BEIRUT: One-month-old Heyim Hassan was receiving treatment for a chest infection in the Afrin general hospital in northern Syria when a shell landed a few meters (feet) away. His panicked father whisked him out of the building and spent hours looking for nebulizers to aid the infant’s breathing. No one was killed in the attack, but 30 children had to be evacuated to safety.
It was the third time Heyim’s father, Serbest, had to seek shelter for his family in the last month. Four days after the baby was born, Turkey launched an offensive in northwestern Syria, forcing them to flee their home and Serbest’s mobile phone shop to find safety in the district’s center.
Nearly a month into the offensive in Afrin, hundreds of thousands of Syrians like Hassan and his family are hiding from bombs and airstrikes in caves and basements, trapped in the Kurdish enclave while Turkey and its allies are bogged down in fierce ground battles against formidable opponents.
Crammed with 40 relatives into their new shelter, a three-bedroom apartment, the baby Heyim contracted the infection. Then the new neighborhood also got shelled while he was evacuated from the hospital.
“This is how it is in Afrin. It is not just me,” Hassan said in a series of messages to The Associated Press from inside Afrin, encircled and under attack since Jan. 20.
A slow-moving ground offensive, the assault on Afrin threatens to become a protracted standoff, deepening an already dire humanitarian situation. It could also prove costly for Turkey, diplomatically and militarily. So far, nearly 80 civilians in Afrin, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and 31 Turkish soldiers have been killed. Turkey says it does all it can to avoid civilian casualties.
Turkey launched its offensive with more than 70 aircraft. Airstrikes were followed by a ground assault in which an estimated 10,000 allied Syrian rebel fighters took part, backed by Turkish artillery and other troops.
Fighting on six fronts, the Turkey-backed troops have met stiff resistance from the Kurdish People’s Defense Units, known as the YPG.
Turkish officials have made conflicting statements about the goals of the offensive, but have said they seek to push the Kurdish militia away from its borders.
The Kurdish fighters form the backbone of the U.S-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighting Daesh group militants in eastern Syria, but are viewed by Turkey as an extension of its own insurgents, the Kurdistan Workers Party or the PKK.
Although Afrin is encircled from all sides by Turkey, the guerrilla fighters — with years to prepare for the defense of their 1,500-square-mile (3,885-square kilometer) district — have proven a challenge.
They targeted Turkish tanks and bases and claimed to have downed at least one helicopter. Eleven soldiers were killed in one day last week. The weather and geography have also slowed down the offensive, with fog and rain grounding jets and obstructing ground advances as fighters grappled to deal with the mountainous terrain.
The Observatory, which monitors in the war in Syria, estimates that Turkey has seized nearly 7 percent of district land along Afrin’s outer edges, including a strategic hill in the east, and Bulbul, Hassan’s hometown, in the north.
The YPG says 98 of its fighters have been killed. But the Observatory puts the toll at over 160, and estimated that over 200 Turkey-backed Syrian fighters have been killed.
YPG commanders hinted they could open new fronts against Turkey.
“We are in the first phase of the battle now,” said YPG commander Sipan Hemo. “This strategic battle will not end ... until we teach the Turkish occupation the right lessons, and they withdraw to their borders.”
Noah Bonsey, senior analyst with the International Crisis Group who recently returned from a visit to Kurdish-controlled territories in northern Syria, said Turkey may either remain along the edges of Afrin or attempt to gain additional ground inside the enclave.
“This is when things could really turn dangerous,” he said. “I think it is unclear where things are moving from here. All eyes are on (US Secretary of State Rex) Tillerson’s visit to Ankara.”
Tillerson met Thursday with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and he and Turkish Foreign Minister Melvut Cavusoglu planned a news conference Friday after meetings were concluded. Ultimately, Ankara wants Washington to halt its support for the Syrian Kurdish militia.
Meanwhile, the offensive has emboldened Washington’s adversary, the Syrian government, which with Russia’s aid, is presenting itself as the solution to the bloody, unpredictable conundrum. Russia has tried to secure the return of some form of government presence to Afrin, asking the Kurdish militia to cede control of security and borders to Damascus.
Although the YPG rejected the proposal, it remains the only idea on the table and Kurdish commanders have recently called publicly on the Syrian government to assume its role guarding Afrin’s borders.
The UN, which has no access to Afrin, said it was “extremely difficult” to verify numbers of displaced, estimating in the first week of February that between 15,000 to 30,000 people were uprooted inside the enclave.
Local Kurdish official Arefeh Bakr said it was a struggle assisting people holed up with relatives in small apartments and caves to escape airstrikes. She herself is hosting 25 people in her home, relatives displaced from nearby villages.
“We don’t want aid or help,” Bakr said. “We just want an end to the airstrikes.”
