عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Israeli Optimism on Ceasefire Deal in Lebanon

Israeli soldiers inspect a site where a Hezbollah missile landed in northern Israel on Tuesday (AFP)
Israeli soldiers inspect a site where a Hezbollah missile landed in northern Israel on Tuesday (AFP)
TT
TT

Israeli Optimism on Ceasefire Deal in Lebanon

Israeli soldiers inspect a site where a Hezbollah missile landed in northern Israel on Tuesday (AFP)
Israeli soldiers inspect a site where a Hezbollah missile landed in northern Israel on Tuesday (AFP)

Political sources in Tel Aviv have said that negotiations on a ceasefire deal in Lebanon have reached advanced stages and will be based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

The sources confirmed Tuesday that in addition to the US efforts, Russia will use its influence on Iran to end the fighting in Lebanon.

The same sources reported that Moscow informed Tel Aviv that Tehran was encouraging Hezbollah to go ahead with the deal regardless of developments in Gaza.

The sources said White House special envoy Amos Hochstein is awaiting a signal from his mediation partners, France and Qatar, who are in contact with Hezbollah.

Advanced Stages

Nadav Eyal, a political reporter at Israel’s Yediot Ahronot newspaper, quoted on Tuesday senior Israeli officials as saying that the negotiations on a ceasefire deal in Lebanon are “in advanced stages.”

He said Hochstein may travel to Israel and Lebanon before the November 5 US presidential elections, to attempt to reach final agreements.

“If the talks advance, the Israeli army will begin to withdraw most of its troops and redeploy forces in South Lebanon and leave areas where their mission to remove the threat from Radwan forces, has been completed, and likely remain only where there is tactical significance,” Eyal wrote.

The officials in Israel, he noted, say that Lebanon's situation has completely changed after the Israeli army offensive and that there is an agreement in Beirut to disconnect both the Lebanon and Gazan fronts.

They stressed the fact that fighting would continue while negotiations are ongoing and until they are completed.

Also, Western intelligence sources believe Iran would allow Hezbollah to agree to a ceasefire, and perhaps even encourage it, even if the fighting in Gaza does not end.

60 Days

The Israeli officials said a ceasefire agreement would begin with a 60-day acclimation period during which Hezbollah and the Israeli army withhold their fire and the Lebanese army will deploy to the south, while a new mechanism to supervise the region will be considered.

Eyal said there will be no new resolution passed in the UN Security Council.

He quoted French and American officials as saying that Hezbollah, which suffered severe blows and lost all of its leadership, has been bolstered in the past two weeks, by the growing number of casualties among Israeli army soldiers. “This is an opportunity that must not be missed,” they said.

Israeli Proposal

According to the newspaper, the proposed deal to be agreed by Israel, Lebanon, the US and others, includes three components.

The first is a wider implementation of Resolution 1701, passed after the 2006 Second Lebanon War, that would ensure there would be no Hezbollah south of the Litani River, and at a significant distance from Metula.

Lebanon's army is to deploy 5,000 to 10,000 troops along the border.

UNIFIL forces will be increased, perhaps some, replaced by French, British and German forces. Eyal said Israel has approached those countries to see if they would agree.

The second component is the establishment of an international mechanism to supervise the area and consider violation claims by any of the sides.

Israeli officials said the US has agreed that if Hezbollah violates the agreement, for example by building fortifications south of the Litani, and the Lebanese army or UNIFIL fail to quickly respond, the Israeli army would be able to take prolonged action to remove the threat.

As part of the negotiations, Israel asked for a letter from US President Joe Biden, stating Israel's right to self-defense, making it clear that the Israeli army would be able to act. American officials did not respond to questions on the matter.

The third component in the agreement being negotiated is preventing Hezbollah from rearming. This means blocking military means, to be identified as banned, from being brought in by air, land or sea.

Russian Role

Russia expressed a willingness to assist in implementing the agreement and is destined to play a part in stabilizing the region in Lebanon and Syria. “The Russians will have a special role in preventing further escalation,” a foreign source said, according to Eyal.

