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Israel Defends Ben-Gvir, Int’l Community Cautions against Provocations at Al-Aqsa

The permanent Palestinian representative to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, during the urgent UN session (Reuters)
The permanent Palestinian representative to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, during the urgent UN session (Reuters)
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Israel Defends Ben-Gvir, Int’l Community Cautions against Provocations at Al-Aqsa

The permanent Palestinian representative to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, during the urgent UN session (Reuters)
The permanent Palestinian representative to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, during the urgent UN session (Reuters)

Israel faced widespread criticism, including from the United States and Russia, during an emergency session of the UN Security Council to discuss the visit of the Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, to al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

The international community warned that the new development could lead to a new uprising against occupation in the Palestinian territories.

The session was held at the request of the UAE and China, followed by another bid from France and Malta.

The UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Khaled Khayari, briefed the Council on Ben-Gvir's visit.

Khayari indicated that while the visit was not accompanied or followed by violence, it is seen as "particularly inflammatory given Ben Gvir's past advocacy for changes to the status quo."

He noted that the visit drew widespread condemnation from regional countries and the international community and was seen as "a provocation that risked sparking further bloodshed."

The official stated that UN efforts to de-escalate the situation would continue and that all parties must refrain from steps that could escalate tensions.

"The situation at Jerusalem's Holy Sites is deeply fragile, and any incident or tension there can spill over and cause violence throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in Israel and elsewhere in the region," warned Khayari.

He reiterated the "Secretary-General's call for all parties to refrain from steps that could escalate tensions in and around the Holy Sites, and for all to uphold the status quo, in line with the special role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan."

- Al-Aqsa is a red line

The permanent Palestinian representative to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, confirmed that the Israeli minister "stormed" into the third holiest Muslim place, describing Ben-Gvir as an "extremist minister in an extremist state" who was convicted of incitement and known for his "racist views."

Mansour recalled that the Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon's visit in 2000 led to violent clashes that erupted during the second Palestinian intifada.

He urged the Security Council and all countries to prevent this from happening and adhere to international law, warning that "if they do not do so, our Palestinian people will."

He told the council that the Palestinians had "run out of patience," adding that Israel's insistence would lead to an intifada.

"Which red line should Israel cross so that the Security Council finally says: enough! and acts accordingly? When will you act?" said Mansour.

Israeli delegate Gilad Erdan, who visited Haram al-Sharif, as Minister of Public Security in 2017, criticized the Security Council for holding the emergency meeting on Ben-Gvir's 13-minute visit, considering it a "Jewish right."

Erdan called the meeting "insulting" and "pathetic," adding that the council should instead meet about the war in Ukraine or Iran killing protesters.

"Israel has not harmed the status quo and has no plans to do so," Erdan said.

"The only side that is changing the status quo is the Palestinian Authority. Why? Because by turning the site into a battleground … the Palestinian Authority is making it clear that not only is Jewish prayer intolerable on the Haram al-Sharif, but so is any Jewish presence."

"This is pure anti-Semitism," he added.

Meanwhile, the Jordanian ambassador, Mahmoud Hmoud, rejected Erdan's accusations, stressing that Jordan never occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

When Ben-Gvir visited Haram al-Sharif on Tuesday, he described it as "the most important place for the Jewish people" and decried what he called "racist discrimination" against Jewish visits to the site.

Ben-Gvir said in a video clip taken during the visit: "The Israeli government won't surrender to a murderous organization, to a vile terrorist organization."

UAE deputy ambassador, Mohammed Abushahab, said that Ben-Gvir's provocative moves indicated a lack of commitment to the existing historical and legal situation in the holy places in Jerusalem.

Abushahab warned that the minister's action further destabilizes the fragile situation in the Palestinian territories, moves the region further away from a path to peace, and threatens to escalate current tensions "and contribute to fueling and stoking extremism and hatred in the region."

