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Arab World

Morocco, Israel Sign Cooperation Agreements

Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita (R) and his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid signed cooperation agreements in Rabat on Wednesday FADEL SENNA AFP
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita (R) and his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid signed cooperation agreements in Rabat on Wednesday FADEL SENNA AFP
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Morocco, Israel Sign Cooperation Agreements

Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita (R) and his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid signed cooperation agreements in Rabat on Wednesday FADEL SENNA AFP
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita (R) and his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid signed cooperation agreements in Rabat on Wednesday FADEL SENNA AFP

The foreign ministers of Morocco and Israel signed three accords on Wednesday during the first visit by a top official from the Jewish state since ties were normalized last year.

Nasser Bourita and his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid signed agreements on political consultations, aviation and culture.

Lapid told reporters the accords would "bring our countries innovation and opportunities for the benefit of our children -- and their children -- for years to come".

Israel and Morocco struck a deal last year after then US president Donald Trump recognized Morocco's contested sovereignty in Western Sahara.

"Today, we are restoring peace, restoring friendship," Lapid said, AFP reported.

Morocco was the fourth Arab state to establish ties with Israel last year after the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.

Bourita said that during his talks with Lapid, the situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories was raised.

"King Mohammed VI insists on the need to break the current impasse and resume negotiations, as the only means of reaching a solution based on two states living side by side on the 1967 borders," Bourita said.

The monarch had reassured Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas after the normalization of ties that Morocco would continue to support the Palestinian cause.

"It is urgent that measures be taken today to restore confidence and maintain calm, to open a political horizon to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," Bourita said.

Lapid said he preferred to focus on the normalization of ties between Israel and Arab countries.

"Something is happening in the region," he said.

On Thursday, Lapid will officially open Israel's diplomatic representation in the capital Rabat.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Lapid's visit "significant for Israel, Morocco, and the broader region".

"The United States will continue to work with Israel and Morocco to strengthen all aspects of our partnerships and create a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous future for all the people of the Middle East," Blinken said in a statement.

The American embassy in Rabat said that ties between the two countries generated "real benefits" for both sides including direct commercial flights and economic cooperation.

Before the Bourita-Lapid meeting, the Israeli delegation visited the royal mausoleum, where kings Hassan II and Mohammed V are buried.

Lapid is also expected to visit the Beth-El synagogue in Casablanca on his two-day visit, the Israeli foreign ministry said.

"Proud to represent Israel during this historic visit," Lapid wrote on Twitter, just after his flight operated by Israeli national airline El Al landed.

His visit comes a little over two weeks after direct flights were launched between Israel and Morocco.

Morocco and Israel maintained liaison offices in the 1990s, before closing them during the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, that raged from 2000 to 2005.

Lapid's visit to Rabat follows a June trip to the United Arab Emirates, where he inaugurated the new Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi.

It comes just days before Israel is due to require all travelers returning from Morocco to quarantine following a review of the risks of Covid-19 infection.

Last December Israel and Morocco signed agreements on water, aviation and finance, when a delegation of Israeli officials arrived on a first direct flight between Rabat and Tel Aviv.

And in July, the two countries signed a cyber defense cooperation accord in Rabat.

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Arab World

Lebanese President Rejects Turning the South into Bargaining Card

FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: FILE PHOTO - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa
FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: FILE PHOTO - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa
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Lebanese President Rejects Turning the South into Bargaining Card

FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: FILE PHOTO - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa
FILED - 16 February 2026, Lebanon, Beirut: FILE PHOTO - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference. Photo: Markus Lenhardt/dpa

President Joseph Aoun renewed on Sunday his full commitment to ensuring that weapons remain exclusively in the hands of the Lebanese state and that the Lebanese army extends its authority across the entire country.

He rejected any attempt to use southern Lebanon as a “bargaining chip,” as Hezbollah continues to challenge the state’s approach to the issue of weapons and the south. Hezbollah maintains that steadfastness, despite losses and sacrifices, constitutes a victory in its confrontation with Israel.

Weapons Must Remain in State Hands

President Joseph Aoun said on the 48th anniversary of the disappearance of Imam Musa al-Sadr and his two companions that the case remains an “open national and humanitarian issue,” stressing that the state would continue to seek the truth about their fate and pursue the matter at both the bilateral and international levels.

