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Mladenov Shuttle Talks between Israel and Ramallah Hasten Gaza Administration Committee

A general view shows the destruction in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza (AFP)
A general view shows the destruction in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza (AFP)
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Mladenov Shuttle Talks between Israel and Ramallah Hasten Gaza Administration Committee

A general view shows the destruction in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza (AFP)
A general view shows the destruction in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza (AFP)

Nickolay Mladenov, the man chosen to serve as the director-general for US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace in Gaza, discussed arrangements for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement with Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh.

The meeting, which took place a day after Mladenov met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was viewed by experts speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat as increasing the chances of launching the second phase and announcing the formation of a body to administer Gaza.

Netanyahu had announced the selection of Bulgarian diplomat Mladenov, the former United Nations Middle East envoy from early 2015 until the end of 2020, to serve as director general of the Board of Peace, chaired by US President Donald Trump and tasked with overseeing the peace process in Gaza.

Al-Sheikh received Mladenov and his accompanying delegation on Friday at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, in the presence of Maj. Gen. Majed Faraj, head of the General Intelligence Service, according to the Palestinian News Agency, which did not describe Mladenov by his new American-appointed title.

The meeting discussed “the role of the Palestinian administrative committee and Palestinian police and security forces in assuming their duties and linking them to the Palestinian Authority, the holder of sovereignty and legitimacy, as well as ways to implement the second phase of President Trump’s plan as the announcement of the Board of Peace approaches.”

Al-Sheikh stressed the need to begin implementing the second phase, underlining the importance of a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip as part of that phase, which includes ending Hamas rule, handing over its weapons, and moving toward reconstruction under President Trump’s plan.

He also stressed that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the State of Palestine, highlighting the importance of political, administrative, and legal linkage between Palestinian institutions in Gaza and the Palestinian National Authority in the West Bank, and respect for the principle of one authority, one law, and one legitimate weapon.

Al-Sheikh said that while a transitional plan is being implemented in Gaza, there must be an urgent plan to halt all unilateral actions that violate international law, foremost among them settlement expansion, settler violence, and the release of withheld Palestinian funds.

On Thursday evening, the Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement that Netanyahu insisted on the need to disarm Hamas and demilitarize Gaza, describing both as conditions under the Trump administration’s 20-point ceasefire plan.

Tarek Fahmy, a professor of political science specializing in Palestinian and Israeli affairs, said Mladenov is a professional diplomat with a good reputation and will be the board’s appointed director, despite being ranked second after former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who did not enjoy widespread Arab acceptance.

Fahmy said Mladenov is “preparing the ground and accelerating steps toward announcing a technocratic committee under Palestinian leadership.”

Palestinian political analyst Abdul Mahdi Moutawe said Mladenov is not new to Gaza, noting his previous role at the UN in the Middle East.

He said Mladenov met Netanyahu and al-Sheikh to gauge positions and narrow differences in order to reach understandings leading to partial Palestinian administration of Gaza, which would expand as progress is made in the second phase, and depending on the ability to resolve obstacles, particularly those related to disarming Hamas and the enclave.

Under Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza, the territory would be governed by a temporary Palestinian transitional committee composed of nonpartisan technocrats, under the supervision and oversight of the Board of Peace.

The US website Axios cited American officials and informed sources as saying Trump is expected to announce the Board of Peace this week as part of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on Oct. 10.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, in a phone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday evening, stressed the importance of an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the announcement of a temporary Palestinian technocratic committee to administer the enclave, and the formation of an international stabilization force.

Fahmy expects the Board of Peace to be announced in the coming days, alongside pressure to announce the committee and avoid objections to proposed names, in order to begin implementing the second phase in earnest and away from any Israeli maneuvering or obstruction.

Moutawe believes the board and the administrative committee will be announced this week, allowing them to move forward with the second phase and begin its actual implementation.

