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Abbas Delivers Palestine's Official Request for Full UN Membership to Sec-Gen

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at the UN headquarters. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at the UN headquarters. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
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Abbas Delivers Palestine's Official Request for Full UN Membership to Sec-Gen

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at the UN headquarters. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at the UN headquarters. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has submitted to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres an official request to implement Resolution 181 adopted by the General Assembly in 1947, which is the basis for the two-state solution.

Abbas informed world leaders and senior officials participating in the high-level meeting of the 77th annual session of the United Nations General Assembly of his talks with Guterres.

Abbas said that US President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, and other world leaders' positions favor the two-state solution as a "positive matter."

However, "the real test of the seriousness and credibility of this position is for the Israeli government to sit down at the negotiating table immediately, to implement the two-state solution," added Abbas.

He recalled that Israel's commitment to implement Resolutions 181 and 194 was a condition for the acceptance of its membership in the international organization, asking in the event of Israel's refusal to comply and the failure to implement these two resolutions, "to impose sanctions on it and suspend its membership in the international organization."

The President added, "We do not accept that we remain the only party that adheres to the agreements we signed with Israel in 1993, agreements that no longer exist on the ground due to Israel's continued violation of them."

Abbas said Israel, which deliberately obstructs progress towards a two-state solution and "disavows the resolutions of international legitimacy, has decided not to be our partner in the peace process."

Despite Palestine's demand for Israel to end its occupation, stop its aggressive measures and policies, and end all unilateral actions that were stipulated in the Oslo Accords, Tel Aviv has continued to perpetuate this occupation and these measures and procedures, said the President, adding that it left "us no option but to reconsider our entire relationship with it."

He pointed out that if attempts continue to obstruct Palestine's endeavors to obtain a full UN membership, protect the Palestinian people, their rights and state, and adopt practical steps to end the occupation and achieve peace, it becomes imperative to go to the General Assembly again for a referendum on the legal measures and political actions that must be adopted to reach that end.

Abbas called on Britain, the United States, and Israel to recognize their responsibility for this "major crime" committed against the Palestinian people, apologize and make reparation for the damage, and provide compensation to the Palestinian people that are recognized by international law.

The President concluded that Palestine "yearns for peace, so let us make this peace to live in security, stability, and prosperity, for the sake of our generations and all the peoples of the region."

- Kuwait and Bahrain

Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah also took to the podium, speaking about the challenges and crises facing humanity, including the COVID pandemic, weapons of mass destruction proliferation, terrorism, natural disasters, climate change, poverty, and the increasing warnings over food security.

The prime minister stressed Kuwait's unwavering stance in support of the principles of international law and the UN charter in opposition to the use of force, or threats for its use, in resolving conflicts.

He said that Kuwait supports UN and global efforts for de-escalation and a ceasefire to resolve the conflict peacefully.

The PM called on Iran to take "serious measures" to build trust and dialogue with its Gulf neighbors, based on the respect for sovereignty and non-intervention in internal affairs, and for Tehran to limit tensions and safeguard the security and freedom of marine navigation in Gulf waters.

He warned that tensions and instability would remain prevalent in the region as long as the Palestinian people do not gain their legitimate rights and Israel, as an occupational power, does not stop its ongoing encroachments on international humanitarian law.

Meanwhile, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani stressed Bahrain's commitment to peace, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence.

Bahrain is continuing its reform and diplomatic approach that "supports international partnership in consolidating the values of peace, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence, rejecting extremism, hatred, and terrorism," he said.

He said that the Kingdom believes that achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East region depends primarily on settling the Palestinian-Israeli conflict following the two-state solution, resolutions of international legitimacy, and the Arab Peace Initiative.

Zayani indicated that Iran must abide by the UN charter, international law, principles of good neighborliness, and non-interference in the affairs of other countries.

He urged Iran to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency and work to make the Middle East region, including the Arabian Gulf, a zone free of weapons of mass destruction.

- UNRWA support

The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, urged Member States to support the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), telling them "don't let this collective responsibility assumed by the General Assembly to fail."

Guterres was speaking at the ministerial meeting cohosted by Jordan and Sweden to explore lasting solutions for closing the chronic funding gap of the UNRWA.

Guterres said he saw UNRWA's work first-hand and visited schools and health centers.

For his part, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini expressed his gratitude to the countries for their participation in supporting the Agency and their determination to enable UNRWA to fulfill its mission.

He lauded the efforts of Jordan and Sweden, in particular, to enlist the international community's continued commitment to the Agency and the refugees.

"We are here because we all believe that, in the absence of a genuine political solution, UNRWA is irreplaceable in this part of the world," he said, adding that political will is required to translate the support for the mandate into matching financial resources.