Moreover, the Chinese ambassador, Zhang Jun, expressed his regret over the recent events and called on all parties concerned to exercise restraint to prevent the escalation of tensions in East Jerusalem.

"Israel, in particular, should stop provocation and unilateral actions vis-a-vis the historical status quo of the holy sites," said Zhang.

Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia expressed "serious concern" at Ben-Gvir's visit and said he hoped the new Israeli Cabinet "would not take the path of escalation" and "create irreversible realities on the ground."

Furthermore, the US deputy ambassador, Robert Wood, stressed President Joe Biden's support for the "historical status quo,", especially in the Haram al-Sharif.

Wood said the US noted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's platform calling for preserving the status quo, adding: "We expect the government of Israel to follow through on that commitment."

The White House had warned Israel that any unilateral action in the holy sites in East Jerusalem was unacceptable.

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Arab World

Who Are Hezbollah's Remaining Allies in Lebanon?

Hezbollah supporter weeps during a ceremony to mark the second anniversary of the death of party leader Hassan Nasrallah . Nasrallah was killed in a massive Israeli air strike on September 27, 2024. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa
Hezbollah supporter weeps during a ceremony to mark the second anniversary of the death of party leader Hassan Nasrallah . Nasrallah was killed in a massive Israeli air strike on September 27, 2024. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa
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Who Are Hezbollah's Remaining Allies in Lebanon?

Hezbollah supporter weeps during a ceremony to mark the second anniversary of the death of party leader Hassan Nasrallah . Nasrallah was killed in a massive Israeli air strike on September 27, 2024. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa
Hezbollah supporter weeps during a ceremony to mark the second anniversary of the death of party leader Hassan Nasrallah . Nasrallah was killed in a massive Israeli air strike on September 27, 2024. Photo: Marwan Naamani/dpa

The second anniversary of the assassinations of former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine exposed a grim reality facing Hezbollah inside Lebanon. It showed that the group has lost its network of domestic allies, as evidenced by the absence, for the first time in two decades, of figures who had been allied with the group before the 2024 war.

Two years after the assassinations, observers closely following the group's situation say Hezbollah is facing not only the challenge of rebuilding its capabilities and reorganizing its ranks, but also the erosion of the network of alliances it built over many years. A number of political forces appear to have reconsidered the value of maintaining ties with the group amid shifts in the balance of power domestically and regionally.

Among its most prominent former allies, the only one to attend the commemoration of Nasrallah was Suleiman Frangieh, head of the Marada Movement, who had been the group's candidate for the presidency before President Joseph Aoun was elected, along with leaders representing the Amal Movement, its partner in the Shiite duo.

Political Cover Unravels

Hezbollah succeeded in building a broad network of political alliances spanning most of Lebanon's sects and denominations after signing the 2006 memorandum of understanding with the Free Patriotic Movement. According to its opponents, this enabled the group to secure "political cover" for retaining its weapons and expanding its influence, eventually entrenching a parallel reality alongside state institutions.

But this network began to gradually unravel after the "Gaza Support" war, alongside the major military setback suffered by Hezbollah and the resulting change in its position within Lebanon's political equation. One of the most prominent signs of this unraveling was the distancing of key allies, foremost among them the Free Patriotic Movement on the Christian political scene, along with the declining presence of its allies among Sunni and Druze forces.

The distancing of Hezbollah's allies is not linked solely to the shift in the balance of power after the war, but also to the political and financial risks that have come to accompany close ties with Hezbollah. This comes amid US sanctions that have already targeted individuals and entities linked to the group or accused of supporting it, as well as threats to expand the sanctions to include other allies and political figures. This has prompted some of the group's allies to reassess their calculations, fearing that their relationship with Hezbollah could turn from a source of political influence into a source of costs and sanctions.

Transactional Alliances

Dr. Hilal Khashan, a professor of political science at the American University of Beirut, said the "cross-sectarian network" the group sought to build after entering politics was essentially "marginal." He noted that "the group long benefited from its military strength to build broad political influence and from presenting itself as a force capable of establishing a balance with Israel."

