Yemen: Saudi MASAM Clears 2,963 Houthi Mines in March
The MASAM project removed over 500 Houthi mines in Yemen during the first week of February. (SPA)
Asharq Al-Awsat
TT
TT
Yemen: Saudi MASAM Clears 2,963 Houthi Mines in March
The MASAM project removed over 500 Houthi mines in Yemen during the first week of February. (SPA)
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center's project for clearing mines in Yemen, Masam, demined 2,963 mines during the first week of March 2020.
The cleared mines include 310 anti-tank, 14 anti-personnel mines, 2,637 unexploded ordnance, and two explosive devices.
Since the start of the MASAM project, 148,427 landmines planted by the Iranian-backed Houthi militias in Yemen have been removed.
Houthis attempt to hide mines in various forms, colors, and methods, resulting in the death of a large number of children, women and the elderly as well as serious injuries and amputation of organs.
Gaza Factions Consult on Response to Mladenov's Amendmenthttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5286109-gaza-factions-consult-response-mladenovs-amendment
Mourners react during the funeral of Palestinians killed in an Israeli strike on a vehicle, according to medics, in Gaza City, June 18, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Gaza Factions Consult on Response to Mladenov's Amendment
Mourners react during the funeral of Palestinians killed in an Israeli strike on a vehicle, according to medics, in Gaza City, June 18, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Palestinian factions are reviewing amendments presented by Nickolay Mladenov, the High Representative for Gaza at the Board of Peace, to Hamas during a meeting with mediators in Cairo on Wednesday.
Asharq Al Awsat has learned from sources within Hamas and other Palestinian factions that consultations are underway both within individual factions and among the factions collectively.
A Hamas source and two Palestinian faction sources said that faction representatives will hold an extended meeting in Cairo to discuss Mladenov's response to the latest amendments that the factions submitted to mediators several days ago.
According to the Hamas source, Mladenov's amendments covered all provisions, not only the eighth clause concerning the restriction and storage of weapons. The source added that the term "infrastructure," which has been a point of disagreement both among the factions and in discussions with mediators, was also included.
The source said Hamas leaders are holding internal consultations, as well as discussions with relevant bodies, including the leadership of the movement's military wing, the Izz ad Din al Qassam Brigades, inside Gaza, regarding the proposed amendments. He added that specific wording will be agreed upon before being presented to the factions for review and comment, with the aim of reaching a unified national position to submit to the mediators.
The source also noted that a representative of the US administration, one of the aides to US envoy Jared Kushner, participated in the meeting between Mladenov and Hamas leaders held in Cairo on Wednesday in the presence of the mediators.
Two Palestinian faction sources said that internal consultations are taking place within each faction and that a comprehensive national meeting will be convened to formulate observations on Mladenov's amendments. They said the latest proposals will be examined and compared with the revisions made by the factions in their most recent response, with efforts focused on narrowing differences in wording to facilitate further progress following recent advances.
One of the remaining points of contention is the term "infrastructure" and how it should be defined. Some factions had advised Hamas to include the term within the eighth clause dealing with the restriction and storage of weapons. However, the movement's leadership considered the definition too broad and argued that consensus on its meaning must be reached before Mladenov incorporates it into his amendments in coordination with the mediators. As a result, the issue has become a central focus of consultations both within and among the factions.
Some faction leaders had advised Hamas that the definition of infrastructure should be limited to tunnels, weapons manufacturing workshops, and weapons storage facilities, without extending to additional elements such as personnel, military sites, vehicles, or other assets.
Palestinians sit overlooking a tent camp sheltering displaced people, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, June 18, 2026. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
These developments come amid continued Israeli military escalation on the ground. Early Friday, three Palestinians were wounded when an artillery shell landed near their tent in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Two others were injured by gunfire from military vehicles and drones in areas near the Yellow Line.
On Friday morning, members of armed gangs in northern Gaza advanced the Yellow Line by approximately 200 meters westward from the Al Alami area of Jabalia camp, causing a new wave of displacement among families living nearby. The move aimed to expand the areas of Gaza under Israeli control, following similar steps taken by Israeli forces in several locations across the Strip in recent days.
Meanwhile, a number of Israeli military and engineering vehicles advanced east of Deir al Balah toward the south, west of the Yellow Line, carrying out demolition operations against homes in the area.
On Thursday, Israeli forces killed five Palestinians in two airstrikes and through gunfire from military vehicles and drones in several areas of the Gaza Strip.
The number of Palestinian casualties since the ceasefire entered into force on October 10, 2025, has risen to more than 1,000 dead and over 3,000 wounded.
