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France Calls on the EU to Pressure Israel to Come to the Table on Palestinian Two-State Solution 

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot speaks during a conference on a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians at UN headquarters on July 28, 2025 in New York City. (AFP)
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot speaks during a conference on a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians at UN headquarters on July 28, 2025 in New York City. (AFP)
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France Calls on the EU to Pressure Israel to Come to the Table on Palestinian Two-State Solution 

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot speaks during a conference on a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians at UN headquarters on July 28, 2025 in New York City. (AFP)
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot speaks during a conference on a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians at UN headquarters on July 28, 2025 in New York City. (AFP)

France on Monday called on the European Union to pressure Israel to agree to a two-state solution with the Palestinians, the latest escalation from the French as they seek an end to the deadly Gaza war days after pledging to recognize Palestine as a state.

Jean-Noel Barrot, the French foreign minister, told reporters at the United Nations that while there is international consensus that the time for a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is now, world powers need to back up their words with actions.

“The European Commission, on behalf of the EU, has to express its expectations and show the means that we can incentivize the Israeli government to hear this appeal,” he said.

Barrot spoke on the first day of a high-level UN meeting on a two-state solution to the decades-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which is being co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France.

The conference, which was postponed from June and downgraded to the ministerial level, is taking place in New York as international condemnation of Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza reaches a fever pitch. Both Israel and its closest ally, the United States, refused to participate in the meeting, which Barrot said is being attended by representatives of 125 countries, including 50 ministers.

The aim of the conference, Barrot said, is “to reverse the trend of what is happening in the region — mainly the erasure of the two-state solution, which has been for a long time the only solution that can bring peace and security in the region.”

He urged the European Commission to call on Israel to lift a financial blockade on 2 billion euros he says the Israeli government owes the Palestinian Authority, stop settlement building in the West Bank, which threatens the territorial integrity of a future Palestinian state, and end the “militarized” food delivery system in Gaza by the Israeli-backed US Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has resulted in hundreds of killings.

Dubravka Šuica, the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, told the meeting the EU is examining new sanctions and said it’s “imperative” that Israel transfer money owed to the Palestinians, and allow the delivery of food and other aid to Gaza.

She said the EU has been a long-term partner promoting reforms of the Palestinian Authority and welcomed the recent announcement of presidential and general elections within a year across the Palestinian territories. “We are keeping the Palestinian Authority from financial collapse,” she said, underscoring that the EU is supporting it with 161.6 billion euros for the next three years.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the two-state solution on both nationalistic and security grounds. The US has echoed that sentiment and on Monday called the conference “unproductive and ill-timed.”

Ahead of the meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would recognize Palestine as a state at the annual gathering of world leaders at the UN General Assembly in September. The bold but mostly symbolic move is aimed at adding diplomatic pressure on Israel.

France is now the biggest Western power and the only member of the Group of Seven major industrialized nations to recognize the state of Palestine, and the move could pave the way for other countries to do the same. More than 140 countries recognize a Palestinian state, including more than a dozen in Europe.

At the conference opening, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa called for all countries that have not yet recognized Palestine as a state to do so “without delay.”

“The path to peace begins by recognizing the state of Palestine and preserving it from destruction,” he said.

With global anger rising over desperately hungry people in Gaza starting to die from starvation, US President Donald Trump on Monday called for increasing aid to Palestinians, a rare glimpse of daylight between him and Netanyahu, who has said there is no starvation.

Both Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Barrot said Monday that the US is an essential actor in the region and that it was the American president in January who secured the only ceasefire in the 21-month war.

“I am firmly in the belief that Trump’s engagement can be a catalyst for an end to the immediate crisis in Gaza and potentially a resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the long term,” Prince Faisal said.

