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Atop one of Egypt’s Sinai mountains, near where the three Abrahamic faiths say God spoke with Moses, another unmistakable sound rings out: the incessant drilling of construction work. In the remote, rugged terrain of southern Sinai, Egypt has undertaken a vast megaproject aimed at drawing mass tourism to the once serene mountain town of Saint Catherine.Heritage experts and locals say the state’s bulldozers have already damaged the nature reserve and UNESCO world heritage site, home to the world’s oldest functioning Christian monastery and Bedouin who fear for their ancestral land.”The Saint Catherine we knew is gone. The next generation will only know these buildings,” said a veteran hiking guide from the Jabaliya tribe, as a five-star hotel loomed overhead and the beeps of a reversing bulldozer drowned out the songbirds.Like others AFP interviewed about the nearly $300-million “Great Transfiguration” or “Revelation of Saint Catherine” project, he requested anonymity for fear of retaliation.”We should call this what it is, which is the disfigurement and destruction” of the site, John Grainger, the former manager of the European Union’s Saint Catherine protectorate project, told AFP.From above, bright lights and concrete overpower the town’s red-brick homes and orchards, in the form of hotels including a sprawling Steigenberger resort, a conference centre and hundreds of housing units.In July, World Heritage Watch urged UNESCO to list the area as a World Heritage site in danger.Last month, UNESCO elected Egypt’s former tourism and antiquities minister Khaled El-Enany as its chief. During his tenure, Egypt launched the Saint Catherine project and demolished swathes of Cairo’s historic City of the Dead cemetery, which is also a UNESCO site as well as an active burial place.- Mutiny at the monastery -Just beyond the site of the new project on biblical Mount Sinai, or Jebel Moussa, two dozen monks in black vestments tend a small cluster of ancient shrines.In May, an Egypt court ruled the Saint Catherine monastery sits on state-owned land and that the Greek Orthodox monks are merely “entitled to use” it, sparking a diplomatic row with Greece and uproar from Orthodox patriarchates. Egypt has defended the ruling, which critics say leaves the monastery dependent on authorities’ goodwill for its survival. In September, Saint Catherine’s archbishop resigned, reportedly after an unprecedented mutiny.Each morning, the monks still open their gates to visitors, mostly sunrise hikers accompanied by local Jabaliya guides.The Jabaliya, whose name derives from the Arabic word for “mountain”, have lived here for 1,500 years, and are said to descend from the Roman soldiers who came to guard the monastery. Each year, they guide hundreds of thousands of worshippers and adventurers, drawn to the sacred sites and the austere but magnificent landscapes. They have for decades called for better services and infrastructure to lift their community out of poverty.Long marginalised, they now fear that rapid development has come at their expense — even disturbing the dead.- ‘No room for us’ -In 2022, bulldozers levelled the town’s centuries-old cemetery, forcing people to exhume hundreds of bodies.”They just came in one day without saying anything and destroyed our cemetery,” said the hiking guide.The gravesite is now a car park.The South Sinai governor’s office did not respond to AFP’s questions about the cemetery and the local impact of the project.Government officials tout its economic benefits and say decisions were taken in consultation with the community, but locals told AFP their concerns had been ignored. “No one knows what will happen tomorrow. Maybe they’ll tell us to get out, that there’s no room for us anymore,” the guide added.Many still hope tourism will bring prosperity, even as they navigate life around bulldozers and struggle to keep up with soaring prices.”Did you hear they tore down half my house?” a 70-year-old casually told a friend. Across the country, many who have had their homes demolished in recent years for tourism or infrastructure projects, including overpasses and real-estate developments in Cairo, say state compensation does not meet their needs.After uproar from conservationists over Saint Catherine, UNESCO requested in 2023 that Egypt “halt the implementation of any further development projects”, conduct an impact evaluation and develop a conservation plan.Construction continued unabated and the government said in January the project was 90 percent complete.Gesturing across the monastery’s grapevines and cypresses towards a nearly finished five-star hotel, a local official laughed. “These hotels are huge, the costs astronomical. Are they even going to be full? That’s the real problem, but we can’t say anything,” he said.

Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held their first direct talks in decades on Wednesday under the auspices of a year-old ceasefire monitoring mechanism, though Lebanon’s premier cautioned the new diplomatic contact did not amount to broader peace discussions.The two sides met at the UN peacekeeping force’s headquarters in Lebanon’s Naqura near the border with Israel, where the guarantors of the November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah regularly convene.Lebanon and Israel have technically been at war since 1948, but Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the new discussions were strictly limited to fully implementing last year’s truce.”We are not yet at peace talks,” Salam told journalists, including AFP, on Wednesday.He said the talks only sought “the cessation of hostilities”, the “release of Lebanese hostages” and “the complete Israeli withdrawal” from Lebanon.Israel has kept up regular air strikes in Lebanon, usually saying it is targeting Hezbollah members and facilities, and it has kept troops in five areas in the south despite the ceasefire’s stipulation that it pull out entirely.Until now, Israel and Lebanon, which have no formal diplomatic relations, had insisted on limiting participation in the ceasefire mechanism to military officers.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the atmosphere at the talks was “positive”, and that there had been agreement “to develop ideas to promote potential economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon”.Israel also made it clear it was “essential” that Lebanese militant group Hezbollah disarm regardless of any progress in economic cooperation, the premier’s office added.The ceasefire mechanism is orchestrated by the United States, and also includes the involvement of France and the UN.- ‘Normalisation will follow peace’ -The US embassy in Beirut said in a statement that Morgan Ortagus, the US special envoy for Lebanon, also attended Wednesday’s meeting. The United States has been piling pressure on Lebanon to rapidly disarm Hezbollah.Washington’s embassy welcomed the inclusion of the civilian representatives — former Lebanese ambassador to the US Simon Karam and Israeli National Security Council official Uri Resnick — in the ceasefire mechanism.”Their inclusion reflects the Mechanism’s commitment to facilitating political and military discussions with the aim of achieving security, stability, and a durable peace for all communities affected by the conflict,” it said.Ortagus was in Jerusalem a day earlier, where she met with Netanyahu and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. The United States has pushed for direct talks between the two neighbours in a bid to stabilise the region and further weaken Iran-backed Hezbollah.Salam on Wednesday said Lebanon was “open to verification by the mechanism” when it came to its army’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah in the country’s south.Lebanon has declared itself ready for negotiations with its southern neighbour.Netanyahu has repeatedly said Lebanon should join the Abraham Accords, under which a handful of Arab and Muslim countries have normalised ties with Israel.But Salam said on Wednesday that “normalisation will follow peace. It cannot precede peace.”- Ramped-up strikes -The new talks came days after the first anniversary of the start of the fragile truce between Israel and Hezbollah.The ceasefire sought to end over a year of hostilities that erupted after the militant group launched attacks in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas in the wake of the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.Israel has repeatedly bombed Lebanon despite the truce, saying it seeks to stop the group from rebuilding its military capabilities.Under a government-approved plan, the Lebanese army is set to dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure south of the Litani river by the end of the year, before tackling the rest of the country.Judging the Lebanese efforts insufficient, Israel has ramped up its strikes in recent weeks.Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported Tuesday that Israel has been preparing for a “significant escalation” with Hezbollah, deemed “inevitable” despite Washington’s efforts.burs-at/raz/smw

The reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, part of US President Donald Trump’s truce plan for the Palestinian territory, has long been on hold despite calls from the UN and aid groups.Here are five things to know about this crucial crossing:- Vital access point -The Rafah crossing into Egypt is a crucial entry point for humanitarian workers and for lorries transporting aid, food and fuel, which is essential for daily life in a territory deprived of electricity.For a long time, the crossing was also the main exit point for Palestinians from Gaza who were authorised to leave the narrow strip of land, under Israeli blockade since 2007.From 2005 to 2007, it was the first Palestinian border terminal controlled by the Palestinian Authority, and later became a symbol of Hamas control over the Gaza Strip after the militant group seized power. – Under Israeli control – On May 7, 2024, the Israeli army took control of the Palestinian side, claiming that the crossing was being “used for terrorist purposes”, amid suspicions of arms trafficking. Many access points have since been mostly closed, including those used by the United Nations.Rafah briefly reopened during a short ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that took effect on January 19, initially allowing the passage of people authorised to leave Gaza, and later access for trucks.- Reopening soon? -After the new ceasefire spearheaded by Trump took effect on October 10, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar mentioned plans for a reopening, but the Israeli prime minister’s office ultimately announced that the crossing would remain closed “until further notice”.Israel said on Wednesday it would open the Rafah crossing from Gaza to Egypt to allow residents to exit the Palestinian territory “in the coming days,” but Egypt denied such a deal.Israel’s COGAT, which oversees civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, said that the crossing would operate under the supervision of the EU’s Border Assistance Mission, “similar to the mechanism that operated in January 2025”.Trump’s plan, which underpins the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, stipulates that the territory would once again become accessible to international humanitarian aid and that the Rafah crossing would open. But since the ceasefire took effect, Israeli authorities have stalled on the matter, citing Hamas’s failure to return the bodies of all hostages and the need for coordination with Egypt. – Kerem Shalom – International aid generally arrives in Egypt via the ports of Port Said or El-Arish, the city closest to the Gaza Strip. According to drivers’ accounts, once through the Rafah checkpoint, the trucks are directed to the Israeli crossing of Kerem Shalom, a few kilometres away.There, the drivers disembark their vehicles for inspection.After strict checks, the goods authorised for entry are unloaded and then reloaded onto other vehicles authorised to enter Gaza.- Other crossings – The agreement brokered by Trump provides for the entry of 600 trucks per day. For now, Israel is allowing the delivery of humanitarian aid in smaller quantities, three quarters of it through Kerem Shalom, and the rest through the Kissufim crossing, according to the UN. The Erez, or Beit Hanoun, crossing between Gaza and southern Israel was destroyed by Hamas gunmen during their attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.Briefly reopened in early 2025, it is currently closed, with no reopening date set. Other access points have operated in the past, but Israeli authorities have not communicated on whether they will reopen.

