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Palestinian President Says Ready to Resume Peace Talks

Spain's Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya speaks during a news conference with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. AFP
Spain's Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya speaks during a news conference with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. AFP
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Palestinian President Says Ready to Resume Peace Talks

Spain's Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya speaks during a news conference with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. AFP
Spain's Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya speaks during a news conference with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. AFP

Palestinians are ready to resume peace negotiations with Israel, President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday.

During his meeting with Spain’s Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez, Abbas stressed that negotiations should be based on “international resolutions” and mediated by the Quartet (the European Union, the United Nations, Russia and the United States).

Gonzalez conveyed a letter from Spain’s Prime Minister in which he affirmed the distinguished bilateral relations and his country's keenness to bolster them.

The premier also noted Spain’s steadfast support to the political process based on the principle of the two-state solution.

Abbas hailed Spain’s stances that come in line with the international law and the EU resolutions that support achieving peace based on international legitimacy decisions.

Gonzalez reiterated her country’s position in support of peace on the principle of the two-state solution and international law, noting that Spain will continue to back the Palestinian people to build the institutions of the Palestinian state.

At a press conference following her meeting with her Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Gonzalez said Palestine will always be present on the list of countries that will receive the COVID-19 vaccine once developed and proven effective.

Both sides discussed the memorandum of understanding signed via videoconference in October, which defines bilateral development cooperation at a value of 100 million euros for the years 2020-2024.

She told reporters that Spain has decided to provide $5 million in urgent aid to the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to continue its services to Palestinian refugees in education and public health.

Separately, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Shtayyeh urged Finland to break the status quo by recognizing the state of Palestine and preserve the two-state solution.

He pointed during his meeting with Finnish representative to the PA Paivi Peltokoski to the ongoing Israeli violations and settlement expansion.

The Premier stressed the efforts exerted to hold an international peace conference and find a fair and comprehensive solution for the Palestinian cause, in accordance with the international legitimacy.

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Arab World

Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
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Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)

The Houthi militia has recently released several individuals it had abducted for celebrating Yemen’s September Revolution. However, over the past few days, it has detained hundreds of residents in its stronghold of Saada, accusing them of espionage.

The campaign coincides with the airing of alleged confessions from a purported spy cell and the abduction of a former employee of the US Embassy in Yemen.

Local sources in Saada province, approximately 242 kilometers north of Sanaa, report that the Houthis have launched a widespread campaign of arrests targeting civilians. These individuals have been taken from their homes, workplaces, and businesses under allegations of collaborating with Western nations and Israel. Families of those detained have been warned to remain silent and refrain from discussing the arrests with the media or on social media platforms.

According to the sources, more than 300 individuals, including dozens of women, have been abducted across various districts in Saada. The arrests have also targeted relatives and associates of Othman Mujalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, who hails from the region.

The sources suggest that the Houthis are detaining women as hostages to pressure their relatives, who may either be out of the militia’s reach or living outside Houthi-controlled areas. They also appear to be using the women to coerce confessions from male relatives. Last month, the Houthis accused Hamid Mujalli, Othman Mujalli’s brother, of engaging in espionage for Arab and Western nations for nearly two decades.

In a separate incident, the Houthis abducted a former employee of the US Embassy in Sanaa from his home on Monday without providing any explanation for their actions.

Release of Detainees

The Houthis recently released Sheikh Amin Rajeh, a tribal leader from Ibb province, after detaining him for four months. Several other individuals were also freed, none of whom had been formally charged during their detention. Rajeh, a member of the General People’s Congress Party, was one of many political activists, students, workers, and public employees abducted in September for celebrating Yemen’s September 26, 1962, revolution.

One of the released individuals, a shop owner, told Asharq Al-Awsat that he was unaware of the reason for his detention. He had been abducted in November, two months after the Houthis initiated a crackdown on those commemorating the revolution.

Alleged Spy Cell

Houthi-controlled media recently broadcast confessions from what they claimed was a newly uncovered spy cell. The group linked the cell to its broader narrative of “promised conquest and sacred jihad” against the West and Israel.

According to Houthi security officials, the alleged spy cell was working to compile a “target database,” monitor sites linked to missile forces and drones, and track specific military and security locations. They also claimed the cell had been observing the residences and movements of Houthi leaders.

In response, the Houthis issued warnings to residents, forbidding them from discussing or sharing information about militia-controlled sites, facilities, or the whereabouts of their leaders.

The Houthis’ actions reflect mounting concerns over potential strikes targeting their senior leadership, similar to the recent attacks on Hezbollah figures in Lebanon. Those fears come amid ongoing tensions with Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom, following the Houthis’ assaults on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea and missile attacks on Israel.