Arab League Chief Reiterates Call for Political Solution in Yemen

Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul-Gheit with Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani (Saba)
Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul-Gheit with Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani (Saba)
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Arab League Chief Reiterates Call for Political Solution in Yemen

Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul-Gheit with Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani (Saba)
Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul-Gheit with Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani (Saba)

Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit stressed on Monday the importance of finding a political solution to the Yemeni crisis based on the three references.

Aboul Gheit's comments came during his meeting with Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani in Cairo on the sidelines of the Arab League Council’s 150th session at the ministerial level.

Aboul Gheit's spokesman Mahmoud Afifi said in a statement that the Sec-Gen was briefed on the latest developments in the Yemeni crisis in light of the failure of the last round of negotiations due to Houthi militia leaders' absence.

The two officials also discussed the military operations in Yemen's western coast and other areas.

During the meeting, Yamani said the Houthis' pretexts for not attending the Geneva talks proved that they do not seek any peaceful solution to the crisis, Afifi added.

The FM renewed the legitimate government's commitment to peacefully ending the crisis despite Houthi attempts to sabotage peace efforts and recent peace consultations in Geneva.

Aboul Gheit stressed the importance of restoring legitimacy through a political solution based on the three references – the Gulf Initiative, the outcomes of the Yemen's National Dialogue Conference and UN Resolution 2216.

He also held the Houthis responsible for prolonging the Yemeni conflict and the people’s sufferings.



UN Peacekeepers in Lebanon Say they Observed Israeli Army Destroying Residential Areas

 This picture taken on October 13, 2024 during a controlled embed organised by the Israeli military, shows Israeli troops patrolling in the southern Lebanon's Naqoura region near the border. (Photo by Menahem KAHANA / AFP)
This picture taken on October 13, 2024 during a controlled embed organised by the Israeli military, shows Israeli troops patrolling in the southern Lebanon's Naqoura region near the border. (Photo by Menahem KAHANA / AFP)
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UN Peacekeepers in Lebanon Say they Observed Israeli Army Destroying Residential Areas

 This picture taken on October 13, 2024 during a controlled embed organised by the Israeli military, shows Israeli troops patrolling in the southern Lebanon's Naqoura region near the border. (Photo by Menahem KAHANA / AFP)
This picture taken on October 13, 2024 during a controlled embed organised by the Israeli military, shows Israeli troops patrolling in the southern Lebanon's Naqoura region near the border. (Photo by Menahem KAHANA / AFP)

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon on Monday said it has observed recent “concerning actions” by the Israeli army in southern Lebanon, including the destruction of residential areas and road blockages.
A spokesperson for the peacekeeping mission, Kandice Ardiel, told The Associated Press that peacekeepers also observed on Monday an Israeli flag flying in Lebanese territory near Naqoura. The town hosts the headquarters of the peacekeeping mission, known as UNIFIL.
Under the terms of the US-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended the 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Israeli army is required to complete its withdrawal from Lebanon within 60 days of the agreement’s signing on Nov. 27.
Since the ceasefire went into effect, the Israeli army has conducted near-daily military operations in southern villages, including firing gunshots, house demolitions, excavations, tank shelling and strikes. These actions have killed at least 27 people, wounded more than 30, destroyed residential buildings and, in one case, a mosque.
“Peacekeepers continue to monitor the situation on the ground and report violations of Resolution 1701,” Ardiel said. “We reiterate our call for all actors to cease and refrain from violations of Resolution 1701 and any actions that may upset the current delicate balance.”
On Monday, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati visited the site of an Israeli airstrike in the southern town of Khiam as part of a tour of front-line areas alongside army chief Joseph Aoun and UNIFIL Head of Mission Aroldo Lazaro. Mikati and Lazaro urged the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanese territory to allow the army to fully assume its duties.