Israel announced Wednesday it had received hostage remains found in Gaza from the Red Cross, which were being transported to the morgue for identification.It comes as the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains fragile, with both sides accusing each other of violating the terms.Under the first phase of the deal — which came into effect in October — Palestinian militants were due to return all 48 hostages they held captive, 20 of whom were still alive.All but the bodies of two hostages — Israeli Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak — have since been handed over, but Israel has accused Hamas of dragging their feet on returning remains.”Israel has received, via the Red Cross, the coffin of a deceased hostage, which was delivered to (army) and Shin Bet (internal security service) forces in the Gaza Strip,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.”The coffin of the deceased hostage… crossed the border into the State of Israel a short while ago and is on its way to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine, where identification procedures will be carried out,” the Israeli army said in a statement.The military did not specify whether what was discovered were the remains of one of the last two Gaza hostages but the premier’s office said authorities were in “continuous contact” with their families.Israeli police in a brief statement said they were “currently escorting, with reverence, the coffin of the fallen hostage to the National Centre of Forensic Medicine”.A Hamas official told AFP before the Israeli statement that a team from the two groups’ armed wings had “found remains that are possibly those of an Israeli hostage” under the rubble in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza.AFP footage from northern Gaza showed masked militants from the two groups standing on the back of a truck with a stretcher covered with a white body bag.Diggers were busy working to remove vast piles of rubble.- ‘No link’ in past remains -On Wednesday morning, Netanyahu’s office said forensic tests showed remains retrieved from Gaza the day before were “not linked” to the last two dead hostages held in the Palestinian territory.Israeli police said on Tuesday they had received the presumed remains of one of the remaining hostages and escorted what they called “the coffin of the fallen hostage” to the forensic centre.Hamas has blamed difficulties in finding the remains beneath the sea of rubble created by the two-year war with Israel.The Gaza Strip remains in a deep humanitarian crisis despite the ceasefire which came into effect on October 10.Under the first phase of the deal brokered by Trump, Palestinian militants have handed over the last 20 living hostages, and so far, the remains of 26 out of 28 deceased ones.In exchange, Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in its custody and returned the bodies of hundreds of dead Palestinians.Militants took 251 people hostage during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the devastating war and resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people.Israel’s retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed at least 70,117 people, according to figures from the territory’s health ministry that the UN considers reliable.The ministry says since the ceasefire came into effect, 360 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire. Israel’s military has reported three soldiers killed during the same period.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s request for a pardon in three ongoing corruption cases is widely seen as his latest bid to ensure his political survival, as the canny premier stares down the prospect of close elections in 2026.The first sitting Israeli prime minister to stand trial, Netanyahu has been dogged by the allegations for years, and has had to appear in front of a judge weekly for hearings.He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and denounced the cases as a politically motivated plot against him.He submitted his request on Sunday to President Isaac Herzog, who will now decide whether to take the rare move of pardoning Netanyahu before any conviction.”The pardon request that Netanyahu’s lawyers submitted is not a legal move. It is purely a political move,” prominent columnist Nahum Barnea wrote in the Yediot Aharonot daily.The request starts a negotiation led by Herzog that could see the trials end through a plea bargain agreement, a pardon or a combination of the two, the columnist said.”If Herzog grants him a deluxe pardon he will be freed from his trial… he will ride that wave all the way to victory in the elections,” he wrote Monday.”If the negotiations end in failure,” he added, “Netanyahu will ride the wave of victimhood all the way to victory in the elections.”