Egypt and Jordan Reaffirm Commitment to Two-State Solution

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II meet in Cairo on December 27, 2023. (Reuters)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II meet in Cairo on December 27, 2023. (Reuters)
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Egypt and Jordan Reaffirm Commitment to Two-State Solution

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II meet in Cairo on December 27, 2023. (Reuters)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II meet in Cairo on December 27, 2023. (Reuters)

Egypt and Jordan reiterated the importance of achieving lasting peace in the region through the two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, emphasizing that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state is the only guarantee for peace and stability in the Middle East.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II held telephone talks on Tuesday to discuss regional developments, particularly the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, including the exchange of hostages and detainees and ensuring humanitarian aid access to the people of Gaza, said the Egyptian presidency.

The conversation took place amid widespread controversy over US President Donald Trump’s proposal to relocate Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan, a move that was firmly rejected by both Cairo and Amman.

In a shock statement later on Tuesday, Trump said the US would take over the war-ravaged Gaza Strip and develop it economically after Palestinians are resettled elsewhere.

According to the Egyptian presidency, Sisi and King Abdullah stressed the need for the full implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and emphasized the urgent need for the enclave’s reconstruction.

They reiterated the need for permanent peace based on the two-state solution, calling for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The leaders also underscored the importance of maintaining a unified Arab stance advocating for a comprehensive peace agreement that ensures regional stability and economic prosperity.

King Abdullah II is scheduled to visit Washington on February 11 to meet with Trump.

In addition, the Egyptian presidency stated that Sisi and Abdullah discussed the situation in Syria, stressing the need to restore stability, preserve territorial integrity and protect its people. They underlined the importance of an inclusive political process that represents all segments of Syrian society.

On Lebanon, they renewed their commitment to the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah and UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

The telephone talks came as the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Egypt’s ambassador, along with diplomats from Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and the deputy ambassadors of the UAE and Qatar, met with Senior Bureau Official in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the US Department of State Timothy Lenderking.

The meeting was part of a series of discussions with senior officials from the US administration, the National Security Council, and the State Department, aimed at conveying Arab positions and boosting coordination with the Trump administration.

Irina Tsukerman, a US strategic affairs expert, told Asharq Al-Awsat that these diplomatic moves represent “a decisive push to shift Washington’s stance toward a more balanced approach, while pressing for a stronger position on humanitarian aid and a ceasefire agreement.”

She added that direct engagement with US policymakers highlights a concerted diplomatic effort to influence Washington’s approach.

Given the firm Arab stance against the displacement of Palestinians, the objective is to eliminate any proposed solutions involving forced displacement and encourage the US to adopt a more balanced position. This could pressure Israel to consider long-term solutions, such as a sustainable ceasefire, renewed peace negotiations, and increased US involvement in the peace process, she said.



Australia Won’t Repatriate 34 Women and Children from Syria 

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stands outside the entrance to his office at Parliament House in Canberra on February 11, 2026. (AFP)
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stands outside the entrance to his office at Parliament House in Canberra on February 11, 2026. (AFP)
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Australia Won’t Repatriate 34 Women and Children from Syria 

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stands outside the entrance to his office at Parliament House in Canberra on February 11, 2026. (AFP)
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stands outside the entrance to his office at Parliament House in Canberra on February 11, 2026. (AFP)

The Australian government will not repatriate from Syria a group of 34 women and children with alleged ties to the ISIS group, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tuesday.

The women and children from 11 families were supposed to fly from the Syrian capital Damascus to Australia but Syrian authorities on Monday turned them back to Roj camp in northeast Syria because of procedural problems, officials said.

Only two groups of Australians have been repatriated with government help from Syrian camps since the fall of the ISIS group in 2019. Other Australians have also returned without government assistance.

Albanese would not comment on a report that the latest women and children had Australian passports.

“We’re providing absolutely no support and we are not repatriating people,” Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp. in Melbourne.

