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UN Peacekeepers in Lebanon Warn Against 'Devastating' Escalation

A UNIFIL patrol is seen near the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel. (EPA)
A UNIFIL patrol is seen near the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel. (EPA)
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UN Peacekeepers in Lebanon Warn Against 'Devastating' Escalation

A UNIFIL patrol is seen near the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel. (EPA)
A UNIFIL patrol is seen near the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel. (EPA)

UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon warned Wednesday that increased hostilities could prove "devastating", a day after a presumed Israeli strike killed Hamas's deputy leader in a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut.

"We are deeply concerned at any potential for escalation that could have devastating consequences for people on both sides," said UNIFIL deputy spokeswoman Kandice Ardiel.

"We continue to implore all parties cease their fire, and any interlocutors with influence to urge restraint."

The strike on Tuesday killed Saleh al-Aruri, deputy head of Hamas, in Beirut's southern suburbs, two Lebanese security officials told AFP, blaming Israel.

Hamas, at war with Israel in Gaza for almost three months, confirmed Aruri's death, which Lebanese state media said came in an Israeli drone strike that also killed six others.

Hamas said Aruri would be buried on Thursday in Beirut's Shatila Palestinian refugee camp.

The attack marked an escalation in the nearly three-month-old war.

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Arab World

Türkiye Calls on SDF to ‘Renounce Terrorism’, Abandon Separatism

Thick smoke rises from areas of fighting between the Syrian army and the SDF in Aleppo (EPA) 
Thick smoke rises from areas of fighting between the Syrian army and the SDF in Aleppo (EPA) 
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Türkiye Calls on SDF to ‘Renounce Terrorism’, Abandon Separatism

Thick smoke rises from areas of fighting between the Syrian army and the SDF in Aleppo (EPA) 
Thick smoke rises from areas of fighting between the Syrian army and the SDF in Aleppo (EPA) 

Türkiye has urged the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to renounce terrorism and abandon what it described as separatist ambitions that threaten Syria’s unity, while signaling it is prepared to support the Syrian army in Aleppo should Damascus request assistance.

The call comes as fighting continues between Syrian government forces and the SDF in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh districts of Aleppo, where the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) form the core of the SDF.

Speaking in Ankara, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the group must “abandon terrorism and give up efforts aimed at dividing Syria,” stressing that the region is in urgent need of peace and stability.

At a joint press conference with Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi following talks on Thursday, Fidan said the SDF’s determination to hold on to its positions “at any cost” has become the single greatest obstacle to restoring stability in Syria. He argued that this rigid stance is detached from the political realities of Syria and the wider region, adding that the time has come for national unity.

Fidan also accused the SDF of aligning itself with Israel, warning that it risked becoming an instrument of Israel’s “divide and rule” strategy in the region. “Instead of contributing to unity, the SDF has chosen a path that undermines regional stability,” he stated.

Separately, a Turkish Defense Ministry official said Türkiye stands ready to assist the Syrian government in its counterterrorism efforts in Aleppo if formally requested. Speaking during the ministry’s weekly briefing, the official said the current operation is being carried out solely by the Syrian army but emphasized that Ankara would provide support if asked, in line with its commitment to Syria’s territorial integrity and unity.

The official added that Ankara is closely monitoring developments across Syria, noting that security in Syria directly affects Türkiye’s own national security. He remarked that the Aleppo operation was launched to restore public order following alleged SDF attacks on civilians and security personnel that resulted in casualties.

Political Divisions

The pro-Kurdish Democracy and Equality of Peoples Party (DEM) called on Türkiye to play a constructive role by encouraging dialogue, democratic integration, and coexistence among Syria’s diverse communities. Party spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan accused Ankara of indirectly fueling the fighting through allied armed factions operating in the area.

By contrast, opposition Victory Party leader Ümit Özdağ warned that the March 10 agreement amounted to a “political trap” for Türkiye, arguing that integrating the SDF into state institutions would legitimize the group, expand Israeli influence in Syria, and risk plunging the country back into civil war.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Kurdish Union urged Ankara to support Kurdish communities alongside Turkmen, saying attacks on Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo were aimed at sabotaging dialogue and a political settlement.

