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Lebanon Did Not Receive Warning from Israel, Hezbollah Dismisses Hochstein’s Visit

French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne meets with Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Beirut, Lebanon August 15, 2024. (Reuters)
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne meets with Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Beirut, Lebanon August 15, 2024. (Reuters)
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Lebanon Did Not Receive Warning from Israel, Hezbollah Dismisses Hochstein’s Visit

French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne meets with Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Beirut, Lebanon August 15, 2024. (Reuters)
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne meets with Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Beirut, Lebanon August 15, 2024. (Reuters)

France's Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne stressed on Thursday his country’s support for Lebanon, expressing appreciation for its "self-restraint in this difficult period" in the region. 

The FM kicked off on Thursday a visit to the region by meeting Lebanese caretaker Najib Mikati and parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut. 

He is scheduled to visit Tel Aviv, Amman and Cairo amid heightened tensions over Hezbollah and Iran’s threats to retaliate against Israel for the assassination of Hezbollah senior military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month. 

In Beirut, Sejourne told Mikati that France stands by Lebanon and it continues to support the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). 

For his part, the PM said: "We can only be silent, patient and praying in this difficult period." 

He also stressed the importance of supporting the extension of UNIFIL’s term for another year. 

Meanwhile, Berri underscored to Sejourne Lebanon’s "commitment to the rules of engagement and its right to defend itself against Israeli hostilities that have not spared civilians, journalists and medics." 

He slammed Israel for using internationally prohibited weapons, such as white phosphorus munitions on agricultural fields. 

The speaker also underlined the need to extend UNIFIL’s term in line with UN Security Council resolutions 1701. 

Sejourne said France was focusing on easing the tensions in the region, which is a message he will relay to other countries during his tour. 

On UNIFIL, he confirmed that Paris was keen on extending its term for another year. 

The Security Council will meet at the end of the month to tackle the extension. 

Sejourne also met his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib, who revealed that Lebanon did not receive any messages or threats from Israel through the French FM or US special envoy Amos Hochstein, who was in Lebanon on Wednesday. 

Bou Habib said discussions with Hochstein culminated in an agreement to extend UNIFIL’s term for another year, noting that the US had initially wanted to extend it for six months. 

Qassem criticizes Hochstein 

Hochstein met with Mikati, Berri and army commander Joseph Aoun. 

He told officials that there was no time to waste to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, which would pave the way for a diplomatic solution that would end the escalation between Hezbollah and Israel. 

Meanwhile, Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem dismissed the envoy’s visit as "performative", adding that he didn’t offer Lebanon any specific proposals. 

The US wants to appear as if it is taking action, but as of yet, it hasn’t offered anything tangible, he revealed. 

He also reiterated that Hezbollah was determined to retaliate to Shukr’s assassination. 

Hezbollah vowed to "continue the brave and wise resistance with all the capabilities at its disposal in defense of Lebanon and its people, their freedom and safety and will to lead a dignified life." 

In a statement marking the 18th anniversary of the end of the 2006 Hezbollah-Israel war, it vowed to carry on with its operations "in spite of the Israeli threats, American aircraft carriers, assassinations and local and foreign media campaigns." 

"Lebanon will never again be occupied, and it will never be taken hostage by the enemy. It will never be open to normalizing ties [with Israel]," it declared. 

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Arab World

Mladenov Shuttle Talks between Israel and Ramallah Hasten Gaza Administration Committee

A general view shows the destruction in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza (AFP)
A general view shows the destruction in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza (AFP)
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Mladenov Shuttle Talks between Israel and Ramallah Hasten Gaza Administration Committee

A general view shows the destruction in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza (AFP)
A general view shows the destruction in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza (AFP)

Nickolay Mladenov, the man chosen to serve as the director-general for US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace in Gaza, discussed arrangements for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement with Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh.

The meeting, which took place a day after Mladenov met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was viewed by experts speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat as increasing the chances of launching the second phase and announcing the formation of a body to administer Gaza.

Netanyahu had announced the selection of Bulgarian diplomat Mladenov, the former United Nations Middle East envoy from early 2015 until the end of 2020, to serve as director general of the Board of Peace, chaired by US President Donald Trump and tasked with overseeing the peace process in Gaza.

