Arafat Ally Qaddoumi Dies: Opposed Oslo, Refused to Return

The late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Farouk al-Qaddoumi during a meeting in Tunisia in 1992 (Getty Images)
The late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Farouk al-Qaddoumi during a meeting in Tunisia in 1992 (Getty Images)
TT

Arafat Ally Qaddoumi Dies: Opposed Oslo, Refused to Return

The late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Farouk al-Qaddoumi during a meeting in Tunisia in 1992 (Getty Images)
The late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Farouk al-Qaddoumi during a meeting in Tunisia in 1992 (Getty Images)

Veteran Palestinian leader Farouk al-Qaddoumi, known as “Abu al-Lutf,” died on Thursday in Amman, Jordan, at the age of 94.
A founding member of the Fatah movement, Qaddoumi was among the last of the original leadership, leaving President Mahmoud Abbas as the sole remaining prominent figure from that era.
Abbas expressed his sorrow, describing Qaddoumi as a “national and historic leader” and a lifelong companion in the struggle for Palestine.
He also offered condolences to Qaddoumi’s sons, Rami and Lutfi, following their father’s death, which came less than two months after the passing of Qaddoumi’s wife.
Qaddoumi was one of the original founders of the Fatah movement in 1965, alongside Yasser Arafat, Salah Khalaf, and Khalil al-Wazir.
He played a significant role in Fatah’s early years, navigating battles and crises, but his influence declined after the Oslo Accords in the early 1990s, which he opposed. Unlike many of his peers, Qaddoumi refused to return to the Palestinian territories.
Despite his opposition to Oslo, Qaddoumi remained a key figure in Fatah and the PLO, staying close to Arafat. He played a crucial role in supporting Abbas as Arafat’s successor, quelling potential divisions within the movement.
In 2004, when Arafat’s wife, Suha, accused Abbas of trying to seize power as Arafat lay dying, many looked to Qaddoumi for his stance.
He ultimately supported Abbas.
However, their alliance soured in 2009 when Qaddoumi accused Abbas of involvement in Arafat’s alleged poisoning, leading to Qaddoumi’s removal from his positions within the PLO and Fatah.
Qaddoumi was outspoken against Oslo and critical of Palestinian leadership. Although he had a falling out with Abbas, they reconciled in meetings in 2010 and 2011.
However, Qaddoumi’s age, health issues, and distance from the political scene kept him out of the spotlight in his later years.



Lebanon Calls for Negotiations Following US Strikes on Iran

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun
TT

Lebanon Calls for Negotiations Following US Strikes on Iran

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun

Following American strikes on Iran that fueled fears of a wider conflict, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Sunday that the US bombing could lead to a regional conflict that no country could bear and called for negotiations.

“Lebanon, its leadership, parties, and people, are aware today, more than ever before, that it has paid a heavy price for the wars that erupted on its land and in the region,” Aoun said in a statement on X. “It is unwilling to pay more”, he added.

Iran and Israel traded air and missile strikes as the world braced on Monday for Tehran's response to the US attack on its nuclear sites and US President Donald Trump raised the idea of regime change in Iran. Iran vowed to defend itself on Sunday, a day after the US joined Israel in the biggest Western military action against the country since its 1979 Iranian Revolution, despite calls for restraint and a return to diplomacy from around the world.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah group has long been considered Iran’s first line of defense in case of a war with Israel. But since Israel launched its massive barrage against Iran, triggering the ongoing Israel-Iran war, the Lebanese group has stayed out of the fray — even after the US entered the conflict Sunday with strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

Lebanese government officials have pressed the group to stay out of the conflict, saying that Lebanon cannot handle another damaging war, and US envoy Tom Barrack, who visited Lebanon last week, said it would be a “very bad decision” for Hezbollah to get involved.