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Arab World

No ‘Positive Signs’ as Israel Refuses to Tie Ending War on Lebanon to Iran

In this photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, right, shakes hands with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (Lebanese Presidency press office via AP)
In this photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, right, shakes hands with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (Lebanese Presidency press office via AP)
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No ‘Positive Signs’ as Israel Refuses to Tie Ending War on Lebanon to Iran

In this photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, right, shakes hands with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (Lebanese Presidency press office via AP)
In this photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, right, shakes hands with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (Lebanese Presidency press office via AP)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated on Thursday the need for the state to impose its authority throughout its territories and impose monopoly over weapons as part of an initiative to launch direct negotiations with Israel to end the war.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said that his country was carrying out “intense” contacts, including relaying messages between Iran and the United States, and communicating with Israel, to ease the tensions and prevent the regional conflict from expanding.

Abdelatty was in Beirut where he met with Aoun and several officials as part of Egypt’s efforts to support Lebanon and contain the regional and international escalation.

He conveyed to Aoun President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's support and “full solidarity with Lebanon, its leadership and people.”

He stressed that Egypt stands by Lebanon during its plight.

“Cairo will not spare an effort to offer political, diplomatic and humanitarian support and it is constantly working with various concerned parties to ease the tensions and avert a deterioration,” added the FM.

‘Unencouraging’ signs

Sources monitoring Abdelatty’s meetings in Beirut said the signs were “unencouraging” and that the political and military circumstances “are not positive” when it comes to Lebanon, especially with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal that the war on Lebanon be included in US-Iran negotiations on ending the regional conflict.

He is insisting on his position to eliminate Hezbollah regardless if a ceasefire is reached between Washington and Tehran, said the sources, meaning the war on Lebanon will stretch on.

They warned that the Lebanese front may witness further escalation in the coming phase.

Abdelatty echoed these concerns, telling reporters in Lebanon that “diplomacy continues, but it has not reached tangible results.”

“Some sides are seeking calm and exploring the possibility of negotiations, so progress may be achieved in the future,” he revealed.

Aoun

Aoun underscored his initiative aimed at ending the military escalation and the Israeli occupation of southern regions, as well as the Lebanese state imposing its authority throughout its territories.

The initiative is based on consolidating security and stability across Lebanon’s borders and preventing any armed presence outside the state, he added. Illegal weapons will be seized to ensure state monopoly over arms and that it alone has control over decisions of war and peace.

“Lebanon does not want to be an arena for the wars of others,” he declared. “Lebanon’s official position reflects a clear desire to keep the country out of regional conflicts.”

He warned that Israel’s failure to respond to his proposal means that the military escalation will continue, deepening the suffering of the people, especially those in the South.

“The Lebanese people are united in refusing to be dragged to civil war,” Aoun added. The army and security forces are carrying out their duties in preserving civil peace and protecting the people, especially the displaced in shelters.

Referring to the continued escalation, he lamented that “might is still prevailing over reason.”

Humanitarian aid

Abdelatty announced that Egypt has sent nearly a 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Lebanon that include medical and food products and shelters for the displaced.

“The aid reflects the Egyptian people’s solidarity with the Lebanese people and their keenness on easing their suffering,” the FM stressed.

“Egypt is ready to meet all the demands of our brothers in Lebanon, on the humanitarian, political or diplomatic levels. It will not relent in maintaining its efforts to end the hostilities and restore calm,” he added.

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Arab World

EU Hosts Palestinian Leader in Conference About Security and Peace in Gaza and the West Bank

(L-R) High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa, and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide during the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution 9th meeting in Brussels, Belgium, 20 April 2026. (EPA)
(L-R) High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa, and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide during the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution 9th meeting in Brussels, Belgium, 20 April 2026. (EPA)
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EU Hosts Palestinian Leader in Conference About Security and Peace in Gaza and the West Bank

(L-R) High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa, and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide during the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution 9th meeting in Brussels, Belgium, 20 April 2026. (EPA)
(L-R) High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa, and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide during the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution 9th meeting in Brussels, Belgium, 20 April 2026. (EPA)

More than 60 nations are sending representatives to Brussels to discuss with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa stability, security and long-term peace in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, as global attention largely remains focused in the Middle East on the ongoing crises in Iran and Lebanon.

