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Egypt, UAE Assert Need to Bolster Arab Solidarity

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (WAM)
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (WAM)
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Egypt, UAE Assert Need to Bolster Arab Solidarity

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (WAM)
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (WAM)

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, discussed with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi the prospects of advancing cooperation at all fronts for the benefit of the two countries and their peoples.

During a meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh, the two leaders reviewed issues of interest and the latest developments on the regional and international scene, affirming the importance of strengthening Arab solidarity in the face of everyday challenges in light of the recent regional and international developments.

Sheikh Mohammed commended the Egyptian-Emirati relations, emphasizing the historic and outstanding ties that bind the two countries' governments and peoples. He added that his visit also bolsters bonds of bilateral cooperation at all levels.

"Egypt is a cornerstone of Arab security, and its pivotal role and efforts are well appreciated," WAM quoted Sheikh Mohamed as saying.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince pointed to the UAE's keenness to maintain constant cooperation channels between the two nations to promote their common interests and achieve stability, security, and peace in the region.

President Sisi welcomed Sheikh Mohamed's visit, expressing his pride in the longstanding relations between the UAE and Egypt and the joint action that unites them in facing the challenges besetting regional stability and security.

He also affirmed Egypt's keenness to strengthen relations with the UAE in various fields and underlined the importance of increasing bilateral meetings to ensure constant coordination over the region's rapid developments.

At the end of the meeting, they reaffirmed the vision shared by the two countries regarding many files and issues of interest.

The two leaders stressed the need to continue enhancing Emirati-Egyptian cooperation and coordination for consolidating joint Arab action. Sisi highlighted Egypt's unshakable commitment toward the security of the Gulf and its rejection of any attempts to destabilize it.

Meanwhile, political and media sources in Tel Aviv reported that Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's unannounced visit to Egypt included a meeting with Sisi and Sheikh Mohammed.

The three leaders addressed the necessity of forming a regional coalition to influence the US administration's policy towards the situation in the Middle East, improve the terms of the nuclear agreement and address the consequences of the war in Ukraine.

A political source told the Hebrew newspaper, Haaretz, that the discussions are part of attempts to form an alliance between countries that were once considered adversaries but now have common interests, including the Gulf states, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey.

The countries share the same regional and international concerns and are allies of the US but do not antagonize Russia. They would like to discuss with the US the war in Ukraine and dealing with Iran.

Bennett flew to Sharm el-Sheikh after attending the Ben-Gurion International Airport departure ceremony for the Israeli aid delegation to establish a field hospital in Poland.

A few days earlier, the Israeli PM announced that he plans to visit Egypt and meet President Sisi without specifying an exact date.

The official Kan 11 television channel said that Bennett is meeting with Sisi to discuss bilateral relations and other issues for the second time in six months.

Bennett and Sisi will also discuss several issues, especially after launching direct flights between Tel Aviv and Sharm el-Sheikh starting next April.

Later, the Hebrew media reported a tripartite meeting between Sisi, Bin Zayed, and Bennett.

Bennett met Sisi last September in Sharm el-Sheikh, which the Israeli prime minister described as very important. noting that they laid the foundations for "deepening ties and promoting interests."

Last Wednesday, Israel and Egypt agreed to increase direct flights and launch a new route from Ben Gurion International Airport and Sharm El Sheikh three times a week.

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Arab World

Israel Releases Five Civilian Lebanese Detainees

A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Nabatieh shows smoke as it rises from the site of Israeli strikes that targeted the hilltops of the mountainous area of the strategic Ali al-Taher Ridge on August 14, 2026. (Photo by AFP)
A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Nabatieh shows smoke as it rises from the site of Israeli strikes that targeted the hilltops of the mountainous area of the strategic Ali al-Taher Ridge on August 14, 2026. (Photo by AFP)
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Israel Releases Five Civilian Lebanese Detainees

A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Nabatieh shows smoke as it rises from the site of Israeli strikes that targeted the hilltops of the mountainous area of the strategic Ali al-Taher Ridge on August 14, 2026. (Photo by AFP)
A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Nabatieh shows smoke as it rises from the site of Israeli strikes that targeted the hilltops of the mountainous area of the strategic Ali al-Taher Ridge on August 14, 2026. (Photo by AFP)

Israel announced Thursday the release of five civilians captured in southern Lebanon, where it is at war with the pro-Iranian Hezbollah group, with one man already handed over to the Lebanese army.

Lebanon said its army had received a man returned by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the first since Beirut called in August talks for the release of an initial group seized since the start of a 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war.

