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Arab World

Hamas, Israel Exchange Views over Latest Gaza Roadmap

A displaced Palestinian child play inside a car destroyed during the Israel-Hamas war in the Bureij refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip on May 1, 2026. (AFP)
A displaced Palestinian child play inside a car destroyed during the Israel-Hamas war in the Bureij refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip on May 1, 2026. (AFP)
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Hamas, Israel Exchange Views over Latest Gaza Roadmap

A displaced Palestinian child play inside a car destroyed during the Israel-Hamas war in the Bureij refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip on May 1, 2026. (AFP)
A displaced Palestinian child play inside a car destroyed during the Israel-Hamas war in the Bureij refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip on May 1, 2026. (AFP)

Contacts and meetings between the Hamas movement, other Palestinian factions, head of the Board of Peace Nickolay Mladenov and mediators are ongoing in Cairo to reach a ceasefire agreement following the factions’ positive response to the latest proposal.

Palestinian sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Palestinian delegation informed the mediators and Mladenov that the latest proposal will be composed of 15 articles and can be the launching point for negotiations over the second phase of the ceasefire.

Two Hamas sources said the movement, with the backing of the factions, stressed the need to complete the implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire in full. This includes allowing the entry of the national committee for the management of Gaza into the enclave without delay so that it can assume its duties.

The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the mediators and Mladenov have been handed a five-point document in response to their proposal. It calls for completing the first phase and obligating Israel to implement it in full. It also says that the factions are in agreement over the roadmap and are serious about engaging in serious negotiations over it, including the best way to implement US President Donald Trump’s main plan for Gaza.

The document also says that the issue of the weapons of factions should be tied to a comprehensive Palestinian political path and that it would be decided as part of a broader national framework seeing as it is not limited to Hamas alone.

The two sources and a third from the factions said the negotiating team asked the mediators and Mladenov for Israel’s response to the latest proposal before kicking off any negotiations over it.

Mladenov has submitted amendments to the proposal to the factions that they will study.

All the sources said that Israel’s response to the mediators’ latest proposal was negative as it clearly refuses to offer any guarantees that it would fully commit to implementing all the articles of the first phase of the ceasefire, especially those related to it ceasing its ongoing violations and withdrawing from the “Yellow Line” in Gaza.

A Palestinian source revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that Mladenov had asked Israel on Tuesday to suspend its air raids on Gaza for 48 hours to allow the success of the Cairo talks. He did not receive a response in return, but Israel did noticeably ease its attacks on the enclave.

Israel has also allowed more trucks with humanitarian aid into Gaza in the past three days, but they are not enough to meet demand.

The sources said the Cairo talks will continue even though they were supposed to end on Friday.

One of the sources said that it appears the US is starting to pressure Israel to make progress in the negotiations, but they have yielded few results so far.

An informed Palestinian source told Asharq Al-Awsat that a senior American official from envoy Jared Kushner’s team had taken part in a meeting between Hamas and Mladenov.

The source said that Kushner himself will work on obligating Israel to implement the first phase of the ceasefire in full.

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Arab World

Lebanese President Rejects Turning the South into Bargaining Card

FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: FILE PHOTO - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa
FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: FILE PHOTO - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa
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Lebanese President Rejects Turning the South into Bargaining Card

FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: FILE PHOTO - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa
FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: FILE PHOTO - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa

President Joseph Aoun renewed on Sunday his full commitment to ensuring that weapons remain exclusively in the hands of the Lebanese state and that the Lebanese army extends its authority across the entire country.

He rejected any attempt to use southern Lebanon as a “bargaining chip,” as Hezbollah continues to challenge the state’s approach to the issue of weapons and the south. Hezbollah maintains that steadfastness, despite losses and sacrifices, constitutes a victory in its confrontation with Israel.

Weapons Must Remain in State Hands

President Joseph Aoun said on the 48th anniversary of the disappearance of Imam Musa al-Sadr and his two companions that the case remains an “open national and humanitarian issue,” stressing that the state would continue to seek the truth about their fate and pursue the matter at both the bilateral and international levels.

