Palestinian prisoners end mass hunger strike

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Relatives celebrate in the West Bank city of Ramallah after Palestinian prisoners ended a hunger strike over their conditions in Israeli jails Saturday. (Reuters)
Updated 28 May 2017
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Palestinian prisoners end mass hunger strike

JERUSALEM: Hundreds of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners ended their 40-day fast on Saturday after reaching a compromise with Israel for additional family visits, Israeli and Palestinian officials said.
Israel prison service spokeswoman Nicole Englander said the inmates declared an end to the strike Saturday morning. She said it came after Israel reached a deal with the Palestinian Authority and the Red Cross for prisoners to receive a second family visit each per month.
Hundreds of prisoners observed the strike they said was aimed at improving prison conditions.
The hunger strike had evolved into one of the longest such protests with this many participants since Israel’s 1967 capture of territories Palestinian seek for their state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
Englander said 1,578 prisoners participated in the hunger strike overall and 834 ended their fast Saturday. She said 18 were being treated in hospitals.
Many Israelis view the prisoners as terrorists and have little sympathy for their demands. More than 6,000 Palestinians are currently in prison for offenses linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for charges ranging from stone-throwing to weapons possession and attacks that killed or wounded Israeli civilians and soldiers.
Palestinians rallied behind the hunger strikers as national heroes, relishing a rare break from deep divisions between two rival political groups, the Islamic militant group Hamas which runs Gaza and Fatah, the movement of Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who administers autonomous enclaves in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinians hoped the protest will draw the attention of a seemingly distracted international community as the Israeli occupation hits the 50-year mark in early June.
Support for the prisoners is an emotional consensus issue; hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been jailed by Israel at one time or another since 1967.
Israel’s public security minister, Gilad Erdan, alleged that the hunger strike was motivated by a power struggle in Abbas’ Fatah movement. He claimed that imprisoned strike organizer Marwan Barghouti cynically exploited his fellow prisoners to boost his standing in Fatah and secure his position as a possible successor to Abbas. Barghouti’s family has denied such claims.
Qadoura Fares, who runs the Prisoners’ Club advocacy group, said negotiations took place between Israel officials and a committee from the prisoners, including Marwan Barghouti. He said negotiations began on Friday and were the first since the strike began.
Barghouti is serving five life terms after being convicted by an Israeli court of directing two shooting attacks and a bombing that killed five people. In prison since 2002, he never mounted a defense, saying the court had no jurisdiction over him.
Earlier this month, Israel released footage it said shows Barghouti breaking his fast. Palestinians say the video is a fabrication.


Tunisian jailed after refusing to watch president on TV: lawyer

Updated 19 min 21 sec ago
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Tunisian jailed after refusing to watch president on TV: lawyer

  • The man had himself been deported from Italy, where he had been living without documentation

TUNIS: A Tunisian inmate was sentenced to six months in prison after he was reported to authorities for refusing to watch a TV news segment about President Kais Saied, his lawyer and an NGO said Friday.
The inmate’s lawyer, Adel Sghaier, said his client was initially prosecuted under Article 67 of the penal code, which covers crimes against the head of state, but the charge was later revised to violating public decency to avoid giving the case a “political” dimension.
The local branch of the Tunisian League for Human Rights in the central town of Gafsa said that the inmate had “expressed his refusal to watch (coverage of) presidential activities” during a news broadcast that was playing on TV in his cell.
He was reported by a cellmate, investigated and later sentenced to six months behind bars, the NGO said, condemning what it called a “policy of gagging voices that even extends to prisoners in their cells.”
Sghaier said his client had been held over an unrelated case that was ultimately dismissed, and that his family only learnt of his other sentence when he wasn’t freed as expected.
He acknowledged that his client voiced insults and demanded the channel be changed when Saied’s image appeared on TV, explaining the man blamed the president for “ruining his life” by striking a deal with Italy for the deportation of irregular Tunisian immigrants.
The man had himself been deported from Italy, where he had been living without documentation.
A spokesman for the court in Gafsa could not be reached for comment.
Saied, elected in 2019, has ruled Tunisia by decree since a 2021 power grab, with local and international organizations decrying a decline in freedoms in the country considered the cradle of the “Arab Spring.”

