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Syrian Developments Take Center Stage at Dhahran Arab Summit

Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi is received at the airport upon his arrival in the Kingdom to attend the Arab summit. (SPA)
Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi is received at the airport upon his arrival in the Kingdom to attend the Arab summit. (SPA)
    Dhahran – Mirza al-Khuweildi, Thaer Abbas and Sawsan Abou Hussein
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Syrian Developments Take Center Stage at Dhahran Arab Summit

Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi is received at the airport upon his arrival in the Kingdom to attend the Arab summit. (SPA)
Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi is received at the airport upon his arrival in the Kingdom to attend the Arab summit. (SPA)

The 29th Arab summit is scheduled to kick off in Saudi Arabia on Sunday as the world’s attention is turned to Syria in wake of the western strikes against regime targets, prompted by its chemical attack against Douma on April 7.

Held amid tight security measures in Dhahran in the Eastern Province, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz will open the summit, whose agenda will cover several issues of Arab concern.

Leaders of several Arab countries will attend the summit and they will hold closed-door talks to discuss the summit agenda. The summit will be concluded by a major military parade, which will be attended by the leaders, headed by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.

The American, French and British air strikes against Syrian regime chemical and military installations will be the most heated topic of discussion at the two-day summit, as well as Iran’s meddling in Arab internal affairs.

The 16 articles of the agenda were tackled earlier this week by Arab foreign ministers and representative.

They also covered the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, efforts to revive the Arab peace initiative and Israeli violations in Jerusalem and settlement-building.

The summit will also condemn the ballistic missile attacks carried out by the Iranian-backed Houthi militias in Yemen against Saudi Arabia and address efforts to help the Yemeni people resolve their crisis.

The summit will study developing an Arab system aimed at combating terrorism.

A source from the Arab League told Asharq Al-Awsat that the kings, presidents and leaders of 17 countries will attend the summit.

The first of these leaders to arrive in Saudi Arabia were Somali President Mohammed Abdullahi Farmaajo, Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, Iraqi President Fouad Maasum, Comoros President Azali Assoumani, Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, United Arab Emirates Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed al-Maktoum, Libyan Prime Minister of the Government of National Accord Fayez al-Sarraj and Omani Deputy Prime Minister for Cabinet Affairs Fahd bin Mahmoud al-Saeed.

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Arab World

Rescue Teams Search for Survivors in Building Collapse that Killed at Least 2 in Northern Lebanon

A Lebanese flag is pictured, in the aftermath of a massive explosion, in Beirut's damaged port area, Lebanon August 17, 2020. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
A Lebanese flag is pictured, in the aftermath of a massive explosion, in Beirut's damaged port area, Lebanon August 17, 2020. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
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Rescue Teams Search for Survivors in Building Collapse that Killed at Least 2 in Northern Lebanon

A Lebanese flag is pictured, in the aftermath of a massive explosion, in Beirut's damaged port area, Lebanon August 17, 2020. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
A Lebanese flag is pictured, in the aftermath of a massive explosion, in Beirut's damaged port area, Lebanon August 17, 2020. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

At least two people were killed and four rescued from the rubble of a multistory apartment building that collapsed Sunday in the city of Tripoli in northern Lebanon, state media reported.

Rescue teams were continuing to dig through the rubble. It was not immediately clear how many people were in the building when it fell.

The bodies pulled out were of a child and a woman, the state-run National News Agency reported.

Dozens of people crowded around the site of the crater left by the collapsed building, with some shooting in the air.

The building was in the neighborhood of Bab Tabbaneh, one of the poorest areas in Lebanon’s second largest city, where residents have long complained of government neglect and shoddy infrastructure. Building collapses are not uncommon in Tripoli due to poor building standards, according to The AP news.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry announced that those injured in the collapse would receive treatment at the state’s expense.

The national syndicate for property owners in a statement called the collapse the result of “blatant negligence and shortcomings of the Lebanese state toward the safety of citizens and their housing security,” and said it is “not an isolated incident.”

The syndicate called for the government to launch a comprehensive national survey of buildings at risk of collapse.

Arab World

Israel to Take More West Bank Powers and Relax Settler Land Buys

A view of Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the West Bank, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (AP)
A view of Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the West Bank, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (AP)
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Israel to Take More West Bank Powers and Relax Settler Land Buys

A view of Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the West Bank, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (AP)
A view of Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the West Bank, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (AP)

Israel's security cabinet approved a series of steps on Sunday that would make it easier for settlers in the occupied West Bank to buy land while granting Israeli authorities more enforcement powers over Palestinians, Israeli media reported.

The West Bank is among the territories that the Palestinians seek for a future independent state. Much of it is under Israeli military control, with limited Palestinian self-rule in some areas run by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA).

Citing statements by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz, Israeli news sites Ynet and Haaretz said the measures included scrapping decades-old regulations that prevent Jewish private citizens buying land in the West Bank, The AP news reported.

They were also reported to include allowing Israeli authorities to administer some religious sites, and expand supervision and enforcement in areas under PA administration in matters of environmental hazards, water offences and damage to archaeological sites.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the new measures were dangerous, illegal and tantamount to de-facto annexation.

The Israeli ministers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The new measures come three days before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet in Washington with US President Donald Trump.

Trump has ruled out Israeli annexation of the West Bank but his administration has not sought to curb Israel's accelerated settlement building, which the Palestinians say denies them a potential state by eating away at its territory.

Netanyahu, who is facing an election later this year, deems the establishment of any Palestinian state a security threat.

His ruling coalition includes many pro-settler members who want Israel to annex the West Bank, land captured in the 1967 Middle East war to which Israel cites biblical and historical ties.

The United Nations' highest court said in a non-binding advisory opinion in 2024 that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements there is illegal and should be ended as soon as possible. Israel disputes this view.

Arab World

Arab League Condemns Attack on Aid Convoys in Sudan

A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)
A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)
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Arab League Condemns Attack on Aid Convoys in Sudan

A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)
A general view shows the opening session of the meeting of Arab foreign ministers at the Arab League Headquarters (Reuters)

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit strongly condemned the attack by the Rapid Support Forces on humanitarian aid convoys and relief workers in North Kordofan State, Sudan.

In a statement reported by SPA, secretary-general's spokesperson Jamal Rushdi quoted Aboul Gheit as saying the attack constitutes a war crime under international humanitarian law, which prohibits the deliberate targeting of civilians and depriving them of their means of survival.

Aboul Gheit stressed the need to hold those responsible accountable, end impunity, and ensure the full protection of civilians, humanitarian workers, and relief facilities in Sudan.