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Salameh Makes Surprise Visit to Tripoli to Hold Negotiations

Ghassan Salameh, UN Libya envoy, speaks during a meeting in Tunis, Tunisia September 26, 2017. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
Ghassan Salameh, UN Libya envoy, speaks during a meeting in Tunis, Tunisia September 26, 2017. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
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Salameh Makes Surprise Visit to Tripoli to Hold Negotiations

Ghassan Salameh, UN Libya envoy, speaks during a meeting in Tunis, Tunisia September 26, 2017. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
Ghassan Salameh, UN Libya envoy, speaks during a meeting in Tunis, Tunisia September 26, 2017. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

The head of the United Nations mission to Libya, Ghassan Salame, began a surprise visit to the capital Tripoli on Monday, during which he would travel to several other cities to hold consultations on what he called “the best way to implement the UN plan for Libya.”

Salame tackled the amendments to the political agreement concluded in the resort of Skhirat, Morocco about two years ago, with the head of the Supreme Council of the State, Abdul Rahman al-Suhaili, and the Chairman of Parliament’s Dialogue Committee, Abdul Salam Nassieh.

In a statement, the UN envoy said he discussed with the head of the Presidential Council of the National Reconciliation Government, Fayez Al-Sarraj, his briefing to the Security Council and the implementation of the plan of action, as well as the preparations for the upcoming elections in Libya.

In a separate statement, Sarraj said the meeting “dealt with the latest developments in the path of a political solution in accordance with the roadmap put forward by the UN envoy, which paves the way for the upcoming elections.”

He underlined “the need to begin the registration of voters as soon as possible,” reiterating his “commitment to work with the United Nations and support efforts to reach reconciliation and peace in Libya, achieve stability and security and contribute to the establishment of state institutions and the rule of law.”

Meanwhile, the Security Council will hold on Tuesday an urgent meeting on human trafficking in Libya upon the request of France.

Francois Delattre, the French ambassador to the United Nations, said on Monday that the purpose of the meeting was to make the Security Council aware of the tragedy and to announce the council’s unified opposition to such despicable practices.

The Italian ambassador to the United Nations said the meeting was agreed on after a telephone conversation between the foreign ministers of Italy and France on Saturday.

EU High Representative for Security and Foreign Policy Federica Mogherini held talks on Monday with the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration on bilateral cooperation, especially in Libya, as well as the tragic situation of migrants there.

Mogherini revealed that the European Union was exerting pressure on the Libyan authorities to facilitate the entry of international teams to immigration detention centers, explaining that the EU was considering how to take joint action with the African Union to stop what she described as “unacceptable violations in Libya.”

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Arab World

Syria Strives to Stay Out of Gaza War: Experts

A picture taken on April 2, 2024, shows a United Nations peacekeepers observation point near the Quneitra border crossing with Syria in the Israeli annexed-Golan Heights. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP)
A picture taken on April 2, 2024, shows a United Nations peacekeepers observation point near the Quneitra border crossing with Syria in the Israeli annexed-Golan Heights. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP)
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Syria Strives to Stay Out of Gaza War: Experts

A picture taken on April 2, 2024, shows a United Nations peacekeepers observation point near the Quneitra border crossing with Syria in the Israeli annexed-Golan Heights. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP)
A picture taken on April 2, 2024, shows a United Nations peacekeepers observation point near the Quneitra border crossing with Syria in the Israeli annexed-Golan Heights. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP)

Syria has avoided getting embroiled in the Gaza war, experts said, despite a strike on Iran's Damascus consulate, blamed on Israel, that threatened to ignite a regional conflagration.

The government of Syrian President Bashar Assad is seeking to strike a delicate balancing act between Russia and Iran, which have propped up it up during 13 years of civil war and helped it reclaim lost territory.

Syria is part of the so-called Axis of Resistance -- an alliance of Iran-backed groups that has launched attacks on Israel or its alleged assets since October.

But its other main ally Russia maintains diplomatic ties with Israel and has pushed for stability in the region.