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Arab World

Lebanese Army Support Hinges on Disarmament Plan North of Litani

Two Lebanese army soldiers at a military border post with Israel in the village of Alma El Chaab in southern Lebanon (Archive - AP)
Two Lebanese army soldiers at a military border post with Israel in the village of Alma El Chaab in southern Lebanon (Archive - AP)
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Lebanese Army Support Hinges on Disarmament Plan North of Litani

Two Lebanese army soldiers at a military border post with Israel in the village of Alma El Chaab in southern Lebanon (Archive - AP)
Two Lebanese army soldiers at a military border post with Israel in the village of Alma El Chaab in southern Lebanon (Archive - AP)

The Qatari capital is set to host a preparatory meeting on Sunday ahead of an international conference in Paris aimed at supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Internal Security Forces.

The Doha meeting will bring together the five sponsoring countries - France, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt - along with other states and international and regional organizations.

Its purpose is to understand LAF’s needs, while developing financial and military support mechanisms to ensure the success of the main conference, scheduled for March 5 in Paris. French officials expect around 50 countries and 10 organizations to take part.

Given the central role of the LAF, its responsibilities and its contribution to upholding Lebanese sovereignty, both the Doha meeting and the Paris conference are expected to provide it with substantial political backing.

According to French sources, the one-day conference will be co-hoted by French President Emmanuel Macron and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

Expectations from the Doha Meeting

Paris is playing a key role in organizing both meetings. Preparations were among the main issues discussed during the two-day visit to Beirut last weekend of French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.

His visit coincided with the Lebanese army leadership’s preparations for the second phase of an operation to disarm Hezbollah. This phase covers the area stretching from the Litani River to the Awali River, north of the southern port city of Sidon.

Paris identifies two main challenges. The first is the need to continue the disarmament process launched by the army in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701. The second is enabling conference participants to accurately assess the army’s needs, allowing international partners to coordinate their support through a dedicated mechanism.

France has deliberately avoided setting a specific figure for the assistance expected to be announced at the conference, stressing that support will be multi-dimensional and not limited to financial aid.

It will also include military capabilities, logistical support and training. Paris estimates the LAF’s annual needs at more than $1 billion, but notes that these cannot be met through foreign assistance alone and that part must be covered by the Lebanese state budget.

Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal reported receiving assurances during talks in Washington that the United States remains committed to supporting the LAF.

Paris and the other four sponsors are counting on the Doha meeting to allow the army command to present a detailed assessment of its needs.

Borders, Syria and the Economy

Paris has also expressed satisfaction with the results of Barrot’s talks in Beirut regarding Lebanon’s relations with its neighbors, particularly Syria. French officials believe that an agreement to transfer Syrian prisoners held in Lebanon back to Syria could have a positive impact on the demarcation of the land border between the two countries.

France has offered its assistance, saying it holds mandate-era maps.

The prisoner transfer deal could also impact the return of Syrian refugees, an issue of strategic importance for Lebanon.

At the same time, Paris is fully aware of the challenges Lebanon faces with Israel, whether due to near-daily military operations or Israel’s refusal to withdraw from five positions it occupies inside Lebanese territory.

France nevertheless welcomes the indirect talks held within the framework of the ceasefire mechanism committee and supports maintaining it, even though its impact on the ground has so far been limited.

Barrot's talks also focused on financial and economic issues, notably the so-called financial gap law approved by the cabinet and sent to parliament for discussion.

France has called for its approval before the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, arguing that such a step would send a positive signal about the seriousness of Lebanese authorities in addressing the country’s economic crisis.

Paris believes parliamentary approval would have a direct impact on prospects for a conference to support the Lebanese economy, which France has reaffirmed its readiness to host.

Arab World

Grundberg Warns Against Reversal of Gains in Yemen, Broader Conflict 

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg addresses the Security Council. (Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen/ Abdel Rahman Alzorgan)
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg addresses the Security Council. (Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen/ Abdel Rahman Alzorgan)
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Grundberg Warns Against Reversal of Gains in Yemen, Broader Conflict 

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg addresses the Security Council. (Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen/ Abdel Rahman Alzorgan)
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg addresses the Security Council. (Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen/ Abdel Rahman Alzorgan)

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg noted on Thursday a relative improvement in conditions in areas held by the legitimate government, warning, however, that “without a wider negotiated political settlement to the conflict, gains will continue to remain vulnerable to reversal.”

