Israel-Hezbollah exchanges intensify on Lebanon border

DAVOS: In a virtual address at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, US President Donald Trump highlighted his administration’s pivotal role in brokering the ceasefire in Gaza and securing the release of hostages.

“Before even taking office, my team negotiated a ceasefire agreement in the Middle East, which wouldn’t have happened without us,” Trump said in his first major speech on the world stage since returning to the White House.

“Earlier this week, the hostages began to return to their families. They are returning, and it’s a beautiful sight, and they’ll be coming in more and more.”

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, mediated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt, came into effect on Jan. 19, ending 15-months of fighting which has left more than 47,500 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

The deal was structured in multiple phases, the first involving a six-week ceasefire, during which Hamas agreed to release 33 hostages abducted during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack.

In exchange, Israel committed to releasing 90 Palestinian prisoners to the West Bank and allowing hundreds of aid trucks carrying food and fuel into the Gaza Strip through border crossings in Israel and Egypt.

The negotiation process was marked by significant diplomatic efforts, with both the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration playing instrumental roles.

Brett McGurk, a Middle East negotiator for the Biden administration, collaborated closely with Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East. This bipartisan cooperation was driven by a mutual desire to resolve the conflict prior to the presidential inauguration.

Trump had issued stern warnings, stating that failure to release the hostages, including seven American citizens, before his inauguration would result in severe consequences.

The US president, who began his second term on Monday, also used his WEF speech to welcome Saudi Arabia’s $600 billion investment, and said that he hoped there would be room for it to grow to $1 trillion and lower oil prices.

“I’ll be asking the Crown Prince (Mohammed bin Salman), who’s a fantastic guy, to round it up to around $1 trillion. I think they’ll do that,” Trump said.

He did, however, add: “I’m also going to ask Saudi Arabia and OPEC to bring down the cost of oil.” Four days into his presidency, Trump said he wants to lower global oil prices, interest rates and taxes, and warned they will face tariffs if they make their products abroad.

“I’ll demand that interest rates drop immediately. And likewise, they should be dropping all over the world,” he said.

Some of his harshest criticism was reserved for traditional US allies Canada and the EU who he threatened again with new tariffs, while berating their import policies blaming them for the US’s trade goods deficit with these partners.

“One thing we’re going to be demanding is we’re going to be demanding respect from other nations. Canada. We have a tremendous deficit with Canada. We’re not going to have that anywhere,” he said.

Trump promised to reduce inflation with a mix of tariffs, deregulation and tax cuts along with his crackdown on illegal immigration and commitment to making the US a hub of artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies and fossil fuels.

He also criticized levels of taxation in the EU.

“The US has the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth, and we’re going to use it,” Trump said. “Not only will this reduce the cost of virtually all goods and services, it will make the US a manufacturing superpower.”

Declaring the US had entered the “golden age of America,” Trump highlighted the sweeping reforms of his administration, which he said were correcting the “disasters” left by his predecessor, Joe Biden.

Trump criticized Biden’s economic policies, saying: “His $8 trillion in wasteful deficit spending, energy restrictions, regulations, and hidden taxes resulted in the worst inflation crisis in modern history.”
 

NEW YORK CITY: The secretary-general of the Arab League on Thursday warned that the Arab region is in a critical phase that is underscored by a growing global power rivalry that has complicated the ability of the UN Security Council to effectively address Arab concerns.

Ahmed Aboul Gheit was speaking during a meeting of the council in New York chaired by the Algerian foreign minister, Ahmed Attaf, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the council this month. Algeria convened the meeting to underscore what it described as the urgent need to strengthen the mechanisms for conflict resolution, peace-building and humanitarian assistance in the Arab world.

Several major Arab crises are at the forefront of international diplomacy concerns presently, with particular emphasis on the war between Israel and Hamas, and ongoing instability in Syria, Libya, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen. Some of the crises have been on the Security Council agenda for years.

“Our concerns are one and the same,” said Aboul Gheit as he underscored the importance of building on the historical cooperation between the UN and the Arab League, particularly in light of the “strategic global competition” he said was shaping the current geopolitical landscape.

He expressed concern that these global tensions have had a negative effect on the Security Council’s engagement on Arab issues, most notably the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Aboul Gheit strongly reiterated the League’s position on Palestine, framing the struggle for an independent Palestinian state as not only a regional issue but one that poses a significant threat to international peace and security.

He welcomed recent efforts to establish a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after more than a year of violence, which he called “genocide,” against the Gaza Strip. However, he stressed that a ceasefire agreement is merely a temporary measure, and a permanent resolution can only be achieved through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

“The continued denial of Palestinian rights is a direct threat to the stability of the region and, by extension, the world,” Aboul Gheit told council members as he highlighted the urgent need for the international community to support a two-state solution, in line with several Security Council resolutions.

“We have witnessed during the recent months a war that did not stop at the borders of Gaza or Palestine but has spilled over, and its flames have reached the region,” he said.

He called for a greater role for the Security Council in the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, the founding of which was spearheaded by Saudi Arabia, the EU and Norway last September with the aim of expediting the establishment of a Palestinian state.

In Sudan, meanwhile, the brutal conflict between rival military factions, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, has claimed an estimated 150,000 lives and displaced millions since April 2023.

Aboul Gheit called for a return to peace talks there. He warned that the situation in the country has reached catastrophic levels, and urged the Security Council to take stronger action in support of Sudanese sovereignty and unity.

Turning to Syria, he expressed the Arab League’s support for the aspirations of the Syrian people to rebuild after more than a decade of devastating civil war. Acknowledging the complex political dynamics in the country, he called for a transition led by the Syrian people themselves, free from foreign intervention.

He also reiterated the opposition of the League to the continuing Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights, describing it as “illegal and unjustified.” He warned against “the Israeli expansionist greed” in Syria, and the exploitation of this delicate moment. He emphasized the need to remain committed to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement as the basis of the truce between Syria and Israel.

Aboul Gheit also touched on the situations in Lebanon, Libya and Somalia, each of which he said face distinct challenges and will require coordinated international support to achieve stability and progress.

He congratulated Lebanon on the recent election of President Joseph Aoun and praised the formation of a broad consensus government.

“We look forward to a new beginning in Lebanon, one of stability, reconstruction and revival of the economy,” he said.

Aboul Gheit reiterated the League’s support for a political process in Libya free from foreign interference, and acknowledged the continuing instability in Somalia, where he said the League was working to promote national unity.

A particularly pressing issue for the Arab League is the future of the UN Relief and Works Agency, which provides vital humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees. An Israeli ban on the organization is due to take effect next week.

Aboul Gheit expressed alarm at what he described as Israeli plans to undermine the agency, stressing that its work is crucial for stability in the region.

“The role of UNRWA is irreplaceable,” he said, warning that any attempt to dismantle it would have grave consequences for regional peace.

“UNRWA is not only carrying out a humanitarian role but it is a pillar of stability in the Arab region.

“Eliminating its role is a direct threat to this stability, and we look forward to a decisive role from the Security Council in defending this specialized agency, which is performing an irreplaceable and critical role.”