, Aboul Gheit noted that peace in the region requires the immediate end of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, noting that some Western countries have provided political cover for the Israeli occupation.
The secretary general added that the region's crises "remain unresolved, and the wounds have not healed," highlighting that the most dangerous situation is in Sudan, which threatens the survival of the state and the lives of millions.
He also pointed out that crises in several Arab countries, especially in Yemen and Libya, have exhausted the states and their people, who are still waiting for solutions and settlements that could restore normalcy.
Aboul Gheit reiterated that collective action is the way to achieve prosperity for all, saying that Arabs will only overcome their difficulties through solidarity and will only rise together.



US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
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US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)

The United States is deferring the removal of certain Lebanese citizens from the country, President Joe Biden said on Friday, citing humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon amid tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

The deferred designation, which lasts 18 months, allows Lebanese citizens to remain in the country with the right to work, according to a memorandum Biden sent to the Department of Homeland Security.

"Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel," Biden said in the memo.

"While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States."

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a "support front" with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel's military assault in Gaza.

The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.