According to Khashan, the group spent years "entrenching a narrative based on taking the battle to the Galilee and portraying the existence of a military balance with Israel," a narrative that "a large part of the Shiite community believed." But the military strength Hezbollah had amassed, which was considered one of its main sources of influence in the region, "suffered an unprecedented blow during the war, which inevitably affected its political position."

Khashan told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hezbollah had, throughout the past period, "provided political cover for parties and forces in exchange for obtaining cover for its policies and weapons, making many of the alliances closer to transactional alliances and exchanges of interests than to firmly established political or ideological partnerships."

Khashan believes that "the collapse of the balance of power that allowed the group to manage these relationships will make rebuilding its previous network of alliances extremely difficult, particularly as political forces that once saw benefits and political protection in an alliance with it now face a different reality." He expects the Amal Movement, through new figures, to assume leadership of the Shiite community in the coming phase.

Alienation Likely to Increase

Political writer and editor-in-chief of the Janoubia website Ali Al-Amin, for his part, said Hezbollah, which had been "a center of attraction for allies and political patronage for many years, is no longer so today, three years after the start of the Support War. It currently lacks allies and is facing an internal and external siege, a reality that can be readily observed." Al-Amin added: "This was clearly evident at the commemoration of the assassinations of its two former secretaries-general, as most of those who had once competed to sit in the front row were absent."

Al-Amin told Asharq Al-Awsat that "this alienation is likely to increase," noting that "the issue of weapons is another matter related to Hezbollah's role and position, which does not appear to have understood what befell it, the Shiites, and Lebanon as a result of a major catastrophe. It remains committed to its role as an Iranian tool subject to the calculations set by the Supreme Leader from inside Iran."

Al-Amin concluded: "In light of the current political and security circumstances, and with the group continuing to use rhetoric that is at odds with reality and its new facts, it will find no resonance beyond its supporters. Its visits to some political forces have not produced anything that could be described as a restoration of its alliances or friendships. In practical terms, it is trying to climb out of the hole it fell into by falling into more holes, which will deepen its predicament and expose its inability to redefine its existence on the foundations of the state."

He added: "In view of all this, it cannot be expected that the group will repair its fractured alliances. Rather, they will continue to collapse and disappear."

Arab World

Al-Alimi Announces Start of Full-Scale Military Campaign Against Houthis

Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi (Saba)
Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi (Saba)
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Al-Alimi Announces Start of Full-Scale Military Campaign Against Houthis

Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi (Saba)
Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi (Saba)

Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi on Sunday announced the start of military operations to reclaim the remaining territory of the republic and extend the authority of the state and its institutions across the entire country, marking an official transition from a phase of preparation and mobilization to open military action.

In an address to the Yemeni people, Al-Alimi said the decision to begin the operations was taken after the necessary procedures and measures had been completed and based on decisions by the National Defense Council. He said he had instructed the armed forces, security forces, and all military formations to carry out their duties according to approved plans "until the country is liberated from the grip of the terrorist militia."

Al-Alimi justified the decision by saying that opportunities for de-escalation had been exhausted. He said the state had given peace sufficient time and opportunities, while the Houthi group had responded with further mobilization, escalation, attacks, and threats against civilians, national facilities, neighboring countries, and international waterways.

He stressed that the announced battle is not a war against residents of areas under Houthi control, nor against any sect or tribe, but rather "a battle for the state and its citizens and to restore its institutions." He said its objective is to end the seizure of Yemenis' will and political future through the use of force.

Al-Alimi delivered a direct message to residents in Houthi-controlled areas, calling on them to stay away from military positions, gatherings, and supply routes, and to protect their children from being drawn into the fighting. At the same time, he reiterated the state's commitment to the safe return and declared amnesty for those who lay down their weapons and stop fighting alongside the group.