“The Israelis clearly warned Assad that if Syria was used against them they would destroy his regime,” a Western diplomat who requested anonymity because he is not allowed to speak to the media, told Agence France Presse.

Andrew Tabler of the Washington Institute said that “Russia and a Gulf state have urged (Assad) to stay away from the conflict” between Israel and Hamas.

Recent months have seen a series of strikes on Iranian targets in Syria, culminating in an April 1 raid that levelled Tehran's consulate in Damascus and killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards, two of them generals.

That strike prompted Iran to launch a first-ever direct missile and drone attack against Israel on April 13-14 that sent regional tensions spiraling.

The escalation of strikes and the war in Gaza have raised fears of an attack on Israel from the Syrian front, which had witnessed decades of “relative calm.”

And while Iran's allies in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen have opened fronts against Israel in support of Hamas, the Golan Heights has remained relatively calm since the start of the war in Gaza.

Tabler said that since October 7, Assad has largely sat out the Gaza conflict, with only between 20 and 30 missile or rocket attacks from Syria on Israeli-controlled territory. He said nearly all of these have reportedly “landed in open areas” and led to no Israeli casualties.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor says that since the start of the Gaza war only 26 rocket attacks from Syria have targeted the Golan, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967 and annexed in 1981.

Most have landed in open areas, “which is read in Washington and elsewhere as a sort of code that Syrian President Bashar Assad wants to stay out of the Gaza conflict,” Tabler said.

In addition, the attacks have also pushed Iran to reduce its military footprint throughout southern Syria, especially in areas bordering the Golan, a source close to Hezbollah and a war monitor told AFP.

Earlier this month, Russia's defense ministry said it had established an additional position in the Syrian part of the Golan, to “monitor the ceasefire and promote de-escalation.”

In November, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah said that “despite its difficult circumstances, Syria is hosting the resistance movements and bearing the consequences.”

“No one is asking for more than this from Syria,” he added.

Tabler said, “Assad hopes the Arabs and the West will compensate him for his restraint, and the Russians are pushing him towards this path.”

Last year, Syria returned to the Arab fold, seeking better ties with Gulf states, in hopes they can help fund reconstruction.

And while massive demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza took place in several Arab capitals, Damascus only saw a handful of small pro-Palestine rallies, witnesses said.

Syria has had a difficult relationship with Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Hamas and Assad reconciled in 2022, a decade after the militants, long allied with Damascus, broke ties over its suppression of largely Sunni protests that triggered Syria's civil war.

“The regime hates Hamas and has no desire to support the Muslim Brotherhood, whose victory could only strengthen their friends in Syria,” the Western diplomat said.

Hamas announced last year the opening of a new page with the Syrian government, but Assad felt that it was still “too early” to talk about a return to normality.

Arab World

Sudan’s Al-Fashir on Edge: Fear of Imminent Rapid Support Forces Assault

Fires engulf a livestock market in Al-Fashir, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur state, as a result of previous battles (AFP)
Fires engulf a livestock market in Al-Fashir, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur state, as a result of previous battles (AFP)
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Sudan’s Al-Fashir on Edge: Fear of Imminent Rapid Support Forces Assault

Fires engulf a livestock market in Al-Fashir, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur state, as a result of previous battles (AFP)
Fires engulf a livestock market in Al-Fashir, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur state, as a result of previous battles (AFP)

Al-Fashir, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur, is drawing global attention as it faces a potential crisis. Reports suggest that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), stationed around the city for months, are gathering troops for a possible assault.

This raises concerns about a humanitarian disaster, as Al-Fashir shelters many who are fleeing conflict.

Previously, Al-Fashir had stayed out of the regional conflict, forming a neutral force to protect the displaced. However, some factions joined the Sudanese army, sparking fighting nearby.

There are worries about tribal conflict spreading, especially since neighboring areas share similar tribes.

Global Concerns Rise Over Al-Fashir Crisis

The US has urged an immediate ceasefire in and around Al-Fashir, calling on both the army and the RSF to return to negotiations in Jeddah and end the year-long conflict.

