عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Swedish Messages for a Long-Term Solution to End Yemeni Crisis

Sweden’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Ambassador Peter Semneby.
Sweden’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Ambassador Peter Semneby.
    Stockholm - Badr Al-Qahtani
TT
TT

Swedish Messages for a Long-Term Solution to End Yemeni Crisis

Sweden’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Ambassador Peter Semneby.
Sweden’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Ambassador Peter Semneby.

Sweden’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Ambassador Peter Semneby believes that the longer the current ceasefire lasts in Yemen the harder it becomes to break it.

“A long-term perspective that gives the Yemeni people what they need and deserve can only be achieved through: de-escalation, alleviation of human suffering, and engagement in the political process,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“The parties will get used to that, and they will adapt to the course of the armistice,” said the diplomat.

Despite the positive atmosphere surrounding the ceasefire, it remains fragile, according to Semneby.

“There is a need for efforts of all kinds to ensure that parties fulfill their obligations under the truce and are aware of the risks of escalation,” he warned.

He urged Yemen’s warring parties to focus on “a long-term vision for peace rather than just thinking now about what this or that action might mean on the battlefield in the short term.”

The terms of the UN-sponsored truce are four: a comprehensive ceasefire, opening Sanaa airport to commercial flights, allowing the flow of fuel tankers to Hodeidah, and meeting to open the land crossings, including those in the besieged city of Taiz.

All items have been implemented except for those concerning Taiz. The Iran-backed Houthi militias insist on rejecting UN proposals for opening Taiz’s roads and lifting the siege that is affecting 3 million people there.

“It was a brave step by the (Yemeni) government to allow fuel shipments to Hodeidah and the opening of Sanaa airport,” said Semneby.

He hoped the truce would be extended “through a more formal agreement with monitoring and control mechanisms.”

“We need to stay in touch with the various parties to make sure that they understand what is at stake,” urged the diplomat, adding that parties must consider the benefits of maintaining the truce.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Khiam: The Center of Arab-Israeli Conflict Faces ‘Fourth Wave of Destruction’

Intense Israeli airstrike targets Khiam, Lebanon (AFP)
Intense Israeli airstrike targets Khiam, Lebanon (AFP)
TT
TT

Khiam: The Center of Arab-Israeli Conflict Faces ‘Fourth Wave of Destruction’

Intense Israeli airstrike targets Khiam, Lebanon (AFP)
Intense Israeli airstrike targets Khiam, Lebanon (AFP)

Residents of Khiam in southern Lebanon, hit by 12 airstrikes on Wednesday morning, see the attacks as yet another wave of destruction for a town scarred by conflict.
“Khiam has been devastated repeatedly, enduring pain with each blow over decades,” residents say. The town has already been destroyed three times since 1948 and faces new fears amid an intense military campaign and assault attempts.
Khiam, the largest town in the Marjayoun district, houses 35,000 people and over 5,000 homes.
Since 2006, it has expanded significantly, becoming a tourist spot with guesthouses known as “chalets.”
Since Oct. 2023, parts of these buildings, mainly on Khiam’s southern and eastern edges near Israel’s Metula settlement, have been damaged.
A Historic Staging Point Against Israel
Perched on high ground overlooking the Galilee, Khiam is open from the east, west, and south, providing a strategic link to the Golan Heights, Jordan, and northern Israel.
The town is known as the “last major Shia community” near Lebanon’s southern border, neighboring Christian, Druze, and Sunni areas.
This position made Khiam a focal point for Arab fighters against Israel since the 1940s and a regular flashpoint.
Historian Dr. Munzer Jaber says Khiam and other border villages have long faced displacement and Israeli bombardment.
In the 1940s, Khiam became a base for the Arab Salvation Army, which gathered volunteers from southern Lebanon and Syria, including units from Majdal Shams and Deir ez-Zor, led by Abdul Salam al-Ajili.
Since then, Khiam has seen frequent clashes with Israel due to its proximity to Metula, which Israel considers a strategic stronghold, Jaber noted to Asharq Al-Awsat.
Adding to the tensions, overlapping property claims among Syrians, Lebanese, Palestinians, and Jewish residents often lead to disputes.
The repeated destruction and conflict in Khiam have driven waves of migration to Beirut, especially after Palestine fell, cutting off jobs for southern Lebanese. Key markets in Marjayoun, Bint Jbeil, and Khiam shut down, leaving the local economy in decline.
Khiam lost its political and economic role until 1965, when the first Palestinian guerrilla operation against Israel shifted its focus to militant activity. Palestinian and leftist groups gained influence, sparking local divisions and causing many residents to leave as Palestinian forces moved in.
Jaber told Asharq Al-Awsat that this conflict created a strong pro-guerrilla movement among Khiam’s youth, leading to clashes with local leaders.
The growing Palestinian presence gave Israel a reason for airstrikes and security raids, which intensified in late 1973, pushing more residents to flee.
The Khiam Massacre
Israel intensified its military operations in Khiam over the years. In September 1977, Israeli forces entered the town, leading to fierce clashes with the pro-Israel militia led by Saad Haddad and Lebanese-Palestinian joint forces.
Israel officially occupied Khiam on March 14, 1978, during the first invasion of southern Lebanon, following three days of heavy bombardment.
Just a few days later, on March 17, Haddad’s militia carried out a massacre, killing 61 people, the youngest being just 60 years old. Residents reported widespread displacement and complete destruction of the town.
Ongoing Destruction
For five years, residents did not return, as Khiam became unlivable. After Israel's occupation, some residents slowly returned as a security zone was established.
The “South Lebanon Army,” led by Antoine Lahad, took over the notorious Khiam prison.
In the 1980s, Israel turned the town into a training ground for urban warfare, conducting drills that left it in a state of sustained destruction for 15 years, until Israel withdrew in 2000.
After the liberation of southern Lebanon, Khiam began to expand as residents returned, rebuilding homes and starting businesses.
However, around 40% of these new structures were destroyed during the 2006 war, marking the third wave of destruction.
The conflict saw Hezbollah destroy several Israeli Merkava tanks in the Khiam plains.
Once again, residents rebuilt, creating a more modern town with new mansions, schools, and healthcare facilities, making it a key hub in the region.
2023 Conflict
The situation in Khiam is once again dire as Hezbollah launched its war in support of Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023. Official sources report that by Sept. 23, more than 550 residential units had been destroyed.
Each day, Khiam faces artillery shelling and Israeli airstrikes, with the frequency of these attacks rising recently. Israeli forces have begun a ground operation to take control of the town and its elevated areas.