Indonesia Receives Bodies of Peacekeepers Killed in Lebanon https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5258641-indonesia-receives-bodies-peacekeepers-killed-lebanon
Indonesia Receives Bodies of Peacekeepers Killed in Lebanon
Family members of Indonesian soldier who was killed while serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon, mourn beside his coffin as the coffins of three Indonesian soldiers arrive at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang on April 4, 2026. (AFP)
Indonesia Receives Bodies of Peacekeepers Killed in Lebanon
Family members of Indonesian soldier who was killed while serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon, mourn beside his coffin as the coffins of three Indonesian soldiers arrive at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang on April 4, 2026. (AFP)
Indonesia received the bodies of three peacekeepers Saturday that were killed on deployment in Lebanon as it branded an explosion that injured three other of its blue helmets as "unacceptable".
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said three peacekeepers were wounded in a blast that occurred inside a UN facility near Adaisseh on Friday afternoon, and rushed to hospital.
Two were seriously wounded.
The UN Information Center in Jakarta said the "origin of the explosion" was unknown but identified the injured soldiers as Indonesian.
"Repeated attacks or incidents of this kind are unacceptable," the Indonesian foreign ministry said in a statement.
"Regardless of their cause, these events underscore the urgent need to strengthen protection for UN peacekeeping forces amid an increasingly dangerous conflict situation."
The government urged the UN Security Council to investigate the events and "to immediately convene a meeting of troop-contributing countries to UNIFIL to conduct a review and take measures to enhance the protection of personnel serving with UNIFIL".
Friday's incident came just days after an Indonesian peacekeeper died when a projectile exploded on March 29 in southern Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah have been fighting since Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war.
A UN security source told AFP on condition of anonymity Tuesday that fire from an Israeli tank was responsible for that attack.
A day later, two more Indonesian peacekeepers died after an explosion struck a UNIFIL logistics convoy, also in southern Lebanon.
The bodies of the three men arrived in Jakarta on Saturday.
- 'Not deployed for war' -
The soldiers' coffins, draped in the Indonesian flag, were carried into a hall at the international airport on the shoulders of uniformed comrades for a ceremony attended by President Prabowo Subianto.
Family members of the men wept over the coffins, each fronted by a photograph of the dead soldier in a gold frame.
Prabowo saluted each portrait and held the hands of grieving loved ones, some weeping unconsolably.
The father of one of the two fallen soldiers, 33-year-old Zulmi Aditya Iskandar, said this week he was shocked that peacekeepers were losing their lives in the conflict.
"We were really sad and regretful, because this is a UN troop, a peacekeeping troop, not deployed for war," 60-year-old Iskandarudin told reporters at his house in West Java province.
The military has promised financial support for the bereaved families.
After the latest attack that injured three more soldiers, Armed Forces Commander General Agus Subiyanto ordered Indonesian peacekeepers in Lebanon to enter bunkers and refrain from activities outside.
The Indonesian National Armed Forces has said it will deploy more than 750 personnel to Lebanon next month as part of the scheduled UNIFIL peacekeeping troop rotation.
Washington Supports Deeper Security, Economic Cooperation with Algeriahttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5316658-washington-supports-deeper-security-economic-cooperation-algeria
Washington Supports Deeper Security, Economic Cooperation with Algeria
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (Photo: The Presidency)
Senior Adviser to the US President for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos has stressed that Washington “supports deeper security cooperation” with Algeria.
In a statement published by the US embassy in Algiers on its Facebook page, Boulos said he held a “productive call” with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune “to discuss the US-Algeria partnership.”
“The United States supports deeper security cooperation and expanding economic opportunities for US companies in Algeria, with our growing energy partnership paving the way for shared prosperity,” said Boulos.
He said he also expressed his condolences to the communities affected by Algeria’s recent wildfires.
Boulos held a productive meeting last April with Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, aimed at deepening the trade and security partnership between the two countries.
They welcomed the progress achieved in discussions concerning Algeria’s unconventional gas resources and reviewed opportunities for American companies to support the country’s critical minerals sector.