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Arab World

Türkiye Says SDF Has No Option but to Integrate into Syrian Army

Turkish Land Forces Commander Metin Tokel and Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra meet in Damascus on December 11. (Turkish Defense Ministry)
Turkish Land Forces Commander Metin Tokel and Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra meet in Damascus on December 11. (Turkish Defense Ministry)
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Türkiye Says SDF Has No Option but to Integrate into Syrian Army

Turkish Land Forces Commander Metin Tokel and Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra meet in Damascus on December 11. (Turkish Defense Ministry)
Turkish Land Forces Commander Metin Tokel and Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra meet in Damascus on December 11. (Turkish Defense Ministry)

Türkiye said on Friday that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have no alternative but to implement a March 10 agreement requiring their integration into the Syrian army, accusing Israel of encouraging the group to stall the deal through its actions in Syria.

In a statement, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense said the SDF, whose backbone is the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), is acting in violation of the agreement signed in Damascus between Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi.

Ankara considers the YPG an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which it designates as a terrorist organization.

Ministry spokesperson Zeki Akturk said the SDF’s continued activities, instead of integration despite the March 10 accord, undermine stability and security in Syria. He stressed that SDF members must join the Syrian army as individuals, not as an autonomous bloc.

He accused unnamed countries of encouraging the SDF through actions and rhetoric, to reject integration and disarmament, calling such efforts futile attempts to buy time.

He also said Turkish forces have destroyed 732 kilometers of SDF tunnels in areas of operations across northern and northeastern Syria, including four kilometers in Manbij.

Separately, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan linked the SDF’s reluctance to implement the March 10 agreement to Israeli moves in Syria.

He said the SDF would reach an understanding with Damascus on integration the day Israel finds common ground with Syria, arguing that the SDF’s stance is not solely its own decision but influenced by Israel.

Fidan stressed that the agreement initially enjoyed support from Türkiye, the United States, and Syria, but that progress has stalled as the YPG/SDF refrains from taking required steps.

Expressing hope for a negotiated solution between Damascus and the SDF, Fidan said dialogue would reassure all communities, Arabs and Kurds alike. He warned that conflict would harm civilians and benefit no one, noting plans to unify armed factions under a single national army.

Meanwhile, Türkiye’s Defense Ministry announced a visit to Damascus by Land Forces Commander Metin Tokel, who met Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and Chief of Staff Ali Noureddine al-Naasan. Tokel also toured the joint Turkish-Syrian operations center.

Arab World

Lebanese State Formally Launches Reconstruction Effort with Modest Public Funding

A member of the Civil Defense stands on the rubble of a house hit by an Israeli airstrike in the town of Jbaa in South Lebanon. (Reuters)
A member of the Civil Defense stands on the rubble of a house hit by an Israeli airstrike in the town of Jbaa in South Lebanon. (Reuters)
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Lebanese State Formally Launches Reconstruction Effort with Modest Public Funding

A member of the Civil Defense stands on the rubble of a house hit by an Israeli airstrike in the town of Jbaa in South Lebanon. (Reuters)
A member of the Civil Defense stands on the rubble of a house hit by an Israeli airstrike in the town of Jbaa in South Lebanon. (Reuters)

More than a year after the end of the war between Israel and Hezbollah, which caused widespread destruction in South Lebanon, the Lebanese state has formally launched its reconstruction effort, albeit with very limited public funding.

Within the framework of the 2026 state budget, Parliament’s Finance and Budget Committee approved allocations for the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), the Council of the South, and the Higher Relief Committee.

It also endorsed the transfer of funds from the emergency reserve for shelter and repairs, a move committee chairman Ibrahim Kanaan described as “a positive signal from the Lebanese state to our people, within the limits of the budget.”

Committee sources said a total of $90 million was transferred from the reserve: $67 million to the Council of the South and $24 million to the Higher Relief Committee.

With the approval of these allocations, the state has effectively begun the reconstruction process with what lawmakers themselves describe as a very modest sum, after waiting for more than a year for foreign aid that never materialized. This marks the first direct state funding for reconstruction since the war ended in November 2024.

Foreign envoys have told Lebanese officials in recent months that international support for reconstruction is contingent on Lebanon implementing a package of financial reforms and, crucially, achieving exclusive state control over weapons. Lebanese officials believe the issue has since become even more complex, tied in particular to the trajectory of agreements with Israel.

The fate of a reconstruction conference spearheaded by France remains uncertain, especially as Paris has recently prioritized plans for a conference to support the Lebanese army, expected early next year.

Meanwhile, political divisions in parliament over expatriate voting have stalled legislative work, derailing the approval of World Bank loans linked to reconstruction that could total up to $500 million, according to Kanaan. He warned that the loans could be withdrawn if parliament fails to ratify them before the end of the year.

