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Israel's Netanyahu Calls for 'Calm' in Jerusalem after Violence

Palestinian protesters set rubbish ablaze on the streets of annexed east Jerusalem amid clashes with Israeli police. (AFP)
Palestinian protesters set rubbish ablaze on the streets of annexed east Jerusalem amid clashes with Israeli police. (AFP)
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Israel's Netanyahu Calls for 'Calm' in Jerusalem after Violence

Palestinian protesters set rubbish ablaze on the streets of annexed east Jerusalem amid clashes with Israeli police. (AFP)
Palestinian protesters set rubbish ablaze on the streets of annexed east Jerusalem amid clashes with Israeli police. (AFP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday called for "calm on all sides" after several nights of unrest in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.

The prime minister also warned that Israel remains "prepared for all scenarios" after dozens of rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel overnight, prompting Israeli retaliatory air strikes.

He made the remarks after attending an emergency security meeting with senior officials, including army chief Aviv Kohavi, hours after Israeli warplanes struck Gaza early Saturday and a second night of clashes between Palestinians and police in Jerusalem.

Thirty-six rockets were launched, the Israeli army said, the most in a single night this year, after Gaza's Hamas rulers voiced support for the east Jerusalem protests, which were fueled by a march Thursday by far-right Jews.

"First of all we want to ensure that law and order are respected... now we demand compliance with the law and I call for calm on all sides," Netanyahu said in a statement after the security talks.

The violence was the worst in years between Israeli police and Palestinians in the disputed Holy City.

There have been nightly disturbances since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on April 13, amid Palestinian anger over police blocking off access to the promenade around the walls of the Old City and a ban on gatherings.

"We uphold freedom of religion... for all residents and visitors of Jerusalem," Netanyahu said.

A series of videos posted online have shown young Arabs attacking ultra-Orthodox Jews, and Jewish extremists taking to the streets to bully Arabs.

On Thursday, at least 125 people were injured when Palestinian protesters, angered by chants of "death to Arabs" from far-right Jewish demonstrators, clashed repeatedly with police.

Expressions of concern and calls for restraint have come from the United States, European Union, United Nations and other countries.

'Playing with fire'
The United States, which has taken a more even-handed approach to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict since President Joe Biden took office in January urged "calm and unity".

"The rhetoric of extremist protesters chanting hateful and violent slogans must be firmly rejected," State Department spokesman Ned Price tweeted.

Skirmishes broke out again on Friday when tens of thousands of Muslim worshippers left Jerusalem's revered Al-Aqsa mosque after night prayers and found themselves confronted by dozens of armed police, some on horseback.

Protesters hurled water bottles at police, who fired stun grenades to disperse them.

Hundreds of Palestinians also rallied at the Qalandiya checkpoint between Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, police said.

In the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Palestinians threw stones and petrol bombs towards the tomb of biblical matriarch Rachel, a shrine venerated by Jews and Muslims.

Thursday's march into the heart of Arab east Jerusalem by hundreds of supporters of far-right Jewish nationalist group Lehava added fuel to the fire.

Jerusalem mayor Moshe Lion told public radio he was in talks with Palestinian community leaders in east Jerusalem "to end this pointless violence" and that he had tried to cancel the march.

The office of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas condemned "the growing incitement by extremist far-right Israeli settler groups advocating for the killing of Arabs".

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi condemned "racist attacks" by Israelis against Palestinians in east Jerusalem and called for "international action to protect them".

"Jerusalem is a red line and touching it, is playing with fire," he warned.

UN special coordinator for Middle East peace Tor Wennesland, urged all sides to "exercise maximum restraint and avoid further escalation", adding "the provocative acts across Jerusalem must cease".

Gaza rocket fire
Hamas's military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, voiced support for the east Jerusalem protesters.

"The spark you light today will be the wick of the explosion to come in the face of the enemy," it said in a statement.

An alliance of Palestinian militant groups, including Hamas and its smaller ally “Islamic Jihad”, issued a statement warning we "cannot remain silent" in the face of the violence.