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Arab World

Syria Court Charges Former Security Official with Acts Amounting to ‘War Crimes’

Former head of political security in south Syria's Daraa province, Atef Najib attends the first trial session at the Palace of Justice, in Damascus last month. (AFP)
Former head of political security in south Syria's Daraa province, Atef Najib attends the first trial session at the Palace of Justice, in Damascus last month. (AFP)
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Syria Court Charges Former Security Official with Acts Amounting to ‘War Crimes’

Former head of political security in south Syria's Daraa province, Atef Najib attends the first trial session at the Palace of Justice, in Damascus last month. (AFP)
Former head of political security in south Syria's Daraa province, Atef Najib attends the first trial session at the Palace of Justice, in Damascus last month. (AFP)

Syria's judiciary brought charges on Sunday against former security official Atef Najib for acts "amounting to war crimes" in 2011 against peaceful protesters in Daraa province, the cradle of the country's uprising.

Najib was the former head of political security in the south Syrian province and is accused of orchestrating a crackdown there. Washington sanctioned him for human rights abuses in April 2011, one month after the uprising erupted.

He appeared in a Damascus criminal court again on Sunday after the opening session last month in the trials of former senior figures, most prominently longtime president Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher al-Assad, who are both being tried in absentia.

Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan read out the charges at Sunday's session, part of which was broadcast on state television, as Najib stood in the docks.

"The accusations against you relate to events in Daraa province in early 2011, when the peaceful (protest) movement was met with an excessive use of force," Aryan said.

"As head of the political security branch then, you held direct and joint leadership responsibility for systematic acts that targeted civilians including killing, torture and arbitrary detention," he added.

He said abuses attributed to Najib, some of them deadly, include the arrest and torture of children due to "political writings on walls", involvement in "suppressing protests with excessive force" and "opening direct fire" on a peaceful sit-in at Daraa's Al-Omari mosque.

They also include "torture leading to death" in his branch's detention centers.

"You were the ultimate authority in Daraa province and hold direct responsibility for issuing orders to kill, arrest and torture... and for participating with political, security and military leaders in an organized hierarchical structure in committing these grave violations," the judge said.

The actions attributed to Najib and others not present "amount to war crimes... and crimes against humanity", he added.

The court heard statements from Najib and witnesses, state media said, after the judge halted media coverage.

Syria's more than 13-year civil war killed more than half a million people and displaced millions of others. Tens of thousands of people disappeared, some into the country's brutal prison system.

The uprising began in Daraa on March 15, 2011, after 15 students were arrested for allegedly writing anti-government slogans on the city's walls.

Residents said the children were tortured, leading to a protest to demand their release that ended in bloodshed.

Security personnel suppressed peaceful demonstrations with force and fired live ammunition to disperse sit-ins at several locations.

Najib was dismissed after the crackdown, as the protests spread to other provinces.

He was among the first Assad-era officials arrested by the new authorities after the December 2024 ousting of the longtime ruler.

Arab World

Lebanese Army Arrests Iraqi Man for Impersonating a Security Official

A picture taken from the seaside promenade of the northern Lebanese coastal town of Dbayeh shows the skyline of the Lebanese capital Beirut on March 17, 2020. (AFP)
A picture taken from the seaside promenade of the northern Lebanese coastal town of Dbayeh shows the skyline of the Lebanese capital Beirut on March 17, 2020. (AFP)
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Lebanese Army Arrests Iraqi Man for Impersonating a Security Official

A picture taken from the seaside promenade of the northern Lebanese coastal town of Dbayeh shows the skyline of the Lebanese capital Beirut on March 17, 2020. (AFP)
A picture taken from the seaside promenade of the northern Lebanese coastal town of Dbayeh shows the skyline of the Lebanese capital Beirut on March 17, 2020. (AFP)

The Lebanese army said on Sunday that it had arrested an Iraqi national for impersonating an Iraqi security official in Lebanon, the second alleged high-level imposter caught in recent months.

A military source told AFP that the man had managed to network with Lebanese security and intelligence officials, telling them he worked at Iraq's Beirut embassy.

The scandals have highlighted the fragility of Lebanon's institutions, which are built on a sect-based power-sharing system in a country rife with foreign interference, and where personal connections often play a key role in gaining influence, money and privilege.

An army statement said the Iraqi man was arrested "for impersonating an Iraqi security official on Lebanese territory, as a result of a surveillance and security follow-up operation".

Preliminary investigations indicate that the man was using "forged documents", the statement said, adding that the military uniform he had been using was seized.

The military source told AFP on condition of anonymity that the man "is married to a Lebanese woman and managed to get close to an intelligence official in Beirut, presenting himself as an Iraqi officer in the counter-terrorism branch, and a security attaché at the Iraqi embassy".