Israel, Hezbollah Agree Ceasefire as US-Iran Deal Under Strainhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5286097-israel-hezbollah-agree-ceasefire-us-iran-deal-under-strain
An Israeli flag tagged on a building in the southern Lebanese village of Taybeh, as seen from the Israeli side of the border in the Upper Galilee, northern Israel, 17 June 2026. EPA/ATEF SAFADI
Israel, Hezbollah Agree Ceasefire as US-Iran Deal Under Strain
An Israeli flag tagged on a building in the southern Lebanese village of Taybeh, as seen from the Israeli side of the border in the Upper Galilee, northern Israel, 17 June 2026. EPA/ATEF SAFADI
Israel and Hezbollah agreed a ceasefire on Friday, a US official said, after deadly exchanges between the two sides in Lebanon put a deal to end the Middle East war under strain less than two days after it was signed.
Talks that were scheduled for Friday between the US and Iran in Switzerland to take the deal to the next stage were postponed amid the fighting, with no new date announced, AFP reported.
Tehran's top negotiator warned it would not bend on its red lines and that its finger was still "on the trigger", even as shipping appeared to pick up in the Strait of Hormuz, which had essentially been closed during the war.
The deal signed this week by President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian aims to end a war that began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes that killed supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
The agreement was also meant to halt the fighting in Lebanon, which Iran has always insisted should be covered under any accord, turning Israel's ongoing campaign there into a source of frustration for Washington.
Israel's military said Friday that it had struck more than 80 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and killed dozens of members of the Iran-backed group.
Lebanon said 21 people were killed Friday in Israeli airstrikes in the south, while Israel's military reported four troops were killed, drawing furious reactions at home.
But a US official told AFP a truce between Israel and Hezbollah, beginning immediately, had been brokered by US and Qatari mediators following talks with Israel and Iran. A Gulf diplomat confirmed the ceasefire.
A previous truce agreed in April, however, did nothing to stop attacks by either side, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said just hours earlier that the Israeli army would stay in Lebanon "as long as necessary" and would make Iran-backed Hezbollah pay a "heavy price" for its attacks.
Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir went even further, saying after the soldiers' deaths that "all of Lebanon must burn".
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Israel of only being interested in "permanent war".
Preparations had been made to host Iranian and US delegations led by Tehran's top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and US Vice President JD Vance at the Swiss resort of Burgenstock, overlooking Lake Lucerne.
The talks were due to kick off a two-month period of negotiations to discuss outstanding issues not covered by the initial deal, notably Iran's nuclear program.
Switzerland's foreign ministry confirmed the discussions had been postponed but said it "remains ready to facilitate these talks".
Quoting diplomats, the Financial Times said Israel's strikes on Lebanon had led to the postponement but there was no immediate confirmation.
Ghalibaf said on Friday that talks with the United States would remain bound by Tehran's "red lines".
"If the enemy seeks to be excessive, we have proven that our fingers are on the trigger and we have no hesitation in giving a crushing response to the enemy," he said in remarks published by the official IRNA news agency.
Vance, meanwhile, has expressed a degree of exasperation with the Israeli government rare for a top US official, telling the New York Times "you can't just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have".
Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father, said Thursday that he had approved the accord with the US, despite holding a "different view".
A key aspect of the deal was the immediate re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz, the key shipping bottleneck whose closure caused global energy prices to rise.
A total of 25 commercial vessels crossed the newly-reopened strait on Thursday, the highest number since mid-April, according to data from maritime tracking firm AXSMarine published on Friday.
A fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas exports passed through the strait in peacetime, according to economists.
American forces on Thursday lifted their parallel naval blockade of Iranian ports, the US military said, noting that American warships "will remain in the general area".
Iran's maritime authority said on Friday that all ships seeking to cross the Strait of Hormuz should submit a transit request "48 hours in advance", despite its reopening.
Trump's Pledge to Intervene: Can It Break the Deadlock in the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Crisis?https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5286082-trumps-pledge-intervene-can-it-break-deadlock-ethiopian-renaissance-dam-crisis
Trump's Pledge to Intervene: Can It Break the Deadlock in the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Crisis?
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi meets US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit (Egyptian Presidency)
During a meeting between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, Trump affirmed that he would give the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue the highest priority in order to reach a fair settlement. The remarks prompted diplomats and analysts to predict a possible breakthrough in a dispute that has remained stalled for years.
With this commitment, and amid a calmer regional environment following the easing of tensions surrounding the Iran war, experts believe the dam issue could regain international attention after years of stagnation.
Egypt announced in 2024 that negotiations with Ethiopia over the dam had come to a halt after years of talks, attributing the breakdown to "the lack of political will on the Ethiopian side," according to previous statements by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.
