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Lebanon: Ministry Statement on Ukraine Stirs Political Divisions

Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib meets with the French and German ambassadors in Beirut (NNA)
Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib meets with the French and German ambassadors in Beirut (NNA)
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Lebanon: Ministry Statement on Ukraine Stirs Political Divisions

Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib meets with the French and German ambassadors in Beirut (NNA)
Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib meets with the French and German ambassadors in Beirut (NNA)

A Lebanese foreign ministry statement on the crisis in Ukraine has stirred internal divisions.

Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib condemned on Thursday the “invasion of Ukrainian territory.”

He called on Russia to halt its military operations at once, withdraw its troops and return to dialogue and negotiations as a means to resolve the conflict, he said.

The statement raised controversy, as Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri was quoted as saying that he was surprised that the position was issued without prior consultation with him and the cabinet.

Berri-affiliated Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada said: “Article 65 of the Constitution entrusts the Council of Ministers with setting the general policy of the state in all fields. The Minister of Foreign Affairs cannot issue any position on any dispute without referring to the Cabinet.”

Labor Minister Mustafa Bayram, who is close to Hezbollah, said he was shocked by the Foreign ministry’s statement, “which was issued in violation of the principle of dissociation announced by the Lebanese government.”

As for Education Minister Abbas Halabi, he wrote on Twitter: “Is it not in Lebanon’s interest to be more neutral… and call for a solution to the conflict by peaceful means and through dialogue?”

In anticipation of a diplomatic crisis with Russia, a local radio reported that Bou Habib met on Thursday with the Russian ambassador to Lebanon to express regret that Lebanon was about to issue a statement condemning the Russian military operation.

The minister was quoted as telling the ambassador that this position was not directed against his country, and that Lebanon hoped it “would not affect the close bilateral relationship.”

Meanwhile, French and German ambassadors to Lebanon met with Bou Habib to thank Lebanon for the statement on the Ukrainian-Russian crisis. They also wished that Beirut would maintain its stance and support the relevant resolution submitted to the Security Council.

Al-Markazia News Agency stated that Bou Habib told the two ambassadors that Lebanon’s position “is consistent and stems from its keenness to adhere to the principles of international legitimacy and international law, which constitute the basic guarantee for the protection of international peace, order and the territorial integrity of small states.”

He also told the two envoys that his country would refrain from taking part in the adoption of the resolution submitted before the Security Council, adding that the voting in the General Assembly would be studied in consultation with the Arab bloc.

“The Lebanese position is not directed against the Russian Federation or any other friendly nation, but rather a principled and solid stance that Lebanon has taken and will take in every similar crisis,” the foreign minister was quoted as telling the ambassadors.

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Arab World

Did Hamas Threaten Israel with Another October 7 Attack?

Palestinians fill plastic bottles with water at a tent camp in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians fill plastic bottles with water at a tent camp in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
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Did Hamas Threaten Israel with Another October 7 Attack?

Palestinians fill plastic bottles with water at a tent camp in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians fill plastic bottles with water at a tent camp in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli newspapers have repeatedly reported a similar account claiming that Hamas warned Israel it would carry out another attack on the scale of October 7, 2023, and that the warning was conveyed through UN Middle East envoy Ramiz Alakbarov during his visit to the Gaza Strip last week, when he allegedly met senior Hamas leaders.

The Israeli newspapers, particularly Yedioth Ahronoth, based their reports on information circulated by Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which reportedly sent an urgent warning to the country's political and military leadership.

The alleged threat was linked to Israeli military operations in Gaza, where the army continues to occupy more than half the territory a year after the ceasefire was announced.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem denied in a brief statement distributed to journalists in Gaza that the movement had threatened to carry out another attack similar to October 7.

He reaffirmed Hamas's commitment to the ceasefire agreement and called on mediators to intervene to stop Israeli violations against Palestinians and ensure the agreement's implementation.

Qassem also warned against accepting Israeli allegations and exploiting them for electoral purposes.

He did not address reports that the UN official had met Hamas leaders.

Asharq Al-Awsat sought further comment from the Hamas spokesperson, but he did not respond to the correspondent's questions.

Late Thursday evening, Hamas issued an official statement denying that it had threatened any attacks, without confirming or denying whether a meeting with the UN official had taken place.

The published itinerary for Alakbarov's two-day visit to the Gaza Strip on October 11 and 12 made no reference to meetings with Hamas officials.

According to the schedule posted on the United Nations website, his visit focused on assessing humanitarian conditions at several locations, including displacement centers, affected families, winter preparedness efforts and female-headed households.

The itinerary also listed a meeting with humanitarian partners at a UNRWA facility in Gaza City to discuss humanitarian responses and gaps in assistance.

An official from Alakbarov's office told Asharq Al-Awsat that the UN envoy had not met any Hamas officials during his latest visit.

However, Asharq Al-Awsat learned from a local UN employee that Alakbarov visited Al-Shifa Medical Complex on Sunday, October 11, and met hospital and health officials to assess conditions at medical facilities.

That visit was not mentioned in the published itinerary, and Alakbarov's office neither confirmed nor denied it.

The local official also said the UN delegation came under Israeli shellfire while visiting the Zarqa area northeast of Gaza City, near the Yellow Line.

No injuries were reported, and the delegation quickly left the area.

Asharq Al-Awsat attempted to contact Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, but he did not answer the calls. Officials from Gaza's Government Media Office were also unreachable.

UN officials routinely visit hospitals, displacement centers and other facilities to assess humanitarian conditions. Many have made such visits without meeting Hamas officials, particularly amid the precarious security situation and continuing pursuit and assassination of Hamas members in Gaza.

Observers believe the Israeli account is primarily motivated by electoral considerations, particularly amid repeated statements by Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, about alleged Hamas plans to carry out attacks similar to October 7.