Jiwan Mohamed, director of the Afrin general hospital, said with a staff of about 250 doctors and nurses, the hospital has so far been able to cope, but it was becoming overwhelming, particularly with a lack of blood transfer products and emergency kits. The UN said there are four other facilities in the district center, including one operated by a UN partner.
Fuel and food supplies have come in through government-held areas, ensuring that prices have not gone up. A water treatment plant was damaged, temporarily affecting supply to one area in the north.
According to the UN, local authorities have prevented people from leaving the enclave, except for critical medical cases allowed out by the Syrian government and Afrin authorities.
For Hassan, the return the Syrian government to Afrin is the least bad option. Although Afrin was one of the first areas to join the protests against the Syrian government that eventually turned into the current conflic, he said the prospect of Turkey-backed rebels swarming their town is frightening.
Dozens of videos have surfaced showing Turkey-backed rebels taking hostages in Afrin, mistreating the elderly and mutilating the body of a female Kurdish fighter.
“This shows what will happen to us,” Hassan said. “We are waiting in anticipation and watching videos.”
In Turkey, the offensive in Afrin is popular, playing to nationalist and anti-Kurdish sentiments ahead of the 2019 elections. Turkish opposition lawmaker and member of the defense committee, Dursun Cicek, said the operation is progressing slowly.
“But Turkey is not in any hurry,” he said.
Civilians have no place to run as Turkey offensive drags on
Civilians have no place to run as Turkey offensive drags on
Kurdish fighters leave northern city in Syria as part of deal with central government
- The fighters left the predominantly Kurdish northern neighborhoods of Sheikh Maksoud and Achrafieh
- The deal is a boost to an agreement reached last month
ALEPPO, Syria: Scores of US-backed Kurdish fighters left two neighborhoods in the Syrian Arab Republic’s northern city of Aleppo Friday as part of a deal with the central government in Damascus, which is expanding its authority in the country.
The fighters left the predominantly Kurdish northern neighborhoods of Sheikh Maksoud and Achrafieh, which had been under the control of Kurdish fighters in Aleppo over the past decade.
The deal is a boost to an agreement reached last month between Syria’s interim government and the Kurdish-led authority that controls the country’s northeast. The deal could eventually lead to the merger of the main US-backed force in Syria into the Syrian army.
The withdrawal of fighters from the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces came a day after dozens of prisoners from both sides were freed in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city.
Syria’s state news agency, SANA, reported that government forces were deployed along the road that SDF fighters will use to move between Aleppo and areas east of the Euphrates River, where the Kurdish-led force controls nearly a quarter of Syria.
Sheikh Maksoud and Achrafieh had been under SDF control since 2015 and remained so even when forces of ousted President Bashar Assad captured Aleppo in late 2016. The two neighborhoods remained under SDF control when forces loyal to current interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa captured the city in November, and days later captured the capital, Damascus, removing Assad from power.
After being marginalized for decades under the rule of the Assad family rule, the deal signed last month promises Syria’s Kurds “constitutional rights,” including using and teaching their language, which were banned for decades.
Hundreds of thousands of Kurds, who were displaced during Syria’s nearly 14-year civil war, will return to their homes. Thousands of Kurds living in Syria who have been deprived of nationality for decades under Assad will be given the right of citizenship, according to the agreement.
Kurds made up 10 percent of the country’s prewar population of 23 million. Kurdish leaders say they don’t want full autonomy with their own government and parliament. They want decentralization and room to run their day-to day-affairs.
King Abdullah, Bulgarian president co-chair Aqaba Process meetings in Sofia
- Initiative aims to bolster cooperation on security, counterterrorism issues
- King held separate talks with several regional leaders on sidelines of event
LONDON: King Abdullah II of Jordan and Bulgarian President Rumen Radev co-chaired the third round of the Aqaba Process meetings in Sofia on Friday, bringing together international leaders to address pressing security challenges in the Balkans and beyond, the Jordan News Agency reported.
The Aqaba Process Balkans III forum, jointly organized by Jordan and Bulgaria, tackled issues such as regional security, counterterrorism efforts, online radicalization and illegal migration. The participants also explored opportunities for greater international cooperation, including intelligence sharing and strategic partnerships in combating extremism.
Attending the event were heads of state, government officials and security representatives from Serbia, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Spain, Greece, Italy, France, the UK, US and Japan.
Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, King Abdullah’s personal envoy and chief adviser on religious and cultural affairs, was among the attendees, while several international organizations, including the EU, Interpol, Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, were also represented.
On the sidelines of the forum, King Abdullah held meetings with several regional leaders, including Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar, Albanian President Bajram Begaj, Kosovan President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
Launched by the king in 2015, the Aqaba Process is designed to enhance coordination between regional and international actors in the fight against terrorism and extremism. It fosters military, security and intelligence cooperation, focusing on counterterrorism strategies and the exchange of expertise.
Previous meetings have been hosted by Jordan, Albania, Brazil, Indonesia, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Rwanda, Singapore, Spain, the US and the UN General Assembly.
