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Lenderking Intensifies Efforts to Expand Truce in Yemen

The meeting between Saudi Ambassador to Yemen, Mohammad Al Jaber, and US Envoy Tim Lenderking, in Riyadh on Monday (SPA)
The meeting between Saudi Ambassador to Yemen, Mohammad Al Jaber, and US Envoy Tim Lenderking, in Riyadh on Monday (SPA)
    Riyad, Aden - Omar al-Badwi, Ali Rabih
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Lenderking Intensifies Efforts to Expand Truce in Yemen

The meeting between Saudi Ambassador to Yemen, Mohammad Al Jaber, and US Envoy Tim Lenderking, in Riyadh on Monday (SPA)
The meeting between Saudi Ambassador to Yemen, Mohammad Al Jaber, and US Envoy Tim Lenderking, in Riyadh on Monday (SPA)

US Envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking has intensified his meetings with Gulf, Saudi and Yemeni officials, with the aim to support the efforts of UN Envoy Hans Grundberg to consolidate the truce and launch a comprehensive political process.

In this context, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Nayef Al-Hajraf, called on the international community to support the Yemeni Leadership Council and intensify pressure on the Houthis, in order to achieve security and peace in Yemen, and to engage in a political solution to the crisis in accordance with UN references.

His comments came during a meeting with Lenderking on Monday in Riyadh, as part of the US envoy’s tour in the region.

The two sides underlined the need to support all international efforts to enhance the security, stability and peace of Yemen, and to consolidate the truce announced by the UN special envoy.

Also on Monday, the ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to Yemen, the supervisor of the Saudi Program for the Development and Reconstruction, Mohammad bin Saeed Al Jaber, met in Riyadh with Lenderking, in the presence of US Ambassador to Yemen Steven Fagin.

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that the meeting stressed the importance of maintaining the UN-sponsored truce, and the need to reopen the roads leading to Taiz to alleviate human suffering.

They two sides emphasized the need to reach a permanent ceasefire in Yemen in order to launch the political process between the Yemeni government and the Houthis.

The head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, received at his residence in Riyadh the US envoy and Fagin to discuss the latest developments in the country and the international efforts coordinated with the United Nations to revive the peace track.

Saba news agency quoted Lenderking as praising “the recent exceptional presidential and government decisions that included facilitating the entry of oil derivatives ships to the ports of Hodeidah despite the Houthi militia’s obstacles…”

Lenderking also underlined the United States’ keenness to “support the reforms led by the Presidential Leadership Council and the government,” official Yemeni sources reported.

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France Mediates to Respect Ceasefire Terms in Lebanon

Armored vehicles of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) approach a Lebanese army roadblock near a checkpoint in the village of Burj el-Meluk in Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel on January 25, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Armored vehicles of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) approach a Lebanese army roadblock near a checkpoint in the village of Burj el-Meluk in Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel on January 25, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
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France Mediates to Respect Ceasefire Terms in Lebanon

Armored vehicles of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) approach a Lebanese army roadblock near a checkpoint in the village of Burj el-Meluk in Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel on January 25, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Armored vehicles of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) approach a Lebanese army roadblock near a checkpoint in the village of Burj el-Meluk in Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel on January 25, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

French President Emmanuel Macron has engaged in diplomatic efforts to salvage the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, which was set to proceed this Sunday following Israel’s announcement of a delayed withdrawal from South Lebanon.

The Lebanese presidency stated that Macron is conducting discussions to uphold the ceasefire and ensure the agreement’s implementation. According to a statement, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has intensified his consultations and efforts to address the escalating situation in the South and counter what were described as dangerous Israeli practices.

Macron contacted Aoun to discuss the developments and efforts to de-escalate tensions, emphasizing the importance of implementing the ceasefire agreement and taking measures to defuse the crisis. Macron affirmed, according to the Lebanese presidency, that he is “making contacts to sustain the ceasefire and complete the agreement’s implementation.”

Aoun, for his part, stressed the necessity of holding Israel accountable for fulfilling the terms of the agreement to maintain stability in the South. He highlighted Israel’s continued violations, including the destruction of villages near the southern border and the leveling of lands, actions that would hinder displaced residents from returning to their homes.

The Israeli military has warned residents of dozens of Lebanese border villages against returning until further notice. On Saturday, the Israeli army issued a map showing areas in the South, marked with dozens of villages, and cautioned residents against entering these areas.

The army’s statement on the X platform read: “Anyone moving south of this line is putting themselves in danger.” The designated area spans from Shebaa, about two kilometers east of the border, to the village of Mansouri, roughly 10 kilometers west of the border.

In contrast, the Lebanese army accused Israel of stalling its withdrawal from southern Lebanon, complicating the deployment of Lebanese forces in the area. A Saturday statement by the Lebanese army said: “Several stages have been delayed due to Israel’s stalling in its withdrawal, complicating the army’s deployment efforts. However, the army remains ready to complete its deployment as soon as the Israeli forces withdraw.”

The Lebanese army also urged residents to delay their return to the border region due to the presence of Israeli-laid landmines and unexploded ordnance. It called on citizens to act responsibly and adhere to the military’s instructions to ensure their safety.

“Military units are continuously conducting engineering surveys, clearing roads, and addressing unexploded ordnance. They are closely monitoring the operational situation, including violations of the agreement, attacks on Lebanese sovereignty, and the destruction of infrastructure, including demolitions and fires in border villages caused by Israeli forces,” the statement added.

The Lebanese army also noted that it is implementing a plan to enhance its deployment in the region south of the Litani River under a mandate from the Cabinet. This effort began as soon as the ceasefire agreement came into effect, following a phased and coordinated approach in collaboration with the five-member committee overseeing the agreement’s implementation and UNIFIL forces.