Overview
- Israel’s prime minister’s office said on December 26 that Benjamin Netanyahu and Somaliland’s leader signed a mutual recognition agreement and extended an invitation for an official visit.
- Somalia’s federal parliament convened an emergency session on December 28 and unanimously passed a resolution declaring Israel’s recognition void while affirming the country’s internationally recognized borders.
- The Arab League held an extraordinary meeting and denounced the Israeli move, tasking members to mobilize support for UN measures that reaffirm Somalia’s unity and invalidate the recognition.
- The European Union urged respect for Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity, warning that the step risks destabilizing the Horn of Africa.
- Regional diplomacy also intensified elsewhere, with Saudi Arabia pressing Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council to accept mediation and de‑escalate, while U.S. policy circles continued to debate competing models for Gaza’s post‑war governance.