In a message to government forces and the resistance, the chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council stressed that the mission is "not only to reclaim the land, but to restore the state to it." He called for the protection of civilians and property and adherence to the law, stressing that there would be no room for revenge, retaliation, or attacks on innocent people.

Directives to the Government

On the civilian front, Al-Alimi said he had instructed the government to prepare a program of action to run in parallel with the military operations, so that state institutions would begin assuming their responsibilities in areas reclaimed by government forces as they are recovered.

The priorities he outlined include resuming the payment of state employees' salaries and addressing outstanding dues retroactively, launching an urgent recovery and reconstruction program, repairing damaged roads, electricity and water networks, and facilities, and creating conditions for the return of displaced people and the resumption of economic activity.

Al-Alimi said the success of the battle would not be measured by the number of cities reclaimed, but by the number of citizens who regain security, families that return to their homes, and measures that prevent a return to practices of killing, oppression, and depriving the people of their will.

He also reiterated the commitment of the Presidential Leadership Council and the government to the outcome of the Saudi-sponsored south-south dialogue, in a manner that ensures a fair and comprehensive solution to the southern issue. He called on brothers and friends, as well as the international community, to support Yemen, its armed forces, and national institutions, and to support humanitarian and economic efforts and recovery and reconstruction programs.

Al-Alimi concluded by announcing that the state's military, security, and civilian institutions had entered a "state of full mobilization" until the mission was accomplished, stressing that the new phase seeks to restore the state to its territory and institutions and return weapons to their "natural place under the authority of the law."

Arab World

Houthi Pressure Isolates Taiz from Its Southern Countryside Amid Fierce Resistance

Yemen government soldiers gather near the Jabal Han front, west of the city of Taiz, (Photo by AHMAD AL-BASHA / AFP)
Yemen government soldiers gather near the Jabal Han front, west of the city of Taiz, (Photo by AHMAD AL-BASHA / AFP)
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Houthi Pressure Isolates Taiz from Its Southern Countryside Amid Fierce Resistance

Yemen government soldiers gather near the Jabal Han front, west of the city of Taiz, (Photo by AHMAD AL-BASHA / AFP)
Yemen government soldiers gather near the Jabal Han front, west of the city of Taiz, (Photo by AHMAD AL-BASHA / AFP)

The Iran-aligned Houthi group has deployed its full weight in the southwestern countryside of Taiz to seize the main roads linking the city with its southern rural areas and cut lines of communication toward Lahj province and the city of Aden. Government forces, backed by popular resistance, are meanwhile engaged in fierce fighting to halt the advance, alongside airstrikes targeting the group's reinforcements and military capabilities.

The front has gained particular importance as the Houthis continue to push forces into new areas in southern Taiz. Reports said the group took control on Sunday of the areas of Al-Safiya and Al-Barkani and cut the road linking Al-Turbah, the administrative center of Al-Shamayatayn district in the south, with Taiz city to the north. This would isolate the latter from the liberated areas of Lahj and Aden.

The front nevertheless remains open to intense fighting, amid indications that the Houthis are determined to maintain pressure along this axis. Field sources warned of the risks posed by continued attacks and the need for immediate reinforcements for government forces in the area.

Alongside the fighting in the southwestern countryside, government forces and popular resistance had made gains on several Taiz fronts, regaining control of the areas of Al-Maqarm and Al-Zakira in Al-Shamayatayn district, south of the province, following fierce clashes with the Houthis. The Houthis subsequently regained control of the areas.

Government forces on the southeastern front, with support from fighters from Sama district, also took control of Sama Fort before advancing toward the strategic Jabal Al-Jaasha after securing Jabal Sama Fort.

Sources said the operations resulted in significant human and material losses among the Houthis, including dozens killed or wounded, while a number of the group's militants fled the areas of confrontation. Fighting also continued, according to the same sources, on the Jabal Habashi and Al-Kadaha fronts.

