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Arab League Secretary-General Condemns Israeli Decision Regarding UNRWA

Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit meets with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut, Lebanon October 21, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit meets with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut, Lebanon October 21, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
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Arab League Secretary-General Condemns Israeli Decision Regarding UNRWA

Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit meets with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut, Lebanon October 21, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit meets with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut, Lebanon October 21, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

Arab League Secretary General, Ahmed Aboul Gheit strongly condemned Israel's decision to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from operating in Israel and the occupied territories, the Saudi Press Agency said on Tuesday.
Aboul Gheit stated that the decision represents a judgment that "will confiscate the future of millions of Palestinians." He emphasized that this move is part of a long-term strategy by Israel to undermine the agency's role, tarnish UNRWA's international reputation, and cut off its funding sources.
UNRWA offers essential educational and health services to more than 5.5 million Palestinian refugees, ensuring their access to vital support and resources.
He emphasized that the decision sets a dangerous international precedent, noting that UNRWA was established by a UN resolution in 1949, making the UN General Assembly responsible for its operations.
Aboul Gheit specifically urged the Security Council's member states to address this grave decision, emphasizing that the humanitarian efforts in Gaza will be rendered entirely inoperable if UNRWA's activities are prohibited or its role is ignored.

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Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
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Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has stated that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is unwilling to pursue peace in Syria and warned that Israel’s efforts to spread war across the Middle East are undermining the environment fostered by the Astana Process.

Fidan emphasized the importance of Russian and Iranian efforts within the framework of the Astana Process to maintain calm on the ground, pointing to ongoing consultations with the US regarding the Syrian crisis.

Speaking during a parliamentary session discussing the 2025 budget of the Foreign Ministry, Fidan reiterated Türkiye’s expectation that the dialogue proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be approached strategically by the Syrian government, with priority given to the interests of the Syrian people.

Regarding Erdogan’s invitation to Assad for a meeting to discuss the normalization of ties between Ankara and Damascus, Fidan remarked that the matter depends on political will, stressing that the Turkish president has demonstrated his readiness at the highest level.

Last week, Erdogan reiterated the possibility of a meeting with Assad, but Russia, which mediates the normalization talks between Ankara and Damascus, ruled out such a meeting or high-level engagements in the near future.

Russian Presidential Envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev attributed the impasse to Türkiye’s refusal to meet Damascus’ demand for a withdrawal from northern Syria, accusing Ankara of acting as an “occupying state”.

Although Türkiye has not officially responded to Lavrentiev’s comments, which reflect a shift in Russia’s stance, Fidan stated in a televised interview last week that Russia remains “somewhat neutral” regarding the normalization process. He also urged the Syrian government to create conditions for the return of 10 million Syrian refugees.

Türkiye maintains that its military presence in northern Syria prevents the country’s division, blocks the establishment of a “terror corridor” along its southern border, and deters new waves of refugees from entering its territory.

Fidan outlined his country’s key objectives in Syria, which include eradicating terrorist groups (such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the Syrian Democratic Forces), preserving Syria’s territorial unity, advancing the political process, and ensuring the safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees.

Meanwhile, Turkish artillery targeted villages and positions controlled by the Manbij Military Council, affiliated with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), whose main component is the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

On Friday, fierce clashes erupted between the Syrian National Army factions and the SDF in western Tel Abyad, northern Raqqa. Simultaneously, Turkish artillery strikes reportedly killed two SDF members and injured others, with reports of captives and missing personnel.

In retaliation, the SDF shelled Turkish bases in the Ain Issa countryside. Turkish forces responded by deploying military reinforcements amid heightened alert at their bases in Raqqa’s countryside, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).