3/09/2025

WEDNESDAY | SEP 3, 2025 9 Over 200,000 Syrian

Italy, Palestine stress political path to peace

refugees return from Lebanon

BEIRUT: More than 200,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their homeland from neighbouring Lebanon this year following the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, said a UN official. The Syrian civil war, which erupted in 2011 with Assad’s brutal repression of anti government protests, displaced half of the population internally or abroad. But the Dec 8 ouster of the former Syrian president sparked hopes of return. Lebanese authorities recently introduced a plan offering US$100 (RM423) in aid and exemptions from fines for refugees leaving the country, provided they pledge not to return as asylum seekers. “Since the beginning of this year, we’re looking at about 200,000 Syrians that have gone back, most of them on their own,” said Kelly Clements, deputy high commissioner at the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). “That number is increasing very quickly.” While many Syrians are heading back to Hama, Homs and Aleppo, most refugees remain in Lebanon where humanitarian needs remain high amid shrinking aid budgets. Clements stressed the UNHCR was not encouraging returns, describing it as “an individual choice for each family to make”. Lebanese authorities estimate that the country hosts about 1.5 million Syrian refugees. The United Nations says it has registered more than 755,000. UNHCR support for returnees includes housing repairs, cash assistance and core relief items. – AFP AIRSTRIKES KILL 13 GAZA CITY: Gaza’s civil defence agency said yesterday that Israeli strikes on an apartment and a residential building killed 13 people overnight. Spokesman Mahmud Bassal said Israeli warplanes hit the top floor of a residential building in southwestern Gaza City, killing 10 people. He said Israeli helicopters also struck an apartment in the west of the city, killing three and wounding several others. Israeli forces have been preparing for an offensive to seize Gaza City, the largest urban centre in the Palestinian territory, intensifying bombardments in the area in recent days and warning of imminent evacuation. The UN estimates that nearly a million people live in Gaza City and its surroundings, where famine has been declared. – AFP AID FLOTILLA DEPARTS MADRID: A flotilla of dozens of boats loaded with aid for Gaza departed Barcelona port on Monday evening after stormy weather forced them to return to port. Some of the boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla Mission blew their horns as they left the port. “Free, free Palestine,” shouted some activists at the port. Activists on the flotilla of several dozen boats aim to break Israel’s naval blockade and deliver food and supplies to the enclave. Israel has argued that the naval blockade is necessary to stop weapons being smuggled to Hamas. It has described other attempts to break it as a propaganda stunt. – Reuters BELGIUM TO RECOGNISE STATE BRUSSELS: Belgium will recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly this month, its foreign minister announced yesterday. “Palestine will be recognised by Belgium at the UN session! And firm sanctions are being imposed against the Israeli government,” Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot wrote on X. In July, French President Emmanuel Macron said France would recognise a Palestinian state at the UN meeting, due to be held from Sept 9 to 23 in New York. More than a dozen other Western countries have since called on others to do the same. Prevot said the decision came “in view of the humanitarian tragedy” unfolding in Gaza, where Israeli offensives have displaced most of the population at least once and the UN has declared a famine. – AFP

ROME: Italy and Palestine have called for fresh efforts to restart a political process towards peace, saying humanitarian aid alone will not end the conflict. Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Palestinian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Varsen Aghabekyan stressed the need for a political process to end the conflict following talks in Rome. The two ministers met at Italy’s Foreign Ministry before visiting Palestinian children at three hospitals in Rome. o Rome ready to host more children, students

the Palestinian Authority’s future role in Gaza. While stressing the urgency of humanitarian relief, Aghabekyan said: “The most important thing is a political process. “Therefore, the political process is crucial, but due to the emergency in Gaza, humanitarian aid is also extremely vital today.” Meanwhile, Tajani said that Italy was ready to host more Palestinian children and students. On reports that Israel could treat those on board the Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of around 20 boats with participants from 44 countries as “terrorists”, Tajani said: “I do not believe they are terrorists. “In my view, they are not terrorists. “We must always tell the truth and use appropriate language.” – Bernama

They later held a joint press conference outside Gemelli Hospital. Aghabekyan praised Italy’s acceptance of patients, delivery of food aid and scholarships for Palestinian students. She said their talks covered the situation in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. “There are clear calls from both sides for this aggression to end, for humanitarian aid to be delivered without obstacles, and for a path towards peace in the near future,” Aghabekyan said. The Palestinian minister noted that the scale of Gaza’s needs could not be met by a single organisation. “This is why even the smallest contribution from every country is very valuable,” she said. Aghabekyan said she had heard reaffirmations of the two-state solution and of

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Displaced children fleeing amid a military operation in Gaza City on Monday. – REUTERSPIC

Israel moves EU approval for diaspora bond DUBLIN: Israel has moved the process of securing EU approval for its diaspora bond prospectus to Luxembourg from Ireland amid increasing opposition in Dublin to its central bank’s role in approving the programme on behalf of the European Union. Irish lawmakers and pro-Palestine Non-EU countries must choose one EU member state to apply to for approval of a prospectus where securities are traded in the EU and Ireland’s central bank had been asked to approve Israel’s diaspora bond programme each year since 2021.

The Irish central bank had consistently said it is legally obliged to approve any prospectus once the relevant conditions are met. In a letter to a lawmaker published by the central bank, Governor Gabriel Makhlouf said the approval for Israel’s programme would be transferred to Luxembourg upon the expiry of the prior year’s prospectus on Monday. The new prospectus published on the website of Israel Bonds, the country’s borrowing vehicle for diaspora bonds, said its programme for the next year had been approved by Luxembourg. Israel’s Finance Ministry said the move was a natural step as the state was already working with Luxembourg in its tradable sovereign debt programme. The move will ensure Israel “maintains continuous access to investors worldwide”, it said in an emailed statement. – Reuters

A joint committee of Irish lawmakers recommended in August that the government seek to amend EU regulations so as to allow each individual European central bank to refuse to act as the competent authority for such bond prospectuses. Protesters have also demonstrated outside the central bank’s offices. Ireland is one of the most pro-Palestinian EU member states. It officially recognised a Palestinian state last year and the government is drafting legislation on restricting trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

campaign groups have called on the central bank to stop facilitating the sale of the bonds over the last year due to Israel’s near two-year military campaign in Gaza that has killed more than 63,000 people, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health officials. Israel’s diaspora bonds are relatively small and sold mainly in Jewish communities around the world to help supplement the state’s bond sales that finance its budget deficit that has risen due to the war. Israel launched a diaspora bond campaign in October 2023 to raise money amid the conflict.