 


Palestinian Authority says settlers beat man to death in West Bank

Updated 12 July 2025
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Palestinian Authority says settlers beat man to death in West Bank

  • A spokesman for the Palestinian Authority ministry, Annas Abu El Ezz, told AFP that 23-year-old Saif Al-Din Kamil Abdul Karim Musalat “died after being severely beaten all over his body by settlers in the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah, this afternoon”

RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: The Palestinian health ministry said a 23-year-old man was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank on Friday, in the latest deadly assault as violence surges in the territory.
In a statement, the Israeli military said clashes broke out between Palestinians and Israelis on Friday after rocks were thrown at Israeli civilians adjacent to the village of Sinjil, lightly injuring two.
It said the ensuing “violent confrontation... included vandalism of Palestinian property, arson, physical clashes, and rock hurling.”
“We are aware of reports regarding a Palestinian civilian killed and a number of injured Palestinians,” it said, adding that the incidents were being looked into.
A spokesman for the Palestinian Authority ministry, Annas Abu El Ezz, told AFP that 23-year-old Saif Al-Din Kamil Abdul Karim Musalat “died after being severely beaten all over his body by settlers in the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah, this afternoon.”
AFP footage from Ramallah showed his body being carried through the streets draped in a Palestinian flag and flanked by around a hundred mourners.
“The young man was injured and remained so for four hours. The army prevented us from reaching him and did not allow us to take him away,” said Abdul Samad Abdul Aziz, from the nearby village of Al-Mazraa Al-Sharqiya.
“When we finally managed to reach him, he was taking his last breath.”
The Israeli military said its forces, police and border police were dispatched to the scene and used “riot dispersal means” to break up the confrontation.
A week earlier, AFP journalists witnessed clashes between dozens of Israeli settlers and Palestinians in Sinjil, where a march against settler attacks on nearby farmland had been due to take place.
Israeli authorities recently erected a high fence cutting off parts of Sinjil from Road 60, which runs through the West Bank from north to south.
Violence in the territory has surged since the outbreak of the war in Gaza triggered by the Palestinian militant group Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel.
Since then, Israeli troops or settlers in the West Bank have killed at least 954 Palestinians — many of them militants, but also scores of civilians — according to Palestinian health ministry figures.
At least 36 Israelis, including both troops and civilians, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations, according to Israeli official figures.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.
 

 


How organic beekeeping is transforming a traditional Saudi industry into a model of sustainable growth

Updated 20 min 18 sec ago
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How organic beekeeping is transforming a traditional Saudi industry into a model of sustainable growth

  • Over 15,000 beekeepers in the Kingdom now use modern hives, transforming honey into a major economic and export sector
  • Government support, organic certification, and participation in exhibitions have helped scale production for international markets

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s honey sector is experiencing a quiet revolution, one that blends centuries-old beekeeping traditions with the precision of modern sustainable agriculture.

Once an overlooked element of rural life, honey production in the Kingdom is now gaining global recognition, fueled by organic certification, government support and the determination of pioneering beekeepers.

Among the leading figures shaping this transformation is Jassim Almughrabi, Saudi Arabia’s first certified organic honey producer and owner of Mughrabi Apiaries.

With decades of experience, including his tenure as a honeybee specialist at the Ministry of Agriculture, Almughrabi discussed with Arab News the profound shift that has taken place in recent years.

“After the government showed strong interest in organic agriculture, things became much more comfortable for us,” he said. 

“I had already registered as an organic honey producer, but when the Ministry of Agriculture started giving support and donations to beekeepers who wanted to convert from conventional to organic, our production improved significantly.”

This institutional backing has allowed local beekeepers to grow their operations and expand into new markets.

Almughrabi highlighted how the ministry not only facilitated certifications but also opened doors for beekeepers to participate in national exhibitions like BIOFACH Saudi Arabia, a major event now held annually in Riyadh.

Saudi beekeepers are now a regular participant in BIOFACH, the annual international exhibition for organic products sponsored by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture. (SPA)

“Through the Organic Cooperative Society, we are even allowed to participate free of charge,” he said. “The government really helped us spread our presence in the field, and we thank them for that.”

At the heart of Saudi Arabia’s beekeeping heritage lies a deep knowledge of traditional methods, especially in the mountainous regions of Makkah, Madinah, Abha, Al-Baha and Taif.

