International News
Israel PM Offers ‘Phased’ Withdrawal If Lebanon Disarms Hezbollah
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said Israel was ready to back Lebanon’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah and offered “a phased” pullout of its troops if Beirut followed through with plans to seize the group’s weapons.
Following the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah last year, the Lebanese army has been deploying in the country’s south and dismantling the militant group’s infrastructure there.
Lebanon has been grappling with the thorny issue of disarming Hezbollah, with the cabinet this month tasking the army with developing a plan to do so by the end of the year.
Despite the November ceasefire that ended the war, Israel has continued to strike Lebanon, saying it will do so until Hezbollah is disarmed.
Israeli forces also continue to occupy five areas of the south that they deem strategic.
“Israel stands ready to support Lebanon in its efforts to disarm Hezbollah and to work together towards a more secure and stable future for both nations,” said Netanyahu, according to a statement released by his office.
Israel also acknowledged “the significant step taken by the Lebanese government”, according to the statement.
If the Lebanese government follows through with the plan, Netanyahu said Israel was prepared to “engage in reciprocal measures, including a phased reduction of IDF (military) presence in coordination with the US-led security mechanism”.
‘First step’
Later on Monday the Israeli military said in a statement it had “eliminated” a Hezbollah member in southern Lebanon and would “continue to operate to remove threats posed to the citizens of Israel”.
Hezbollah, the only faction that kept its weapons after Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war, emerged badly weakened from last year’s war with Israel.
Earlier this month, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem promised to push back against the Lebanese government’s plans to disarm his group.
Last week, US envoy Tom Barrack called on Israel to honour commitments under a ceasefire that ended its war with Hezbollah.
“There’s always a step-by-step approach but I think the Lebanese government has done their part. They’ve taken the first step. Now what we need is Israel to comply,” Barrack said during meetings with Lebanese officials in Beirut.
Israeli media over the weekend reported that Barrack had visited Israel.
Lebanon’s official National News Agency on Monday reported US deputy envoy Morgan Ortagus had arrived in Beirut ahead of planned meetings with officials.
The Israeli statement came with the United Nations Security Council set to vote later on Monday on the future of the peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon that has faced US and Israeli opposition.
The council will vote on a French-drafted compromise that would keep the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), first deployed in 1978 to separate Israel and Lebanon, in place for one more year while it prepares to withdraw.
The resolution would extend the force’s mandate until August 31, 2026.
AFP
German authorities deported at least 137 Nigerian citizens across five chartered flights between February and June 2026, according to migration monitoring reports.
Data from the DERS Team and Refugees4refugees.org shows the deportations occurred in phases, with 27 Nigerians returned in February, 37 in March through a joint European Union operation, 24 in April, 23 in May, and 26 in June.
The February operation departed from Stuttgart and landed at Lagos Cargo Airport, with Baden-Württemberg listed as a primary participant. The March operation represented the largest single return of Nigerians recorded over three years and was executed in collaboration with Spain, Austria, and Belgium.
The reports indicate a growing reliance on multi-national chartered flights by European states to repatriate undocumented or non-resident individuals to Nigeria.
The United States has condemned the killing of members of the family of Plateau-based cleric, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, describing the attack as horrific and urging Nigerian authorities to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
In a statement shared on X on Thursday, the US Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs expressed condolences to the victims’ families and called for stronger measures to prevent further attacks on vulnerable communities across Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
“The United States strongly condemns the horrific killing of members of Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo’s family in Plateau State, Nigeria. The continued violence targeting Christian communities and other vulnerable populations in Nigeria’s Middle Belt is deeply alarming,” the bureau said
The US said it had already engaged Nigerian officials on the worsening security situation, stressing that urgent action was needed to curb recurring attacks and hold perpetrators accountable.
“As I discussed last week with Nigerian officials, we must do more to prevent violent acts. The perpetrators must be held accountable, and urgent action is needed to strengthen security and protect Christians and other vulnerable communities,” the statement added.
The bureau reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to working with the Nigerian government to combat terrorism and violent extremism, stressing that Christians and other Nigerians should be able to practise their faith without fear of violence.
The statement followed the July 12 attack on Kum community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, where nine members of Rev. Dachomo’s extended family, including a two-month-old baby, were killed.
According to the cleric, the attackers, believed to be armed Fulani militias, asked for him by name before opening fire on his relatives.
Dachomo, who serves as Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, said his family had repeatedly been targeted because of his outspoken criticism of the violence in Plateau State.
He recalled that his grandmother and an uncle were also killed in previous attacks, adding that days after burying his relatives, he received a written death threat from the same group, warning that he would be their next target.
Saudi Arabia has updated its tourist eVisa programme for 2026, limiting eligibility in Africa to only three countries as part of its list of 66 nations whose citizens can apply through the Kingdom’s online visa platform.
The move leaves most African countries, including Nigeria, outside the simplified entry scheme.
The electronic visa allows eligible travellers to visit Saudi Arabia for tourism, leisure activities, family visits and Umrah, excluding the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Applications are completed online, eliminating the need for embassy visits and lengthy visa processing.
Saudi authorities said the eVisa forms part of ongoing efforts to expand tourism, attract international visitors and simplify travel procedures through a fully digital application system. The visa is available only to citizens of approved countries and territories listed on the Kingdom’s official tourism portal.
Below is the list of African countries eligible for Saudi Arabia’s eVisa.
1. Mauritius
2. Seychelles
3. South Africa
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