Aoun recalled al-Sadr’s positions on southern Lebanon, saying he had “rejected allowing the south to remain a forgotten area or a bargaining chip”. He also called for the state to assume full responsibility for the south and emphasized that weapons and security should remain under state authority.

The President said Lebanon, amid continued Israeli attacks and violations of the cessation of hostilities, “reaffirms its full commitment to ensuring that legitimate weapons remain exclusively in the hands of the Lebanese state and to extending the authority of the Lebanese army across all Lebanese territory,” in implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and to safeguard Lebanon’s full sovereignty.

Ministerial Sources: Qassem’s Rhetoric is Part of Hezbollah’s Approach

Meanwhile, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem reiterated the group’s commitment to confronting Israel through steadfastness, saying that heavy sacrifices and significant loss of life did not amount to defeat.

Ministerial sources close to the presidency said Qassem’s remarks were not new but rather part of the approach Hezbollah has been pursuing.

The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that while Qassem’s remarks on Monday were “not related to the president’s statements,” they reflected “the narrative adopted by Hezbollah officials” and represented a practical rejection of the dialogue proposed by Aoun, as well as initiatives launched by several parties.

Arab World

Syrian Diplomacy Returns to Libya after 14-Year Hiatus

Dbeibeh, prime minister of the Government of National Unity, meets Syrian Foreign Minister and Expatriates Asaad al-Shaibani on Sunday. (Dbeibeh’s Office) 
Dbeibeh, prime minister of the Government of National Unity, meets Syrian Foreign Minister and Expatriates Asaad al-Shaibani on Sunday. (Dbeibeh’s Office) 
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Syrian Diplomacy Returns to Libya after 14-Year Hiatus

Dbeibeh, prime minister of the Government of National Unity, meets Syrian Foreign Minister and Expatriates Asaad al-Shaibani on Sunday. (Dbeibeh’s Office) 
Dbeibeh, prime minister of the Government of National Unity, meets Syrian Foreign Minister and Expatriates Asaad al-Shaibani on Sunday. (Dbeibeh’s Office) 

Syrian diplomacy has ended an absence of nearly 14 years from Libya following talks held Sunday in Tripoli by Foreign Minister and Expatriates Asaad al-Shaibani aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation.

Al-Shaibani reopened Syria’s embassy in the Libyan capital during the visit and met several officials.

The Syrian Embassy in Tripoli closed in 2012, months after the fall of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in August 2011, after Libya’s then-Transitional National Council recognized the Syrian revolution. Relations remained severed throughout the rule of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The new Syrian administration, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, has sought to reopen channels with Libya, with Syrian officials visiting Tripoli to explore bilateral ties and cooperation in various fields — a move observers see as an attempt to forge “new relations that benefit both countries.”

A ‘New Phase’

Al-Shaibani and his delegation arrived at Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli on Sunday morning and later met Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, prime minister of the interim Government of National Unity.

Before meeting Dbeibeh, the Syrian minister held talks with Taher al-Baour, who is overseeing the affairs of the GNU’s Foreign Ministry and received him at the airport.

Tripoli’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the talks addressed issues of mutual interest, ways to advance Libyan-Syrian relations and strengthen coordination and consultations “in a manner that serves the common interests of the two brotherly peoples.”

The two sides also discussed procedures for reopening the Syrian Embassy in Tripoli to strengthen diplomatic communication, facilitate consular services and develop bilateral cooperation.

Dbeibeh’s talks with al-Shaibani focused on “reactivating frameworks for Libyan-Syrian cooperation, raising the level of diplomatic representation and revitalizing the Joint Higher Committee,” as well as economic, investment and trade cooperation and outstanding financial issues between institutions in the two countries.

According to Dbeibeh’s office, they also discussed security cooperation and counterterrorism, the situation of the two countries’ communities, consular services, prisoners and detainees, refugees and displaced people, as well as reopening the Syrian Consulate in Benghazi.

Dbeibeh stressed the importance of “opening a new phase of relations” based on shared interests and practical cooperation, while resolving outstanding issues in a way that serves citizens of both countries.

Energy and Investment

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said al-Shaibani also met Libyan Oil and Gas Minister Khalifa Abdulsadek and Ali Mahmoud Hassan Mohamed, chairman and CEO of the Libyan Investment Authority.