Ongoing attacks in the West Bank and continued devastation in Gaza dims the prospect for a two-state solution, said Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot ahead of the meeting Monday. He is co-hosting the meeting with the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas.

“We observe without naivety that the two-state solution is being made more difficult by the day," Prévot said. “But Belgium and many European and Arab partners continue to believe that this remains the only realistic path to a lasting peace, for Israelis, for Palestinians and for the stability of the entire region.”

The 27-nation European Union is the largest single donor to the Palestinian Authority, with its 90-year-old president Mahmoud Abbas ruling from Ramallah for two decades. And while the EU has avoided directly joining the Board of Peace created by United States President Donald Trump, preferring the multilateralism of the United Nations and global legal norms, the bloc is eager to not be sidelined in diplomacy in a volatile region just across the Mediterranean.

Outrage in Europe over the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza drove many EU leaders to condemn Israel’s war conduct and to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

With the recent ouster of long-serving Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a close ally of Netanyahu, there might now be enough political support within the bloc for stronger actions like targeted sanctions on Israeli settlers or even the suspension of some ties to Israel.

Palestinians in the West Bank say that Israel has used the cover of the Iran war to tighten its grip over the territory, as settler attacks surge and the military imposes additional wartime restrictions on movement, citing security.

Gaza requires “one state, one government, one law and one goal,” Mustafa said on Monday in Brussels.

“Our common objective of achieving one security structure under the legitimate authority should guide the effective coordination between the International Stabilization Force, the Palestinian Authority, security institutions and other international actors. Security must not be fragmented," he said.

He also called for “the gradual and responsible collection of arms from all armed groups and also the full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.”

Arab World

Israeli Army Brings in Demolition Contractors to Raze Dozens of Lebanese Villages

Israeli military vehicles and armored units in front of destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on April 15. (AFP)
Israeli military vehicles and armored units in front of destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on April 15. (AFP)
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Israeli Army Brings in Demolition Contractors to Raze Dozens of Lebanese Villages

Israeli military vehicles and armored units in front of destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on April 15. (AFP)
Israeli military vehicles and armored units in front of destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on April 15. (AFP)

The Israeli army is using the ceasefire period to accelerate large-scale destruction in areas it occupies in southern Lebanon, which have been largely emptied of residents displaced by the conflict, according to local accounts.

Working around the clock across an area estimated at more than 800 square kilometers — about 8 percent of Lebanon’s territory — Israeli forces are systematically flattening buildings.

Confronted with the scale of the task and racing against time, the military engineering corps has enlisted private sector “demolition contractors,” some with experience in Gaza, to carry out operations in dozens of villages.

Using heavy machinery, including bulldozers and D9 units, they have begun what sources describe as a coordinated clearing campaign.

The occupied zone stretches from the Litani River to the internationally recognized border and has been divided into three sectors.

The first is a “total destruction” zone running along the entire Lebanese border strip, from the expanded Shebaa Farms area and the town of Khiam in the east, through Deir Siryan, to the coastal town of Bayyada in the west. Its depth ranges from about 3 kilometers at its narrowest point near Odaisseh to as much as 10 kilometers near Khiam.

This area is referred to by the Israeli army as the “yellow belt,” in reference to a similarly named line in Gaza. Civilian presence is effectively prohibited, with entry posing a serious risk to life.

The second sector extends from the “yellow belt” to the Litani River. Israeli forces have positioned this line along hilltops and elevated terrain to maintain direct visual oversight of the river corridor, despite advanced surveillance capabilities. Armed presence is banned in this zone, and civilian presence is strongly discouraged.

The area remains highly volatile, with Israeli troops on constant alert.

Reports indicate sporadic resistance operations, as well as the presence of minefields and ambushes. Tactics developed by Hezbollah since the 2006 war are being employed here. Most Israeli casualties reported in this area — 12 killed and around 30 wounded — occurred in this sector, which has also seen fire reach as far as the Tyre region.

The third sector extends from the Litani River northward to the Zahrani River. While not officially designated as occupied, it is subject to continuous aerial and maritime surveillance.