"It was decided to release five Lebanese civilians who were arrested in areas under (Israeli army) control in southern Lebanon," the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.

"After their interrogation was completed, it became clear that they are civilians who are not members of any terrorist organization, have not engaged in terrorism, and there is no reason to continue holding them in Israel."

A Lebanese official told AFP on Thursday that the release of the four other civilians -- two Lebanese and two Syrians -- was postponed to Friday.

Their release is a prelude to the continuation of Lebanon-Israel talks in Rome, the official added, requesting anonymity.

Lebanese authorities have not officially announced the number of citizens Israel seized during that war and a subsequent 2026 conflict, but a list of more than 30 people has been compiled by their families and a committee working on their cases.

The list includes at least one Syrian national and several Hezbollah fighters.

Netanyahu's office said the decision followed "extensive efforts" by Israel and Lebanon to locate and return the bodies of leaders of Lebanon's Jewish community abducted and killed in the 1980s during the country's 15-year civil war.

After the latest round of Lebanon-Israel talks in Rome last month, a Lebanese official said Israel gave Beirut a list of individuals to demand the return of their remains.

The Israeli military said in August it recovered the remains of a soldier killed in eastern Lebanon in 1982.

- 'Humanitarian operation' -

The ICRC, which handles the transfer of released people between Israel and Lebanon, said a humanitarian operation was underway.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said that the Lebanese army received Malek Ghazi earlier on Thursday, adding that he was taken to an army intelligence headquarters in the southern city of Tyre.

Ghazi's family, from the southeastern town of Ain Ata, said in October last year that they had lost contact with him after he had gone out to exercise.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam hailed the release, thanking "the American administration... for the efforts exerted in this regard".

He pledged to work "until the release of all our prisoners" and "the disclosure of the fate of the missing", as well as an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.

The United States, which is sponsoring the Lebanon-Israel talks, commended through a State Department spokesperson both Israel and Lebanon "for demonstrating good faith through these initial steps" and added it hoped "this will serve as the basis for expanded discussions on other civilian issues".

Hezbollah attacked Israel in 2023 in support of Hamas after the outbreak of the Gaza war, leading to over a year of hostilities that escalated into a full-blown war in 2024.

The group drew Lebanon into the Middle East war two years later in support of its backer Iran after launching rockets at Israel.

Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion that Lebanon says have killed more than 4,300 people.

The conflict has calmed since a US-Iran memorandum of understanding and a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon agreed in June.

The Lebanon-Israel deal calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from south Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the region, starting in "pilot zones".

A date has not yet been set for the next round of Lebanon-Israel talks, and Israel still carries out strikes on Lebanon while occupying parts of its territory.

Arab World

UN's Sudan Probe Says Foreign Fighters Fueling Conflict

Women walk through a war-torn neighborhood in Sudan's Omdurman on November 2, 2024. (AFP)
Women walk through a war-torn neighborhood in Sudan's Omdurman on November 2, 2024. (AFP)
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UN's Sudan Probe Says Foreign Fighters Fueling Conflict

Women walk through a war-torn neighborhood in Sudan's Omdurman on November 2, 2024. (AFP)
Women walk through a war-torn neighborhood in Sudan's Omdurman on November 2, 2024. (AFP)

Foreign fighters and support networks are fueling the conflict in Sudan and worsening violence against civilians, a UN-backed investigation warned Thursday.

The United Nations' independent fact-finding mission on Sudan said foreign involvement was strengthening the military capabilities of the country's warring parties, enabling increasingly sophisticated military operations, with devastating consequences for ordinary people.

Since April 2023, the conflict between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has killed tens of thousands and forced millions to flee their homes.

In a report, the probe documented the recruitment, training and deployment of foreign personnel to support the RSF, with transnational entities also facilitating the transfer of weapons, ammunition, military technology and logistical support.

It also said there were reasonable grounds to believe that the regular army used foreign-supplied drones in its operations that harmed civilians and civilian infrastructure.

"This external support has not brought greater protection for civilians," said the fact-finding mission's chairman Mohamad Chande Othman.

"Instead, civilians are paying the price through attacks on homes, hospitals, schools, markets and places of refuge."

The UN Human Rights Council established the probe in October 2023, to begin gathering evidence of violations in Sudan.

The independent investigative team does not speak on behalf of the United Nations.

- Colombian contingent -

The investigation documented the deployment of up to 2,000 ex-military Colombian contractors who directly operated combat drones, artillery and advanced weapons alongside RSF units.