Concerns over an imminent attack on Al-Fashir were voiced by Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the US State Department, who demanded an immediate halt to assaults on the city.

The UN warned that the Rapid Support Forces have surrounded the city, indicating a potential assault. It highlighted the grave consequences an attack would have on civilians in an already famine-threatened area.

The UN's Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, is working to ease tensions in Al-Fashir.

UN chief Antonio Guterres also reiterated his call for parties in Sudan to refrain from fighting in the Al-Fashir area.

Al-Fashir is a key aid center in Darfur, hosting many refugees. While the city itself has been spared from battles, nearby villages have faced clashes and shelling since mid-April.

RSF Talks about ‘Political Vendetta’

Imran Abdullah Hassan, an advisor to the RSF commander, rejected accusations on Thursday that his forces had burned villages in Al-Fashir, calling them politically driven.

He stated that his forces are ready to face justice if any wrongdoing against civilians is proven.

“These claims come from remnants of the former regime and political groups aiming to stir conflict,” said Hassan, adding that they failed to incite civil war and are now spreading false accusations of crimes against civilians in northern Darfur.

Amin al-Majzoub, a military expert, warns that the fighting in Sudan could worsen tensions in Al-Fashir and neighboring regions. He also fears this could prolong Sudan’s crisis, potentially allowing terrorist groups to enter the country.

According to al-Majzoub, the ongoing conflict in Sudan threatens the stability of neighboring countries.

“The military’s plan suggests they won’t abandon areas controlled by the RSF, which could lead allied armed groups to engage in wider conflict, whether in Khartoum, Al-Jazeera, or Darfur,” explained al-Majzoub.

“This could even jeopardize the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement if armed groups fragment and collapse,” he added.

Fierce Battle Looms

Sadiq Ali Hassan, head of the Darfur Lawyers Association, warns that if the war reaches Al-Fashir, it will be the most severe yet, with devastating consequences for all of Sudan.

He urged joint forces, including the army and armed groups, to work together to protect Darfur and Sudan.

However, Hassan noted that these forces have failed in their duties since the October 2021 coup, becoming divided along tribal and regional lines.

Hassan explained that the movements that signed the Juba Peace Agreement are watching the war cautiously to protect their own interests, ignoring the people of Darfur.

Despite declaring neutrality, some groups have joined either the army or the RSF, driven more by their own interests than by concern for Darfur.

Hassan also notes the existence of other armed local groups ready to defend against potential threats, along with the Sudan Liberation Army Movement led by Abdul Wahid al-Nur, which didn’t sign the peace agreement and stays neutral.

These groups are concentrated in and around Al-Fashir, and if war erupts there, it’ll be the most intense conflict among all ongoing battles in Sudan’s other cities and states.

Arab World

UN: Debris in War-Ravaged Gaza Could Take 14 Years to Clear

Debris of more than 400,000 buildings have completely or partially filled the Gaza Strip (Arab World Press)
Debris of more than 400,000 buildings have completely or partially filled the Gaza Strip (Arab World Press)
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UN: Debris in War-Ravaged Gaza Could Take 14 Years to Clear

Debris of more than 400,000 buildings have completely or partially filled the Gaza Strip (Arab World Press)
Debris of more than 400,000 buildings have completely or partially filled the Gaza Strip (Arab World Press)

The vast amount of rubble including unexploded ordnance left by Israel's devastating war in the Gaza Strip could take about 14 years to remove, a United Nations official said on Friday.

Israel's military campaign against Gaza's Hamas has reduced much of the narrow, coastal territory of 2.3 million people to a wasteland.

Pehr Lodhammar, senior officer at the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), told a briefing in Geneva that the war had left an estimated 37 million tons of debris in the widely urbanized, densely populated territory.

He said that although it is impossible to determine the exact number of unexploded ordnance found in Gaza, it could take 14 years under certain conditions to clear debris, including rubble from destroyed buildings.