Aoun recalled al-Sadr’s positions on southern Lebanon, saying he had “rejected allowing the south to remain a forgotten area or a bargaining chip”. He also called for the state to assume full responsibility for the south and emphasized that weapons and security should remain under state authority.

The President said Lebanon, amid continued Israeli attacks and violations of the cessation of hostilities, “reaffirms its full commitment to ensuring that legitimate weapons remain exclusively in the hands of the Lebanese state and to extending the authority of the Lebanese army across all Lebanese territory,” in implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and to safeguard Lebanon’s full sovereignty.

Ministerial Sources: Qassem’s Rhetoric is Part of Hezbollah’s Approach

Meanwhile, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem reiterated the group’s commitment to confronting Israel through steadfastness, saying that heavy sacrifices and significant loss of life did not amount to defeat.

Ministerial sources close to the presidency said Qassem’s remarks were not new but rather part of the approach Hezbollah has been pursuing.

The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that while Qassem’s remarks on Monday were “not related to the president’s statements,” they reflected “the narrative adopted by Hezbollah officials” and represented a practical rejection of the dialogue proposed by Aoun, as well as initiatives launched by several parties.

Arab World

Syrian Diplomacy Returns to Libya after 14-Year Hiatus

Dbeibeh, prime minister of the Government of National Unity, meets Syrian Foreign Minister and Expatriates Asaad al-Shaibani on Sunday. (Dbeibeh’s Office) 
Dbeibeh, prime minister of the Government of National Unity, meets Syrian Foreign Minister and Expatriates Asaad al-Shaibani on Sunday. (Dbeibeh’s Office) 
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Syrian Diplomacy Returns to Libya after 14-Year Hiatus

Dbeibeh, prime minister of the Government of National Unity, meets Syrian Foreign Minister and Expatriates Asaad al-Shaibani on Sunday. (Dbeibeh’s Office) 
Dbeibeh, prime minister of the Government of National Unity, meets Syrian Foreign Minister and Expatriates Asaad al-Shaibani on Sunday. (Dbeibeh’s Office) 

Syrian diplomacy has ended an absence of nearly 14 years from Libya following talks held Sunday in Tripoli by Foreign Minister and Expatriates Asaad al-Shaibani aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation.

Al-Shaibani reopened Syria’s embassy in the Libyan capital during the visit and met several officials.

The Syrian Embassy in Tripoli closed in 2012, months after the fall of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in August 2011, after Libya’s then-Transitional National Council recognized the Syrian revolution. Relations remained severed throughout the rule of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The new Syrian administration, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, has sought to reopen channels with Libya, with Syrian officials visiting Tripoli to explore bilateral ties and cooperation in various fields — a move observers see as an attempt to forge “new relations that benefit both countries.”

A ‘New Phase’

Al-Shaibani and his delegation arrived at Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli on Sunday morning and later met Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, prime minister of the interim Government of National Unity.

Before meeting Dbeibeh, the Syrian minister held talks with Taher al-Baour, who is overseeing the affairs of the GNU’s Foreign Ministry and received him at the airport.

Tripoli’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the talks addressed issues of mutual interest, ways to advance Libyan-Syrian relations and strengthen coordination and consultations “in a manner that serves the common interests of the two brotherly peoples.”

The two sides also discussed procedures for reopening the Syrian Embassy in Tripoli to strengthen diplomatic communication, facilitate consular services and develop bilateral cooperation.

Dbeibeh’s talks with al-Shaibani focused on “reactivating frameworks for Libyan-Syrian cooperation, raising the level of diplomatic representation and revitalizing the Joint Higher Committee,” as well as economic, investment and trade cooperation and outstanding financial issues between institutions in the two countries.

According to Dbeibeh’s office, they also discussed security cooperation and counterterrorism, the situation of the two countries’ communities, consular services, prisoners and detainees, refugees and displaced people, as well as reopening the Syrian Consulate in Benghazi.

Dbeibeh stressed the importance of “opening a new phase of relations” based on shared interests and practical cooperation, while resolving outstanding issues in a way that serves citizens of both countries.

Energy and Investment

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said al-Shaibani also met Libyan Oil and Gas Minister Khalifa Abdulsadek and Ali Mahmoud Hassan Mohamed, chairman and CEO of the Libyan Investment Authority.