Witnesses also reported fighters from South Sudan, Chad and Ethiopia, "including women, serving primarily in frontline, rather than technical roles", identified by language, accent "and, in some cases uniforms", the report said.

Private entities, intermediaries and recruiters operating from countries including Colombia used transit locations in Chad, Libya and Somalia to facilitate the delivery of personnel, training, weapons and logistics to the RSF in Sudan, the report said.

It found that foreign suppliers had boosted the RSF and the army's drone capabilities, allowing them to strike far beyond the front lines.

The mission found reasonable grounds to believe that the army and RSF attacks it documented may amount to war crimes.

The United States last month urged the UN Security Council to expand an arms embargo on the Darfur region to cover all of Sudan -- a call echoed by the fact-finding mission.

"Protecting Sudan's civilians requires action not only against those fighting the war, but also against the individuals, entities and networks that enable it to continue," said Chande Othman.

Arab World

‘Race Against Time’: Hamas Moves to Protect Networks Linked to Al-Arabeed

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an area occupied by Israeli forces in Gaza on Wednesday (Netanyahu’s X account) 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an area occupied by Israeli forces in Gaza on Wednesday (Netanyahu’s X account) 
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‘Race Against Time’: Hamas Moves to Protect Networks Linked to Al-Arabeed

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an area occupied by Israeli forces in Gaza on Wednesday (Netanyahu’s X account) 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an area occupied by Israeli forces in Gaza on Wednesday (Netanyahu’s X account) 

Hamas has entered a “race against time” to protect networks linked to senior security officer Moin Al-Arabeed after an Israeli force captured him Tuesday in a rare operation deep inside Hamas-controlled Gaza City.

Three Hamas sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the group imposed emergency security measures following al-Arabeed's capture, moving quickly to prevent Israel from obtaining information that “could be extremely important,” according to one source.

Speaking separately, the sources said the measures were intended to head off potential surprise Israeli attacks, including assassinations of leaders, security officials and other figures who had been in direct contact with al-Arabeed.

“Hamas is in a race against time,” one source said. “Some officials who had been in contact with al-Arabeed were moved to safe locations, while documents were removed from places he frequented and from other locations he knew about.”

Two sources said Hamas security services had also scrapped some procedures used to relay messages through intermediaries and replaced the people involved. The sources agreed that Hamas was moving swiftly to “reduce the risk” after confirming that al-Arabeed had been captured alive.

A New Target Bank

One source assessed that a key Israeli objective was to “gather new security intelligence about Hamas’ structure in Gaza, after the previously known security picture changed as a result of intensive assassinations, determine who is now running the organization, and compile a new target bank.”

According to the sources, information gathered by Hamas security services over the past two days indicated that the Israeli force received “partial and limited” assistance from Israeli-backed armed Palestinian groups that had been operating in the area for some time, including through surveillance, movement around the site of the operation and monitoring nearby locations.

Some Israeli media cited Palestinian sources as confirming the armed groups’ involvement. However, military correspondents for Israeli television channels quickly relayed denials from Shin Bet security sources, saying the agency had “fully supervised the operation and carried it out highly professionally,” according to Channel 12.

Israeli Forces on Alert

Israeli forces, meanwhile, raised their alert level along the Gaza border over what Israel claimed was the possibility of Hamas attacks in retaliation for al-Arabeed’s capture.

Israel’s Channel 14 reported a “maximum security alert” after what it described as precise intelligence indicating Hamas intended to attack forces deployed in the area.

The Israeli military prepared its troops to thwart any such attack, but none occurred over the following two days. The channel said the intelligence nevertheless indicated Hamas’ growing motivation to target forces deployed near the so-called Yellow Line separating Israeli-held areas from those controlled by Palestinian factions.

Israel Hayom, however, reported that the heightened alert coincided with and followed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the Yellow Line opposite Jabalia in northern Gaza, a day after al-Arabeed’s capture.

During the visit, Netanyahu hailed the operation to seize the Hamas internal security official and said Israeli forces would continue their missions and would not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas and the territory were fully disarmed.

Israeli military operations in Gaza intensified Thursday. Two people, including a child, were killed by Israeli fire near the Yellow Line in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza. Israeli forces also carried out a limited ground incursion near Kamal Adwan Hospital, temporarily forcing it to suspend operations after gunfire reached the facility.

Four Palestinians were wounded in similar shooting incidents near the Yellow Line in several areas of Khan Younis in southern Gaza and east of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.