Abbas Calls for Int’l Peace Conference 'As Soon As Possible'

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Wafa)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Wafa)
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Abbas Calls for Int’l Peace Conference 'As Soon As Possible'

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Wafa)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Wafa)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced his readiness to revive the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, based on a two-state solution, calling for holding an international peace conference as soon as possible.

During a meeting of Fatah’s Central Committee in Ramallah, Abbas underlined the importance of benefiting from the international support which upholds an international peace conference to resolve the Palestinian issue, based on the resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative.

He welcomed the call of the international quartet including the US, Russia, the EU, and the UN, on reviving “meaningful negotiations” between the Palestinians and the Israelis with the aim of achieving a two-state solution.

He called for the necessity of pressuring the Israeli government to stop its unilateral measures aimed at imposing a fait accompli policy.

An international peace conference was held within the framework of the plan launched by Abbas in response to the “deal of the century” announced by former US President Donald Trump. Abbas's plan did not receive the needed support due to Trump's opposition.

The Palestinian Authority depends now on a change with the arrival of US President Joe Biden, hoping he would be able to restore relations and advance a new peace process in the region.

The Palestinians expect Biden to support an international peace conference, but they want to restore relations with the US after they were cut off with the former administration.

Under the Trump administration, the US cut all ties with the Authority, suspended aid, closed the Palestinian Liberation Office (PLO) in Washington, and expelled the Palestinian representative after the leadership rejected Trump's “deal of the century.”

The Palestinians are waiting for the US administration to fulfill its pledges to reopen its consulate in East Jerusalem, reopen the PLO office in Washington, and fully resume aid.

Washington recently transferred $15 million to help the Authority fight the third wave of the coronavirus.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh described it as “an important step” in the right direction to reshape the relationship with the US administration.

The US will resume diplomatic ties with Palestinians that were cut under the Trump administration, the US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Security Council.

"Since January, our diplomatic engagement has been guided by the premise that sustainable progress toward peace must be based on active consultations with both sides," Thomas-Greenfield said.

The envoy said that the US has "recommitted to the vision of a mutually agreed two-state solution, one in which Israel lives in peace and security alongside a viable Palestinian state,” announcing the $15 million in humanitarian aid for the West Bank and Gaza.

If the Biden administration wants to resume aid more broadly, it must deal with the Taylor Force Act, which was passed by the Congress in 2018.

Taylor Force Act bans Washington from sending aid that directly benefits the Authority as long as it continues to send salaries to the families of Palestinians detained by Israelis.



Muted Responses to Deadly Houthi Escalation and Rising Insurance Costs

The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 
The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 
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Muted Responses to Deadly Houthi Escalation and Rising Insurance Costs

The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 
The Greek ship Magic Seas sank in the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks (Reuters). 

As the Houthi threat to international shipping grows ever more serious - most recently with the sinking of two Greek vessels, killing three sailors and leaving twelve missing - there has been little substantial reaction from major world powers. The United States, Germany’s foreign minister, and the UN envoy to Yemen were among the few to voice concern and call for de-escalation.

While Houthi attacks intensify across the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, insurance premiums for commercial ships in these waters have surged to as much as 1% of a vessel’s value, according to leading global insurers. This underscores the scale of the risk and the declining confidence in protecting this vital maritime corridor.

The two assaults targeted the cargo ships Magic Seas and True Confidence between Sunday and Tuesday last week. According to the EU naval mission Aspides, tasked with safeguarding Red Sea navigation, the attacks killed at least three sailors, wounded others, and left a dozen unaccounted for.

The strike on the Liberian-flagged Greek-operated True Confidence marked a dangerous escalation. The Houthis claimed responsibility, saying they used an explosive-laden drone boat and six ballistic and cruise missiles. They alleged the ship was heading to Israel’s port of Eilat, though independent verification was lacking.

Despite the scale of the violence, most global capitals limited their responses to brief statements. Only the US ambassador to the UN issued a pointed condemnation, along with remarks from a State Department spokesperson and a statement by UN envoy Hans Grundberg.

The US denounced the attacks as “terrorist and unjustified,” describing them as evidence of the “ongoing threat posed by Iranian-backed Houthis to regional maritime security and commerce.” The US ambassador stressed Washington’s commitment to denying the Houthis resources to fund such operations and called on the UN Security Council to remove obstacles blocking its expert monitoring teams in Yemen.

The State Department likewise condemned the attacks as a threat to the freedom of navigation and economic stability. “We will continue to take necessary steps to protect commercial shipping,” the statement warned, urging the broader international community to condemn the Houthis’ actions.

Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Iran must use its influence to halt Houthi attacks. Speaking in Vienna alongside his Israeli and Austrian counterparts, he declared: “We strongly condemn these attacks and expect Iran to act to stop them.”

UN envoy Grundberg expressed deep concern about the sinking of True Confidence, warning of the humanitarian and environmental consequences of such operations, which violate international law and Security Council Resolution 2722. He urged the Houthis to provide sustainable guarantees to end attacks and build on prior understandings with the United States.

Oman had brokered a limited agreement last May under which the Houthis pledged to stop targeting American ships in return for a suspension of broad US-led military action - though the deal excluded Israel.

A Dangerous Precedent

Yemeni officials say the tepid reactions from much of the world send the Houthis the wrong message, reinforcing their sense of impunity. On Thursday, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi boasted in his weekly address about sinking the vessels, calling it a “clear lesson” to any shipping company doing business with Israel.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have carried out over 150 attacks, disrupting global trade flows through the Red Sea. Their operations have sunk British and Greek ships and damaged many more, including hijacking the Galaxy Leader and holding its crew for over a year.