The two parties also discussed ways to expand cooperation in counterterrorism and military collaboration as part of their shared goal of strengthening regional security. In addition, they addressed regional issues of mutual interest, particularly various conflicts and humanitarian crises.
Abyan Governor to Asharq Al-Awsat: Forces Ready for ‘Zero Hour’ Against Houthishttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5316650-abyan-governor-asharq-al-awsat-forces-ready-%E2%80%98zero-hour%E2%80%99-against-houthis
Abyan Governor to Asharq Al-Awsat: Forces Ready for ‘Zero Hour’ Against Houthis
Al-Rabash said security and development were top priorities. Photo: Turky Alagili
Maj. Gen. Mukhtar al-Rabash al-Haythami, governor of Abyan and commander of the province’s military axis, said his forces were ready for the “zero hour” to launch an offensive against the Houthis in Yemen.
He disclosed plans and operations being coordinated with other military commands and fronts, as well as the reinforcement of the roughly 76-km (47-mile) front line between Abyan and al-Bayda with advanced weapons.
“The Abyan Military Axis is ready, both commanders and personnel, and is awaiting the zero hour,” al-Rabash told Asharq Al-Awsat in an interview.
He said the troops’ morale was “higher than ever” and that preparations were proceeding under a “carefully devised plan” in coordination with the Saudi-led coalition, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council and the Defense Ministry.
The Abyan governor said recent battlefield developments had demonstrated the government forces’ “fighting spirit and high morale,” adding that military commanders were united by the goal of “liberating Sanaa and Yemen from the Houthi militia and ending the Iranian project.”
Al-Rabash described cooperation with Saudi Arabia as a key pillar of plans to rehabilitate the province. He said a three-day workshop with the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen had identified eight priority sectors and approved 24 public-service projects.
76-km front line with the Houthis
Abyan’s fronts are spread across several military commands, al-Rabash said. The front line with the Houthis extends for about 76 km along the border with al-Bayda province and sees frequent clashes.
The governor said plans to reinforce the fronts included raising combat readiness, providing them with advanced weapons, and mobilizing local communities and tribes to support government forces.
Al-Rabash said the prospects of a decisive outcome had improved after the Houthis were “given opportunity after opportunity to pursue peace.”
Instead of taking advantage of those opportunities, he said, the group had continued to escalate domestically and threaten international shipping.
Houthi cells and assassination attempts
On security, al-Rabash said Houthi cells had been uncovered in the province, adding that security forces had arrested between 120 and 150 operatives over the past several years.
He said the latest Houthi cell to be uncovered consisted of two operatives who were arrested and four others who escaped.
According to al-Rabash, those detained confessed to preparing four explosive devices to target him personally, as well as plotting to attack Brig. Gen. Ahmed al-Damani, commander of the Nation’s Shield Forces in Abyan.
The governor said there was “collusion and coordination” between the Houthis and terrorist organizations. He added that local government officials and security and military commanders had been targeted in attempted attacks, while several security commanders had been killed in confrontations with those groups.
Al-Rabash said Abyan had paid a heavy price through a succession of conflicts, beginning with al-Qaeda’s seizure of parts of the province in 2011, followed by the Houthi advance in 2015 and the 2019 conflict between the internationally recognized government and Southern Transitional Council forces.
The fighting caused extensive damage to infrastructure, the social fabric and the local economy, he said.
Al-Qaeda’s presence in Abyan
Asked about al-Qaeda’s current presence, al-Rabash said the number of ideologically committed members of the organization had become “very small,” according to estimates by the relevant security agencies.
The threat remained, however, through clandestine cells and the recruitment of some misled young people by exploiting poverty and ignorance, he said.
Al-Rabash said some operatives came from other provinces, while others arrived “by sea from certain countries.” Abyan’s coastline, which stretches for more than 300 km (186 miles), poses a security challenge and requires significant surveillance capabilities, he added.
He stressed that security and military measures alone were insufficient and that combating extremism required a parallel approach encompassing education, public awareness, development and job creation, as well as the involvement of tribes and local communities.
