Algeria to Host Arab League Summit in November, Syria's Return Remains Undetermined

Meeting of Arab Foreign Ministers in Cairo (EPA)
Meeting of Arab Foreign Ministers in Cairo (EPA)
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Algeria to Host Arab League Summit in November, Syria's Return Remains Undetermined

Meeting of Arab Foreign Ministers in Cairo (EPA)
Meeting of Arab Foreign Ministers in Cairo (EPA)

The Arab League will hold its upcoming summit in Algeria, announced Sec-Gen Ahmed Aboul Gheit during a press conference after the 157th session of the Arab League at the ministerial level.

Aboul Gheit explained that Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra presented during the meeting, chaired by Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, Algeria's proposal to hold the summit in November.

The session ratified Algeria's proposal and agreed on November 1-2 as the scheduled date for the Arab summit in Algiers. The summit will be preceded by a meeting of foreign ministers and a two-day meeting of the permanent representatives of Arab countries.

Regarding Syria's return to the Arab League, Aboul Gheit said the ministers did not discuss the issue, adding that it would be left for bilateral talks between the Arab countries, and if there is an agreement on the matter, Syria will return to the organization.

However, Aboul Gheit noted that he hadn't witnessed consensus on the matter.

The Sec-Gen pointed out that the participation of 18 Arab foreign ministers in the meeting reflects the countries' willingness to activate joint Arab action.

The meeting addressed the Russian military operation in Ukraine, warning of its consequences on Arab countries.

A ministerial committee of six Arab countries was formed to follow up the Ukrainian crisis, comprising Algeria, Sudan, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, and the Arab member of the Security Council. They agreed to issue an additional statement calling for a diplomatic and political solution to the crisis.

Aboul Gheit stressed the need to reach a settlement to end the crisis because it would lead to stability, noting that the world is facing a threat due to the Ukrainian crisis. He asserted the need for diplomatic action, which leads to settlements no matter how long it takes.

The Lebanese Foreign Minister noted that the Arab ministers took a unified position on the Ukrainian crisis without politicizing international institutions.

The League issued a statement affirming the Arab countries' adherence to the principles of international law and the UN Charter on preserving the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of states.

The minister stressed the need to reach a diplomatic solution as the only way out of this crisis.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian, Jordanian, and Palestinian foreign ministers called during a tripartite meeting to create an environment conducive to the launch of serious negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli parties to reach a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Foreign Ministers Sameh Shoukry, Ayman Safadi, and Expatriates Riyad al-Malki discussed developments in Palestine.

The three top diplomats also expressed their aspiration for the active engagement of the parties concerned in the peace process towards that end and to work towards addressing all that undermines the prospects for a two-state solution and the desired peace in the region.

The Arab Ministerial Quartet Committee condemned Iran's interference in Arab internal affairs, denouncing Tehran's provocative statements against Arab countries.

In a statement following its meeting under the chairmanship of Saudi Arabia on the sidelines of the 157th session of the Council, the committee expressed its grave concern over Iran's continuous support of sectarian differences and sabotage in Arab countries.

They also warned of Iran's development of its ballistic missile program and supplies to the Houthi militias in Yemen.

The committee condemned Turkish interference in the internal Arab affairs, stressing the "need for Turkey to withdraw its forces immediately and unconditionally" from Iraq, Libya, and Syria.



‘War Ruined Me’: Lebanon’s Farmers Mourn Lost Season

This photo shows burnt agricultural fields that were hit during Israeli shelling in the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun, on October 30, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
This photo shows burnt agricultural fields that were hit during Israeli shelling in the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun, on October 30, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
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‘War Ruined Me’: Lebanon’s Farmers Mourn Lost Season

This photo shows burnt agricultural fields that were hit during Israeli shelling in the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun, on October 30, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
This photo shows burnt agricultural fields that were hit during Israeli shelling in the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun, on October 30, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)

Lebanese farmer Abu Taleb briefly returned to his orchard last month to salvage an avocado harvest but ran away empty handed as soon as Israeli air raids began.

"The war broke out just before the first harvest season," said Abu Taleb, displaced from the village of Tayr Debba near the southern city Tyre.

"When I went back in mid-October, it was deserted... it was scary," said the father of two, who is now sheltering in Tripoli more than 160 kilometers to the north and asked to be identified by a pseudonym because of security concerns.

Abu Taleb said his harvesting attempt was interrupted by an Israeli raid on the neighboring town of Markaba.

He was forced back to Tripoli without the avocados he usually exports every year.

Agricultural regions in Lebanon have been caught in the crossfire since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah ramped up in October last year, a full-scale war breaking out on September 23.

The UN's agriculture agency, FAO, said more than 1,909 hectares of farmland in south Lebanon had been damaged or left unharvested between October last year and September 28.

The conflict has also displaced more than half a million people, including farmers who abandoned their crops just when they were ready to harvest.

Hani Saad had to abandon 120 hectares of farmland in the southern region of Nabatiyeh, which is rich in citrus and avocado plantations.

"If the ceasefire takes place within a month, I can save the harvest, otherwise, the whole season is ruined," said Saad who has been displaced to the coastal city of Jounieh, north of Beirut.

When an Israeli strike sparked a fire in one of Saad's orchards, he had to pay out of his own pocket for the fuel of the fire engine that extinguished the blaze.

His employees, meanwhile, have fled. Of 32 workers, 28 have left, mainly to neighboring Syria.

- 'Worst phase' -

Israeli strikes have put at least two land crossings with Syria out of service, blocking a key export route for produce and crops.

Airlines have suspended flights to Lebanon as insurance costs soar.

This has dealt a deadly blow to agricultural exports, most of which are destined for Gulf Arab states.

Fruit exporter Chadi Kaadan said exports to the Gulf have dropped by more than 50 percent.

The supply surplus in the local market has caused prices to plummet at home, he added.

"In the end, it is the farmer who loses," said Saad who used to earn $5,000 a day before the war started. Today, he barely manages $300.

While avocados can stay on the tree for months, they are starting to run out of water following Israeli strikes on irrigation channels, Saad said.

Citrus fruits and cherimoyas have already started to fall.

"The war has ruined me. I spend my time in front of the TV waiting for a ceasefire so I can return to my livelihood," Saad told AFP.

Gaby Hage, a resident of the Christian town of Rmeish, on the border with Israel, is one of the few farmers who decided to stay in south Lebanon.

He has only been able to harvest 100 of his 350 olive trees, which were left untended for a year because of cross-border strikes.

"I took advantage of a slight lull in the fighting to pick what I could," he told AFP.

Hage said agriculture was a lifeline for the inhabitants of his town, which has been cut off by the war.

Ibrahim Tarchichi, president of the farmers' union in the Bekaa Valley, which was hit hard by the strikes, believes that agriculture in Lebanon is going through the "worst phase" of its recent history.

"I have experienced four wars, it has never been this serious," he said.