For centuries, beekeepers in these areas used hollowed logs to house bees, drawing from nature to sustain their practices. While this form of beekeeping still holds cultural value, a shift began around 45 years ago when the ministry encouraged farmers to adopt modern beehive systems.

Mangrove trees along the Kingdom's Arabian Gulf coast pllay an important role in beekeeping. (Supplied)

“I was working in the Ministry of Agriculture back then,” said Almughrabi. “We conducted training courses to help traditional beekeepers transition to modern methods, like the Langstroth hive used in Europe and America. Now, more than 15,000 beekeepers across the Kingdom have adopted these techniques.”

This has transformed the industry, making Saudi honey a highly sought-after commodity.

Mansour Al-Mgaslah, beekeeper and supervisor of the Mangrove Honey Production Initiative said: “The honey sector in the Kingdom has witnessed a remarkable transformation in recent years, driven by a growing awareness of the importance of sustainable beekeeping practices. 

Mangrove flowers help sustain bee populations. (Supplied)

“Beekeepers are now committing to environmental and health standards and adopting modern technologies to preserve the health of both bees and plants.”

This transition is not without its challenges. Desertification, pesticide use, and climate change are pressing environmental issues that threaten both bee populations and floral diversity.

However, both Almughrabi and Al-Mgaslah believe sustainable beekeeping offers practical solutions. By encouraging vegetation restoration and reducing chemical dependencies, beekeepers can help preserve ecosystems that bees and honey production rely on.

Beekeeping boxes set up for harvesting. (Supplied)

“Some of the major challenges include the shrinking of natural pastures and increasing desertification,” said Al-Mgaslah. “Sustainable beekeeping helps restore ecological balance by preserving bees as sensitive and effective environmental indicators.”

Al-Mgaslah shared the sentiment.

“Biodiversity is not just an environmental value. It is essential for ensuring the continuity of high-quality honey production,” he said. “Native plants such as sidr, samar, talh and mangrove provide bees with rich and pure nectar sources. Supporting this biodiversity contributes to building a more resilient and stable ecosystem.”

Almughrabi says government schemes have already begun to yield results. “When Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched the Saudi Green Initiative, valleys were protected from overgrazing and greenery started returning,” he said.

“This led to a noticeable increase in honey production. Ten years ago, we produced less than 1 kilogram of honey per hive. Now, we sometimes get 1.5 to 2 kilograms.”

The role of native bees and local flora in this equation cannot be overstated. Indigenous bee species, such as the Arabian honeybee, have shown better resilience and adaptability to the Kingdom’s varied climate.

Saudi Arabia’s honey industry is proving that sustainability, tradition, and innovation can work in harmony. (Supplied)

In contrast, imported bees often struggle to survive beyond one or two harvest cycles.

“In the middle of Saudi Arabia, beekeepers often use imported bees,” said Almughrabi. “But they aren’t as strong. Local bees are very good, very strong, and after the harvest we can even transport them to other regions like Jazan or Al-Lith, where the climate is warmer in winter. We don’t have to buy new bees every year.”

The cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s sustainable honey movement is its organic certification system, monitored by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. The process is rigorous and includes criteria such as pesticide-free pastures, natural nutrition without antibiotics or sugar, and complete traceability from hive to shelf.

With an organic certification system in place, Saudi Arabia's honey industry is poised to export to the world market. (Supplied)

“To be certified organic in the Kingdom means that your honey is free from any chemical or industrial interventions at every stage,” said Al-Mgaslah. “Beekeepers must meet strict environmental and documentation standards, and the certification is granted only through authorized, ministry-recognized bodies.”

With international demand for clean, traceable, and eco-conscious products on the rise, both experts believe Saudi Arabia is poised for a golden era in honey exports.

“The Kingdom holds an exceptional opportunity to become a global leader in organic honey production,” said Al-Mgaslah.

Locally produced honey. (Supplied)

“Thanks to its unique botanical diversity, rich heritage, and government support, Saudi honey can meet the growing global demand for authentic, natural products.”

Almughrabi added: “We believe the future of Saudi honey lies in expanding exports and entering niche markets that value quality and authenticity. With continued support, we can make Saudi honey a global name.”

In a land long associated with arid deserts, Saudi Arabia’s honey industry is proving that sustainability, tradition, and innovation can work in harmony. The result is more than just honey — it is a model for agricultural resilience and cultural pride.
 

