PARIS: France on Friday accused Syria of doing nothing to reach a peace agreement after almost seven years of war and said it was “committing mass crimes” in the Eastern Ghouta region where 400,000 people are besieged by government forces.
UN-led peace talks in Geneva ended on Thursday with UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura laying most of the blame for the failure of the round at the feet of the regime side.
“The Assad regime never entered in any negotiation since the beginning of the civil war,” France’s Ambassador to the US Gerard Araud said on Twitter. “They don’t look for a political compromise but for the eradication of their enemies.”
Despite being a leading backer of the Syrian opposition, France has sought a more pragmatic approach to the Syrian conflict since the arrival of President Emmanuel Macron, saying that the departure of Bashar Assad was not a pre-condition for talks.
However, on Friday the lack of progress in Geneva and continuing assault of the besieged rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus brought scathing criticism from Paris.
“There is no alternative to a negotiated political solution agreed by both parties under the auspices of the United Nations,” Deputy Foreign Ministry Spokesman Alexandre Giorgini told reporters in a daily briefing, reiterating Paris’ support for de Mistura and appearing to dismiss a separate Russian initiative planned in Sochi next year.
“We deplore the attitude of the Syrian regime, which has refused to engage in the discussion. The Syrian regime is responsible for the lack of progress in the negotiations,” he said.
He also pointed the finger at Russia and Iran, who both back Assad, over their inability to enforce a cease-fire in Eastern Ghouta, which according to a Sept. 15 accord between Russia, Turkey and Iran, is included among several de-escalation zones.
“It is therefore urgent that Russia and Iran, guarantors of the Astana process and allies of the Damascus regime, take steps for the cessation of the bombings and (enable) humanitarian aid to arrive safely and without those who need it being hindered,” Giorgini said.
The UN says about 400,000 civilians are besieged and face “complete catastrophe” because aid deliveries by the Syrian government were blocked and hundreds of people who need urgent medical evacuation have not been allowed outside the enclave.
“By denying humanitarian access, the Damascus regime is responsible for mass crimes, particularly through the use of the siege as a weapon of war,” Giorgini said.
France: Syria’s Assad not looking for peace, committing mass crimes
France: Syria’s Assad not looking for peace, committing mass crimes
King Salman orders support for stranded Iranian Hajj pilgrims
- Hajj ministry tasked with providing support to Iranians stuck in the Kingdom
RIYADH: King Salman has directed Saudi authorities to ensure that Iranian pilgrims in the Kingdom are provided all the necessary support until it’s safe for them to return home.
On Friday, Israel launched an early morning attack on Iranian nuclear sites and assassinated nuclear scientists and military chiefs in a major escalation in tensions, prompting Tehran to close its airspace.
The plan to help the stranded pilgrims was put forward to the king by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has been task with the responsibility of ensuring the Iranian pilgrims get the necessary support.
The Hajj, a key pillar of Islam, concluded last week with over 1.6m pilgrims taking part, with authorities calling it a success.
Tens of thousands of Iranians attend the Hajj each year.
Iran on Friday retaliated to the attack by targeting Tel Aviv, prompting fears of a prolonged and more dangerous exchanges between the two countries.
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has failed in its mission, UN says
- Medics say hospitals are inundated with people wounded while trying to obtain food amid hunger crisis
GENEVA: The US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has been a failure from a humanitarian standpoint, the UN said on Friday.
The UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the foundation over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.
“GHF, I think it’s fair to say, has been, from a principled humanitarian standpoint, a failure,” Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, told a press briefing in Geneva.
“They are not doing what a humanitarian operation should do, which is providing aid to people where they are, safely and securely.
“We have the operation ready to roll with food and other supplies ready. We have them in the region; they are pre-cleared by the Israelis.
“We need the borders open to get in, and of course, we need the safety and security and some resemblance of law and order inside Gaza to distribute it.”
An officially private effort with opaque funding and backed by Israel, GHF began operations on May 26 after Israel completely cut off supplies into Gaza for more than two months, sparking warnings of mass famine.
GHF claimed on Thursday it had distributed nearly 2.6 million meals on Thursday and more than 18.6 million to date.
The Palestinian Authority said internet and fixed-line communication services were down in Gaza on Thursday following an attack on the territory’s last fiber optic cable, which it blamed on Israel.
“There was and still is a massive comms blackout,” said Laerke.
“If there is no communication, it really is damaging” for aid services, he said.