“We have no sympathy, frankly, for people who traveled overseas in order to participate in what was an attempt to establish a ‘caliphate’ to undermine, destroy, our way of life. And so, as my mother would say, ‘You make your bed, you lie in it,’” Albanese added.

Albanese noted that the child welfare-focused international charity Save the Children had failed to establish in Australia’s courts that the Australian government had a responsibility to repatriate citizens from Syrian camps.

After the federal court ruled in the government's favor in 2024, Save the Children Australia chief executive Mat Tinkler argued the government had a moral, if not legal, obligation to repatriate families.

Albanese said if the latest group made their way to Australia without government help, they could be charged.

It was an offense under Australian law to travel to the former ISIS stronghold of al-Raqqa province without a legitimate reason from 2014 to 2017. The maximum penalty was 10 years in prison.

“It’s unfortunate that children are impacted by this as well, but we are not providing any support. And if anyone does manage to find their way back to Australia, then they’ll face the full force of the law, if any laws have been broken,” Albanese added.

The last group of Australians to be repatriated from Syrian camps arrived in Sydney in October 2022.

They were four mothers, former partners of ISIS supporters, and 13 children.

Australian officials had assessed the group as the most vulnerable among 60 Australian women and children held in Roj camp, the government said at the time.

Eight offspring of two slain Australian ISIS fighters were repatriated from Syria in 2019 by the conservative government that preceded Albanese’s center-left Labor Party administration.

The issue of ISIS supporters resurfaced in Australia after the killings of 15 people at a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14. The attackers were allegedly inspired by ISIS.


‘Jerusalem After the West Bank’: Israel Effectively Erases the Land of a Palestinian State

The Neve Yaakov settlement north of East Jerusalem, with the Israeli wall visible separating the Palestinian neighborhood of al-Ram in the West Bank (AFP). 
The Neve Yaakov settlement north of East Jerusalem, with the Israeli wall visible separating the Palestinian neighborhood of al-Ram in the West Bank (AFP). 
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‘Jerusalem After the West Bank’: Israel Effectively Erases the Land of a Palestinian State

The Neve Yaakov settlement north of East Jerusalem, with the Israeli wall visible separating the Palestinian neighborhood of al-Ram in the West Bank (AFP). 
The Neve Yaakov settlement north of East Jerusalem, with the Israeli wall visible separating the Palestinian neighborhood of al-Ram in the West Bank (AFP). 

A day after an unprecedented Israeli decision allowing the seizure of land in the occupied West Bank, Hebrew-language reports revealed a settlement plan that would, in effect, extend Jerusalem’s boundaries beyond the pre–1967 lines.

According to a report published by Yedioth Ahronoth, a housing plan being promoted in the settlement of Adam (also known as Geva Binyamin), in the Binyamin region, is formally presented as an expansion of the settlement bloc.

In practice, however, it would push Jerusalem’s municipal boundaries beyond the lines that existed before the June 1967 war. Such a move would amount to the imposition of de facto sovereignty over the city and a further expansion of Israel’s occupation of Jerusalem.

The Palestinian Authority (PA), backed by international resolutions, demands East Jerusalem as the capital of the hoped-for Palestinian state on the basis of the pre-1967 borders, within the framework of a two-state solution.

Limited Options for the Palestinian Authority

Israeli efforts to seize Palestinian land are effectively undermining the prospects of statehood, while the PA appears to have few tools at its disposal to confront the occupation.

The Palestinian presidency rejected the Israeli decisions, saying it does not recognize them and that they “do not change reality in any way.” It described the moves as a threat to security and stability and as an annulment of signed agreements.

A well-informed Palestinian source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the PA’s options are limited to “the steadfastness of Palestinians on their land and confronting this Israeli encroachment by relying on and adhering to international law and international legitimacy resolutions, turning to the UN Security Council, relevant institutions, international courts, and diplomatic channels.”

The source acknowledged that the PA’s tools are confined to resisting on the ground and rejecting Israeli decisions on the basis that they neither create nor negate rights and do not alter the status of the West Bank as occupied territory.