 

 

 

Arab World

Gaza Civil Defense Says Israeli Attacks Kill 13 Including 5 Children

Rubble lies at the site of Thursday's Israeli strike on a house, in the central Gaza Strip, January 9, 2026. (Reuters)
Rubble lies at the site of Thursday's Israeli strike on a house, in the central Gaza Strip, January 9, 2026. (Reuters)
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Gaza Civil Defense Says Israeli Attacks Kill 13 Including 5 Children

Rubble lies at the site of Thursday's Israeli strike on a house, in the central Gaza Strip, January 9, 2026. (Reuters)
Rubble lies at the site of Thursday's Israeli strike on a house, in the central Gaza Strip, January 9, 2026. (Reuters)

Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli attacks in the Palestinian territory on Thursday killed at least 13 people, including five children, despite a ceasefire that has largely halted the fighting.

Four people, including three children, were killed when a drone struck a tent sheltering displaced people in southern Gaza, agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP.

In the north of the Gaza Strip, an 11-year-old girl was killed near the Jabalia refugee camp and a strike on a school killed one person, while a drone near Khan Younis in the south killed a man, the agency added.

Two more Gazans, including a child, were killed in other attacks, reported the agency, which operates under Hamas authority.

Later on Thursday evening, four more people were killed in an Israeli air strike that targeted a house in an eastern area of Gaza City, Bassal said, adding that rescue work to search for several people who were missing had begun.

"The death toll has risen to 13 as a result of Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip since this morning in a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement," Bassal said.

In a statement Friday morning, the Israeli military said it "precisely struck Hamas terrorists and terror infrastructure in the southern and northern Gaza Strip" in response to a "failed projectile" launch.

"The projectile that was launched from the Gaza Strip constitutes a violation of the ceasefire agreement," the statement added.

Since October 10, a fragile US-sponsored truce in Gaza has largely halted the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, but both sides have alleged frequent violations.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told AFP that the strikes in Gaza on Thursday "confirm the Israeli occupation's renunciation of its commitment to the ceasefire".

Israeli forces have killed at least 425 Palestinians in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, according to Gaza's health ministry.

At least 21 people were killed on November 22 in Israeli strikes, making it one of the deadliest days in Gaza since the ceasefire came into effect.

The Israeli military said gunmen have killed three of its soldiers during the same period.

Arab World

UN Envoy to Yemen Invited to Southern Yemen Conference

Vice President of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Abdul Rahman Al-Mahrami and United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg meet in Riyadh. (State media)
Vice President of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Abdul Rahman Al-Mahrami and United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg meet in Riyadh. (State media)
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UN Envoy to Yemen Invited to Southern Yemen Conference

Vice President of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Abdul Rahman Al-Mahrami and United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg meet in Riyadh. (State media)
Vice President of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Abdul Rahman Al-Mahrami and United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg meet in Riyadh. (State media)

Vice President of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Abdul Rahman Al-Mahrami, also known as Abou Zaraa, held talks in Riyadh on Thursday with United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg on the latest developments in the country.

They tackled UN and international efforts to advance the political process and achieve comprehensive and sustainable peace, said state media.

They addressed preparations to hold a conference on southern Yemen that will be hosted by Riyadh. The conference has been described as pivotal in addressing the Southern Cause through dialogue between various southern parties and figures.

Abou Zaraa Al-Mahrami expressed his gratitude to Saudi Arabia for hosting the meeting, saying it reflects its keenness on the unity of southern ranks and efforts to support Yemenis in overcoming the current crisis.

He underlined the need to reach a fair and just solution to the Southern Cause, which he said is central to bolstering national efforts to defeat the Houthi coup in Sanaa.

Reaching a unified political agenda for the South will help advance efforts to restore state institutions, fortify the internal scene and move forward towards sustainable peace, he remarked.

He invited Grundberg to take part in the conference. The envoy, for his part, stressed the UN's support for PLC efforts to unite ranks. He underscored the importance of intra-southern dialogue, saying it was pivotal to the political process.

Meanwhile, on the ground, calm prevailed in the Yemeni interim capital Aden as National Shield Forces deployed in the city on Thursday morning in wake of the withdrawal of Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces.

Troops from the Giants Brigades, led by Abou Zaraa Al-Mahrami, also deployed in Aden as part of a joint security plan aimed at protecting the interim capital and secure vital installations.