“We know that typically there's a failure rate of at least 10% of land service ammunition that is being fired and fails to function,” he said. “We're talking about 14 years of work with 100 trucks.”

At least 34,305 Palestinians have been killed and 77,293 wounded in Israel's military offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, according to Gaza's health ministry.

400,000 Buildings Destroyed

Some officials in the heavily populated enclave fear that even a ceasefire may not be enough to restore life to normal in Gaza where the ruins of more than 400,000 buildings were fully or partly destroyed in the six months of Israel’s devastating war on the Strip.

A high-ranking Palestinian official told the Arab World Press that more than 20 million tons of debris have been left by Israel's air, ground and sea attacks on the five districts of Gaza.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that more than one quarter of this quantity is metal parts and scraps.

“There is no building spared from the shelling in the Gaza Strip since the war started... Look around and observe what's happened since October 7. There are at least 20 million tons of debris in the Gaza Strip,” the official said.

Debris 30 times the size of Gaza

The Palestinian official’s estimates coincided with UN reports saying the Gaza Strip needs some $25 billion to rebuild what the war machine has destroyed in about 200 days.

The official explained that given the density, size, area, and height of one meter, the enormous amount of rubble in Gaza is about 30 times the size of the Strip.

“This amount of rubble poses enormous difficulties for reconstruction operations and could take years to remove,” he said.

The Euro-Med Monitor said in a report this week that at least 131,200 housing units in the Gaza Strip have been completely destroyed, and another 281,000 units have been partially destroyed.

Arab World

Israeli Drone Strike Kills 2 in Eastern Lebanon

Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike on the southern Lebanese village of Tayr Harfa near the border on April 26, 2024. (Photo by KAWNAT HAJU / AFP)
Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike on the southern Lebanese village of Tayr Harfa near the border on April 26, 2024. (Photo by KAWNAT HAJU / AFP)
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Israeli Drone Strike Kills 2 in Eastern Lebanon

Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike on the southern Lebanese village of Tayr Harfa near the border on April 26, 2024. (Photo by KAWNAT HAJU / AFP)
Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike on the southern Lebanese village of Tayr Harfa near the border on April 26, 2024. (Photo by KAWNAT HAJU / AFP)

An Israeli drone strike on a car in eastern Lebanon killed two people Friday, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said.

The Israeli military said it targeted an official with Lebanon’s al-Jamaa al-Islamiya that is allied with Hezbollah.

The military said the man killed was Musab Khalaf. It added that Khalaf was behind attacks on Israeli troops in the disputed Shebaa Farms area.

An official with al-Jamaa al-Islamiya refused to confirm NNA's report when contacted by The Associated Press. The attack occurred on a road near the eastern village of Maydoun, NNA said without identifying the two killed.

The strike came after Hezbollah carried out an attack along the border that killed an Israeli civilian.

Hezbollah and Israel have traded fire on a near-daily basis along the border since the start of Israel-Hamas war nearly seven months ago.

Arab World

Hamas Says it Received Israel's Response to Ceasefire Proposal

A woman dressed in military clothing walks with a suitcase past posters with pictures of hostages who were kidnapped during the deadly October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 26, 2024. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
A woman dressed in military clothing walks with a suitcase past posters with pictures of hostages who were kidnapped during the deadly October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 26, 2024. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
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Hamas Says it Received Israel's Response to Ceasefire Proposal

A woman dressed in military clothing walks with a suitcase past posters with pictures of hostages who were kidnapped during the deadly October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 26, 2024. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
A woman dressed in military clothing walks with a suitcase past posters with pictures of hostages who were kidnapped during the deadly October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 26, 2024. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Hamas said it had received on Saturday Israel's official response to its latest ceasefire proposal and will study it before submitting its reply, the group's deputy Gaza chief said in a statement.

"Hamas has received today the official response of the Zionist occupation to the proposal presented to the Egyptian and the Qatari mediators on April 13," Khalil Al-Hayya, who is currently based in Qatar, said in a statement published by the group.