“There is an active effort to try to fix it, of course, and everybody is looking into that, because things kind of ground to a halt when these things happen.”
The distribution of food and basic supplies in the blockaded and war-ravaged Gaza has become increasingly fraught and perilous, exacerbating the territory’s deep hunger crisis.
The GHF said a bus carrying its staff to a distribution site near the southern city of Khan Younis was “brutally attacked by Hamas” around 10 p.m. on Wednesday.
Israel charged that Hamas was “weaponizing suffering in Gaza” after the US and the GHF accused the Palestinian group of killing its aid workers in the territory.
Asked to respond to the GHF accusation, the Hamas government media office in Gaza said GHF was a “filthy tool” of Israeli forces and was being used to “lure civilians into death traps.”
Dozens of Palestinians have been killed while trying to reach GHF distribution points since they began operating in late May, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency.
The agency said another 21 people were killed while waiting for aid on Thursday, adding that they were among 29 people across the territory who were killed by Israeli fire.
Contacted by AFP about reports of a deadly incident near an aid distribution point close to the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza, the Israeli military said it had “conducted warning shots hundreds of meters from the aid distribution site, prior to its opening hours.”
Gaza medics have said hospitals are being inundated with people wounded while trying to obtain food.
At Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital on Wednesday, the emergency department said it had received dozens of people who had been killed or wounded while waiting for aid in recent days, including 200 in a single day.
“Many Gazans went to the Nabulsi and Netzarim areas to receive aid and were shot at and shelled with tanks,” said Mutaz Harara, head of Al-Shifa’s emergency department.
But with few medical supplies and no operating theaters, “many patients died while waiting for their turn,” he said.
The war has caused major damage to infrastructure across Gaza, including water mains, telecommunication cables, power lines, and roads.
Saudi crown prince, President Trump discuss regional tensions in phone call
- Two leaders stressed the importance of restraint and de-escalation, and underlined the need to resolve disputes through diplomatic means
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a phone call with US President Donald Trump to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East, including the ongoing Israeli military operations against Iran, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
During the call on Friday, the two leaders stressed the importance of restraint and de-escalation, and underlined the need to resolve disputes through diplomatic means, SPA added.
They also affirmed the importance of continued joint efforts to promote security, peace, and stability across the region.
Pakistan’s deputy PM speaks with Iranian official as Tehran launches retaliatory strikes on Israel
- Ishaq Dar expresses Pakistan’s support to Iran ‘for achieving peace and stability in the region’
- Air raid sirens sounded across Israel Friday night as dozens of Iranian missiles struck the country
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with his Iranian counterpart on Friday as Tehran launched a retaliatory missile strike on Israel following deadly Israeli attacks on nuclear facilities and senior military commanders.
Air raid sirens sounded across Israel on Friday night as dozens of Iranian missiles struck the country in a dramatic escalation of tensions. Explosions were heard throughout Jerusalem and plumes of smoke were seen rising in Tel Aviv after apparent strikes. While no casualties were immediately reported, the Israeli military ordered residents nationwide into bomb shelters.
The latest attacks came after Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes across Iran, reportedly killing at least three top Iranian military officers and targeting nuclear facilities and ballistic missile sites. Israeli military officials said 200 fighter jets were involved in the operation, which struck more than 100 locations in what analysts described as the most significant assault Iran has faced since its war with Iraq in the 1980s.
The Pakistani deputy PM held a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, as the war escalated between the two Middle Eastern rivals.
“Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50, today spoke with the Foreign Minister of Iran, Seyed Abbas Araghchi @Araghchi,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement.
“Condemning the blatant Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran in total disregard of the UN Charter and international law, DPM/FM reiterated strong support of Pakistan to the Government and brotherly people of Iran for achieving peace and stability in the region,” it added.
Dar also conveyed “deepest sympathies on the loss of many precious lives during Israeli attacks,” according to the statement.
Earlier in the day, the Pakistani foreign office said Israel had violated Iran’s sovereignty and that the attacks were “contrary to the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law.”
It warned the escalation posed “a serious threat to regional peace and security,” adding that Iran had the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Dar, writing on X, described the Israeli strikes as a “brazen violation” of Iranian sovereignty and said they “gravely undermine regional stability and international security.”
“Pakistan stands in solidarity with the government and the people of Iran,” he wrote.