He said Israel will engage with the Kremlin directly and is interested in Russian participation, in the hopes that it would contribute to the agreement's implementation and also to reduce its dependence on US involvement.

Netanyahu’s Envoy

In the past days, Netanyahu emissaries have been trying to enlist other countries to join supervision roles in the pending agreement, Eyal said.

Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer has been working with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan while Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has discussed the matter with Hochstein.

Other sources told Maariv that the US administration is putting pressure on Israel to respond to Hochstein’s efforts.

The newspaper revealed the presence of hints that Washington would allow France to pass a Security Council resolution in favor of a ceasefire in Lebanon if Netanyahu blocks the deal. According to security sources in Tel Aviv, the Israeli military welcomes the agreement.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Palestinian President’s Advisor: Board of Peace, Related Entities Are a ‘Temporary Arrangement’

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash. WAFA
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash. WAFA
TT
TT

Palestinian President’s Advisor: Board of Peace, Related Entities Are a ‘Temporary Arrangement’

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash. WAFA
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash. WAFA

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash said that the situation in the Gaza Strip, along with the formation of the Board of Peace and its related entities is not a Palestinian choice.

This is “a temporary arrangement (mandated by the UN Security Council) that the Palestinian leadership rejects under any circumstances... but it is the lesser of two evils,” Al-Habbash told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Speaking from Ramallah, Al-Habbash said that the Palestinian leadership “chose this arrangement to stop the massacre and open a potential window ... leading to a Palestinian state.”

US President Donald Trump announced last week the formation of the Board of Peace, a new body of world leaders meant to oversee next steps in Gaza.

The White House said there would be a main board, chaired by Trump himself, a Palestinian committee of technocrats meant to govern the war-wracked territory, and a second "executive board" that appears designed to have a more advisory role.

“Our clear and firm position is that we did not create this reality,” said Al-Habbash. “Rather, it is a reality imposed on us for two reasons: First, Israel’s aggression ... and second, the reckless adventure carried out by Hamas movement, which whetted Israel’s appetite to liquidate the Palestinian cause.”

According to Al-Habbash, “this transitional arrangement is the least harmful to the Palestinian cause,” because it ensures that Palestinians remain in the Gaza Strip and prevents displacement.

Arab World

UN Human Rights Commissioner Calls for Accountability for Atrocity Crimes in Sudan

UN Human Rights commissioner Volker Turk 
UN Human Rights commissioner Volker Turk 
TT
TT

UN Human Rights Commissioner Calls for Accountability for Atrocity Crimes in Sudan

UN Human Rights commissioner Volker Turk 
UN Human Rights commissioner Volker Turk 

UN Human Rights commissioner Volker Turk said on Sunday he is alarmed by the increasing militarization of society by all parties to the conflict in Sudan, also expressing his worries that the atrocity crimes committed during and after the takeover of El Fasher would be repeated in the Kordofan region.

Speaking at a press conference in Port Sudan, where the government had been operating as a temporary capital since the conflict began, the UN envoy said the proliferation of advanced military equipment, in particular drones, across Sudan has enhanced the military capabilities of both the Sudanese army (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), prolonging hostilities and deepening the crisis for civilians.

“I am deeply alarmed by the increasing militarization of society by all parties to the conflict, including through the arming of civilians and recruitment and use of children,” Turk noted.

The envoy said that during his visit to refugee camps in north Sudan, he heard accounts of widespread summary executions by RSF during the offensive on El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur region – for revenge, for suspected affiliation with the Sudanese Army or its allied Joint Forces.

He added, “I am very worried that the atrocity crimes committed during and after the takeover of El Fasher are at grave risk of repeating themselves in the Kordofan region, where the conflict has been rapidly escalating since late October.”

Horror and Hell

Turk also said the Sudanese population had endured “horror and hell,” especially with the expansion of the fighting in Kordofan.