Al-Sheikh received Mladenov and his accompanying delegation on Friday at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, in the presence of Maj. Gen. Majed Faraj, head of the General Intelligence Service, according to the Palestinian News Agency, which did not describe Mladenov by his new American-appointed title.

The meeting discussed “the role of the Palestinian administrative committee and Palestinian police and security forces in assuming their duties and linking them to the Palestinian Authority, the holder of sovereignty and legitimacy, as well as ways to implement the second phase of President Trump’s plan as the announcement of the Board of Peace approaches.”

Al-Sheikh stressed the need to begin implementing the second phase, underlining the importance of a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip as part of that phase, which includes ending Hamas rule, handing over its weapons, and moving toward reconstruction under President Trump’s plan.

He also stressed that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the State of Palestine, highlighting the importance of political, administrative, and legal linkage between Palestinian institutions in Gaza and the Palestinian National Authority in the West Bank, and respect for the principle of one authority, one law, and one legitimate weapon.

Al-Sheikh said that while a transitional plan is being implemented in Gaza, there must be an urgent plan to halt all unilateral actions that violate international law, foremost among them settlement expansion, settler violence, and the release of withheld Palestinian funds.

On Thursday evening, the Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement that Netanyahu insisted on the need to disarm Hamas and demilitarize Gaza, describing both as conditions under the Trump administration’s 20-point ceasefire plan.

Tarek Fahmy, a professor of political science specializing in Palestinian and Israeli affairs, said Mladenov is a professional diplomat with a good reputation and will be the board’s appointed director, despite being ranked second after former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who did not enjoy widespread Arab acceptance.

Fahmy said Mladenov is “preparing the ground and accelerating steps toward announcing a technocratic committee under Palestinian leadership.”

Palestinian political analyst Abdul Mahdi Moutawe said Mladenov is not new to Gaza, noting his previous role at the UN in the Middle East.

He said Mladenov met Netanyahu and al-Sheikh to gauge positions and narrow differences in order to reach understandings leading to partial Palestinian administration of Gaza, which would expand as progress is made in the second phase, and depending on the ability to resolve obstacles, particularly those related to disarming Hamas and the enclave.

Under Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza, the territory would be governed by a temporary Palestinian transitional committee composed of nonpartisan technocrats, under the supervision and oversight of the Board of Peace.

The US website Axios cited American officials and informed sources as saying Trump is expected to announce the Board of Peace this week as part of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on Oct. 10.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, in a phone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday evening, stressed the importance of an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the announcement of a temporary Palestinian technocratic committee to administer the enclave, and the formation of an international stabilization force.

Fahmy expects the Board of Peace to be announced in the coming days, alongside pressure to announce the committee and avoid objections to proposed names, in order to begin implementing the second phase in earnest and away from any Israeli maneuvering or obstruction.

Moutawe believes the board and the administrative committee will be announced this week, allowing them to move forward with the second phase and begin its actual implementation.

Arab World

Southern Transitional Council Dissolution Paves Way for Calm South Yemen Talks

A member of Yemeni government forces mans a machine gun on a pick-up truck while on patrol outside the headquarters of the Central Bank of Yemen in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, 08 January 2026. (EPA)
A member of Yemeni government forces mans a machine gun on a pick-up truck while on patrol outside the headquarters of the Central Bank of Yemen in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, 08 January 2026. (EPA)
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Southern Transitional Council Dissolution Paves Way for Calm South Yemen Talks

A member of Yemeni government forces mans a machine gun on a pick-up truck while on patrol outside the headquarters of the Central Bank of Yemen in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, 08 January 2026. (EPA)
A member of Yemeni government forces mans a machine gun on a pick-up truck while on patrol outside the headquarters of the Central Bank of Yemen in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen, 08 January 2026. (EPA)

As Yemen’s government, led by the Presidential Leadership Council, moves to consolidate military and security authority in the south under the defense and interior ministries, it is seeking to contain the fallout from recent turmoil, prevent a return to rebellion, and avert a slide back into violence.

At the same time, political and social forces across the south face mounting pressure to revive a stalled political process capable of delivering practical and equitable solutions to crises, foremost among them the southern issue.

Recent developments, foremost among them the dissolution of the Southern Transitional Council itself, which occurred days after its head, Aidrous al-Zubaidi, fled Yemen have brought about a shift in the political and security power balances.

