Abbas Accuses Israel of Stealing ‘Land and Water’ in Palestine

Abbas shakes hands with Levits ahead of their meeting in Ramallah on Wednesday (Reuters)
Abbas shakes hands with Levits ahead of their meeting in Ramallah on Wednesday (Reuters)
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Abbas Accuses Israel of Stealing ‘Land and Water’ in Palestine

Abbas shakes hands with Levits ahead of their meeting in Ramallah on Wednesday (Reuters)
Abbas shakes hands with Levits ahead of their meeting in Ramallah on Wednesday (Reuters)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called on the European Union (EU) and its member states to refrain from dealing with any Israeli government that doesn’t recognize the two-state solution on the basis of international legitimacy.

Abbas further called on Wednesday abstaining from dealing with any Israeli government that doesn’t renounce violence and terrorism.

This seems like a preemptive war against the upcoming right-wing Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu.

Speaking before the 4th Arab Water Conference, Abbas accused Israel of stealing Palestinian land and water.

Abbas said during a joint press conference with Latvian President Egils Levits at the presidency headquarters in Ramallah that there is a lack of an Israeli partner who believes in the two-state solution, and renounces violence and terrorism.

He highlighted that these are the principles Palestine is committed to.

The Palestinian president further urged all countries that haven’t yet recognized the State of Palestine to do so in order to protect the two-state solution and the right of the Palestinians to self-determination.

The president's demands coincided with Netanyahu’s attempts to form a right-wing government.

Meanwhile, Ziad Abu Amr, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, delivered Abbas’ speech at the 4th Arab Water Conference.

The conference was organized by Palestine at the Arab League in Cairo and held under the theme "Arab water security for life, development, and peace".

He said that the occupation state is stealing the land, and building settlements on it and is stealing the water and selling it to the Palestinians.

The Palestinian president gave the Dead Sea as an example of trespassing, noting that it is collapsing year after year.

He spoke about the consequences of the Israeli seizure of the water resources, noting that the Palestinian share stands at an average of 87 liters per day and doesn’t exceed 20 liters in some communities compared to 580 liters per day for the Israeli settler.

Abbas considered water as an “Arab national security matter” that requires a comprehensive and unified Arab strategy against the occupation.



Syria to Start Currency Swap on January 1st, Central Bank Governor Says

Syrian pounds are pictured inside an exchange currency shop in Azaz, Syria February 3, 2020. Picture taken February 3, 2020. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo
Syrian pounds are pictured inside an exchange currency shop in Azaz, Syria February 3, 2020. Picture taken February 3, 2020. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo
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Syria to Start Currency Swap on January 1st, Central Bank Governor Says

Syrian pounds are pictured inside an exchange currency shop in Azaz, Syria February 3, 2020. Picture taken February 3, 2020. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo
Syrian pounds are pictured inside an exchange currency shop in Azaz, Syria February 3, 2020. Picture taken February 3, 2020. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo

Syria will start swapping old banknotes for new ones under a ​plan to replace Assad-era notes starting from January 1, 2026, Central Bank Governor Abdelkader Husrieh said on Thursday.

Husrieh announced the introduction of the new Syrian currency, saying the decree "sets January ‌1, 2026, ‌as the start date ‌for ⁠the ​exchange ‌process". Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters in August that the country will issue new banknotes, removing two zeros from its currency in an attempt to restore ⁠public confidence in the severely devalued pound.

The ‌step is intended ‍to strengthen ‍the Syrian pound after its purchasing ‍power collapsed to record lows following a 14-year conflict that ended with President Bashar al-Assad's ouster in December.

Husrieh ​said the operation will take place through a smooth and orderly ⁠swap - a move bankers hope will ease fears that the new currency could fuel inflation and further erode the purchasing power of Syrians already reeling from high prices.

He added that a press conference will soon outline the exact regulations and mechanisms.


Türkiye Begins Black Box Analysis of Jet Crash That Killed Libyan Military Chief and 7 Others

Libyan national flags fly at half-mast in Tripoli on December 24, 2025, after the head of Libya's armed forces and his four aides died in a plane crash in Türkiye. (AFP)
Libyan national flags fly at half-mast in Tripoli on December 24, 2025, after the head of Libya's armed forces and his four aides died in a plane crash in Türkiye. (AFP)
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Türkiye Begins Black Box Analysis of Jet Crash That Killed Libyan Military Chief and 7 Others

Libyan national flags fly at half-mast in Tripoli on December 24, 2025, after the head of Libya's armed forces and his four aides died in a plane crash in Türkiye. (AFP)
Libyan national flags fly at half-mast in Tripoli on December 24, 2025, after the head of Libya's armed forces and his four aides died in a plane crash in Türkiye. (AFP)

The technical analysis of the recovered black boxes from a jet crash that killed eight people, including western Libya’s military chief, began as the investigation proceeded in cooperation with Libyan authorities, the Turkish Ministry of Defense said Thursday.

The private jet with Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, four other military officials and three crew members crashed on Tuesday after taking off from Türkiye’s capital, Ankara, killing everyone on board. Libyan officials said the cause of the crash was a technical malfunction on the plane.

The high-level Libyan delegation was on its way back to Tripoli after holding defense talks in Ankara aimed at boosting military cooperation between the two countries.

The wreckage was scattered across an area covering 3 square kilometers (more than a square mile), complicating recovery efforts, according to the Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.

A 22-person delegation, including five family members, arrived from Libya early on Wednesday to assist in the investigation.


Lebanese President: We are Determined to Hold Parliamentary Elections on Time

President Joseph Aoun between Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker Nabih Berri (Lebanese Presidency file photo)
President Joseph Aoun between Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker Nabih Berri (Lebanese Presidency file photo)
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Lebanese President: We are Determined to Hold Parliamentary Elections on Time

President Joseph Aoun between Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker Nabih Berri (Lebanese Presidency file photo)
President Joseph Aoun between Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker Nabih Berri (Lebanese Presidency file photo)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated on Thursday that the country’s parliamentary elections are a constitutional obligation that must be carried out on time.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency quoted Aoun as saying that he, alongside Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, is determined to hold the elections on schedule.

Aoun also emphasized that diplomatic efforts have continued unabated to keep the specter of war at bay, noting that "things are heading in a positive direction".

The agency also cited Berri reaffirming that the elections will take place as planned, with "no delays, no extensions".

The Lebanese parliamentary elections are scheduled for May next year.