“The Kordofan states are extremely volatile, with relentless military engagements, heavy shelling, drone bombardments and airstrikes causing widespread destruction and collapse of essential services,” he warned.

Since the end of October, and after taking control of El Fasher in Darfur, the RSF attacks have expanded into the neighboring Kordofan region, resulting in a continued displacement of civilians from the besieged city – all in the context of extreme food insecurity, with famine conditions confirmed in Kadugli, and risk of famine in other areas including Dilling, according to Turk.

The latest UN figures show that more than 65,000 people have been displaced since October.

At his press conference at Port Sudan airport, the envoy said that during his four-day visit to Port Sudan, Dongola, Ad Dabba and Merowe, he has met with those who have been hardest hit by brutal violence and injustice in this war.

“The terrifying experiences of these survivors must provoke action to end this conflict, and to make sure they can access what they need: medical care, psychosocial care, justice and support to pursue education and a livelihood”.

End This Madness

Turk and his UN team had visited the Al Afad site for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Ad Dabba, where they met with a large number of displaced people from the regions of Darfur and Kordofan.

“In my meetings with more than 50 local and international organizations in Dongola and Port Sudan, I heard appeals directed to those waging this war and the international community to end this madness,” he said.

“And to allow NGOs, journalists, lawyers and humanitarian actors to do their essential work without undue restrictions and reprisals,” Turk added.

He said the RSF and the Sudanese army must cease intolerable attacks against civilian objects that are indispensable to the civilian population, including markets, health facilities, schools and shelters.

“Attacks on critical civilian infrastructure are serious violations that can amount to war crimes,” Turk affirmed.

The UN envoy said the international community must ensure that the perpetrators of the horrific violations in Sudan face justice, regardless of their affiliation.

My Office, he said, is working to document and report on these violations and abuses to pave the way for accountability.

Turk described as “despicable” the fact that large sums of money are being spent on procuring increasingly advanced weaponry – funds he said that should be used to alleviate the suffering of the population.

Protection of Civilians

The envoy then called on all parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, to guarantee safe passage for civilians to leave areas of active conflict – including Kadugli and Dilling – and for humanitarian aid to enter where it is needed.

He also repeated his call from three years ago, when he last visited Sudan, urging all those involved to set aside entrenched positions, power games, and personal interests, and to focus on the common interests of the Sudanese people.

The envoy then left Sudan with a plea that human rights be central to building confidence and bringing this war to an end, to resuming the difficult task of building a sustainable peace.

“It is difficult, but certainly not impossible, with the resilience and power of the Sudanese people,” he affirmed.

Arab World

Syrian Government Announces Ceasefire with Kurdish-led SDF

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa after signing an agreement at the presidential palace in Damascus on January 18, 2026. (EPA)
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa after signing an agreement at the presidential palace in Damascus on January 18, 2026. (EPA)
TT
TT

Syrian Government Announces Ceasefire with Kurdish-led SDF

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa after signing an agreement at the presidential palace in Damascus on January 18, 2026. (EPA)
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa after signing an agreement at the presidential palace in Damascus on January 18, 2026. (EPA)

The Syrian government Sunday announced a ceasefire with the Syrian Democratic Forces, taking almost full control of the country and dismantling the Kurdish-led forces that controlled the northeast for over a decade.

The announcement comes as tensions between government forces and the SDF boiled over earlier this month, eventually resulting in a major push by government forces toward the east. The SDF appeared to have largely retreated after initial clashes on a tense front line area in eastern Aleppo province.

Hours after the government announced the deal, SDF leader Mazloum Abdi confirmed it in a video statement, saying the group had accepted the agreement, which stipulates their withdrawal from Raqqa and Deir Ezzor provinces “to stop the bloodshed.”

“We will explain the terms of the agreement to our people in the coming days,” he said.

Syria’s Defense Ministry said it ordered the fighting to halt on the front lines after the agreement was announced.