They have opened the way for a phase marked by the absence of major divisions, allowing space for calm arrangements and dialogue, with focus on the southern issue, amid fears of renewed unrest.

While Zubaidi’s exit and the folding of the Southern Transitional Council mark the end of a project that lasted more than eight years before sliding into chaos and violence in recent weeks, the legitimate government and the Saudi-led Arab coalition have shown significant flexibility toward its leaders.

Atiq Bahuqayba, a leader in the Socialist Party in Hadhramaut, has called for the implementation of what Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, stated during his visit to Hadhramaut in mid-2023, when he promised that the province would manage its own affairs fully.

Flexible governance

No southern settlement can pass without Hadhramaut playing an active role and having the most prominent voice in shaping it, especially in light of the events and developments it has witnessed, which explains the intensified political and security activity there in recent weeks.

Bahuqayba told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Hadhramaut Tribes Alliance remains committed to self-rule for the province, describing it as one of the core demands of its residents and its various political and social forces.

He said recent events involving forces from outside the province nearly dragged it into security and military chaos, were it not for the firmness of presidential decisions and Saudi intervention.

He added that the southern dialogue conference called for by Riyadh carries major importance for Hadhramaut and the south at this sensitive juncture, requiring all Hadhrami forces to participate effectively, while aligning with the local authority led by Governor Salem al-Khanbashi and the commander of the Nation Shield Forces in the province.

Once again, following the dissolution of the Southern Transitional Council, the southern issue has been returned to the fore. It opens the door to tangible gains on the ground, provided there is southern leadership capable of managing reality rather than retreating into violent rhetoric.

Developments over the years in Yemen have shown that engaging seriously with southern demands is more effective than ignoring or confronting them. Flexible governance enables stability and prevents the opening of new fronts, without undermining calls for justice and fairness.

Ali al-Khawlani, a Yemeni academic and political researcher, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the opportunity is now available for political action away from unilateral actions, after recent events demonstrated that there would be no tolerance for attempts to divide Yemen or for practices that harm the national security of neighboring countries, particularly those resembling the behavior of the Houthi group, which required a forceful response.

Al-Khawlani, who heads the Independent Yemeni Center for Strategic Studies, said that the dissolution of the Southern Transitional Council, following its leaders' agreement to participate in a south-to-south dialogue, places all southern forces under the responsibility of participating in decision-making.

He warned against any adventurism that could harm regional security or involve cooperation with forces seeking to sow chaos and instability.

Promoting a model

Political and social forces in Hadhramaut have pushed toward formulating solutions that are more sustainable, rejecting both the dismantling of the Yemeni state and a full return to pre-war centralization.

This has been prompted by calls for self-administration in southern provinces, led by the country’s largest province.

Hadhramaut plays a pivotal role in the country’s future, both generally and in the south in particular, as the province that has seen more stability than others during the war, despite complex circumstances. It is also the most attractive to governance models that move away from rigid centralization.

Ahlam Jaber, a political activist in the city of Mukalla, expects the upcoming dialogue conference in Riyadh to lead to a reordering of the southern political landscape on fair foundations that recognize realities on the ground, with Hadhramaut playing an effective role.

Jaber told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hadhramaut represents a model that could extend to other provinces, not only in the south, but across Yemen.

This, she said, would help untangle long-standing challenges and adjust approaches to managing crises. She pointed to the presence of a local authority that represents the province, a tribal alliance with significant social and security influence, as well as social, economic, academic, and administrative figures capable of shaping visions and setting strategies.

The post-Southern Transitional Council phase does not represent a political vacuum, but a repositioning. Backed by the firmness of the legitimate authority and support from the Saudi-led coalition, the south is moving toward a phase of stability that awaits a political resolution and a comprehensive settlement without renewed security tensions.