Militants in Gaza fired a first salvo of three rockets at Israel shortly before midnight (2100 GMT) Friday, the military said.

Israeli tanks shelled Gaza in response and launched air strikes on the blockaded coastal enclave after more rockets were fired.

The Israeli army said the 36 rockets fired at Israel were intercepted or hit open ground.

It said the air strikes involving fighter jets and attack helicopters struck Hamas military targets as well as underground infrastructure and rocket launchers.

"Concerning the Gaza Strip, I gave instructions that we be prepared for all scenarios," Netanyahu said.

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Arab World

Flash Floods Hit Western Libyan Cities, Destroy Bridges in North

Floodwaters submerge the Libyan city of Mizda (Verified social media pages)
Floodwaters submerge the Libyan city of Mizda (Verified social media pages)
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Flash Floods Hit Western Libyan Cities, Destroy Bridges in North

Floodwaters submerge the Libyan city of Mizda (Verified social media pages)
Floodwaters submerge the Libyan city of Mizda (Verified social media pages)

Flash floods swept across southern, western and northern Libya, destroying roads and bridges, sweeping away cars and leaving people dead by drowning. Rescue teams raced to evacuate stranded families as the interim Government of National Unity (GNA) declared a state of emergency.

Mizda and Nesma, in southwestern Libya, have faced dire conditions since Thursday. Floodwaters from overflowing valleys surged into homes, tore through roads and brought down high-voltage transmission towers, causing extensive damage to public and private property.

GNA’s Ministry of Local Government sent bulldozers and heavy trucks to both cities to help with rescue operations. A bridge between Mizda and the Tininai area collapsed, severing the road and isolating the area beyond it.

The ministry urged Mizda residents to stay home. The municipal council mobilized humanitarian aid and other support, including an air ambulance, to meet urgent needs in the city and its outskirts.

Heavy rains flood a street in the Libyan city of Mizda on September 24 (Municipal Media Center)

Nesma’s municipal media center declared the city a disaster area on Friday. Emergency teams were evacuating families trapped in flooded homes and searching for missing people, it said, warning that severe weather could continue in the coming hours.

Mizda General Hospital appealed for essential medical supplies on Friday morning, saying most had run out. It warned that it could not keep providing emergency care without an immediate delivery.

The Ambulance and Emergency Service said families in Nesma had fled to mountains and other high ground as water rushed through their homes.

Two people had been recovered dead and others were still missing, it said. All roads into the city were closed.

The General Water and Sanitation Company sent emergency crews from Khoms, in western Libya, on Friday to pump out floodwater and reopen roads.

In Ghadames, an emergency team rescued a Filipino engineer working for the Man-Made River Company after his vehicle broke down in a valley as floodwater began flowing through it, the Emergency Medicine and Support Center said on Thursday evening. He had been inspecting wells.

In northwestern Libya, the Bani Walid security directorate closed the road to Tarhuna because of flooding in Wadi Washtata. It warned drivers not to cross or approach the wadi.

Bani Walid - Tarhuna road closed due to floods (Bani Walid Security Directorate)

Bani Walid General Hospital said it had urgently treated several people who had nearly drowned in the flood-hit Tininai area. It put its departments on heightened alert to handle emergencies around the clock.

The General Electricity Company in Tripoli activated its emergency operations room and put maintenance crews on alert to address faults that could affect the power grid.

Minister of State for Prime Minister and Cabinet Affairs Mohamed Ben Ghalboun said on Friday that he had ordered maximum readiness after heavy rain sent water into neighborhoods and homes and caused some valleys to overflow.

His instructions called for urgent coordination with affected municipalities, emergency medical care, drainage and road reopening, and steps to keep electricity, communications and water services running while protecting lives and property.

The Libyan Red Crescent said its central emergency operations room was monitoring the floods around the clock. Field teams were updating reports from its branches to assess humanitarian needs and coordinate the response.

