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EU's Von Der Leyen to Unveil Aid for Lebanon to Stop Refugee Flows, Says Cyprus

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during a formal sitting on the 20th anniversary of the 2004 EU Enlargement at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, 24 April 2024. (EPA)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during a formal sitting on the 20th anniversary of the 2004 EU Enlargement at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, 24 April 2024. (EPA)
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EU's Von Der Leyen to Unveil Aid for Lebanon to Stop Refugee Flows, Says Cyprus

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during a formal sitting on the 20th anniversary of the 2004 EU Enlargement at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, 24 April 2024. (EPA)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during a formal sitting on the 20th anniversary of the 2004 EU Enlargement at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, 24 April 2024. (EPA)

The European Union will offer economic aid for Lebanon when the head of the bloc's executive and the Cypriot president jointly visit Beirut on Thursday, a Cypriot official said on Tuesday.

EU member Cyprus has grown increasingly concerned at a sharp increase in the number of Syrian refugees making their way to the Mediterranean island. Lebanon, a mere 100 miles (185 km) away from Cyprus, hosts hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees.

"The President of the European Commission will present an economic aid package for Lebanon," Cypriot government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said in a statement.

President Ursula von der Leyen, due in Cyprus on Wednesday, would jointly travel to Beirut with the Cypriot President, Nikos Christodoulides on Thursday morning.

Discussions would focus on challenges Lebanon presently faces and stability reforms it needs, Letymbiotis said.

Nicosia has lobbied the bloc for months to extend aid to Lebanon similar to deals the EU has with Türkiye, Tunisia, and more recently, Egypt.

"The implementation of this (package) was at the initiative of President Christodoulides and the Republic of Cyprus and is practical proof of the active role the EU can play in our region," Letymbiotis said.

Lebanon, in the throes of an economic meltdown since 2019, has not enacted most of the reforms required by the International Monetary Fund to get access to its funding, but has asked friendly countries to continue backing it.

Some Lebanese officials have used the growing presence of migrants and refugees in the country as a bargaining chip, threatening to stop intercepting migrant boats destined for Europe unless Lebanon received more economic support.

Cyprus took in more than 2,000 Syrians who arrived by sea in the first quarter of this year, compared to just 78 in the same period of last year. Earlier this month, it took the unprecedented step of dispatching patrol vessels to international waters off Lebanon to discourage crossings and said it was suspending the processing of asylum applications from Syrians.

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Arab World

Syrian Army Tells Kurdish Forces to Withdraw from Area East of Aleppo City

Buses carrying displaced residents drive past a building in ruins as they return to the Achrafieh neighborhood after days of fighting between government forces and Kurdish fighters in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP)
Buses carrying displaced residents drive past a building in ruins as they return to the Achrafieh neighborhood after days of fighting between government forces and Kurdish fighters in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP)
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Syrian Army Tells Kurdish Forces to Withdraw from Area East of Aleppo City

Buses carrying displaced residents drive past a building in ruins as they return to the Achrafieh neighborhood after days of fighting between government forces and Kurdish fighters in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP)
Buses carrying displaced residents drive past a building in ruins as they return to the Achrafieh neighborhood after days of fighting between government forces and Kurdish fighters in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP)

Syria's army on Tuesday told Kurdish forces to withdraw from an area east of Aleppo after dislodging fighters from two neighborhoods in the city in deadly clashes last week.

State television published an army statement with a map declaring a large area a "closed military zone" and said "all armed groups in this area must withdraw to east of the Euphrates" River.

Arab World

Syrian Interior Ministry Details Results of Security Campaigns in Latakia, Damascus Countrysides

Security personnel inside the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighborhood of Homs following a bombing . (AFP)
Security personnel inside the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighborhood of Homs following a bombing . (AFP)
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Syrian Interior Ministry Details Results of Security Campaigns in Latakia, Damascus Countrysides

Security personnel inside the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighborhood of Homs following a bombing . (AFP)
Security personnel inside the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in the Wadi al-Dhahab neighborhood of Homs following a bombing . (AFP)

Syria’s Interior Ministry has announced the results of a series of security operations carried out in recent days in Homs, Latakia, and the Damascus countryside, including the arrest of two alleged ISIS members accused of involvement in the bombing of the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in Homs last month.

