Arab FMs Reach Consensus on Arab League Summit's Agenda

Arab League Foreign Ministers meet in Algiers, Algeria (AP)
Arab League Foreign Ministers meet in Algiers, Algeria (AP)
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Arab FMs Reach Consensus on Arab League Summit's Agenda

Arab League Foreign Ministers meet in Algiers, Algeria (AP)
Arab League Foreign Ministers meet in Algiers, Algeria (AP)

A senior Arab League official said on Sunday that regional foreign ministers have approved main topics for discussion at the bloc’s upcoming summit scheduled for Tuesday in the Algerian capital.

Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League Hossam Zaki told reporters that “present tensions” were contained and that Arab foreign ministers were able to find consensus on the topics that will be discussed by Arab League leaders in their upcoming summit.

“All the issues that have been discussed have reached consensus, and we look forward to a successful summit on November 1 and 2,” said Zaki.

He said ministers reached agreement on all the proposed draft resolutions included on the agenda, and that “none of its items will be postponed.”

“Indicators show that we are heading towards a successful summit,” he affirmed, adding that Arab foreign ministers are now in agreement and that “matters are clear for the Arab League.”

Meanwhile, Zaki denied news reported by some media outlets about a “disagreement regarding some of the meeting's terms,” stressing that “all tensions were contained, and the meetings took place in an atmosphere of cordiality and respect.”

Zaki refrained from going into detail about what he labeled as “tensions.”

When asked about amendments to the Arab League Charter, Zaki said it was not currently on the summit’s agenda.

As for the Sudan Food Security Initiative, Zaki confirmed that the summit will adopt a supportive position for the North African nation, especially within the decision presented by the Arab League’s economic and social council regarding the integrated strategy for Arab food security.

Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra, for his part, said that the meeting of the Arab foreign ministers “allowed reaching consensual results, after rich and in-depth consultations.”

Arab League foreign ministers, in their meeting, discussed 19 items, the most important of which are the Palestinian cause, the Arab-Israeli conflict, support for Lebanon, and developments of the Syrian crisis.

They also addressed developments in Libya, the situation in Yemen, support for peace and development in Sudan, as well as support for Somalia and the Comoros.

Moreover, the meeting tackled Iran’s occupation of the three Emirati islands and its interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries.

The ministers also took a unified position regarding the Turkish violation of Iraqi sovereignty, the maintenance of Arab national security, and the fight against terrorism.



Israeli Troops Battle Palestinian Fighters in Gaza City of Khan Younis

 Smoke rises following Israeli strikes during an Israeli military operation, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, July 24, 2024. (Reuters)
Smoke rises following Israeli strikes during an Israeli military operation, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, July 24, 2024. (Reuters)
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Israeli Troops Battle Palestinian Fighters in Gaza City of Khan Younis

 Smoke rises following Israeli strikes during an Israeli military operation, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, July 24, 2024. (Reuters)
Smoke rises following Israeli strikes during an Israeli military operation, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, July 24, 2024. (Reuters)

Israeli troops battled Palestinian fighters in Khan Younis in southern Gaza and destroyed tunnels and other infrastructure, as they sought to suppress small militant units that have continued to hit troops with mortar fire, the military said on Friday.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said troops had killed around 100 Palestinian fighters since Israeli troops began their latest operation in Khan Younis on Monday, which continued as pressure mounted for a deal to halt the fighting.

It said seven small units that had been firing mortars at the troops were hit in an air strike, while further south, in Rafah, four fighters were also killed in air strikes.

The Islamic Jihad armed wing said it fired rockets toward the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon and other Israeli towns near Gaza. No casualties were reported, the Israeli ambulance service said.

The continued fighting, more than nine months since the start of Israel's invasion of Gaza following the Oct. 7 attack, underlined the difficulty the IDF has had in eliminating fighters who have reverted to a form of guerrilla warfare in the ruins of the coastal strip.

A Telegram channel operated by the armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the two main militant groups in Gaza, said fighters had been waging fierce battles with Israeli troops east of Khan Younis with machine guns, mortars and anti-tank weapons.

Medics said at least six Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes in eastern Khan Younis.

US PRESSURE

US President Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic Party nominee for president, both urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a proposed ceasefire deal as soon as possible.

However there has been no clear sign of movement in talks to end the fighting and bring home some 115 Israeli and foreign hostages still being held in Gaza. Public statements from Israel and Hamas appear to indicate that serious differences remain between the two sides.

Local residents contacted by messenger app, said Israeli tanks had pushed into three towns to the east of Khan Younis, Bani Suhaila, Al-Zanna and Al-Karara and blew up several houses in some residential districts.

The military said air force jets hit around 45 targets, including tunnels and two launch pads from which rockets were fired into Beersheba in southern Israel.

Even while the fighting continued around Khan Younis and Rafah in the south, in the northern part of the enclave, Israeli tanks pushed into the Tel Al-Hawa suburb west of Gaza city, residents said.

A Hamas Telegram channel said fighters targeted an Israeli tank in Tal Al-Hawa and shot an Israeli soldier.

Medics said two Palestinians were also killed in an air strike in western Gaza city.

More than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting in Gaza, according to local health authorities, who do not distinguish between fighters and non-combatants.

Israeli officials estimate that some 14,000 fighters from armed groups including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have been killed or taken prisoner, out of a force they estimated to number more than 25,000 at the start of the war.