It urged residents to heed weather warnings, avoid unnecessary travel during heavy rain and stay clear of valleys and flood channels.

Arab World

Washington Pushes for Lebanese Army to Secure Southern Border Alone

A UNIFIL soldier aboard a military vehicle during a patrol in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL)
A UNIFIL soldier aboard a military vehicle during a patrol in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL)
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Washington Pushes for Lebanese Army to Secure Southern Border Alone

A UNIFIL soldier aboard a military vehicle during a patrol in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL)
A UNIFIL soldier aboard a military vehicle during a patrol in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL)

Lebanon fears a vacuum in its south when the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force expires late this year. The United States and Europe agree that the Lebanese army should ultimately secure the border, but differ over whether it can do so alone now.

Washington last week blocked a Lebanese proposal to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) by six months.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix is due in Beirut next week to discuss ways to avoid a vacuum with President Joseph Aoun and other Lebanese officials.

Lebanese ministerial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Beirut was waiting to hear Lacroix’s proposals. Options raised so far include a European force to replace UNIFIL and more personnel for the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO).

The sources also cited a French-Italian initiative to form a replacement force after European and Asian countries contributing to UNIFIL said they were willing to stay in Lebanon to continue the mission.

Most UN Security Council members support extending UNIFIL’s mandate or forming a replacement force, but Washington opposes both options. Western diplomatic sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the US position is that the Lebanese army alone should secure the border. On that basis, they said, “there should be no need for any other force in the area.”

Europe agrees that the army should eventually protect the border and maintain security on its own. It says the army cannot yet do the job without international support.

“The Lebanese army should ultimately take on the mission by itself, but at present it cannot do so alone and needs international support during this transitional phase,” the diplomatic sources said.

The European position rests on two factors. The first is Israel’s occupation of Lebanese territory and the failure of security talks to reach understandings that would allow direct coordination between the Lebanese and Israeli armies.

The second is the Lebanese army’s need for more personnel and weapons. That issue was not settled at meetings in Paris last week, despite international willingness to support the army and official security forces.

Lebanon backs the European approach. Its army “needs weapons, ammunition and vehicles,” Lebanese sources said. “Without the support it needs, the army cannot carry out the mission alone.”

“Washington must begin equipping and strengthening the army before talking about leaving it solely responsible for border security,” the sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Beirut’s insistence on an international force also reflects a concern about direct coordination with Israel. Lebanese officials believe Washington’s opposition to a force in the south is meant to push the Lebanese army toward such coordination. Beirut, meanwhile, wants an international witness to Israeli violations.

“Beirut wants a witness to any violations Israel commits in the south, because Tel Aviv will dispute the Lebanese army’s reports and campaign against it,” Lebanese sources following the issue said.

“What is needed is an international force that can testify to Israeli violations before the world and help the Lebanese army deploy.”

Lebanon also wants the force to help clear mines and remnants of war, reopen roads, and provide electricity, ambulance services and health care at clinics, the sources said. The army’s duties in the south include securing the return of residents under current conditions.

Several countries, particularly in Europe, have expressed interest in a replacement force if efforts to extend UNIFIL’s mandate fail.

Representatives of European countries discussed an alternative mission at meetings early this month, Western diplomatic sources told Asharq Al-Awsat. They focused on bringing together countries that could work well together and securing the approval of Lebanon and Israel. Funding was also discussed.

France, Italy, Spain and Britain are among the countries willing to join any replacement force, Lebanese sources following the issue said.

UNIFIL currently has 8,100 personnel in the south. Its French contingent continues to patrol the border area occupied by Israel and escort convoys of Lebanese residents from three predominantly Christian border villages on journeys to and from other parts of Lebanon.

Lebanon has raised the need for an international presence in the south with visiting officials.

Aoun most recently discussed it in Beirut with Vice Admiral Edward Ahlgren, Britain’s senior defense adviser for the Middle East.