After more than six months of war with Israel in Gaza, the negotiations remain deadlocked, with Hamas sticking to its demands that any agreement must end the war, Reuters reported.

An Egyptian delegation visited Israel for discussion with Israeli officials on Friday, looking for a way to restart talks to end the conflict and return remaining hostages taken when Hamas fighters stormed into Israeli towns on Oct. 7, an official briefed on the meetings said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Israel had no new proposals to make, although it was willing to consider a limited truce in which 33 hostages would be released by Hamas, instead of the 40 previously under discussion.

On Thursday, the United States and 17 other countries appealed to Hamas to release all of its hostages as a pathway to end the crisis.

Hamas has vowed not to relent to international pressure but in a statement it issued on Friday it said it was "open to any ideas or proposals that take into account the needs and rights of our people".

However, it stuck to its key demands that Israel has rejected, and criticized the joint statement issued by the US and others for not calling for a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

Arab World

Drone Attack on Iraq Gas Field Kills 4 Yemenis

A drone. Reuters
A drone. Reuters
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Drone Attack on Iraq Gas Field Kills 4 Yemenis

A drone. Reuters
A drone. Reuters

A drone attack Friday on a gas field in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq killed four Yemeni workers and wounded three others, the regional government said.

The government’s statement called it a “terrorist attack” without blaming a specific group. No group claimed responsibility.

The attack happened on the Khor Mor gas field in Sulaymaniyah. The regional government’s electricity ministry announced the suspension of gas production and a loss of 2,500 megawatts of power production.

A rocket attack on the same gas field in January caused infrastructure damage and widespread power outages. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered an investigation, but the government has not announced any results.

Arab World

US: Houthis Fired Missiles Toward Two Ships in Red Sea

Houthi supporters chant slogans during a protest against the US and Israel, and in solidarity with the Palestinians, in Sana'a, Yemen, 26 April 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
Houthi supporters chant slogans during a protest against the US and Israel, and in solidarity with the Palestinians, in Sana'a, Yemen, 26 April 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
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US: Houthis Fired Missiles Toward Two Ships in Red Sea

Houthi supporters chant slogans during a protest against the US and Israel, and in solidarity with the Palestinians, in Sana'a, Yemen, 26 April 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
Houthi supporters chant slogans during a protest against the US and Israel, and in solidarity with the Palestinians, in Sana'a, Yemen, 26 April 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB

The US military said on Friday that Iran-backed Houthis launched three anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Red Sea from Yemen causing minor damage to one ship, the UK-owned MV Andromeda Star.

A missile landed in the vicinity of a second vessel, the MV Maisha, but it was not damaged, US Central Command said on the social media site X.

The Houthis said Saturday their missiles hit the Andromeda Star oil tanker in the Red Sea, as they continue attacking commercial ships in the area in a show of support for Palestinians fighting Israel in the Gaza war.

The ship's master reported damage to the vessel, British maritime security firm Ambrey said.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea said the Panama-flagged Andromeda Star was British owned, but shipping data shows it was recently sold, according to LSEG data and Ambrey.

Its current owner is Seychelles-registered. The tanker is engaged in Russia-linked trade. It was en route from Primorsk, Russia, to Vadinar, India, Ambrey said.

Arab World

UN Gives Update on 19 Staff Accused by Israel of Oct. 7 Involvement

Displaced Palestinians, who fled their homes due to Israeli strikes, wash clothes as they shelter in a UNRWA-affiliated school, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip April 23, 2024. (Reuters)
Displaced Palestinians, who fled their homes due to Israeli strikes, wash clothes as they shelter in a UNRWA-affiliated school, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip April 23, 2024. (Reuters)
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UN Gives Update on 19 Staff Accused by Israel of Oct. 7 Involvement

Displaced Palestinians, who fled their homes due to Israeli strikes, wash clothes as they shelter in a UNRWA-affiliated school, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip April 23, 2024. (Reuters)
Displaced Palestinians, who fled their homes due to Israeli strikes, wash clothes as they shelter in a UNRWA-affiliated school, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip April 23, 2024. (Reuters)

UN investigators examining Israeli accusations that 12 staff from the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA took part in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks have closed one case due to a lack of evidence from Israel and suspended three more, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Friday.