The talks covered bilateral cooperation in energy and investment, expanding partnerships and exchanging expertise in sectors of mutual interest to strengthen economic ties.

Syrian-Libyan relations have seen notable progress recently. In August 2025, a Syrian technical and diplomatic delegation raised the Syrian flag over the embassy building in Tripoli in preparation for its reopening.

Earlier this month, al-Shaibani met Libya’s chargé d’affaires in Damascus, Walid Hassan Ammar, to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and exchange views on issues of common interest.

Al-Sharaa also met Dbeibeh on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in April 2025, when they agreed to reactivate the Libyan-Syrian Joint Higher Committee.

A Step With ‘Practical Dimensions’

The Syrian and Libyan foreign ministries said al-Shaibani’s visit reflected a shared commitment to strengthening the countries’ historic ties and expanding bilateral cooperation and coordination.

Tripoli’s Foreign Ministry said al-Baour and al-Shaibani also discussed completing procedures to reactivate the Joint Higher Committee and signing the agreement governing its work, opening broader prospects for economic, development and other forms of cooperation.

Turkish international relations researcher Muhannad Hafizoglu said the mutual opening between Tripoli and Damascus “reflects both countries’ efforts to emerge from their crises by drawing up a different map of foreign relations.”

“Libya sees Damascus as a gateway for expanding its regional partnerships, while Syria seeks to reach deeper into North Africa through the Libyan gateway,” Hafeziglu told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He noted that the diplomatic move had “practical dimensions that go beyond protocol,” particularly in addressing outstanding issues related to the Syrian presence in Libya, including refugees, military personnel and administrative arrangements.

He argued that both sides aim to build “a partnership based on mutual benefits and avoid the mistakes of the past through joint coordination.”

Missing Persons and Detainees

In mid-August, Libya received a delegation headed by Syrian chargé d’affaires Samir al-Shalabi to discuss obstacles to developing economic relations, including difficulties in issuing visas to Syrians and some customs procedures affecting Libyan exports to Syria.

Tripoli authorities continue to hold a number of Syrians who were transferred by Türkiye to fight in Libya, while Russian forces remain deployed in areas controlled by the General Command of the Libyan National Army under the banner of the “Africa Corps.”

Libyan rights activist Tarik Lamloum stressed the importance of Shaibani’s visit to Libya and urged that the issue of missing and detained Syrians be a priority. He called for lists of Syrians held in prisons and other detention facilities to help determine their fate, including whether they remain detained or went missing during sea journeys.

 

Arab World

Syrian Authorities Say Killed Assad-Era Officer After Clash

A member of Syria's internal security forces in Tartus city. (SANA)
A member of Syria's internal security forces in Tartus city. (SANA)
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Syrian Authorities Say Killed Assad-Era Officer After Clash

A member of Syria's internal security forces in Tartus city. (SANA)
A member of Syria's internal security forces in Tartus city. (SANA)

Syrian security forces said on Sunday that they killed an army commander who served under ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad, after he opened fire on them as they tried to arrest him.

In a statement, the forces accused Firas Abdul Karim Hammoud of having taken part in anti-government insurrections that killed security personnel.

Since Assad's fall in December 2024, Syria's new authorities have arrested dozens of security officials from his rule, and trials began in April.

The security forces said they "neutralized Firas Abdul Karim Hammoud... following an armed clash and a raid on his hideout in the town of Safita" in Tartus province in the coastal Alawite heartland.

Hammoud had previously "opened fire on security personnel during an attempt to arrest him", they added.

"During the recent operation, he again opened fire and initiated a firefight with the security forces... necessitating their response."

They said Hammoud served as a commander of the special forces in the so-called "25th Division" under Assad's rule.

They accused him of working under Assad-era general Ghiath Dalla in leading pro-Assad groups on the coast after the former president's fall.

They added that he was involved in "armed insurrection operations" against state institutions that killed security personnel.

Dalla, a former officer in the much-feared Fourth Brigade, had announced on social media last year the formation of a "military council for the liberation of Syria".

The announcement came shortly before deadly violence targeting the Alawite minority, to which Assad's family belongs, erupted on the Syrian coast in March 2025.

Authorities accused armed Assad supporters of sparking the violence by attacking security forces in an ambush.