Member of Yemeni Presidential Leadership: The Battle is Existential with Houthis

Member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Tareq Saleh (Saba)
Member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Tareq Saleh (Saba)
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Member of Yemeni Presidential Leadership: The Battle is Existential with Houthis

Member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Tareq Saleh (Saba)
Member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Tareq Saleh (Saba)

Member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Tareq Saleh, described the battle with the Houthi militias as an existential battle on all levels, referring to the "banditry" of its leaders and their attempts to wipe out the Yemeni identity.

The official media quoted Saleh as confirming that the battle with the Houthi militia would continue at various levels.

During a meeting with residents in the Yakhtel area of the al-Makha district, Saleh said the battle with the Houthi militia is "an existential battle against ignorance, poverty, disease, and backwardness."

The official explained that all Yemenis meet on significant issues. Still, Houthis are attempting to erase them, noting that Sanaa streets became a copy of the streets of Iran with pictures of the leaders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Saleh, the nephew of the late Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, described the leaders of the Houthi militia as "a group of thieves" who sought to plunder people's lands and property.

Meanwhile, the UN and its envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, aim to reach permanent solutions to the Yemeni crisis based on regional momentum and relative calm.

Yemeni political circles believe the Houthi militia will not give up its coup and gains, including the heavy weapons they looted from the Yemeni army's warehouses.

However, observers do not rule out the return of a new round of fighting if the militia continues its intransigence and economic war against the Yemeni government.

During his last briefing to the Security Council, Grundberg urged the Yemeni parties to seize the regional momentum to reach a comprehensive political settlement, expressing his concern over the possibility of a return to violence after months of relative calm.

The envoy emphasized that "despite the dire economic and humanitarian situation, Yemen is still benefiting from the achievements of the Truce. But of course, all Yemenis I have talked to hope for a comprehensive resolution of the conflict."

He indicated that even though the overall military situation in Yemen remains relatively stable, "I am concerned by the uptick in the number and the intensity of clashes in several frontline areas, particularly the fronts in Marib and Taiz."

He called on the parties to exercise maximum restraint during this critical time, including refraining from escalatory public rhetoric, to avoid destabilizing the situation.

Grundberg urged the Yemeni parties to seize the opportunity of renewed regional momentum, referring to the Saudi-Iranian agreement, to maintain a conducive environment for discussions and to allow the time and space needed for the talks to bear fruit.

He warned: "Impatience at this juncture risks a return to a cycle of violence and risks unraveling what has been achieved so far."

Notably, the Yemeni government accuses Iran of supporting the Houthi coup and funding them to control the country by force. It also says they continue to wage military, economic, and cultural war, threatening international navigation and the global economy.

Despite the optimism in Yemen after the Saudi-Iranian agreement, some observers believe it would constitute a gateway to isolating the Houthis from Iran, leading to a settlement and ending the conflict.

However, others believe the Houthi militia will not stop its project to seize power in the country by force and further establish the coup.



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.


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 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.