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HRW: Cyprus Pushed back Lebanon Migrants, Ignored Claims

Lebanese Afaf Adulhamid the mother of Mohammed Khaldoun, who is still missing at sea while he was trying with other migrants to reach Cyprus on a boat, cries and prays her son's safe return. (AP)
Lebanese Afaf Adulhamid the mother of Mohammed Khaldoun, who is still missing at sea while he was trying with other migrants to reach Cyprus on a boat, cries and prays her son's safe return. (AP)
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HRW: Cyprus Pushed back Lebanon Migrants, Ignored Claims

Lebanese Afaf Adulhamid the mother of Mohammed Khaldoun, who is still missing at sea while he was trying with other migrants to reach Cyprus on a boat, cries and prays her son's safe return. (AP)
Lebanese Afaf Adulhamid the mother of Mohammed Khaldoun, who is still missing at sea while he was trying with other migrants to reach Cyprus on a boat, cries and prays her son's safe return. (AP)

Cypriot authorities pushed back 200 migrants and refugees arriving from Lebanon aboard boats earlier this month, ignoring their claims for asylum while in some instances using violence and coercive tactics, a human rights watchdog said on Tuesday.

Human Rights Watch accused Cypriot marine police officers of beating some migrants and making threats. The group said coast guard vessels attempted to swamp migrant boats by circling them at high speed and abandoned at least one boat at sea without food or fuel.

The watchdog said the accusations come from interviews with 15 Lebanese and Syrian nationals who tried to reach European Union member Cyprus after setting sail from Tripoli, Lebanon, aboard seven boats between Aug. 29 and Sept. 7.

According to Human Rights Watch, witnesses and victims on two boats returned to Lebanon said that Cyprus marine police handcuffed and beat individuals who resisted being returned.

The watchdog quoted one Lebanese national identified only by his first name who accused Cypriot police of using a cattle prod on him aboard a boat on Sept. 6 after he shouted at them to rescue a couple who jumped overboard.

The watchdog urged Cypriot judicial authorities to carry out an investigation into the allegations and prosecute anyone found to have committed any wrongdoing.

It said the European Commission should get Cyprus to respect the right of migrants to seek asylum and to not return people to a place where their safety and freedom may be at risk.

“People who risk their lives and their children’s lives by fleeing Lebanon by boat do so when they are truly desperate,” Human Right Watch official Bill Frelick said. “They have a right to have their claims for international protection considered.”

Cypriot officials did not immediately return calls for comment on the report.

The Cypriot government has said the ethnically split island nation is willing to offer safe haven to refugees, but has reached its limits in accepting “economic migrants.” Interior Minister Nicos Nouris said earlier this month that the Cypriot government is coordinating with Lebanese authorities to take back migrants arriving from that country in line with international law.

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Arab World

Egypt's Sisi Rejects Palestinian Displacement in Abbas Meeting

A handout photo made available by the Palestinian President Office (PPO) shows Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) meeting with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) in Cairo, Egypt, 08 January 2024.File / EPA
A handout photo made available by the Palestinian President Office (PPO) shows Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) meeting with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) in Cairo, Egypt, 08 January 2024.File / EPA
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Egypt's Sisi Rejects Palestinian Displacement in Abbas Meeting

A handout photo made available by the Palestinian President Office (PPO) shows Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) meeting with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) in Cairo, Egypt, 08 January 2024.File / EPA
A handout photo made available by the Palestinian President Office (PPO) shows Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) meeting with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) in Cairo, Egypt, 08 January 2024.File / EPA

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi rejected on Wednesday any plans for Palestinian displacement, hours after Israel's defense minister said the army would "finish the job" in Gaza and remove Palestinians.

During a visit by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, Sisi "reiterated Egypt's firm stance against the displacement of the Palestinian people or any attempt to annihilate the Palestinian cause".

Egypt shares the only land border with the Gaza Strip that is not controlled by Israel, and has since 2023 rejected plans to displace the territory's more than two million people into the Sinai peninsula.

Last year, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo had turned down multiple offers to forgive parts of its massive foreign debt bill in exchange for allowing mass displacement into its territory.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday said it was only a matter of time before Israel resumes full-scale war in Gaza, "to finish the job so that we can also implement the migration plan".

He said earlier this month that Israel was ready to remove Palestinians from Gaza by sea and land but was waiting for the United States, which he said was discussing where the two million people would go.

US Ambassador Mike Huckabee has denied any plan to "displace people out of Gaza against their will".

Nearly all of Gaza's population has been internally displaced and most of the territory lies in rubble after three years of war that has killed more than 73,700 Palestinians.

The war began on October 7, 2023 after a Hamas-led attack on Israel that killed 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

Arab World

Aoun: Lebanon Wants Israel Security Deal, Hezbollah Disarmament Without Confrontation

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during an interview with AFP at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on September 15, 2026. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during an interview with AFP at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on September 15, 2026. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP)
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Aoun: Lebanon Wants Israel Security Deal, Hezbollah Disarmament Without Confrontation

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during an interview with AFP at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on September 15, 2026. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during an interview with AFP at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on September 15, 2026. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told AFP in an exclusive interview he wants to reach a security agreement with Israel once it withdraws from the south, and is determined to disarm Hezbollah without resorting to confrontation.

Speaking ahead of his departure to France on Wednesday, Aoun said Lebanon wanted a new force, European or otherwise, to prevent a security vacuum after UN peacekeepers leave south Lebanon when their mandate expires at the end of the year.