- ‘Political tool’ -Netanyahu, 76, is Israel’s longest-serving premier, having spent more than 18 years in the post across three spells since 1996.The next election must be held no later than November 2026, but could be even earlier if Netanyahu chooses, or if his hand is forced by the loss of his very fragile majority.The premier has already made it clear he intends to run again, though he is facing a tricky race.Polls have shown that if an election were held today, Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party would win, putting him in prime position to form the next government.But according to a Kan poll conducted the day of his pardon request, the prime minister’s parliamentary bloc would win just 52 seats, compared to 58 for the opposition — not counting Arab parties, which are unlikely to join a coalition with either side.Meanwhile, Netanyahu faces a wall of anger in Israel.Nearly two-thirds of Israelis want him to acknowledge his responsibility for the security failures that led to Palestinian militant group Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.Opinions are mixed on the prospect of offering him clemency, with between 40 and 48 percent of Israelis opposing it, and 35 to 38 percent in favour, according to two surveys published after the request.For Netanyahu, it is all about securing the next term, said legal expert Dorit Koskas, who said the premier was using the pardon as a “political tool”.He wants to “erase the consequences of his failings so he can continue his political career instead of finally being held accountable”, she told AFP.Political journalist Ari Shavit speculated in Yediot Aharonot that Netanyahu would propose a deal: “a pardon in exchange for a complete halt to the judicial reform” that deeply divided the country in 2023.Netanyahu’s government proposed far-reaching judicial reforms that critics said sought to weaken the courts, prompting massive protests that were only curtailed after the onset of the Gaza war.- Trump backing -But Netanyahu has one significant and powerful supporter: US President Donald Trump, who wrote to Herzog last month seeking a pardon for the prime minister.Netanyahu said in a letter sent alongside the pardon request that an end to his trials would heal the divisions in Israel.Although the Israeli opposition rejects a pardon without Netanyahu’s withdrawal from political life, Herzog said Monday he would focus only on Israel’s “best interests” when he weighs the request.According to political analyst Myriam Shermer, a pardon for Netanyahu would only reduce divisions if it allowed “a broad centrist coalition to emerge… after years of political deadlock”.Israel’s system of proportional representation has often led to coalitions made up of very different parties which frequently results in unstable governments.To achieve a broad centrist coalition, Shermer said the opposition must end its stigmatisation of Netanyahu, and the prime minister must agree to govern with parties other than his current far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies.She added Netanyahu would also have to establish a “real commission that will examine the security and political failings” that led to the October 7 attack, which the premier opposes despite wide support across Israel for such a move.Shermer said Netanyahu should “have no problem putting aside” the judicial reform in exchange for a final term, which the premier hopes will be “crowned with diplomatic successes”, including his dream of normalisation with Saudi Arabia.

Iran said Wednesday it would now send representatives to the World Cup finals draw in Washington in a complete reversal of an earlier decision to boycott the event over visa issues.”Amir Ghalenoei, head coach of Iran’s national team, will participate in the World Cup draw ceremony as the technical representative of the national football team with one or two other people,” the Iranian Football Federation spokesperson told state television.On Friday, the federation’s spokesperson said that they had informed FIFA about the Iranian delegation not participating in the ceremony as the United States refused to grant visa to several members of the delegation.Iranian sports website Varzesh 3 earlier reported that one of those who didn’t receive the visa was Mehdi Taj, the president of the federation. “We have told the head of FIFA mister (Gianni) Infantino, that it is purely a political position and that FIFA must tell them (the US) to desist from this behaviour,” Taj said then.According to Varzesh 3, four members of the delegation including Ghalenoei had been granted visas for the draw on December 5.Iran qualified for the sport’s quadrennial showpiece in March, securing a fourth successive appearance at World Cup finals and a seventh in all.They have yet to progress to the knockout stages but there was unconfined joy when, at the 1998 finals in France, Iran beat the USA 2-1 in their group match.The USA avenged that by edging Iran 1-0 in the 2022 edition in Qatar.The United States — which is co-hosting the World Cup with Canada and Mexico — and Iran have been at loggerheads for over four decades.They had, though, been holding high-level nuclear talks that had begun in April, during which the two sides were at odds over Iran’s right to enrich uranium — which Tehran defends as “inalienable”.However, the negotiations ended when in mid-June, Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran, triggering a 12-day war that Washington briefly joined with strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities.