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4 Yemeni Media Figures Face Possible Death Sentence for Criticizing Houthis 

The social media figures appear at the Houthi court in Sanaa. (Houthi media)
The social media figures appear at the Houthi court in Sanaa. (Houthi media)
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4 Yemeni Media Figures Face Possible Death Sentence for Criticizing Houthis 

The social media figures appear at the Houthi court in Sanaa. (Houthi media)
The social media figures appear at the Houthi court in Sanaa. (Houthi media)

The Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen kicked off the trial of four social media figures for allegedly criticizing the militias’ corrupt practices. 

They appeared before a court tasked with tackling terrorism cases, sparking concerns that death sentences may be issued against them. 

Ahmad Hajar, Mustafa al-Mumary, Hamoud al-Mesbahi and Ahmad al-Law were kidnapped by the Houthis some two weeks ago and made to appear before a Sanaa court. 

Social media activists circulated photos of the detainees as they appeared in court where they were charged with inciting to create chaos and calling on the people to storm Houthi-held government buildings. 

The charges said the detainees set up YouTube channels that they ran from Sanaa and where they posted false news, statements and rumors with the aim of influencing the public and harming public interests. 

They have denied the charges against them. 

The arrest sparked popular outcry in Yemen even in regions that are held by the militias and among their loyalists. 

Tensions are already high in Houthi-controlled regions because of the militias’ increased corrupt practices while the people’s suffering grows, from lack of food, the withholding of their salaries and other hardships. 

Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani slammed the arrest, comparing the Houthi practices to the Iranian regime’s crackdown on dissidents. 

He said the detainees were arrested for criticizing the corruption of the Houthis and the dire state of affairs in regions under their control. 

He dismissed their trial as a sham, saying it was an extension of the Houthi oppression against the media and journalist since they launched their coup against the legitimate authorities. 

He added that death sentences that have been laid down against journalists are aimed at intimidating them, muzzling the press and barring them from reporting the facts and Houthi crimes against the people. 

Moreover, the minister questioned the ongoing international silence over the Houthis’ kidnapping of people, their sham trials and baseless death sentences against politicians, journalists and activists in areas under their control all for “demanding freedom and a dignified life.” 

Eryani called on the international community, United Nations and United States’ envoys and rights organizations to speak out against the Houthi oppression and to pressure the militias to immediately release all journalists. 

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Arab World

US, Qatar, Egypt, Türkiye, Urge Restraint in Gaza

Members of the Palestinian Civil Defense remove the rubble of a destroyed home as they search for the bodies of Palestinians killed during the conflict in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, 20 December 2025. (EPA)
Members of the Palestinian Civil Defense remove the rubble of a destroyed home as they search for the bodies of Palestinians killed during the conflict in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, 20 December 2025. (EPA)
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US, Qatar, Egypt, Türkiye, Urge Restraint in Gaza

Members of the Palestinian Civil Defense remove the rubble of a destroyed home as they search for the bodies of Palestinians killed during the conflict in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, 20 December 2025. (EPA)
Members of the Palestinian Civil Defense remove the rubble of a destroyed home as they search for the bodies of Palestinians killed during the conflict in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, 20 December 2025. (EPA)

The United States was joined Saturday by Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye in urging parties in the Gaza ceasefire to uphold their obligations and exercise restraint, the chief US envoy said after talks in Miami.

Top officials from each nation met with Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's special envoy, to review the first stage of the ceasefire that came into effect on October 10.

"We reaffirm our full commitment to the entirety of the President’s 20-point peace plan and call on all parties to uphold their obligations, exercise restraint, and cooperate with monitoring arrangements," said a statement posted by Witkoff on X.

Their meeting came amid continuing strains on the agreement.

Gaza's civil defense said six people were killed Friday in Israeli shelling of a shelter. That brought to 400 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since the deal took effect.

Israel has also repeatedly accused Hamas of violating the truce, with the military reporting of its three soldiers killed in the territory since October.

Saturday's statement cited progress yielded in the first stage of the peace agreement, including expanded humanitarian assistance, return of hostage bodies, partial force withdrawals and a reduction in hostilities.

It called for "the near-term establishment and operationalization" of a transitional administration which is due to happen in the second phase of the agreement, and said consultations would continue in the coming weeks over its implementation.

Under the deal's terms, Israel is supposed to withdraw from its positions in Gaza, an interim authority is to govern the Palestinian territory instead of Hamas, and an international stabilization force is to be deployed.

On Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope that countries would contribute troops for the stabilization force, but also urged the disarmament of Hamas, warning the process would unravel unless that happened.

Arab World

Lebanese Deputy PM to Asharq Al-Awsat: No Political Negotiations with Israel

Smoke rises from the site of a series of Israeli airstrikes that targeted the outskirts of the southern Lebanese village of al-Katrani on December 18, 2025. (AFP)
Smoke rises from the site of a series of Israeli airstrikes that targeted the outskirts of the southern Lebanese village of al-Katrani on December 18, 2025. (AFP)
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Lebanese Deputy PM to Asharq Al-Awsat: No Political Negotiations with Israel

Smoke rises from the site of a series of Israeli airstrikes that targeted the outskirts of the southern Lebanese village of al-Katrani on December 18, 2025. (AFP)
Smoke rises from the site of a series of Israeli airstrikes that targeted the outskirts of the southern Lebanese village of al-Katrani on December 18, 2025. (AFP)

Lebanon’s Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri denied on Saturday that the appointment of civilian negotiators between Lebanon and Israel means that political negotiations have been launched between the two neighbors.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the negotiating team is primarily tasked with ensuring that the Lebanese army carries out Lebanon’s part of the ceasefire with Israel.