The PA is also betting on a global rejection of these measures and on pressure by influential states on Israel and the United States to halt them.

He added that the PA has instructed its apparatuses and ministries not to deal with any situation imposed by Israel in the West Bank and is relying on public awareness among Palestinians to avoid engaging with Israeli attempts to create new facts on the ground.

In parallel, the international community, the Security Council, and all legal and international bodies have been urged to confront these unilateral steps and take urgent action.

The PA is also awaiting the outcome of US President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza, hoping it will lead to a political process toward statehood.

It remains committed to the plan’s provisions and pins hopes on potential changes in Israel’s upcoming elections that could unseat the current right-wing government in favor of a less extreme coalition.

Trump’s “Peace Council” is scheduled to hold its first meeting in Washington on Thursday, as the US president speaks of achieving what he calls “global peace.”

The Jerusalem Plan

The plan for Jerusalem calls for the construction of hundreds of housing units on land located some distance from the Adam settlement, currently without direct access from it, despite earlier discussions about building a bridge to link the two areas.

Construction in the designated zone would create geographic contiguity within Jerusalem and effectively expand the Neve Yaakov neighborhood. According to the plan, the housing units are intended for the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community.

Advancing the plan through the West Bank planning system has become significantly easier following sweeping changes introduced by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich within the Civil Administration, including the creation of a new settlement authority.

Approval is expected to proceed rapidly, and under procedures adopted in recent years, the project could be implemented within a few years. Smotrich has reshaped the government’s approach to settlement construction by replacing lengthy bureaucratic processes with fast-track approval channels.

A “Misleading Cover”

The Jerusalem Governorate said Israel’s Ministry of Construction and Housing plans to build around 2,780 settlement units to expand the Adam settlement, describing this as a misleading cover aimed at extending Jerusalem’s municipal boundaries beyond the Green Line—the demarcation between territories occupied in 1948 and those occupied in 1967—as part of a calculated policy to impose new sovereign realities without an official declaration.

In a statement issued Monday, the governorate said promoting what is called the “expansion of Adam” is an attempt to obscure the truth.

The plan shows that the new settlement neighborhood would, in practice, be administered as part of Jerusalem’s municipality, despite being formally presented as part of the settlement, an open attempt to conceal annexation behind deceptive planning labels.

Israeli Opposition

Knesset member Gilad Kariv, from the opposition Democrats party warned that the planned step would exacerbate friction between Israelis and Palestinians and inflame unnecessary tensions.

He added that the plans contradict Israel’s international commitments, including those toward Trump, and reflect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s complete submission to his extremist partners.

The Israeli peace group Peace Now sharply criticized the move, saying that for the first time since 1967, the government is clandestinely annexing land under the pretext of establishing a new settlement.

In a message to Trump, the group warned: “Netanyahu is deceiving you. You said you would not allow annexation, yet he is carrying it out before your eyes.”

The Jerusalem plan comes amid a series of controversial decisions by the Israeli government regarding the West Bank. On Sunday, the government approved the reopening of land registration in the West Bank for the first time since 1967, endorsing a proposal to register vast areas in the name of the state—effectively granting legal cover to the seizure of Palestinian land.


Will Libya’s Haftar Sever Alleged Association with Sudan’s RSF? 

LNA commander Khalifa Haftar meets with Egypt’s chief of intelligence Hassan Rashad on Sunday. (LNA General Command)
LNA commander Khalifa Haftar meets with Egypt’s chief of intelligence Hassan Rashad on Sunday. (LNA General Command)
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Will Libya’s Haftar Sever Alleged Association with Sudan’s RSF? 