He called on the United States, European Union and Arab countries to support Lebanon's military as it deploys across the south.

In Paris, Aoun will attend a meeting hosted by President Emmanuel Macron and attended by King Abdullah II of Jordan to build international support for Lebanese troops as they deploy across the country.

"What matters is that there is no vacuum," Aoun told AFP on Tuesday. He added that any new force for Lebanon's south, part of which is occupied by Israel, would be "temporary until the (Lebanese) army can deploy."

"Whatever the nature of this force, that poses no problem for me: European, non-European, American, another United Nations force, Asian, or even a mix of European, Arab and Asian forces," Aoun said.

"The best and most optimal option remains extending UNIFIL's mandate," he added.

Under US pressure, the UN Security Council voted last year to end the force's mandate on December 31, 2026.

The mission, currently involving around 8,500 peacekeepers from nearly 50 countries, has been deployed in south Lebanon since 1978.

Aoun also said he wants a security agreement with Israel "primarily to end the state of hostility and the deployment of the army on the border. This could be a prelude to a later peace agreement, but we cannot jump directly to a peace agreement."

"We have no choice but negotiations, because the alternative is war, which would be very costly for us," Aoun added.

"Our Arab and European partners, as well as the United States and our friends, must share with us the responsibility of supporting the army and strengthening the Lebanese state," he said.

Aoun reiterated Lebanon was determined to disarm Hezbollah, saying the decision was "neither negotiable nor open to discussion."

However, he said, "the objective is not a confrontation... We are determined to resolve this issue peacefully.

"This is not about building a state at the cost of a bloody conflict... or a new civil war."

Aoun said he had told Iran that after Hezbollah's disarmament, relations "must be based on mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of the Lebanese people.

"We have no problem with having a relationship with Iran, but we do have a problem with interference in our internal affairs."

Arab World

Yemeni Government Forces Regroup to Shift the Momentum

Othman Mujalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, inspects forces in Hajjah. (government media)
Othman Mujalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, inspects forces in Hajjah. (government media)
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Yemeni Government Forces Regroup to Shift the Momentum

Othman Mujalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, inspects forces in Hajjah. (government media)
Othman Mujalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, inspects forces in Hajjah. (government media)

Yemen’s army and allied forces have raised their state of alert on the Taiz and Hajjah fronts as they move to reorganize their military positions to shift the momentum, while the Houthis increase pressure on Taiz after seizing the western coast as far as Bab al-Mandab.

In northwestern Hajjah province, Presidential Leadership Council member Othman Mujalli inspected Fifth Military Region forces and affiliated fronts, reviewing their readiness, training and morale.

Mujalli said the armed forces would continue confronting the Houthis and working to restore state institutions, stressing the need to maintain morale and prepare for the battle to liberate the country.

He also praised the Fifth Military Region’s ability to develop equipment for ammunition production and the maintenance of weapons and vehicles, as well as bolster its drone unit and advanced surveillance system.

The visit included naval forces, the coast guard and several islands off Midi district. Mujalli reviewed efforts to evacuate civilians and personnel from Zubair Island after they were stranded because of recent developments along the western coast. He also inspected naval readiness to secure the islands and territorial waters and strengthen the military and security presence along the coast.

The visit comes as government forces seek to hold their positions in the northwest while reassessing their military deployment following rapid developments on the western coast.

Pressure on Taiz

In southwestern Taiz, the Yemeni army announced Tuesday that it had struck a Houthi ballistic missile launch platform at Taiz airport, east of the city. The Taiz Military Axis said warplanes targeted the platform as military vigilance increases around the city amid growing pressure from the west.

The Yemeni Armed Forces had earlier announced strikes on Houthi equipment, personnel and positions seized by the group in Dhubab in Taiz province and Al-Khawkhah in Hodeidah province, according to military spokesman Col. Majid al-Nazili.

The strikes coincided with an inspection tour by Taiz Military Axis Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Abdulaziz al-Majidi of several fronts surrounding the city.

In southern Taiz, Tur al-Bahah Axis commander and 4th Mountain Infantry Brigade commander Maj. Gen. Abu Bakr al-Gbouli inspected front lines stretching from Bani Omar to Jardad and the outskirts of Al-Wazi’iyah district.

Al-Gbouli said his forces were at a high level of combat readiness and capable of responding to developments on the ground, stressing vigilance, operational discipline and constant preparedness for Houthi movements.

Regrouping

The moves follow a major shift after the Houthis seized large parts of the western coast, including Mokha, Al-Khawkhah and Hays, before reaching Bab al-Mandab and several Red Sea islands. The developments have increased pressure on Taiz, which could become a target for Houthi attempts to expand their control and tighten their grip on the city and surrounding countryside.

Observers say government military activity in Taiz and Hajjah reflects an effort to contain the repercussions of losing the coast and prevent the Houthis from turning their recent gains into a permanent reality on the ground, while reorganizing forces and raising readiness in the most sensitive sectors.

Mujalli also urged tribes to protect their sons from Houthi recruitment and being drawn into fighting. He praised Saudi support for Yemeni forces and humanitarian and development projects and inspected efforts by the Masam mine-clearance project to remove mines planted by the Houthis in government-held areas.

The developments indicate that government forces are seeking to move beyond responding to the recent setback and build a more cohesive military posture, particularly in Taiz, where inland fronts intersect with the coast and Red Sea routes, making the province central to any attempt to shift the momentum.