Syria’s new leaders, since toppling Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, have struggled to assert their full authority over the war-torn country. An agreement was reached in March that would merge the SDF with Damascus, but it didn't gain traction as both sides accused each other of violating the deal.

Since the push, the government has largely asserted control of the Deir Ezzor and Raqqa provinces, critical areas under the SDF that include oil and gas fields, river dams along the Euphrates, and border crossings.

Syria’s state-run news agency SANA showed President Ahmed al-Sharaa signing and holding the agreement. Abdi, who was scheduled to meet with the president in Damascus was not seen, though his signature appeared on the document.

Sharaa told journalists that Abdi could not travel due to bad weather and will visit Damascus on Monday.

“It’s a victory for all Syrians of all backgrounds,” Sharaa told journalists in Damascus after signing the agreement. “Hopefully Syria will end its state of division and move to a state of unity and progress.”

US Envoy Tom Barrack met with Sharaa earlier Sunday as government forces were sweeping into the city of Raqqa and across Deir Ezzor. Abdi reportedly joined the meeting over the phone.

Barrack praised the agreement, saying it will lead to “renewed dialogue and cooperation toward a unified Syria,” ahead of working on the details of implementing the integration.

“This agreement and ceasefire represent a pivotal inflection point, where former adversaries embrace partnership over division,” said Barrack in a post on X.

The agreement includes dismantling the SDF and having its forces join Syria’s military and security forces, while senior military and civilian officials would be given high-ranking positions in state institutions.

The SDF would have to give up the Raqqa and Deir Ezzor provinces — both Arab-majority areas — to the Syrian military and government, as well as its border crossings and oil and gas fields.

Hassakah province, the heartland of the Kurdish population, is only expected to give its civilian administration back to Damascus, while the Kurdish-led agencies that handled prisons and sprawling camps with thousands of detained ISIS group fighters and families would be handed over to Damascus.

Agreement will be implemented gradually

There was no clear timeline on when and how the different elements of the agreement will take effect. Sharaa told journalists that it will be gradually implemented, beginning with the cessation of hostilities.

It appeared that tensions following clashes in Aleppo earlier this month had calmed after Abdi announced that his troops will withdraw east of the Euphrates River, and Sharaa issued a presidential decree that would strengthen Kurdish rights in the country.

Initially the withdrawal appeared to be going as planned, but then new clashes broke out and the Syrian military seized Tabqa, continuing into Raqqa province.

A senior Syrian government official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly said government forces pushed eastward because the SDF despite saying they will withdraw east of the Euphrates by 7 a.m. did not do so.

Armed Arab clans in Raqqa and Deir Ezzor that largely do not support the SDF backed Damascus. By Sunday evening, the SDF lost control of large swaths of its territory and infrastructure, including dams and oil and gas fields.

The SDF took Raqqa from the ISIS group in 2017 as part of its military campaign to take down the group’s so-called "caliphate", which at its peak stretched across large parts of Syria and Iraq.

An Associated Press reporter in the area said that large military convoys swept into Raqqa city Sunday evening and were greeted by residents. It appeared that the SDF had withdrawn.

Raqqa celebrates

Crowds in Raqqa celebrated in the streets late into the evening, waving Syrian flags and setting off fireworks, while some fired into the air.

“Today, everyone is born anew,” said Yahya Al Ahmad, who was among the revelers.

A couple of thousand Kurdish families who lived in the areas captured by government forces fled to the SDF-controlled city of Qamishli amid the offensive. Many of them had previously been displaced from other areas multiple times during Syria’s 14-year civil war and were living in tents camps. A cultural center in the city was turned into a temporary shelter for them.

Residents of Qamishli expressed both hope and skepticism about the deal.

“The Kurds have become victims of international agreements and international deception,” said Goran Ibrahim, a doctor. But he said, “With regards to this agreement, the positive part is the end of the fighting in the region.”

Syria's ambassador to the UN, Ibrahim Olabi, told the AP, “Really this is now a moment to show that Syrians are able to put differences aside and move ahead...It’s a victory for Syria.”