PA President Mahmoud Abbas to Visit Syria Soon

A delegation of the Fatah Central Committee in the Yarmouk camp in Damascus.
A delegation of the Fatah Central Committee in the Yarmouk camp in Damascus.
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PA President Mahmoud Abbas to Visit Syria Soon

A delegation of the Fatah Central Committee in the Yarmouk camp in Damascus.
A delegation of the Fatah Central Committee in the Yarmouk camp in Damascus.

Secretary-General of the Fatah Central Committee Jibril Rajoub said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will visit Syria soon.

The Syrian leadership has hailed all the efforts undertaken by the Fatah Movement and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) to unite Palestinians, to activate the PLO’s role, and consider it the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, Rajoub told a press conference in Damascus.

His remarks were in reference to the Syrian leadership response to the letter Abbas sent to his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad.

Rajoub wished that Syria restores its role at the regional and international levels, including reinstating its membership in the Arab League.

“Syria is a founding state of the Arab League and must restore its membership” he stressed.

He affirmed that the visit constitutes a breakthrough for Palestine, in light of Israel's unprecedented escalation to end the Palestinian cause.

Fatah delegation concluded on Monday its visit to Damascus that kicked off on Thursday, during which it delivered a letter from Abbas to Assad.

The delegation held talks with Syrian officials and Palestinian factions in Damascus, as part of efforts to prepare for the upcoming Central Committee meeting.

The delegation also participated in an event celebrating the 57th anniversary for the launch of Fatah movement in Yarmouk Refugee Camp.

At the end of the visit, the delegation held a press conference before heading to Lebanon to continue its meetings with Palestinian factions.

Hamas and the Palestinian Jihad movements reject holding the Central Committee session before achieving intra-Palestinian reconciliation.



Yemen's Houthis Say They Will Only Target Israeli-linked Vessels after Gaza Ceasefire

FILE PHOTO: A boat carrying people sails near the Galaxy Leader commercial ship, seized by Yemen's Houthis last month, off the coast of al-Salif, Yemen, December 5, 2023. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A boat carrying people sails near the Galaxy Leader commercial ship, seized by Yemen's Houthis last month, off the coast of al-Salif, Yemen, December 5, 2023. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah/File Photo
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Yemen's Houthis Say They Will Only Target Israeli-linked Vessels after Gaza Ceasefire

FILE PHOTO: A boat carrying people sails near the Galaxy Leader commercial ship, seized by Yemen's Houthis last month, off the coast of al-Salif, Yemen, December 5, 2023. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A boat carrying people sails near the Galaxy Leader commercial ship, seized by Yemen's Houthis last month, off the coast of al-Salif, Yemen, December 5, 2023. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah/File Photo

Yemen's Houthis will limit their attacks on commercial vessels to Israeli-linked ships after the Gaza ceasefire came into effect, according to the Yemen-based Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center.
The HOCC, which liaises between Houthi forces and commercial shipping operators, said in an email sent to shipping industry officials dated Jan. 19 that it was stopping "sanctions" against vessels owned by US or British individuals or entities, as well as ships sailing under their flags.
"We affirm that, in the event of any aggression against the Republic of Yemen by the United States of America, the United Kingdom ... the sanctions will be reinstated against the aggressor," the email said. "You will be promptly informed of such measures should they be implemented."
The HOCC said they would stop targeting Israeli-linked ships "upon the full implementation of all phases of the agreement".
Many of the world's biggest shipping companies have suspended shipping through the Red Sea and have diverted their vessels around southern Africa to avoid being attacked.
The Iran-backed Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships since November 2023 and sunk two vessels, seized another and killed at least four seafarers. The Houthis have targeted the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which are joined by the narrow Bab al-Mandab strait, a chokepoint between the Horn of Africa and the Middle East.
Hamas released three Israeli hostages in Gaza and Israel freed 90 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday, the first day of a ceasefire suspending a 15-month-old war that has laid waste to the Gaza Strip and inflamed the Middle East.