Maliki to Asharq Al-Awsat: There is No Alternative But to Win The Jerusalem Battle

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Malki (left) with his Italian counterpart in Rome on Thursday as part of his European tour (EPA).
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Malki (left) with his Italian counterpart in Rome on Thursday as part of his European tour (EPA).
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Maliki to Asharq Al-Awsat: There is No Alternative But to Win The Jerusalem Battle

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Malki (left) with his Italian counterpart in Rome on Thursday as part of his European tour (EPA).
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Malki (left) with his Italian counterpart in Rome on Thursday as part of his European tour (EPA).

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki expressed his confidence in the ability of the Palestinians to overcome the existing disputes over postponing the legislative elections.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Maliki noted that this issue has “hastened the launch of the battle of Jerusalem,” emphasizing its “priority with regard to all Palestinian factions.”

The minister, who visited Moscow as part of a European tour, pointed to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ proposal to form a government of national unity, saying: “All factions agree that Jerusalem is a red line... But it is important to deal with the situation in good faith and work to unify the Palestinian house in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and to protect Jerusalem, where Israel exploits our division to escalate its violations.”

Maliki continued: “We can overcome all the existing problems by forming a government of national unity. Not all factions… will converge on the same position, and some may go far to exploit the situation to question the leadership and its legitimacy. There are other parties, such as Hamas, which proved their eagerness to end the division during the Istanbul and Cairo meetings.”

While the Palestinian foreign minister emphasized the willingness of Fatah and Hamas to work towards unity, he noted that the two sides did not have enough time to expand the understandings.

“They preferred to go towards the shortest path, which is holding the elections, before completing the adequate preparations. Here, many pitfalls emerged, especially the issue of Jerusalem,” Maliki told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Asked about his European tour and Moscow discussions, the Palestinian foreign minister said that a number of issues were on the agenda, underlining the importance of communication with Russia, especially with regards to Israel’s violations.

“We are counting on Moscow to pressure the Israeli side to stop these ongoing violations, as well as to compel Tel Aviv to abide by the signed agreements that guarantee the holding of Palestinian elections on all territories, including those under Area C, which comprise Jerusalem,” Maliki said.

He continued: “We also rely on a Russian role to influence Israel in the course of advancing the political process, and we support the Russian efforts within the framework of reviving the work of the International Quartet and the invitation made by Minister Sergei Lavrov to hold a meeting of the international group at the ministerial level.”

On whether he was optimistic about efforts to revive the international quartet, Maliki noted a change in the US position after US President Joe Biden assumed office. He said that the quartet held two meetings at the delegates’ level, including one upon an American request.

“Now Lavrov is talking about calling for a meeting at the ministerial level, and this is important. Maturing ideas and restoring confidence between the parties is required. For us, there is no alternative to this framework, because it is the official context adopted within UN Security Council Resolution 1515,” the minister remarked.

Asked whether there was a clear Palestinian plan to pressure Israel at the international level, Maliki said: “The moment the international community is able to oblige Israel to implement its pledges, we will move immediately to set a new date for the elections.”

“We are not trying to evade the elections. In fact, it was President Abbas who launched the idea before the United Nations General Assembly in 2017… At the same time, we have a second option to adress the situation, which President Abbas expressed by calling for the formation of a national unity government based on the principles of the Palestinian Liberation Organization,” he stated.

Maliki explained that the proposed national unity government would work on two tracks. First, strengthening the Palestinian movement and ensuring the mobilization of a supportive international position to escalate pressure on Israel on elections, and second, working to dismantle the foundations of the Palestinian division, its institutions, and its elements.

“Such a national framework will have the ingredients for success in both tracks,” he emphasized.



Yemeni Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Houthis Have Lost Nearly 30% of their Military Capabilities

This handout photo released by the US Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) shows a US F/A-18 Super Hornet attack fighter jet taking off from the US Navy's Nimitz-class USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier at sea on March 16, 2025. (Photo by Hunter DAY / DVIDS / AFP)
This handout photo released by the US Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) shows a US F/A-18 Super Hornet attack fighter jet taking off from the US Navy's Nimitz-class USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier at sea on March 16, 2025. (Photo by Hunter DAY / DVIDS / AFP)
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Yemeni Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Houthis Have Lost Nearly 30% of their Military Capabilities

This handout photo released by the US Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) shows a US F/A-18 Super Hornet attack fighter jet taking off from the US Navy's Nimitz-class USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier at sea on March 16, 2025. (Photo by Hunter DAY / DVIDS / AFP)
This handout photo released by the US Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) shows a US F/A-18 Super Hornet attack fighter jet taking off from the US Navy's Nimitz-class USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier at sea on March 16, 2025. (Photo by Hunter DAY / DVIDS / AFP)

The Iran-backed Houthis are in disarray over escalating American strikes targeting military and security sites, as well as weapons depots belonging to them, Yemeni Minister of Information Moammar Al-Eryani said, revealing that the group has lost nearly 30% of its military capabilities.

Al-Eryani told Asharq Al-Awsat that the recent strikes have directly hit "the military capabilities of the Houthi group, targeting mainly infrastructure related to ballistic missiles and drones, which were used to threaten international maritime navigation in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb, and the Gulf of Aden."

US President Donald Trump had ordered the start of the military campaign against the Houthis on March 15, pledging to destroy their capabilities.

In the past four weeks, the Houthis have been hit by 365 air and naval strikes, field reports said. The campaign has been primarily targeting fortified bunkers and military warehouses, especially in the group's strongholds in the governorates of Saada, Sanaa, Amran, and Hodeidah.

"Our assessment, based on our field sources, is that the militia has lost 30% of its capabilities, and this number is rising as military operations continue,” Al-Eryani said.

The minister also spoke of "surprises” that will please Yemenis in the coming weeks.

Trump said Monday that the US campaign against the Houthis has been “very successful militarily.”

“We’ve really damaged them,” he said, adding that “we’ve gotten many of their leaders and their experts.”

The Yemeni Minister of Information considered the powerful strikes “as not enough to end the Houthi threat, especially since the militia is still receiving logistical support from Iran through multiple smuggling routes."

Last week, Britain’s The Telegraph quoted a senior Iranian official as saying that Iran had ordered military personnel to leave Yemen to avoid direct confrontation with the US.

Al-Eryani called for “keeping military, political, and economic pressure” on the Houthis and increasing control on the sources that provide arms to the Houthis. He also called for “supporting the legitimate forces to enable them to take control of all Yemeni territory."
Al-Eryani confirmed that the Houthis have recently suffered significant human losses at various leadership levels, yet the militias have avoided announcing such losses for fear of undermining the morale of their fighters.

Last month, Yemeni Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mohsen Mohammed al-Daeri told Asharq Al-Awsat that the country’s armed forces and all military formations were at a high state of readiness to respond firmly to any Houthi attacks or provocations.

Al-Daeri said the Houthis bear full responsibility for the recent escalation, the imposition of international sanctions, and the militarization of regional waters, which have worsened the humanitarian and economic situation for Yemenis.