The army is close to completing the first phase of the agreement to impose state monopoly over arms in southern Lebanon, he added.

Other phases of the deal will follow to cover the whole of Lebanon.

Mitri added that attention must be focused on not giving Israel excuses to attack Lebanon, meaning Lebanon must meet its ceasefire obligations.

He warned, however, that Israel "could expand its military operations in Lebanon with or without excuses."

He noted that the United States appears to be pressuring Israel against launching a new war against Lebanon.

Lebanon is close to completing the disarmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani River, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Saturday, as the country races to fulfil a key demand of its ceasefire with Israel before a year-end deadline.

The US-backed ceasefire, agreed in November 2024, ended more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and required the disarmament of the Iran-aligned group, starting in areas south of the river adjacent to Israel.

Lebanese authorities, ‌led by President ‌Joseph Aoun and Salam, tasked the Lebanese ‌army ⁠on August ‌5 with devising a plan to establish a state monopoly on arms by the end of the year.

"Prime Minister Salam affirmed that the first phase of the weapons consolidation plan related to the area south of the Litani River is only days away from completion," a statement from his ⁠office said.

"The state is ready to move on to the second ‌phase - namely (confiscating weapons) north of the ‍Litani River - based on the ‍plan prepared by the Lebanese army pursuant to ‍a mandate from the government," Salam added.

The statement came after Salam held talks with Simon Karam, Lebanon's top civilian negotiator on a committee overseeing the Hezbollah-Israel truce.

Since the ceasefire, the sides have regularly accused each other of violations, with Israel questioning the Lebanese army's efforts to disarm Hezbollah. ⁠Israeli warplanes have increasingly targeted Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and even in the capital.

Israel has publicly urged Lebanese authorities to fulfil the conditions of the truce, saying it will act "as ‌necessary" if Lebanon fails to take steps against Hezbollah, which has refused to disarm.

Arab World

Lebanese PM to Asharq Al-Awsat: 2nd Phase of Disarmament to Begin Soon Covering Regions between Litani, Awali

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and ambassador Simon Karam meet on Saturday. (PM's office)
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and ambassador Simon Karam meet on Saturday. (PM's office)
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Lebanese PM to Asharq Al-Awsat: 2nd Phase of Disarmament to Begin Soon Covering Regions between Litani, Awali

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and ambassador Simon Karam meet on Saturday. (PM's office)
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and ambassador Simon Karam meet on Saturday. (PM's office)

Lebanon would have completed the first phase of the army’s plan to impose state monopoly over arms, or the disarmament of Hezbollah, by the end of the year.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s office confirmed on Saturday that the first phase was close to completion.

“The first phase of the weapons consolidation plan related to the area south of the Litani River is only days away from completion,” it said.

“The state is ready to move on to the second ‌phase - namely (confiscating weapons) north of the ‍Litani River - based on the ‍plan prepared by the Lebanese army pursuant to ‍a mandate from the government,” Salam added.

The cabinet will meet at the beginning of the new year after the first phase is completed.

Salam, meanwhile, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the second phase of the disarmament will cover the areas between the Litani and Awali Rivers to its north.

The third phase will cover Beirut and Mount Lebanon and the fourth covers the Bekaa followed by remaining regions.

Lebanese sources said the army has completed most of its report on its disarmament efforts south of the Litani. It has completed the confiscation and destruction of thousands of tons of ammunition and military gear. It has discovered around a hundred military tunnels in the region.

As it stands, the army is unlikely to ask for an extension of the deadline to complete the first phase by the end of the year. It may ask for a “technical” extension for a few weeks if necessary.

Salam refused to go into the details of the government’s next step after it receives the army’s detailed report on the disarmament south of the Litani.

“The military has succeeded in imposing complete state authority over the regions from south of the Litani to the southern border, except for the areas occupied by Israel and from where it should withdraw without delay,” the PM told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He confirmed that the government will convene at the beginning of the year to assess the first phase of the disarmament, stressing that Israel must take reciprocal steps, such as ceasing its violations of the ceasefire.

This will not prevent Lebanon from moving on to the second phase of implementing state monopoly over arms, he revealed.

Progress hinges of Hezbollah’s cooperation with Lebanon’s efforts to limit possession of weapons to the state and move towards activating state institutions in the South and kick off the reconstruction process with the help of Lebanon’s friends, he added.

“Imposing state monopoly over weapons is a Lebanese need before it is an international one,” he declared.

Everyone should be concerned with facilitating the process to end the cycle of violence, he urged.

Salam met on Saturday with Simon Karam, Lebanon's top civilian negotiator on the Mechanism committee overseeing the Hezbollah-Israel truce.

Karam briefed Salam on the latest meeting of the Mechanism.

Hezbollah continues to resist calls to disarm, saying the ceasefire with Israel does not cover areas north of the Litani. Party officials continue to tie disarmament to Israel’s withdrawal from regions it occupies in the South.