 


A father mourns 2 sons killed in an Israeli strike as hunger worsens in Gaza

Updated 12 July 2025
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A father mourns 2 sons killed in an Israeli strike as hunger worsens in Gaza

  • Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in recent weeks while trying to get food, according to local health officials

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: Three brothers in the Gaza Strip woke up early to run to a local clinic to get “sweets,” their word for the emergency food supplements distributed by aid groups. By the time their father woke up, two of the brothers had been fatally wounded by an Israeli strike and the third had lost an eye.
The strike outside the clinic on Thursday in the central city of Deir Al-Balah killed 14 people, including 9 children, according to a local hospital, which had initially reported 10 children killed but later said one had died in a separate incident.
The Israeli military said it targeted a militant it said had taken part in the Hamas attack that ignited the 21-month war. Security camera footage appeared to show two young men targeted as they walked past the clinic where several people were squatting outside.
Hatem Al-Nouri’s four-year-old son, Amir, was killed immediately. His eight-year-old son, Omar, was still breathing when he reached the hospital but died shortly thereafter. He said that at first he didn’t recognize his third son, two-year-old Siraj, because his eye had been torn out.
“What did these children do to deserve this?” the father said as he broke into tears. “They were dreaming of having a loaf of bread.”
Violence in the West Bank
In a separate development, Israeli settlers killed two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. It said Seifeddin Musalat, 23, was beaten to death and Mohammed Al-Shalabi, 23, was shot in the chest in the village of Sinjil near the city of Ramallah. Both were 23.
The military said Palestinians had hurled rocks at Israelis in the area earlier on Friday, lightly wounding two people. That set off a larger confrontation that included “vandalism of Palestinian property, arson, physical clashes, and rock hurling,” the army said. It said troops had dispersed the crowds, without saying if anyone was arrested.
Palestinians and rights groups have long accused the military of ignoring settler violence, which has spiked — along with Palestinian attacks and Israeli military raids — since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
A ‘sharp and unprecedented’ rise in malnutrition
Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in recent weeks while trying to get food, according to local health officials. Experts say hunger is widespread among the territory’s 2 million Palestinians and that Israel’s blockade and military offensive have put them at risk of famine.
The deputy director of the World Food Program said Friday that humanitarian needs and constraints on the UN’s ability to provide aid are worse than he’s ever seen, saying “starvation is spreading” and one in three people are going for days without eating.
Carl Skau told UN reporters in New York that on a visit to Gaza last week he didn’t see any markets, only small amounts of potatoes being sold on a few street corners in Gaza City. He was told that a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of flour now costs over $25.
The international aid group Doctors Without Borders said it has recorded a “sharp and unprecedented rise” in acute malnutrition at two clinics it operates in Gaza, with more than 700 pregnant and breastfeeding women, and nearly 500 children, receiving outpatient therapeutic food.
“Our neonatal intensive care unit is severely overcrowded, with four to five babies sharing a single incubator,” Dr. Joanne Perry, a physician with the group, said in a statement. “This is my third time in Gaza, and I’ve never seen anything like this. Mothers are asking me for food for their children, pregnant women who are six months along often weigh no more than 40 kilograms (88 pounds).”
The Israeli military body in charge of civilian affairs in Gaza says it is allowing enough food to enter and blames the UN and other aid groups for not promptly distributing it.
Risking their lives for food
Israel ended a ceasefire and renewed its offensive in March. It eased a 2 1/2 month blockade in May, but the UN and aid groups say they are struggling to distribute humanitarian aid because of Israeli military restrictions and a breakdown of law and order that has led to widespread looting.
A separate aid mechanism built around an American group backed by Israel has Palestinians running a deadly gantlet to reach its sites. Witnesses and health officials say hundreds have been killed by Israeli fire while heading toward the distribution points through military zones off limits to independent media.
The military has acknowledged firing warning shots at Palestinians who it says approached its forces in a suspicious manner.
The Israeli- and US-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation denies there has been any violence in or around its sites. But two of its contractors told The Associated Press that their colleagues have fired live ammunition and stun grenades as Palestinians scramble for food, allegations denied by the foundation.
The UN Human Rights Office said Thursday that it has recorded 798 killings near Gaza aid sites in a little over a month leading up to July 7. Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the office, said 615 were killed “in the vicinity of the GHF sites” and the remainder on convoy routes used by other aid groups.
A GHF spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with the group’s policies, rejected the “false and misleading stats,” saying most of the deaths were linked to shootings near UN convoys, which pass by Israeli army positions and have been attacked by armed gangs and unloaded by crowds.
Israel has long accused UN bodies of being biased against it.
No ceasefire after two days of Trump-Netanyahu talks
Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people in their Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and abducted 251. They still hold 50 hostages, less than half of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.
Israel’s offensive has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, which is under Gaza’s Hamas-run government, doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count. The UN and other international organizations see its figures as the most reliable statistics on war casualties.
US President Donald Trump has said he is closing in on another ceasefire agreement that would see more hostages released and potentially wind down the war. But there were no signs of a breakthrough this week after two days of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