He said the inquiry by the Office for Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) continues into the remaining eight cases.

In the closed case, Dujarric said "no evidence was provided by Israel to support the allegations against the staff member" and that the UN is "exploring corrective administrative action to be taken in that person's case."

He said three cases were suspended "as the information provided by Israel is not sufficient for OIOS to proceed with an investigation." He said UNRWA is considering what administrative action to take.

After an initial 12 cases were raised by the Israeli government in late January, a further seven cases were brought to the attention of the United Nations in March and April, Dujarric said. One of those cases was suspended pending receipt of additional supporting evidence, he said, and the remaining six investigations continue.

UNRWA provides education, health and aid to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described the agency as "the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza" and pledged to act immediately on any new information from Israel related to "infiltration of Hamas" among its workers.

The accusations became public in January when UNRWA, which employs some 13,000 people in Gaza, announced that it had fired some staff and been briefed by Israel. Of the initial 12 accused by Israel, UNRWA fired 10 people and said the remaining two are dead. It was not immediately clear how they died.

OIOS immediately began its investigation into the accusations against the dozen staff, and the United Nations separately appointed former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna in February to lead a review of UNRWA's ability to ensure neutrality and respond to allegations of breaches.

Colonna's findings were released on Monday and noted that UNRWA has "a more developed approach" to neutrality than other similar UN or aid groups. "Despite this robust framework, neutrality-related issues persist," her report found.

Israel's allegations against the dozen UNRWA staff led 16 states to pause or suspend funding of $450 million to UNRWA, a blow to an agency grappling with the humanitarian crisis that has swept Gaza since Israel launched its offensive there.

UNRWA said 10 of those countries had resumed funding, but the United States, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Lithuania had not. A UN spokesperson said UNRWA currently had enough funding to pay for operations until June.

After the US, UNRWA's biggest donor at $300-400 million a year, paused funding, the US Congress then suspended contributions until at least March 2025.

Israel says about 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 people taken hostage in the Oct. 7 attacks. Gaza health authorities say Israel has killed 34,000 people in its offensive in the enclave since then.

Arab World

Gaza Baby Rescued from Dead Mother’s Womb Dies

Uncle of Sabreen al-Rouh, a Palestinian baby girl, who died a few days after she was saved from the womb of her dying mother Sabreen al-Sheikh (al-Sakani), killed in an Israeli strike along with her husband Shukri and her daughter Malak, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, crouches next to her grave in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, April 26, 2024. (Reuters)
Uncle of Sabreen al-Rouh, a Palestinian baby girl, who died a few days after she was saved from the womb of her dying mother Sabreen al-Sheikh (al-Sakani), killed in an Israeli strike along with her husband Shukri and her daughter Malak, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, crouches next to her grave in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, April 26, 2024. (Reuters)
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Gaza Baby Rescued from Dead Mother’s Womb Dies

Uncle of Sabreen al-Rouh, a Palestinian baby girl, who died a few days after she was saved from the womb of her dying mother Sabreen al-Sheikh (al-Sakani), killed in an Israeli strike along with her husband Shukri and her daughter Malak, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, crouches next to her grave in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, April 26, 2024. (Reuters)
Uncle of Sabreen al-Rouh, a Palestinian baby girl, who died a few days after she was saved from the womb of her dying mother Sabreen al-Sheikh (al-Sakani), killed in an Israeli strike along with her husband Shukri and her daughter Malak, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, crouches next to her grave in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, April 26, 2024. (Reuters)

A baby girl who was delivered from her dying mother's womb in a Gaza hospital following an Israeli airstrike has herself died after just a few days of life, the doctor who was caring for her said on Friday.

The baby had been named Sabreen al-Rouh. The second name means "soul" in Arabic.