During his meeting with Trump on Wednesday, El Sisi reiterated the critical importance of the Nile River issue, describing it as a matter of Egyptian national security, and expressed appreciation for the US president's interest in the matter.
For his part, Trump said he understood all of Egypt's concerns and stressed that he would give the issue "the highest priority in order to reach a fair settlement," according to a statement issued by the Egyptian presidency.
Speaking to El Sisi in remarks carried by the media, Trump said: "I think Ethiopia has treated you unfairly." He added: "A dam was built in Ethiopia that is causing major problems for Egypt, and I am fully aware of that. We will see whether we can reach a settlement on it."
US Diplomatic Activity
Recent months have seen renewed US engagement after nearly two years of suspended negotiations between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Renaissance Dam.
US action to resolve the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam issue (Reuters)
US Diplomatic Activity
On May 18, a phone call between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Massad Boulos, Senior Adviser to the US President for Arab and African Affairs, addressed the Ethiopian dam dispute and Egypt's water security.
Abdelatty emphasized Egypt's "complete rejection of any unilateral measures" and stated that water is an existential issue for the country. Meanwhile, according to the Egyptian statement, Boulos affirmed the US administration's commitment to strengthening its strategic partnership with Egypt and maintaining close coordination between the two countries in addressing shared challenges.
Earlier, on May 12, Boulos wrote on X that he had held "productive and comprehensive meetings" with an Ethiopian delegation led by Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos and including National Intelligence and Security Service Director General Redwan Hussein. He added: "We held constructive discussions on the Nile River and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam."
A well informed Egyptian source previously told Asharq Al Awsat that efforts were underway to revive the "Washington Document," which Cairo signed in February 2020 but Addis Ababa rejected, albeit in a revised form designed to secure broader consensus.
The document included a phased timetable for filling the reservoir, mechanisms for coordination during drought and prolonged drought conditions, arrangements for annual and long term dam operations under such circumstances, as well as provisions for dispute resolution and information sharing.
The Egyptian source's comments came days after Boulos told Asharq Al Awsat that the US president had expressed his country's readiness to resume mediation between Egypt and Ethiopia "to reach a responsible and final settlement of the Renaissance Dam issue."
In January, Trump sent an official letter to El Sisi expressing Washington's willingness to restart negotiations over the dam and reach a final and fair solution. The move followed three statements he made in June and July 2025, in which he said that "Washington funded the dam, and there must be a quick solution to this crisis."
Back on the International Agenda
Mohamed Hegazy, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and former assistant foreign minister, believes Trump's commitment represents an important political development that returns the issue to the international spotlight after years of deadlock.
Speaking to Asharq Al Awsat, he said: "The significance of these statements lies in the fact that they reflect renewed US recognition of the link between water issues and regional security and stability, as well as an acknowledgment that Egypt's water security is a fundamental component of security in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa."
Hegazy added that raising the issue on the sidelines of the G7 Summit is particularly significant because it comes amid a reordering of international priorities following the easing of tensions between the United States and Iran and growing concern over Red Sea security and international maritime routes. In this context, he said, the Nile issue becomes part of a broader equation involving regional security, sustainable development, and the prevention of conflicts linked to natural resources.
According to Hegazy, the real challenge lies in translating US political support for Egypt into practical measures, whether by relaunching a serious and time bound negotiation process or by providing international guarantees that help the parties reach a legally binding agreement governing dam operations and management during periods of drought and prolonged drought. Such an agreement, he said, would balance Ethiopia's right to development with Egypt's right to life and water security.
Hegazy concluded that the Egyptian US presidential meeting could open a "diplomatic window" and provide fresh momentum toward resolving the crisis if followed by serious political and diplomatic efforts.
However, Ethiopian political analyst and African affairs specialist Anwar Ibrahim holds a different view. He believes strong US intervention in the Renaissance Dam issue could lead to "undesirable developments" and argues that the greatest challenge is the transfer of the file to Washington.
Speaking to Asharq Al Awsat, Ibrahim said that US involvement and what he described as "bias toward Egypt" were the main reasons negotiations over the Renaissance Dam failed during Trump's first term.
He added: "The United States will not succeed in creating any real rapprochement because it relies on a carrot and stick approach without understanding the importance of the Nile for all countries in the region."
Nevertheless, Ibrahim did not rule out the possibility of a solution, but only "on the basis of understanding everyone's needs and reaching mutual understandings without pressure being exerted on Addis Ababa. Otherwise, the process will fail again and the dispute will return as a major source of tension," he said.
لم تشترك بعد
انشئ حساباً خاصاً بك لتحصل على أخبار مخصصة لك ولتتمتع بخاصية حفظ المقالات وتتلقى نشراتنا البريدية المتنوعة