 


If Lebanon doesn’t ‘hurry up and get in line’ everyone around them will, US envoy Tom Barrack tells Arab News

Updated 12 July 2025
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If Lebanon doesn’t ‘hurry up and get in line’ everyone around them will, US envoy Tom Barrack tells Arab News

  • Asked about the future of Hezbollah, sectarian dynamics and Lebanon’s economic collapse, he describes a delicate path forward for a country long paralyzed by factional politics
  • ‘I think this government is ready … We’re saying, you want our help? Here it is. We’re not going to dictate to you. If you don’t want it, no problem — we’ll go home,’ he adds

NEW YORK CITY: “If Lebanon doesn’t hurry up and get in line, everyone around them will,” US Special Envoy Tom Barrack warned on Friday as he discussed the potential transformation of Hezbollah from an Iran-backed militant group into a fully political entity within Lebanon.

His message underscored the growing American impatience with political inertia in the country, and the mounting pressure for a comprehensive realignment in the region.

Answering questions from Arab News about Hezbollah’s future, sectarian dynamics and Lebanon’s economic collapse, Barrack described a delicate path forward for a country long paralyzed by factional politics.

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Central to the conversation is the disarmament of Hezbollah’s military wing, which is classified by Washington as a foreign terrorist organization, and the potential for its reintegration into the country as a purely political party.

“It’s a great question,” Barrack said when asked by Arab News whether the US administration would consider delisting Hezbollah if it gave up its weapons. “And I’m not running from the answer but I can’t answer it.”

He acknowledged the complexity of the issue and pointed out that while Washington unequivocally labels Hezbollah as a terrorist group, its political wing has won parliamentary seats and represents a significant portion of Lebanon’s Shiite population, alongside the Amal Movement.

Barrack framed Hezbollah as having “two parts” — a militant faction, supported by Iran and designated as a terrorist entity, and a political wing that operates within Lebanon’s parliamentary system. He stressed that any process for the disarmament of Hezbollah must be led by the Lebanese government, with the full agreement of Hezbollah itself.

“That process has to start with the Council of Ministers,” he said. “They have to authorize the mandate. And Hezbollah, the political party, has to agree to that.

“But what Hezbollah is saying is, ‘Okay, we understand one Lebanon has to happen.’ Why? Because one Syria is starting to happen.”

This push for unity, Barrack added, comes amid shifting regional dynamics, especially in the wake of what he described as US President Donald Trump’s “bold” policies on Iran.

“Everyone’s future is being recycled,” he said, suggesting a broader recalibration was underway in the Middle East, from the reconstruction of Syria to potential new dialogues involving Israel.

“So Hezbollah, in my belief, Hezbollah, the political party, is looking and saying logically, for our people, the success of Lebanon has to collate the Sunnis, the Shias, the Druze Christians all together. Now is the time. How do we get there? Israel has to be a component part of that.”

Barrack indicated that the US had facilitated behind-the-scenes talks between Lebanon and Israel, despite the former’s legal prohibition against direct contact.

“We put together a negotiating team and started to be an intermediary,” he said. “My belief is that’s happening in spades.”

At the heart of any deal will be the question of arms; not small sidearms, which Barrack dismissed as commonplace in Lebanon, but heavy weaponry capable of threatening Israel. Such weapons, he said, are “stored in garages and subterranean areas under houses.”

A disarmament process, he suggested, would require the Lebanese Armed Forces, an institution he described as widely respected, to step in, with US and other international backing.

“You need to empower LAF,” he said. “Then, softly, with Hezbollah, they can say, ‘Here’s the process of how you’re going to return arms.’ We’re not going to do it in a civil war.”