In a briefing before the UN Security Council, he said 73 UN colleagues are being held in Houthi jails. “Many have been held incommunicado, with serious concerns about their conditions and wellbeing,” he added.

He called on the Houthis “to unconditionally and immediately release detained staff and rescind all court referrals,” urging regional and international actors to use their influence to push for the same outcomes.

Elsewhere, he said that “there are early positive signs in government areas, including improvements in the provision of electricity and payment of public sector salaries. However, continued tensions, recent security incidents and demonstrations, where in some cases violence and loss of life have been reported, underscore the fragility of the situation.”

“Improvements in service delivery can be reversed if security deteriorates, if economic reforms stall, or if institutions are pulled in competing directions,” he warned.

“The new cabinet under Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani’s leadership can protect recent gains by anchoring them in strengthened institutions and economic reforms. That will require an enabling environment that shields the cabinet and the Central Bank from politicization and rebuilds confidence,” continued Grundberg.

Political process

He revealed that in recent weeks, he has been engaging with the Yemeni parties, regional actors and members of the international community to explore pathways to restart an inclusive political process. His office has also been consulting with diverse Yemenis on this question, including with governors to gain more nuanced insights into local concerns and how to address them at the national level.

Grunberg said: “Across these discussions, three reflections on the way forward are clear: First, we must be honest about what more than a decade of war has done to Yemen. The conflict has become more complex. Lines of contestation have multiplied and local dynamics have grown alongside national ones.”

“While regional tensions have increasingly fueled the conflict and been fueled by it, our common objective has remained steady and firm: Yemen needs an inclusive political process under UN auspices to reach a negotiated political settlement that can sustainably end the conflict,” he urged.

“But getting there requires that the parties adopt a forward-looking approach. We need to build on what still works, revise what are outdated assumptions, and be pragmatic in designing a political process for today’s reality.”

“Second, Yemen’s conflict is a set of interlocking files. Treating political, economic and security issues in isolation can only produce partial results that will not hold,” said the envoy. “Restarting a political process will therefore require that the parties engage across these tracks in tandem, without making engagement in one track contingent on progress in another.”

“And third, a credible process must deliver for Yemenis on two time horizons. It should enable near-term agreements that reduce suffering and demonstrate progress, including economic de-escalation measures. At the same time, it must create space for Yemenis to negotiate the longer-term issues essential to ending the conflict, including the future shape of the state, security arrangements and principles of governance,” Grundberg added.

On the issue of detainees, the envoy said the file “is a clear example of what can be achieved when the parties choose to engage in dialogue.”

“Right now, the parties are in Amman, negotiating face-to-face under UN auspices, to work through the complex task of finalizing names of detainees so a release operation can materialize, building on the agreed outcome of their meeting in Muscat in December,” he told the council.

He encouraged the parties to sustain this engagement, finalize the remaining elements “without delay, and move swiftly to implementation”. He thanked Jordan for hosting these negotiations, and the International Committee of the Red Cross for its “indispensable” role.

Broader conflict

Grundberg also noted regional tension and hoped for de-escalation.

“Whatever the regional trajectory, Yemen must not be pulled back into broader confrontation. The question of peace and war is, fundamentally, a national one. It cannot be outsourced, nor can it be appropriated by a single actor,” he said.

“No single Yemeni actor has the right to unilaterally drag the country into a regional conflict. The responsibility borne by all Yemeni actors and decision makers is first and foremost to the Yemeni people – to their security, to their livelihoods and to their future,” he added.

“Upholding Yemen’s national interest and the aspirations of all its people must remain the guiding principles at all times including in moments of heightened tension. Restraint, in this context, is an obligation,” he urged.

