Marrakesh Meeting Renews Commitment to Eliminate ISIS

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita (AFP)
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita (AFP)
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Marrakesh Meeting Renews Commitment to Eliminate ISIS

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita (AFP)
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita (AFP)

Morocco hosted the first meeting of the Global Coalition against ISIS in Africa, which was called upon by the Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and his US counterpart Anthony Blinken, who did not attend the meeting after he tested positive for the coronavirus.

The meeting included 84 regional and international entities and 42 foreign ministers and focused on the challenges posed by terrorism in all its forms and the repositioning of ISIS in Africa.

In his opening speech at the ministerial meeting, Bourita said: "Separatism and terrorism are often two sides of the same coin," adding that a "worrying trend has been on the rise without garnering the necessary attention: the terrorism-separatism nexus."

"The collusion against the sovereignty and stability of states, and the convergence of financial, tactical and operational means, create an objective alliance between terrorist and separatist groups."

Bourita warned that "those who finance, shelter, support, and weaponize separatism, are actually contributing to spread terrorism and further compromise regional peace and security."

Morocco has been calling for a multilateral response that enhances solidarity and integration, Bourita explained.

Bourita indicated that the opening of the Rabat-based Program Office for Counter-Terrorism and Training in Africa of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism enhances the coalition's capabilities.

He explained that the UN office constitutes a new organization containing terrorism in Africa and proposes programs to boost several fields.

The FM said that Morocco had developed an effective, multi-dimensional, comprehensive strategy to combat terrorism and extremism.

The good policies developed by the Moroccan security services and the unique approach adopted by the Kingdom reflects a deep conviction in Africa's capabilities, as emphasized by King Mohammed VI.

US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland affirmed that the members of the international coalition against ISIS are committed to ensuring the complete elimination of ISIS in Iraq, Syria, Africa, and the whole world.

Nuland explained that the coalition's work includes liberating ISIS-controlled territories in Iraq and Syria and identifying global areas that may shape a fertile ground for the spread of terrorist groups.

She indicated that the participants would focus on evaluating the coalition's work and its members during the past year in Iraq, Syria, the African continent, and Afghanistan.

The official warned that ISIS continues to pose a threat, waiting to rebuild itself.

She urged vigilance in the face of the threat ISIS constantly poses globally, especially in Africa.

Terrorist attacks increased by 43 percent during the period 2018-2021 in the Sahel region, said Nuland, adding that about 500 terrorist ISIS attacks were recorded in 2021, killing more than 2,900 people on the African continent.

She warned that ISIS and other terrorist groups enhanced their influence and capabilities in the Sahel region while al-Qaeda affiliated Nusrat al-Islam threatened the Sahel region.

"The United States is committed to working with our partners in West Africa to confront the challenges that have allowed these groups to flourish, among them lack state legitimacy, persistent rights violations, and food insecurity," she said.

"In response to this and other security threats, the United States will spend over $119 million in new assistance in sub-Saharan Africa to improve the capabilities of civilian law enforcement and the judiciary to disrupt, apprehend, prosecute and convict terrorists across the continent."

In a joint press conference with Nuland, Bourita confirmed that 27 terrorist entities are registered on the UN Security Council sanctions list.

"This is a clear indicator of their connections to major global terrorist groups."

The Ministers welcomed the first meeting and reaffirmed their shared determination to continue the fight against ISIS through military and civilian-led efforts contributing to the enduring defeat of the terrorist group.

The Ministers stressed the importance of addressing underlying causes of insecurity in Africa while reiterating that any lasting solution to halting the spread of ISIS on the continent will rely primarily on national authorities, as well as sub-regional and regional efforts and initiatives that acknowledge and address the political and economic drivers of conflict.

The Ministers also reiterated their global commitment to the survivors and families of victims of ISIS crimes, including by holding the ISIS leaders and perpetrators accountable.