The ministry said the operations led to the arrest of three senior figures in a cell known as “Lieutenant Abbas,” affiliated with the “Coastal Shield Brigade” led by Miqdad Fteiha, a prominent figure loyal to the former regime.

Security forces also detained an armed group in the al-Wuroud neighborhood of Damascus that was allegedly planning “acts of sabotage.”

The operations form part of broader efforts to dismantle armed groups and restore the state’s exclusive authority over weapons.

Interior Minister Anas Khattab vowed to continue pursuing ISIS operatives and bringing them to justice.

In a post on X, he said security and intelligence services had conducted a “highly precise operation” resulting in the arrest of those involved in the December 26 attack on the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in the Wadi al-Dhahab district of Homs, which killed eight people and wounded 18 others.

According to the Interior Ministry, security units in Homs, in coordination with the General Intelligence Service, arrested two persons identified as ISIS members. Authorities said explosive devices, various weapons, ammunition, documents, and digital evidence allegedly linking the suspects to terrorist activities were seized.

The two were referred to the Counterterrorism Directorate to complete investigations ahead of prosecution.

In a separate statement earlier Monday, the Interior Ministry said a “valuable catch” was detained by security and intelligence forces in Latakia. It said he was a key figures in the “Lieutenant Abbas” cell. Initial investigations indicated the cell had targeted internal security and army positions in the province.

Meanwhile, in the Damascus countryside, the ministry said security forces carried out a “preemptive operation” in the al-Wuroud neighborhood of Qudsaya city, arresting three individuals accused of planning armed attacks.

The ministry said security services would continue pursuing remaining members of the groups, pledging to “eradicate them completely” to ensure security and stability.

Arab World

Gaza Deal: Cairo Talks Aim to Settle Sector’s ‘Administrative Committee’

Displaced Palestinians stand beside a pool of rainwater amid makeshift shelters at the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza (AFP). 
Displaced Palestinians stand beside a pool of rainwater amid makeshift shelters at the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza (AFP). 
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Gaza Deal: Cairo Talks Aim to Settle Sector’s ‘Administrative Committee’

Displaced Palestinians stand beside a pool of rainwater amid makeshift shelters at the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza (AFP). 
Displaced Palestinians stand beside a pool of rainwater amid makeshift shelters at the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza (AFP). 

Cairo is hosting renewed consultations on the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which entered into force on Oct. 10, following the arrival of a delegation from Hamas and amid anticipation of an announcement on the committee that will administer the territory.

Experts told Asharq Al-Awsat that the talks provide an important boost at a critical moment for the second phase of the Gaza agreement, which has been stalled for some time. They stressed that moving forward hinges largely on US will and pressure on Israel.

A Palestinian source said Monday that a Hamas delegation headed by the movement’s leader, Khalil al-Hayya, arrived in Cairo to discuss the second phase and push ahead with the ceasefire deal. The source added that indications suggest the Gaza administration committee will be finalized during the Cairo round, with factions briefed on the names, particularly after recent changes prompted by Israeli objections.

Hamas Political Bureau member Mohammed Nazzal said in televised remarks Sunday night that the delegation would discuss follow-up on implementing the ceasefire amid “major difficulties hindering its application and continued Israeli violations.”

He said the delegation would hold meetings with Palestinian factions and forces, as well as with Egyptian officials, to discuss several files linked to the agreement.

These include ways to consolidate the ceasefire and move to subsequent phases, alongside key issues - foremost the formation of a Palestinian technocratic committee to administer Gaza - aimed at preventing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from reneging on or delaying the deal.

Former Egyptian assistant foreign minister and member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Rakha Ahmed Hassan, said the Cairo consultations are highly significant and could revive the stalled agreement.

He pointed to anticipation surrounding US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a Peace Council, followed by the Gaza administration committee, adding that discussions would also cover approaches to dealing with weapons in Gaza to undercut Netanyahu’s justifications.

He suggested Hamas would press for full implementation of the first phase first, including opening the Rafah crossing from the Palestinian side, increasing aid, maintaining the ceasefire, and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in parallel with any later steps.

On the Egyptian front, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stressed, during a Cairo meeting with Irish Minister for Migration, Trade and Defense Helen McEntee, the importance of announcing a temporary Palestinian technocratic committee to manage daily affairs in Gaza and forming an international stabilization force.