Arab World

ISIS Suspects Transferred from Syria to Iraq are Interrogated in a Baghdad Prison

Iraqi security forces lead suspected ISIS militants for questioning, after they were transferred from Syria to Iraq, at Al-Karkh Central Prison in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
Iraqi security forces lead suspected ISIS militants for questioning, after they were transferred from Syria to Iraq, at Al-Karkh Central Prison in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
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ISIS Suspects Transferred from Syria to Iraq are Interrogated in a Baghdad Prison

Iraqi security forces lead suspected ISIS militants for questioning, after they were transferred from Syria to Iraq, at Al-Karkh Central Prison in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
Iraqi security forces lead suspected ISIS militants for questioning, after they were transferred from Syria to Iraq, at Al-Karkh Central Prison in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

Inside a heavily guarded detention facility in Baghdad, men from scores of different countries and nationalities were brought one after another into interrogation rooms and questioned by Iraqi officers.

The prisoners are suspected members of the militant ISIS goup recently transferred from Syria to Iraq at the request of Baghdad — a move welcomed by the US-led coalition that had for years fought against ISIS.

Over a period of several weeks, the US military escorted more than 5,000 ISIS detainees from 60 different nationalities from prisons in northeastern Syria run by the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, to Baghdad.

The transfers have helped calm fears that the fighting in Syria would allow the ISIS prisoners to flee from detention camps there and join militant sleeper cells that even to this day are able to stage attacks in both Iraq and Syria.

On Thursday, The Associated Press was given rare access to the sprawling detention facility in western Baghdad — now known as Al-Karkh Central Prison but more widely known as Camp Cooper after the 2003 US-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein — where the men are being interrogated.

Laying the groundwork for trials Iraq is looking to put on trial some of the thousands of the ISIS detainees who were held for years in Syria without charges or access to the judicial system.

Iraqi Judge Ali Hussein Jafat, who is heading the committee interrogating ISIS detainees brought from Syria, says it's not easy because of the sheer numbers of prisoners involved.

It's "complicated and not easy at all,” he said, adding that the detainees are from 14 Arab and 46 other countries.

Many of the detainees have respiratory diseases, so a medical center was set up to treat them, he said.

To make room for the newcomers from Syria, thousands of prisoners long held at Al-Karkh were transferred to other prisons in Iraq.

The interrogations are usually a staggered affair — the men were brought in batches, handcuffed, in yellow or brown uniforms and wearing medical face masks and taken into a long corridor with rooms on both side.

One by one they are then taken into interrogation rooms, where they sit on a chair as an officer takes down their information. From behind a small window, the AP could observe the questioning but not discern the questions or the detainees' answers. It wasn't clear if the prisoners were under duress.

Some of the prisoners are taken to the medical center for a checkup.

How the transfer came about

The forces of Syria's new government that in December 2024 ousted strongman Bashar Assad launched an offensive in January, capturing wide swaths of territory from the Kurdish-led SDF.

A ceasefire was later reached, ending the fight and the SDF withdrew as part of the agreement.

At the time, the United States announced that many of the nearly 9,000 detainees held in more than a dozen Syrian detention centers will be transferred to Iraq.

So far, 5,383 ISIS suspects have been brought to Iraq. The last batch is expected to arrive on Sunday, Jafat said.

A dark past

When ISIS declared a caliphate — a self-proclaimed territory under a traditional form of their extremist rule — in large parts of Syria and Iraq that the militant group seized in 2014, it attracted extremists from around the world.

From the caliphate, the extremists plotted attacks around the world that left hundreds dead from Europe to Arab countries and Asia.

The group also carried out brutalities in Syria and Iraq, including the enslavement of thousands of Yazidi women and girls who were taken when the militants overran northern Iraq. Strict rules were implemented, with ISIS beheading its opponents, thieves having their hands amputated while women accused of adultery were stoned to death.

Over the years, an international campaign by a US-led coalition defeated ISIS in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019.

“Some of them are extremely dangerous,” Jafat said about the detainees.

He added that he has so far seen detainees from Australia, Canada, Türkiye, Germany, Britain and the former Soviet Union.

Many of the countries don't want the militants who are their nationals back and Jafat said it is too early to say whether the detainees could be extradited or repatriated to their countries of origin.

Those who committed crimes in Iraq will stand trials in Iraq and the proceedings will be open to the public, he added.