He also said the foreign ministry had established a 24/7 Crisis Management Unit to ensure the safety and security of Pakistani nationals and pilgrims in Iran.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed the condemnation and called on the international community and the United Nations to “take urgent steps to prevent any further escalation that could imperil regional and global peace.”
Israeli military spokesperson Defrin said all air defense systems had been activated in response to Iran’s retaliation and the country expected “difficult hours ahead.”
In Washington, the US administration said it had not been involved in the Israeli operation.
“Israel took unilateral action against Iran,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement released by the White House. “Our top priority is protecting American forces in the region.”
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry also condemned the Israeli strikes.
“The Kingdom condemns these heinous attacks and affirms that the international community and the Security Council bear a great responsibility to immediately halt this aggression,” the Saudi statement said.
Airlines cleared out of the airspace over Israel, Iran, Iraq and Jordan on Friday following the strikes, according to Flightradar24 data, as carriers scrambled to divert or cancel flights to ensure passenger and crew safety.
Iran closed its airspace and Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport was shut down until further notice.
Israeli military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said tens of thousands of soldiers had been called up and deployed across all borders.
“We are amidst a historic campaign unlike any other. This is a critical operation to prevent an existential threat, by an enemy who is intent on destroying us,” he said.
With inputs from AP and Reuters
Cholera spreads to 13 states in Sudan, including Darfur
- Funding cuts create overcrowded and unsanitary conditions that increase risks, WHO official warns
GENEVA: The World Health Organization warned on Friday that cholera cases in Sudan are set to rise and could spread to neighboring countries, including Chad, which hosts hundreds of thousands of refugees from Sudan’s civil war in crowded conditions.
The more than two-year-old war between the Sudanese army — which took full control of Khartoum state this week — and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has spread hunger and disease and destroyed most health facilities. Drone attacks in recent weeks have interrupted electricity and water supplies in the capital, Khartoum, driving up cases there.
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Dr. Shible Sahbani, WHO Representative for Sudan, called for humanitarian corridors and temporary ceasefires to allow mass vaccination campaigns against cholera and other disease outbreaks, such as Dengue fever and malaria.
“Our concern is that cholera is spreading,” Dr. Shible Sahbani, WHO Representative for Sudan, said in Geneva by video link from Port Sudan.
He said that cholera had reached 13 states in Sudan, including North and South Darfur, which border Chad, and that 1,854 people had already died in the latest wave as the dangerous rainy season sets in.
“We assume that if we don’t invest in the prevention measures, in surveillance, in the early warning system, in vaccination and in educating the population, for sure, the neighboring countries, but not only that, it can maybe spread to the sub-region,” he said.
He called for humanitarian corridors and temporary ceasefires to allow mass vaccination campaigns against cholera and other disease outbreaks, such as Dengue fever and malaria.
Cholera, a severe, potentially fatal diarrheal disease, spreads quickly when sewage and drinking water are not treated adequately.
Sahbani said that this posed a high risk for Sudanese refugees, including some who had survived attacks on a displacement camp in Darfur, and who are living in cramped, makeshift border sites on the Chadian side of the border.
“In overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, a potential outbreak could be devastating,” said François Batalingaya, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Chad, at the same briefing, describing the conditions for some 300,000 people stranded there with few aid services due to funding shortages.
The disease has not yet been confirmed in Chad, although a WHO spokesperson said that suspected cases had been reported in Geneina, Sudan, just 10 km away.
Sahbani also said that disease surveillance was low on the Libyan border and that it could possibly spread there.
Case fatality rates have fallen in recent weeks in and around the capital, Khartoum, thanks to an oral cholera vaccination campaign that started this month, Sahbani said.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said Sudan had become a grim example of impunity and the world’s indifference.
Fletcher called on “all with influence” to do more to safeguard civilians and to enable humanitarian aid to reach millions in the war-shattered country.
Despite repeated international pledges to protect Sudan’s people, “their country has become a grim example of twin themes of this moment: indifference and impunity,” he said in a statement.
Fletcher, the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, underlined that half of Sudan’s population, some 30 million people, need lifesaving aid in the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
“Indiscriminate shelling, drone attacks, and other air strikes kill, injure, and displace people in staggering numbers. The health system has been smashed to pieces, with cholera, measles, and other diseases spreading,” he said.
The human cost of the war, including “horrific” sexual violence, has been repeatedly condemned, “but talk has not translated into real protection for civilians or safe, unimpeded and sustained access for humanitarians,” he said.
“Where is the accountability? Where is the funding?“