The talks covered bilateral cooperation in energy and investment, expanding partnerships and exchanging expertise in sectors of mutual interest to strengthen economic ties.

Syrian-Libyan relations have seen notable progress recently. In August 2025, a Syrian technical and diplomatic delegation raised the Syrian flag over the embassy building in Tripoli in preparation for its reopening.

Earlier this month, al-Shaibani met Libya’s chargé d’affaires in Damascus, Walid Hassan Ammar, to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and exchange views on issues of common interest.

Al-Sharaa also met Dbeibeh on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in April 2025, when they agreed to reactivate the Libyan-Syrian Joint Higher Committee.

A Step With ‘Practical Dimensions’

The Syrian and Libyan foreign ministries said al-Shaibani’s visit reflected a shared commitment to strengthening the countries’ historic ties and expanding bilateral cooperation and coordination.

Tripoli’s Foreign Ministry said al-Baour and al-Shaibani also discussed completing procedures to reactivate the Joint Higher Committee and signing the agreement governing its work, opening broader prospects for economic, development and other forms of cooperation.

Turkish international relations researcher Muhannad Hafizoglu said the mutual opening between Tripoli and Damascus “reflects both countries’ efforts to emerge from their crises by drawing up a different map of foreign relations.”

“Libya sees Damascus as a gateway for expanding its regional partnerships, while Syria seeks to reach deeper into North Africa through the Libyan gateway,” Hafeziglu told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He noted that the diplomatic move had “practical dimensions that go beyond protocol,” particularly in addressing outstanding issues related to the Syrian presence in Libya, including refugees, military personnel and administrative arrangements.

He argued that both sides aim to build “a partnership based on mutual benefits and avoid the mistakes of the past through joint coordination.”

Missing Persons and Detainees

In mid-August, Libya received a delegation headed by Syrian chargé d’affaires Samir al-Shalabi to discuss obstacles to developing economic relations, including difficulties in issuing visas to Syrians and some customs procedures affecting Libyan exports to Syria.

Tripoli authorities continue to hold a number of Syrians who were transferred by Türkiye to fight in Libya, while Russian forces remain deployed in areas controlled by the General Command of the Libyan National Army under the banner of the “Africa Corps.”

Libyan rights activist Tarik Lamloum stressed the importance of Shaibani’s visit to Libya and urged that the issue of missing and detained Syrians be a priority. He called for lists of Syrians held in prisons and other detention facilities to help determine their fate, including whether they remain detained or went missing during sea journeys.

 

Arab World

Syrian Authorities Say Killed Assad-Era Officer After Clash

A member of Syria's internal security forces in Tartus city. (SANA)
A member of Syria's internal security forces in Tartus city. (SANA)
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Syrian Authorities Say Killed Assad-Era Officer After Clash

A member of Syria's internal security forces in Tartus city. (SANA)
A member of Syria's internal security forces in Tartus city. (SANA)

Syrian security forces said on Sunday that they killed an army commander who served under ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad, after he opened fire on them as they tried to arrest him.

In a statement, the forces accused Firas Abdul Karim Hammoud of having taken part in anti-government insurrections that killed security personnel.

Since Assad's fall in December 2024, Syria's new authorities have arrested dozens of security officials from his rule, and trials began in April.

The security forces said they "neutralized Firas Abdul Karim Hammoud... following an armed clash and a raid on his hideout in the town of Safita" in Tartus province in the coastal Alawite heartland.

Hammoud had previously "opened fire on security personnel during an attempt to arrest him", they added.

"During the recent operation, he again opened fire and initiated a firefight with the security forces... necessitating their response."

They said Hammoud served as a commander of the special forces in the so-called "25th Division" under Assad's rule.

They accused him of working under Assad-era general Ghiath Dalla in leading pro-Assad groups on the coast after the former president's fall.

They added that he was involved in "armed insurrection operations" against state institutions that killed security personnel.

Dalla, a former officer in the much-feared Fourth Brigade, had announced on social media last year the formation of a "military council for the liberation of Syria".

The announcement came shortly before deadly violence targeting the Alawite minority, to which Assad's family belongs, erupted on the Syrian coast in March 2025.

Authorities accused armed Assad supporters of sparking the violence by attacking security forces in an ambush.