Her mother, Sabreen al-Sakani (al-Sheikh), was seriously injured when the Israeli strike hit the family home in Rafah, the southernmost city in the besieged Gaza Strip, on Saturday night.

Her husband Shukri and their three-year-old daughter Malak were killed.

Sabreen al-Sakani (al-Sheikh), who was 30-weeks pregnant, was rushed to the Emirati hospital in Rafah. She died of her wounds, but doctors were able to save the baby, delivering her by Caesarean section.

However, the baby suffered respiratory problems and a weak immune system, said Doctor Mohammad Salama, head of the emergency neo-natal unit at Emirati Hospital, who had been caring for Sabreen al-Rouh.

She died on Thursday and her tiny body was buried in a sandy graveyard in Rafah.

"I and other doctors tried to save her, but she died. For me personally, it was a very difficult and painful day," he told Reuters by phone.

"She was born while her respiratory system wasn't mature, and her immune system was very weak and that is what led to her death. She joined her family as a martyr," Salama said.

More than 34,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, have been killed in the six-month-old war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, according to the Gaza health ministry. Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians in its campaign to eradicate Hamas.

Much of Gaza has been laid to waste by Israeli bombardments and most of the enclave's hospitals have been badly damaged, while those still operating are short of electricity, medicine sterilization equipment and other supplies.

"(Sabreen al-Rouh's) grandmother urged me and the doctors to take care of her because she would be someone that would keep the memory of her mother, father and sister alive, but it was God's will that she died," Salama said.

Her uncle, Rami al-Sheikh Jouda, sat by her grave on Friday lamenting the loss of the infant and the others in the family.

He said he had visited the hospital every day to check on Sabreen al-Rouh's health. Doctors told him she had a respiratory problem, but he did not think it was bad until he got a call from the hospital telling him the baby had died.

"Rouh is gone, my brother, his wife and daughter are gone, his brother-in-law and the house that used to bring us together are gone," he told Reuters.

"We are left with no memories of my brother, his daughter, or his wife. Everything was gone, even their pictures, their mobile phones, we couldn't find them," the uncle said.

Arab World

Egyptian Delegation in Israel for Talks on Gaza Hostages

A picture shows a view of a camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on April 26, 2024 amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
A picture shows a view of a camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on April 26, 2024 amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
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Egyptian Delegation in Israel for Talks on Gaza Hostages

A picture shows a view of a camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on April 26, 2024 amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
A picture shows a view of a camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on April 26, 2024 amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)

An Egyptian delegation met Israeli counterparts on Friday, looking for a way to restart talks to end the war in Gaza and return the remaining Israeli hostages, an official briefed on the meetings said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Israel had no new proposals to make, although it was willing to consider a limited truce in which 33 hostages would be released by the movement Hamas, instead of the 40 previously under discussion.

"There are no current hostage talks between Israel and Hamas, nor is there a new Israeli offer in that regard," the official said. "What there is, is an attempt by Egypt to restart the talks with an Egyptian proposal that would entail the release of 33 hostages - women, elderly and infirm."

According to Israeli media reports, Israeli intelligence officials believe there are 33 female, elderly and sick hostages left alive in Gaza, out of a total of 133 still being held by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups.

There was no decision on how long any truce would last but if such an exchange were agreed, the pause in fighting would be "definitely less than six weeks", the official said.

The visit by the Egyptian delegation came a day after the United States and 17 other countries appealed to Hamas to release all of its hostages as a pathway to end the crisis in Gaza. Hamas vowed not to relent to international pressure.

Hamas said it was "open to any ideas or proposals that take into account the needs and rights of our people". However, it stuck to central demands Israel has rejected, and said it criticized the statement for not calling for a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

The visit by the Egyptian delegation followed Israeli media reports of a visit to Cairo on Thursday by the Israeli army chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, and Ronen Bar, the head of Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence service.

Egypt, concerned about a potential influx of Palestinian refugees from neighboring Gaza if the war continues with the long-promised Israeli offensive into the southern city of Rafah, has taken an increasingly active role in the negotiations.