But the capacity of Lebanese authorities to execute such a plan remains in question. Barrack lamented the country’s failing institutions, its defunct central bank, a stalled banking resolution law, and systemic gridlock in parliament.

On Monday, the envoy said he was satisfied with the Lebanese government’s response to a proposal to disarm Hezbollah, adding that Washington was ready to help the small nation emerge from its long-running political and economic crisis.

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“What the government gave us was something spectacular in a very short period of time and a very complicated manner,” Barrack said during a news conference at the presidential palace in Beirut.

Later, however, during an interview with Lebanese news channel LBCI, when asked whether the Lebanese politicians he had been dealing with were actually engaging with him or simply buying time, Barrack said: “The Lebanese political culture is deny, detour and deflect.

“This is the way that it’s been for 60 years, and this is the task we have in front of us. It has to change.”

Asked whether the US was truly satisfied with the Lebanese government’s plan of action, he said: “Both (statements) are true,” referencing his comments in praise of Beirut’s leadership, while simultaneously criticizing this legacy of “delay, detour and deflect.”

He added: “They’re satisfied with the status quo — until they’re not. What changes? What changes is they’re going to become extinct.”

Still, Barrack expressed a note of cautious optimism.

“I think this government is ready,” he said. “They’re standing up to the issues. We’re not being soft with them. We’re saying, you want our help? Here it is. We’re not going to dictate to you. If you don’t want it, no problem — we’ll go home.”

Barrack made it clear that the time for delaying tactics might be running out.

“It’s a tiny little country with a confessional system that maybe makes sense, maybe doesn’t,” he said. “Now is the time.”

Turning to Syria, Barrack said that the lifting of US sanctions on the country marked a strategic “fresh start” for the war-torn nation, but emphasized that the United States is not pursuing nation-building or federalism in the region.

He described the Middle East as a “difficult zip code at an amazingly historic time,” and said the Trump administration’s removal of sanctions on May 13 was aimed at offering the Syrian people “a new slice of hope” following over a decade of civil war.

“President (Trump)’s message is peace and prosperity,” Barrack said, adding that the policy shift is intended to give the emerging Syrian regime a chance to rebuild. “Sanctions gave the people hope. That’s really all that happened at that moment.”

Barrack clarified that the original US involvement in Syria was driven by counter-ISIS operations, and not aimed at regime change or humanitarian intervention.

However, he acknowledged that the region is entering a new phase. “We’re not there to build a nation. We’re there to provide an opportunity, and it’s up to them to take it,” he said.

He reaffirmed Washington’s position against a federal model for Syria, saying the country must remain unified with a single army and government.

“There’s not going to be six countries. There’s going to be one Syria,” he said, ruling out the possibility of separate Kurdish, Alawite, or Druze autonomous regions.

The statement comes amid renewed tensions between Kurdish groups and the central Syrian government, particularly over the future of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The Pentagon has requested $130 million in its 2026 budget to continue supporting the SDF.

“SDF is YPG, and YPG is a derivative of PKK,” Barrack noted, referring to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which is considered a terrorist organization by both Turkey and the US. “We owe them [the SDF] to be reasonable… but not their own government.”

He emphasized that the US is not dictating terms but would not support a separatist outcome: “We’re not going to be there forever as the babysitter.”

Barrack confirmed that the US is closely monitoring the announcement that the first group of PKK fighters had destroyed their weapons in northern Iraq — a move he described as “generous” and potentially significant.

“This could be the first step towards long-term resolution of the Kurdish issue in Turkiye,” he said, but cautioned that questions remain about the SDF’s ongoing ties to PKK leadership. “They (the SDF) have to decide: Are they Syrians? Are they Kurds first? That’s their issue.”

The ambassador said the ultimate vision includes gradual normalization between Syria and Israel, potentially aligning with the spirit of the Abraham Accords. “Al-Shara has been vocal in saying Israel is not an enemy,” Barrack said. “There are discussions beginning — baby steps.”

He added that regional actors including Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Turkey would also need to take part in a broader normalization process.

Barrack stressed that the current US strategy offers a narrow but real chance at stability. “There is no Plan B,” he said. “We’re saying: here’s a path. If you don’t like it, show us another one.”

The ambassador said the US is ready to assist but is no longer willing to serve as the “security guarantor for the world.”

“We’ll help, we’ll usher. But it’s your opportunity to create a new story,” he said.