Earlier, the US Secretary of State spoke with the Moroccan Foreign Minister over the phone, expressing his regret that he could not attend the meeting and conveyed that Nuland would represent the US.

Blinken thanked Bourita for Morocco's hosting of the meeting, its commitment to counterterrorism, and its role in promoting regional security and stability.



Controversy Over Appointment of Palestinian Figure to Run Gaza Strip

In the summer heat, Palestinians line up to collect water from a distribution point in Gaza City, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
In the summer heat, Palestinians line up to collect water from a distribution point in Gaza City, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
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Controversy Over Appointment of Palestinian Figure to Run Gaza Strip

In the summer heat, Palestinians line up to collect water from a distribution point in Gaza City, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
In the summer heat, Palestinians line up to collect water from a distribution point in Gaza City, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

A report published by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Tuesday said conversations held by US-Jewish NGO, Shomrim, reveal behind-the-scenes efforts to appoint a Palestinian figure, businessman Samir Hulileh, to run the Gaza Strip.

While the Palestinian presidency denied the report, Hulileh said that the proposal to appoint him as a governor for post-war Gaza had gained momentum in recent weeks, but did not yield any results.

Responding to Hulileh’s comments, the Palestinian presidency warned that “any engagement with other arrangements is a deviation from the national position and aligns with Israel’s aim to separate Gaza from the West Bank and displace its residents,” affirming that Gaza is an inseparable part of Palestinian territory.

Hulileh told the Palestinian radio station Ajyal that several months ago, he was contacted by a Canadian contractor working with the US administration with a goal at the time to identify figures who could serve as a “point of contact” between Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Egypt and other key players in the region.

“I discussed the matter directly with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas,” Hulileh said, without specifying the President’s position on that matter.

Hulileh affirmed he has no direct contacts with Hamas. “If the Palestinian Authority says ‘take charge,’ I will take charge,” he added, describing his role as someone “who will be used to manage the project.”

Hamas did not comment on the report.

In another interview with Nasradio, Hulileh said he received an offer from the White House to run Gaza when the war ends, adding that he had discussed the matter with the Palestinian Authority. “My name came up to govern the Strip because I am politically independent,” he said.

The Plan

According to the Yedioth Ahronoth report, conversations held by Shomrim with people involved in the initiative, as well as documents submitted to the US Department of Justice, reveal a plan to bring in a figure acceptable to both Israel and the United States and help lay the groundwork for post-war Gaza.

It said Hulileh’s candidacy is being promoted in part by lobbyist Ari Ben-Menashe, a former Israeli now based in Canada. Ben-Menashe says the initiative has gained momentum in recent weeks following meetings in the US and Hulileh’s contacts in Egypt.

Ben-Menashe’s filings in the US outline a broader proposal: stationing US and Arab forces in Gaza, securing UN recognition of a special status for the territory, leasing land from Egypt for an airport and seaport in Sinai, obtaining gas drilling rights off Gaza’s coast and more.

Speaking from Amman, Hulileh said the essential first step is a permanent ceasefire and an end to the war.

He said law and order would also need to be restored, with authority in Gaza “neither from the Palestinian Authority nor from Hamas” but respected by residents. The territory, he stressed, could not remain awash in weapons from “remnants of Hamas or Islamic Jihad.”

Nothing, he emphasized, will move forward until the war ends, though he noted signs of optimism.

A Ramallah resident and trained economist, Hulileh is a well-known political and business figure in the Palestinian Authority. His resume includes senior PA posts and extensive business ties.

In 2005, he served as secretary-general of the Palestinian government and later as deputy minister of economy and trade, chairman of the board at the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute, board member of the Palestine Trade Center, CEO of PADICO - Palestine’s largest holding company - and chairman of the Palestinian Stock Exchange.

He is considered close to Palestinian-American billionaire Bashar al-Masri, the developer of the West Bank city of Rawabi, known for his ties to US President Donald Trump’s administration.