LNA commander Khalifa Haftar meets with Egypt’s chief of intelligence Hassan Rashad on Sunday. (LNA General Command)
LNA commander Khalifa Haftar meets with Egypt’s chief of intelligence Hassan Rashad on Sunday. (LNA General Command)

Senior Egyptian officials have been flocking to eastern Libya, the stronghold of the Libyan National Army (LNA), in what observers have said was increasing alarm in Cairo over the LNA’s support to Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The officials have sought to persuade LNA commander Khalifa Haftar to end support to the RSF, which is pitted against the Sudanese army in a civil war that erupted in April 2023 over a power struggle during the country’s transition to democratic rule. Egypt is concerned that the fallout of the conflict in Sudan will impact its own national security.

Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad was the latest official to visit Libya’s Benghazi on Sunday. He was welcomed by Haftar’s son Khaled, who is the LNA chief of staff.

In a brief statement, the LNA said Rashad’s meeting with Haftar “discussed local and regional developments. They underlined the importance of maintaining communication and coordination to serve the common interests of their countries.”

Days earlier, Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces Ahmed Khalifa also visited Benghazi.

Cairo has previously said that the violation of Sudan’s unity was a “red line”. Observers say that this red line demands that Khalifa Haftar align his stances with Egypt when it comes to Sudan.

Recent international reports have published satellite images that show noticeable RSF military activity in the southern Libya desert. The LNA has also been accused of providing the RSF with logistic support.

The LNA often dismisses such accusations.

A former military official from western Libya said Haftar needs to sever his ties with the RSF.

Libyan political analyst Hussam Al-Fnish said: “The issue of providing support to the RSF has become a burden given the geo-security vacuum in Libya.”

“The vacuum is being exploited by several parties to pursue their own agendas,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“Greater cooperation and coordination with Haftar and his son” are needed to address the situation, he added.

Khaled Haftar has previously suggested that securing the border should be shouldered by authorities in eastern and western Libya in coordination with the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, Fnish remarked.

Libyan military expert Adel Abdulkafi said the alleged ties between Haftar and the RSF “definitely harm Egypt’s national security.”

The frequent visits by Egyptian officials to eastern Libya are aimed at pressuring Khalifa Haftar to end his support to the RSF, he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

They are also seeking to greater secure the porous border through which supplies are being sent to the RSF, he added.

Abdelkafi predicted that Haftar will sever his ties with the RSF if he comes under enough Egyptian and Turkish pressure.

Reuters had reported in December that a remote airstrip in southeastern Libya helped “reshape Sudan's civil war by providing a lifeline to the RSF”, according to more than a dozen military, intelligence and diplomatic officials.

“Military supplies sent via the airstrip in Kufrah, about 300 km from Sudan's border, helped the RSF revive its fortunes after the Sudanese army retook the capital Khartoum in March,” the officials said.

“The supply route was central to the RSF’s brutal capture of the city of el-Fashir in October, which allowed the paramilitary group to consolidate its control over Darfur and preceded a series of victories in Sudan’s south,” said the report.

A former eastern Libya military source said the LNA’s backing of the RSF is tied to international interests.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, he stressed that the “LNA has no strategic interest in supporting the RSF against the Sudanese army.”

“Such separatist actions primarily harm Libya’s unity and stability,” he warned.

Justin Lynch, managing director of the Conflict Insights Group analysis firm, said he identified at least 105 cargo plane landings at Kufrah between April 1 and November 1 by correlating satellite images with flight tracking data, continued the Reuters report. Reuters was not able to confirm his figure independently.

Sudan's army has repeatedly accused the RSF of securing military cargoes via Libya and in September submitted a complaint to the United Nations that alleged Colombian mercenaries had traveled via Kufrah to support the RSF.

To determine the scale of the Kufrah operation, Reuters spoke to 18 diplomatic, military, intelligence and other officials from Western and African countries, and 14 experts on regional and military affairs.

The former security source said: “There are international and Arab countries that are pushing the LNA command to deliver supplies to the RSF.”

Since the eruption of the war in Sudan, the LNA has denied involvement in the conflict, saying it stands at an equal distance from all parties, the source told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Egypt and Libya have often had intense military and security coordination, especially with Haftar, aimed at supporting stability in Libya, confronting terrorist threats and cross-border crime and securing their joint border.