“When citizens feel the state’s presence through schools, public services and job opportunities, they become less receptive to ideas that bring nothing but death and bloodshed,” he said.
24 Saudi-backed projects
On development, al-Rabash described cooperation with Saudi Arabia as a key pillar of plans to rehabilitate the province. He said a three-day workshop with the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen had identified eight priority sectors and approved 24 public-service projects.
The governor stated the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen approved 24 projects in Abyan (Local Authority)
The projects cover electricity, water, healthcare, education and roads, alongside larger strategic projects that are being developed, he said.
The governor placed the strategic Wadi Hassan dam at the top of Abyan’s priority projects, saying it would help replenish groundwater and the wells that supply Aden with water. The dam was also expected to help revive the agricultural sector.
Al-Rabash said Wadi Hassan had historically contributed to Abyan’s agricultural standing, which earned the province its reputation as “Yemen’s breadbasket.” Investment in modern agricultural technologies could restore that role and expand the province’s productive capacity, he added.
He praised Saudi support for Abyan and Yemen more broadly, particularly in hospitals, schools, electricity and roads, saying the projects “directly affect people’s lives.”
“We extend our thanks and appreciation to our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia — its king, crown prince, government and people — for their countless efforts across various fields,” al-Rabash said.
He said Saudi support included “building hospitals and schools, rehabilitating roads, supporting the electricity sector and everything that helps improve the lives of the Yemeni people.”
The governor contrasted Saudi Arabia’s role with that of the Houthis.
“Our brothers in Saudi Arabia build hospitals, schools and roads, while the Houthis come with missiles to destroy them,” he said. “They kill and destroy but do not build, and their attacks have struck mosques, schools and hospitals.”
“Our Saudi neighbor and brother, with whom we share ties of blood, religion, tribe and geography, comes to help build and improve people’s lives,” he added. “That is the difference evident to anyone with insight.”
Al-Rabash said security and development were inseparable tracks, prompting the local authorities to adopt the slogan: “Abyan First — Authority Upheld, Development Built.” Photo: Turky Alagili
‘Abyan First’
Al-Rabash said security and development were inseparable tracks, prompting the local authorities to adopt the slogan: “Abyan First — Authority Upheld, Development Built.”
He said priorities were focused on five main sectors — electricity, water, healthcare, education and roads — alongside efforts to consolidate security, combat terrorism and crime, and raise combat readiness along the fronts.
The local authorities had also expanded outreach to tribes, religious scholars, journalists, young people, women, and social and sporting groups to build a community partnership, he said. The public’s response was among the most important factors in the success of the new phase.
Al-Rabash concluded with a message urging Abyan’s residents to “stand together and work as one,” saying the province’s stability and reconstruction “cannot be achieved without a genuine partnership between the community and the local authorities.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Says No Plans to Deport Palestinians from Gazahttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5316498-israeli-foreign-minister-says-no-plans-deport-palestinians-gaza
Palestinians look on from the street at the damage to a house that was hit by an Israeli strike following an evacuation warning in the Al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on September 8, 2026. (AFP)
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Israeli Foreign Minister Says No Plans to Deport Palestinians from Gaza
Palestinians look on from the street at the damage to a house that was hit by an Israeli strike following an evacuation warning in the Al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on September 8, 2026. (AFP)
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Wednesday that the government does not plan to deport Palestinians from Gaza, after two Israeli ministers this month floated proposals for the mass removal of Palestinians from the coastal territory.
"We are not planning to expel or to deport anyone from (the) Gaza Strip," Saar told a press conference in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
"If someone wants to immigrate (on) his own will, and there is a country which is ready to accept him .... we will not oppose that, but we will (also) not enforce anyone against (their) will," he said.
Saar is in Slovenia to open the Israeli embassy in Ljubljana.
Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday said on September 2 there was "no real solution for Gaza in the end without this migration" of Palestinians.
Far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on September 3 outlined a seven-year plan for removing Gaza's population through what he described as "voluntary emigration."
The US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has said that Israel has no plans to force Palestinians to leave Gaza.
Israel is to hold a general election on October 27.
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