Parliamentary sources said lawmakers from the so-called Shiite duo — Hezbollah and the Amal Movement — insisted on reallocating part of the relatively large budget reserve toward reconstruction, arguing that the state must send a positive signal to citizens who have been neglected for over a year.

According to the sources, many lawmakers went along with the proposal under pressure, amid fears they would otherwise be held accountable by residents, especially given the risk of building collapses threatening lives.

Ali Hassan Khalil, an MP from Amal’s Liberation and Development Bloc, called on the government to issue the regulatory framework for reconstruction, saying the approved funds, while limited, would help address urgent shelter needs and serve as a starting point for a major national effort.

MP Hassan Fadlallah, of Hezbollah's Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, said reconstruction requires large sums but stressed that the state cannot remain idle waiting for foreign funds, while welcoming any non-politicized, unconditional assistance.

Researcher Mohammad Shamseddine of Information International estimated total direct war damage at $8.5 billion, with reconstruction costs of about $2.3 billion. He told Asharq Al-Awsat the approved funding represents only a fraction of what is needed and confirms the state’s limited capacity, noting that foreign aid is unlikely before a definitive settlement and lasting peace with Israel.

The move drew objections from the Lebanese Forces party. MP Ghada Ayoub, a member of the Strong Republic Bloc and the Finance Committee, criticized what she called pressure to divert public funds to reconstruction, arguing that financing should come through a dedicated, internationally supervised fund and external assistance.

She said the priority should instead be strengthening the Lebanese army to ensure stability and enable the safe return of residents.

Arab World

Britain Imposes Sanctions on RSF Leaders, Including Hemedti’s Brother

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. (AP)
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. (AP)
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Britain Imposes Sanctions on RSF Leaders, Including Hemedti’s Brother

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. (AP)
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. (AP)

Britain on Friday imposed sanctions on senior commanders of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), accusing them of involvement in mass killings, systematic sexual violence and deliberate attacks on civilians in Sudan.

The UK government said Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, the RSF’s deputy commander and brother of its leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, along with three other commanders suspected of involvement in the crimes, are now subject to asset freezes and travel bans.

In an official statement, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “The atrocities taking place in Sudan are so horrific they scar the conscience of the world. The overwhelming evidence of heinous crimes - mass executions, starvation, and the systematic and calculated use of rape as a weapon of war - cannot and will not go unpunished.”

The RSF’s actions in el-Fasher are not random: they are part of a “deliberate strategy to terrorize” populations and seize control through fear and violence. The impact of their actions is visible from space. Satellite images of el-Fasher show blood-stained sand, clusters of bodies, and evidence of mass graves where victims have been burned and buried. There needs to be accountability for these actions, and urgent steps taken to avoid this happening again, it added.

Sanctioning RSF leaders suspected of mass killings and sexual violence in el-Fasher “sends a clear message that those who commit atrocities will be held accountable,” it continued, underscoring Britain’s commitment to preventing further crimes.

Those sanctioned include Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, the RSF deputy commander, whom the UK said there are reasonable grounds to suspect of involvement in mass killings, ethnically motivated executions, systematic sexual violence including gang rape, kidnapping for ransom, arbitrary detention, and attacks on health facilities and aid workers.

Also sanctioned is Gedo Hamdan Ahmed, the RSF commander in North Darfur, who is suspected of involvement in mass killings, sexual violence, kidnappings and attacks on medical teams and humanitarian staff.

The list further includes Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, an RSF brigadier suspected of responsibility for violence against people based on ethnicity and religion and for deliberately targeting civilians, and Tijani Ibrahim Moussa Mohamed, an RSF field commander suspected of responsibility for the deliberate targeting of civilians in el-Fasher.

Britain urged all parties to the conflict to immediately end atrocities, protect civilians and remove obstacles to humanitarian access.

The government also pledged an additional £21 million to provide food, shelter, healthcare and protection for women and children in hard-to-reach areas on the brink of collapse. The funding, the statement said, will enable aid agencies to reach 150,000 people, meet basic needs, keep hospitals operating and reunite families separated by war.

The sanctions come after the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Saudi Arabia proposed a three-month ceasefire plan in November, followed by peace talks. While the RSF initially accepted the plan, it later launched intensive drone strikes on army-held areas.

The war in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023 between the army and the RSF, has displaced millions.

Earlier this month, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a UK-led resolution condemning atrocities and mandating an urgent investigation into crimes committed in el-Fasher.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described the war as a “scandal,” announcing plans to convene talks between the Sudanese army and the RSF in Geneva to press both sides to respect international humanitarian law, protect civilians and implement commitments made under the Jeddah Declaration.