The Lebanese intelligence official allegedly helped the man "make contact with security and military officials and meet them", the source said.

The suspect actually works at a popular cafe on the airport road in Beirut's southern suburbs, the source added, after he started out there doing valet parking.

It is the second recent high-level impersonation case to rock Lebanon.

For months, authorities have been investigating an imposter who posed as a prince, extorting several politicians with the help of a religious figure.

The military source said that in the latest case, preliminary investigations into the man and those who met him have not yet uncovered a motive, adding that during the meetings "he promised to provide financial assistance from Iraq".

The case's seriousness owes to the man's ability to "convince intelligence officers of his fake identity", the source added.

Arab World

Sisi, Macron Hold Strategic Talks amid Escalating Regional Crises

Sisi welcomed Macron and the two discussed regional developments. (Egyptian Presidency)
Sisi welcomed Macron and the two discussed regional developments. (Egyptian Presidency)
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Sisi, Macron Hold Strategic Talks amid Escalating Regional Crises

Sisi welcomed Macron and the two discussed regional developments. (Egyptian Presidency)
Sisi welcomed Macron and the two discussed regional developments. (Egyptian Presidency)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and French President Emmanuel Macron held wide-range talks in Alexandria on Saturday focused on bilateral ties and mounting regional crises, as the two leaders inaugurated the new headquarters of Senghor University.

Macron arrived in the Mediterranean city after landing at Borg El Arab airport to open the campus of the francophone institution, which specializes in African development and leadership training.

The Egyptian presidency said the discussions covered strategic relations between Cairo and Paris as well as regional developments, describing Macron’s visit as a reflection of the “distinguished friendship” between the two countries.

Sisi praised what he called significant progress in bilateral ties, particularly after relations were elevated to a strategic partnership during Macron’s visit to Egypt in April 2025.

According to presidential spokesman Mohamed al-Shennawy, Sisi stressed the need to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, education, industry and transport in ways that serve the interests of both peoples and deepen ties between Egypt and the European Union.

The talks also focused on regional tensions. Sisi reviewed Egyptian efforts aimed at containing current crises and warned against further escalation and instability, citing their impact on regional and global security as well as supply chains, trade and transport.

He reiterated Egypt’s support for the security and stability of Arab states and rejected any infringement on their sovereignty. Macron, for his part, said he hoped the current regional crisis would be resolved quickly to restore peace and stability to the Middle East.

The leaders also discussed the Palestinian issue, with Sisi outlining Egyptian efforts to preserve the Gaza ceasefire agreement and implement the second phase of the truce. He called for unrestricted humanitarian aid access to the Gaza Strip and for the launch of early recovery and reconstruction efforts.

Sisi also expressed Egypt’s “deep concern” over escalating violations in the occupied West Bank and reiterated support for a Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with international legitimacy and the two-state solution.

The discussions further touched on developments in Lebanon, with both sides emphasizing the importance of preserving peace and stability and enhancing Mediterranean cooperation to promote shared prosperity.

French foreign ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux said Macron’s visit underscored the depth of the strategic partnership between Paris and Cairo and reflected French confidence in Egypt’s regional role.

In remarks to Egypt’s state news agency MENA, he said bilateral relations had gained momentum since the launch of strategic dialogue talks in April 2025, alongside stronger cooperation in priority sectors including the economy, energy and transport, supported by the French Development Agency.

The inauguration ceremony for Senghor University was attended by Burundi Prime Minister Nestor Ntahontuye, Organization internationale de la Francophonie Secretary-General Louise Mushikiwabo, Senegalese Foreign Minister Cheikh Tidiane Niang and African Union Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Mohammed Belhocine.

In his address, Sisi described the opening of the university’s new headquarters as coming at a critical moment marked by growing development challenges and a rising need for effective international partnerships, particularly among Global South countries.

Founded in 1990 on the initiative of the Organization internationale de la Francophonie, Senghor University focuses on African development issues and the training of future leaders across the continent.

Macron described the institution as a center for academic, scientific and cultural cooperation among francophone countries and said the Egypt-France alliance stood for “peace, stability and generosity”.

The French president is due to continue his African tour in Kenya for a France-Africa summit before heading to Ethiopia for talks with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.