Israel believes Hezbollah uses this area as a launching ground for operations, including short- and medium-range rocket fire. Drones are reported to operate overhead day and night. Israeli assessments indicate that more than half of the roughly 8,000 rockets and shells fired from Lebanon originated from this zone.

Israeli military doctrine since Oct. 7, 2023, calls for layered security zones along each front — Lebanon, Syria and Gaza — including a fortified area inside Israel, a no-go “security belt” inside enemy territory, and a broader demilitarized zone.

Within Israel’s far-right leadership, some officials have embraced this approach as a precursor to expanding territorial control. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for further expansion and the establishment of Israeli military bases elsewhere in the region.

On the ground, Israeli forces appear intent on consolidating control over the “yellow belt” by erasing all structures above and below ground, from homes to schools and public buildings, a strategy critics say is aimed at preventing displaced residents south of the Litani from returning, or ensuring they find nothing left if they do.

The army also faces domestic criticism, particularly from residents of northern Israel, who say it has failed to provide adequate security despite months of fighting. Israeli officials argue that such operations could help secure longer-term calm on the northern front through a political agreement.

The Haaretz newspaper quoted a senior officer as saying the goal is “not a return to rounds of fighting, but achieving long-term security,” adding that Hezbollah has been significantly weakened compared with its position before Oct. 7, 2023.

Arab World

Hamas Gives ‘Positive Response’ in Cairo, Raising Hopes of Near-Term Deal

Palestinians in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday (AFP)
Palestinians in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday (AFP)
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Hamas Gives ‘Positive Response’ in Cairo, Raising Hopes of Near-Term Deal

Palestinians in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday (AFP)
Palestinians in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday (AFP)

Sources within Hamas said the group’s delegation in Cairo has delivered a “positive response” to a revised proposal from mediators, particularly Egypt, potentially paving the way for an agreement on Gaza soon.

Negotiations on the deal remain stalled. Hamas and other factions insist Israel must first meet its phase-one ceasefire commitments, including humanitarian relief and the entry of aid trucks into the enclave, before they undertake further obligations. Israel, backed by the US, is pressing to move directly to the central element of phase two: disarmament.

A senior Hamas source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Zaher Jabarin and Ghazi Hamad, members of the group’s political bureau and its negotiating delegation, have returned to Cairo after leaving last Tuesday for internal consultations. Khalil al-Hayya, who heads Hamas’s negotiating team, remained in Egypt to continue talks.

The delegation returned with a “positive answer” to a proposal for handling phases one and two in parallel, the source told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The mediators’ plan stipulates the immediate start of phase-one steps while discussions continue on phase two, with no second-phase measures implemented before full completion of the first. Progression within phase two would also be conditional on completing each preceding step.

Hamas has set conditions, including the swift entry of a Gaza administrative committee to assume agreed responsibilities, along with “clear and credible guarantees” within a defined timeline to ensure Israel carries out its obligations in both phases.

Sources said Hamas held broad consultations in recent days, inside and outside Gaza, involving all its internal bodies, including religious frameworks that have historically played a key role in decision-making.

They described a “consensus,” including from the group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, in support of the mediators’ proposal and negotiations over potential amendments related to weapons.

Mediators are aiming for rapid negotiations on phase two while phase one is completed, with expectations that international actors, including the US, will press Israel to comply.

A Palestinian faction source in Cairo said “contacts and meetings are ongoing at all levels,” adding that many expect a breakthrough that could lead to a deal.

However, the outcome ultimately depends on Israel’s government, which has signaled through international envoy Nikolay Mladenov and US representatives that acceptance of the bridging proposal should include Hamas agreeing to disarmament.

Sources said mediators had asked the group to approve the proposal, while officials linked to the administration of Donald Trump and Mladenov had pushed for Hamas to sign a disarmament document before negotiations proceed — a demand the group fears could be used to impose terms it opposes.

During discussions, some factions proposed reducing phase two from eight months to three or four to accelerate humanitarian improvements and reconstruction in Gaza, particularly for displaced residents living in harsh conditions.

A senior Hamas official said the group has no objection to shortening the timeline, stressing its priority is to ensure implementation of any agreement to ease civilian suffering, including by enabling the Gaza administrative committee to begin relief and service delivery.