Aoun said that allowing UNIFIL’s mandate to lapse without forming a replacement international force would create a vacuum that would not serve security or stability, particularly while Israel continues to occupy a number of southern villages and towns.

Lebanon’s efforts have met US opposition. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam plans to seek a way through the impasse with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio when they meet in Washington next Monday.

Salam also raised the issue with several officials he met in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

They included UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, whom he met on Thursday.

“We discussed the importance of maintaining an international presence under the UN umbrella in the south after UNIFIL’s mission ends, to prevent any vacuum and support stability and the process of extending state authority,” Salam said.

Arab World

How Egypt Benefits From Expanding Nile Basin Power, Water Projects

Tanzania’s president and Egypt’s prime minister attend the inauguration of the Julius Nyerere Dam in Tanzania last month. (Egyptian Cabinet/Facebook)
Tanzania’s president and Egypt’s prime minister attend the inauguration of the Julius Nyerere Dam in Tanzania last month. (Egyptian Cabinet/Facebook)
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How Egypt Benefits From Expanding Nile Basin Power, Water Projects

Tanzania’s president and Egypt’s prime minister attend the inauguration of the Julius Nyerere Dam in Tanzania last month. (Egyptian Cabinet/Facebook)
Tanzania’s president and Egypt’s prime minister attend the inauguration of the Julius Nyerere Dam in Tanzania last month. (Egyptian Cabinet/Facebook)

Egypt is seeking funding for 36 projects in the southern Nile Basin, expanding its role in the region through hydropower, electricity and water schemes that experts say could benefit both Cairo and its neighbors.

The projects include power interconnections, transmission lines, water supplies and multipurpose schemes. Experts told Asharq Al-Awsat that Egypt’s growing involvement was guided by a principle of mutual benefit.

The southern Nile Basin countries are Burundi, Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. They are among the Nile’s upstream countries and, together with the eastern Nile countries of Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and Eritrea, make up the Nile River Basin region.

Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam said on Friday that Cairo had agreed to support efforts to mobilize funding for the 36 projects after studying them, exchanging information, assessing their impacts and reaching agreement through consultations.

Sewilam pointed to Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere Dam as a practical example of cooperation among Nile Basin countries. The Egyptian-Tanzanian partnership had brought gains to both sides, he said.

The dam provides electricity for Tanzania, Sewilam said, and its power could also support regional integration, cross-border connections and electricity trade with neighboring countries.

He also cited the Grand Fula Dam project in South Sudan, saying Egypt supported Juba’s development goals, including that project.

Tanzania inaugurated the Julius Nyerere hydropower dam and plant in late August. The Egyptian consortium of Arab Contractors and Elsewedy Electric built it over five years, with 1,700 Egyptian engineers and technicians among a workforce of about 12,000.

Hussein al-Buheiri, an African affairs expert at the National Center for Middle East Studies, said Egypt had the resources and capabilities to play a central role in developing Nile Basin and Horn of Africa countries, particularly through hydropower dams and irrigation and agricultural projects.

He said Egyptian companies’ work on the Julius Nyerere Dam and Egypt’s help in building power plants in countries such as Djibouti showed how the country could act as a strategic development partner.

African countries gained development, while Egypt gained investment and thousands of jobs, he said.

That approach also advanced Egyptian foreign policy and helped protect its Nile water security by drawing basin countries closer to Cairo and countering Ethiopian moves, al-Buheiri said.

Salah Halima, deputy chairman of the Egyptian Council for African Affairs and a former assistant foreign minister, said Egypt’s support for development projects reflected a broader commitment to shared interests and sustainable development across the basin.

Egypt had long supported water and electricity projects in Nile Basin countries, approving and helping carry out dozens of them, he said. That record showed Cairo’s support for those countries’ right to develop without harming others.

Halima described current water projects as an expression of partnership and mutual investment between Egypt and its African neighbors. Their expansion, he said, was part of longstanding collective action and close cooperation.

The message, he said, was clear: understanding and cooperation, rather than confrontation or dispute, should guide the management of international rivers.