Arab World

Syrian Army Says Completed 'Security Sweep' of Kurdish Neighborhood of Aleppo

TOPSHOT - Residents of Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsud area evacuate their neighborhood after warnings from the Syrian army that called on civilians to get out of harms way, following the refusal of Kurdish fighter forces to leave Aleppo, on January 9, 2026. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)
TOPSHOT - Residents of Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsud area evacuate their neighborhood after warnings from the Syrian army that called on civilians to get out of harms way, following the refusal of Kurdish fighter forces to leave Aleppo, on January 9, 2026. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)
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Syrian Army Says Completed 'Security Sweep' of Kurdish Neighborhood of Aleppo

TOPSHOT - Residents of Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsud area evacuate their neighborhood after warnings from the Syrian army that called on civilians to get out of harms way, following the refusal of Kurdish fighter forces to leave Aleppo, on January 9, 2026. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)
TOPSHOT - Residents of Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsud area evacuate their neighborhood after warnings from the Syrian army that called on civilians to get out of harms way, following the refusal of Kurdish fighter forces to leave Aleppo, on January 9, 2026. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)

The Syrian army said Saturday that it had completed a "security sweep" of a neighborhood in Aleppo where its forces have clashed with Kurdish fighters. 

 "We announce the completion of a full security sweep of the Sheikh Maqsud neighborhood in Aleppo," the army said in a statement carried by state media, while warning residents to stay in their homes. AFP correspondents in Aleppo said shelling could still be heard after the announcement. 

Government forces began striking the Sheikh Maqsud district overnight after the Kurdish fighters defied a deadline to withdraw during a temporary ceasefire.   

A military source told the official SANA news agency that the combing operation in Sheikh Maqsud was "more than 90 percent" complete, and that "a number of SDF members" had been arrested.  

In a statement posted by the Ministry of Defense, Syria's army said "the only remaining option for the armed elements in the Sheikh Maqsud area of Aleppo is to surrender themselves and their weapons immediately".   

The violence in Syria's second city erupted after efforts to integrate the Kurds' de facto autonomous administration and military into the country's new government stalled.   

Since the start of the fighting on Tuesday, at least 21 civilians have been killed, according to figures from both sides, and tens of thousands have fled Aleppo.   

The clashes, some of the most intense since Syria's new authorities took power, present yet another challenge as the country struggles to reunify after ousting longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.   

Both sides blame the other for starting the violence.   

Early Friday, Syrian authorities announced a six-hour window for the Kurdish fighters to leave, but they instead refused to "surrender" and vowed to defend their districts.   

In response, Syria's army warned it would renew strikes on military targets in Sheikh Maqsud and urged civilians to get out ahead of the district's takeover by security forces.   

An AFP correspondent saw residents laden with belongings fleeing before the two-hour humanitarian corridor closed.   

Kurdish forces reported coming under artillery and drone attacks and claimed in a post on social media to be mounting a "fierce and ongoing resistance".   

The army said three soldiers had been killed by Kurdish forces, while state television accused them of launching drones on residential areas of Aleppo.   

A flight suspension at Aleppo airport was extended until late Saturday.   

The SDF controls swathes of Syria's oil-rich north and northeast, and was key to the defeat of the ISIS group in 2019.   

But Ankara views its main component as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which agreed last year to end its four-decade armed struggle against Türkiye.   

Elham Ahmad, a senior official in the Kurdish administration in Syria's northeast, accused Syria's authorities of "choosing the path of war" by attacking Kurdish districts and of "seeking to put an end to the agreements that have been reached".   

"We are committed to them and we are seeking to implement them," she told AFP.   

The March integration agreement was meant to be implemented last year, but differences, including Kurdish demands for decentralized rule, have stymied progress.   

Ahmad said that "the United States is playing a mediating role... we hope they will apply pressure to reach an agreement".   

A diplomatic source told AFP that US envoy Tom Barrack was headed to Damascus.   

Türkiye, which shares a 900-kilometer (550-mile) border with Syria, has launched successive offensives to push Kurdish forces from the frontier.   

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa discussed the situation in a call with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and said he was determined to "end the illegal armed presence" in the city, a Syrian presidency statement said.   

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric expressed alarm over the impact of the fighting on civilians and called on all parties "to swiftly return to negotiations to ensure the full implementation of the 10 March agreement".   

Nanar Hawach, senior Syria analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the renewed clashes cast doubt on the government's ability to gain the trust of minority factions and sow the country back together after 14 years of civil war.   

"If the fighting escalates, international actors will wonder about Damascus's capacity to govern Syria's heterogeneous society," he added.   

Syria's authorities have committed to protecting minorities, but sectarian bloodshed rocked the Alawite and Druze communities last year.