On the Jabal Han and Hadhran front, west of Taiz city, fierce clashes broke out and ended, according to the Taiz Military Axis, with the defeat of the attacking forces and the killing of the Houthi commander who led the attack on government positions at Jabal Han.

257 Operations in One Day

At the same time as the ground fighting, government forces intensified operations against Houthi positions and movements across several fronts.

Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Colonel Majid Al-Nazili said the forces carried out 257 precision strikes against Houthi positions, movements, and military capabilities using fighter aircraft, drones, artillery, missiles, and rocket launchers.

He said the operations covered Sanaa, Midi in Hajjah, Baqim in Saada, and fronts in Al-Jawf, Marib, Al-Bayda, and Lahj, with the operational focus on the Taiz fronts. He said the targets included command and control centers, gatherings, mobilization sites, combat reserves, as well as weapons and ammunition depots and military supply lines and means of transport.

According to Al-Nazili, the operations resulted, based on preliminary field estimates, in at least 700 Houthi militants being put out of action and the destruction of 170 combat vehicles and military assets. He said this had a direct impact on the group's combat capabilities and limited its ability to continue attacks against civilians in their homes and villages.

The Yemeni Armed Forces had also announced, in a separate development, that they had carried out 97 precision strikes against Houthi military reinforcements on the Tor Al-Baha front and the Taiz axis.

Al-Nazili said the operations involved fighter aircraft, drones, artillery, missiles, and snipers, resulting in 260 group members being put out of action and 44 military vehicles and means of transport and supply being destroyed or disabled.

The air force also announced strikes against Houthi targets in Sanaa and Saada, while the armed forces had earlier announced an attack against Houthi military targets in the capital, Sanaa.

These figures bring Houthi losses to nearly 6,000 killed or wounded over the course of a week, according to successive statements by the Yemeni Armed Forces.

Mobilization and State of Alert

The developments on the ground in Taiz coincided with the government and armed forces moving to a higher level of military mobilization and preparedness.

The Ministry of Defense and the General Staff launched a general mobilization and public call to arms, in implementation of directives from Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi.

The announcement came during an expanded meeting chaired by Defense Minister Lieutenant General Taher Al-Aqili in Aden. General Staff Chief and Joint Operations Commander Lieutenant General Sagheer bin Aziz participated by video link from Marib, alongside the deputy defense minister, the deputy chief of staff, and heads of military departments and directorates.

Al-Aqili said the ministry had taken practical measures to implement the general mobilization and public call to arms, activate human resources and reserve mobilization channels, organize reception centers, and task the relevant authorities with beginning their assigned duties.

The Yemeni defense minister affirmed that the armed forces were carrying out their duty to defend the country and its sovereignty, defeat the Houthis, and restore state institutions, stressing military discipline and command, the mobilization of resources, and the integration of efforts.

For his part, bin Aziz said the declaration of general mobilization represented a national decision requiring an organized transition to the highest levels of preparedness, the unification of efforts and capabilities, improving the efficiency of the armed forces, and strengthening their ability to carry out their duties.

He stressed the need to complete the inventory of personnel, equipment, and requirements, organize call-up and reinforcement operations, raise levels of discipline and readiness, strengthen training and qualification, and work to build an integrated military and community effort.

Amid the intensifying fighting, the chief of staff held calls with military and field commanders in Taiz, including Major General Yousef Al-Sharaji, a member of the Supreme Military Committee and commander of the Taiz front; Major General Khaled Fadel, commander of the Taiz Military Axis; Major General Abdulaziz Al-Majidi, chief of staff of the axis; and Taiz Resistance Commander Rashid Shamsan.

Bin Aziz received briefings on the course of operations and the field situation across the province's various fronts. He praised the people of Taiz for their support for the armed forces and their initiative to participate in the fighting.

He affirmed that the armed forces across the various fronts and sectors stood alongside the forces fighting in Taiz, praising what he described as the fighters' efficiency and combat capabilities, as well as the performance of the fighter aircraft and drones.