Both officials have emphasized that Israel would respond forcefully to any such attack, in statements seen as attempts to influence the elections. Similar warnings have also been made concerning Iran and Hezbollah.

However, Israeli security sources told Haaretz that, contrary to claims made by Netanyahu and Katz in recent days, security agencies had not detected intensive efforts by any party to launch attacks against Israel with the aim of influencing the elections.

Israeli military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, meanwhile, limited his remarks to affirming that the armed forces were prepared to deal with any attempts at external interference in the elections.

He said the military would undertake defensive and offensive operations should any such scenario materialize.

Arab World

Far-right Israeli Minister Orders Buildings Demolished in West Bank after Attack

File: Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reviews the 'E1' settlement map in the West Bank (Archival - AFP)
File: Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reviews the 'E1' settlement map in the West Bank (Archival - AFP)
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Far-right Israeli Minister Orders Buildings Demolished in West Bank after Attack

File: Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reviews the 'E1' settlement map in the West Bank (Archival - AFP)
File: Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reviews the 'E1' settlement map in the West Bank (Archival - AFP)

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he had ordered the demolition of buildings near a shooting attack in the occupied West Bank that wounded at least five people on Friday.

"Following the attack, I have ordered the immediate demolition of a wide row of illegal Arab structures adjacent to the attack site," he said. "The order will be carried out within the next hour and will take place throughout the afternoon hours."

Arab World

International Meeting Rules Out Military Solution to Sudan War

A view of the consultative meeting on coordinating peace initiatives and efforts in Sudan on October 21, 2026 (Saudi Foreign Ministry). 
A view of the consultative meeting on coordinating peace initiatives and efforts in Sudan on October 21, 2026 (Saudi Foreign Ministry). 
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International Meeting Rules Out Military Solution to Sudan War

A view of the consultative meeting on coordinating peace initiatives and efforts in Sudan on October 21, 2026 (Saudi Foreign Ministry). 
A view of the consultative meeting on coordinating peace initiatives and efforts in Sudan on October 21, 2026 (Saudi Foreign Ministry). 

International representatives meeting in Geneva have declared that there is no military solution to Sudan’s war, calling for an urgent humanitarian truce, an end to foreign interference and renewed efforts toward a political settlement.

The appeal came at the close of UN-organized Sixth Consultative Meeting on Enhancing Coordination of Peace Initiatives and Efforts in Sudan where the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been fighting since April 2023.

In a final statement, participants warned that civilians were paying a devastating price for the warring parties’ pursuit of battlefield gains. They urged both sides to de-escalate and engage seriously in negotiations that could lead to a permanent ceasefire.

The sixth consultative meeting, which concluded Wednesday evening, was co-chaired by Swiss State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Alexandre Fasel and UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan Pekka Haavisto.

Representatives of 22 countries attended, including the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Britain, France, China, Russia and Sudan’s neighbors, alongside regional and international organizations such as the African Union, European Union and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

Confidence-building measures

Haavisto outlined UN efforts to introduce confidence-building measures that both warring parties might accept, including exchanges of prisoners of war and detainees, both military and civilian, and arrangements to allow students to sit examinations.

“We think that there are issues that should unite actually both parties of the conflict,” he said, describing such initiatives as modest first steps compared with the devastation caused by the war.

The meeting stressed that a humanitarian truce must pave the way for a lasting ceasefire, with de-escalation efforts bringing tangible improvements on the ground.

After three and a half years of fighting, participants dismissed the pursuit of military gains as a solution, warning that civilians were bearing the devastating cost of continued hostilities.

They called for full compliance with international humanitarian law and the protection of civilian facilities, particularly infrastructure essential to basic services.

States and other actors were urged to stop fueling the conflict by supplying mercenaries, military equipment, drones or financing.

Such support, the statement warned, would cause further casualties and increase the risk of Sudan’s fragmentation. It did not identify any countries or organizations responsible for providing assistance to the warring parties.

Participants reaffirmed their commitment to Sudan’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, as well as the preservation of state institutions.

They rejected the creation of parallel governments, institutions or governing structures and called for concrete measures to prevent any steps that could undermine the country’s unity.

Push for an inclusive political settlement

The Geneva talks emphasized that lasting peace would require a credible, inclusive Sudanese political process reflecting the aspirations of the population.

Such negotiations should allow meaningful participation by political and civilian groups, including women and young people, and lead to an agreed transition toward sustainable peace and democratic governance.

Participants backed mediation efforts by the Quad — the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt — and the Quintet, comprising the African Union, European Union, IGAD, Arab League and United Nations.

They stressed that any political process must be transparent, credible, and free from coercion.

The meeting also expressed grave concern over continuing hostilities, reports of atrocities and the increasing use of drones.

Millions of Sudanese face severe food shortages, while restrictions on humanitarian access and adverse weather conditions have heightened the threat of famine.

The conflict’s humanitarian, social and economic repercussions are also being felt across neighboring countries, raising fears of violence spreading beyond Sudan’s borders with potentially catastrophic consequences.

Regional and international coordination

The Geneva consultations follow earlier meetings in Cairo, Djibouti, Nouakchott and Brussels, the most recent held in the Egyptian capital on January 14.

The initiative seeks to bring regional and international diplomatic efforts into closer alignment as Sudan’s humanitarian catastrophe deepens.

Aid organizations estimate that more than 200,000 people have been killed and over 13 million displaced since the war began, leaving the country at the center of the world’s largest hunger and displacement crisis.

Participants also reaffirmed their commitment to the principles adopted at the ministerial conference on Sudan in Berlin last April and the spirit of the May 2023 Jeddah Declaration, under which the army and RSF pledged to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian access.