Discussions have covered diverse regions such as East Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, West Africa and the Sahel.
It’s not enough for audiences just to feel ‘sad,’ says Oscar-winning director of ‘No Other Land’
- ‘People need to use their voices to influence their governments and to hold Israel accountable for violating international law,’ Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra tells Arab News
- Adra, who addressed the UN in New York this week, says that the Oscar recognition was a moment of pride but has not resulted in any tangible changes for Palestinians
NEW YORK CITY: Basel Adra, the Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary film “No Other Land,” has garnered global attention for his compelling portrayal of the hardships faced by Palestinians in the West Bank, particularly his home region of Masafer Yatta.
The film chronicles the ongoing violence against, and forced displacement of, Palestinians at the hands of Israeli forces and settlers in an area designated a restricted military zone by Israel since the 1980s.
Despite all the accolades for the film over the past year, including the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards last month, Adra’s message remains one of urgency and resistance.
The filmmaker spoke with Arab News in New York about the continuing suffering of the Palestinian people, and underscored the fact that the situation has worsened despite the international recognition of his work.
“No Other Land” has sparked intense emotional responses from audiences worldwide but Adra believes the film should do more than just evoke feelings of sadness, it should inspire action.
“Audiences feel emotionally connected to the people of Masafer Yatta, to the land and to the cause,” he said. “But it’s not enough to just feel sorrow for them. People need to use their voices to influence their governments and to hold Israel accountable for violating international law.”
Adra, who had been invited to New York speak at the UN by the Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, continues to call for international pressure on Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territory.
During his speech, which followed a screening of his film that received a lengthy standing ovation from a full house, Adra made an impassioned plea: “I wanted the world to know that we live in this land, that we exist, and to see what we face on a daily basis — this brutal occupation.”
His film reveals the harsh realities of Palestinians who face violent evictions, the demolition of their homes and attacks by Israeli settlers, all under the protection of the Israeli military.
After a prolonged legal battle over the expulsion of residents from eight villages in Masafer Yatta, in 2022 the Israeli Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Israeli army and allowed the evictions to proceed.
Adra said that the recognition of the film by the Academy Awards, though a moment of pride, has not resulted in any tangible changes on the ground for Palestinians.
“Even after winning the Oscar, we went back to the same reality,” he lamented. In fact the situation has only gotten worse. While attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank had long been escalating, the situation has reached new heights of violence since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Last week, one of Adra’s co-directors, fellow Palestinian Hamdan Ballal, reported he had been attacked by Israeli settlers for winning the Oscar, and was detained by Israeli police for “hurling rocks,” during which he suffered a beating and “brutality.”
In a somber reflection, Adra acknowledged the growing risks to Palestinian communities in Masafer Yatta and reiterated the urgent need for the world to act.
“There’s no time to wait,” he said. “The international community needs to take serious action now. Otherwise, Israel will continue with its aggression.”
Though widely acclaimed, the documentary has sparked mixed reactions from some, particularly regarding the involvement of Yuval Abraham, one of two Israeli co-directors of the film (the other is Rachel Szor), a figure some critics felt represented a form of “normalization” of Israeli policies.
Adra firmly rejected this suggestion and said such criticism makes him “very sad,” adding: “The last thing I want is to normalize the occupation. Everything I do with Yuval is activism, to change this and to end the occupation.”
Despite the challenges, Adra said his bond with his co-director remains strong.
“Now, we are allies and we are activists. We will continue to fight,” he added, affirming their shared mission to end the occupation and the system of apartheid Israel operates in the Palestinian territories.
Looking ahead, Adra said his work continues to be driven by the hope of a better future for his people. He plans to return to Palestine soon, and his message to the Palestinian people remains consistent: “To keep standing strong, not to give up, and to hold on. We have to keep being alive.”
Despite the critical acclaim, Oscar recognition and other awards it has received, “No Other Land” has has found it difficult to secure widespread distribution, particularly in the US.
In a world where the cost of inaction is high, Adra said he will continue to work tirelessly for justice in an attempt to compel audiences and governments around the world to reflect on their role in the ongoing conflict and take responsibility for the lives that are affected.
In Tunisia, snails inch toward replacing red meat as people turn to cheaper protein
- Snails have been consumed in Tunisia for more than seven millenia
- Low in fat and high in iron, calcium and magnesium, snails offer both nutritional value and economic relief
AKOUDA, Tunisia: In fields outside their hometown in central Tunisia, an increasing number of unemployed young men are seeking a new way to make a living, picking snails off of rocks and leaves and collecting them in large plastic bags to take to the local market to be sold.
More and more people, they say, are buying the shelled wanderers as the price of market staples remains high and out of reach for many families.
“They’re profitable, beneficial and quite in demand,” said Karim, a 29-year-old snail seller from the village of Akouda said.
Snails have been consumed in Tunisia for more than seven millenia, according to research published last year in the journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. In today’s world considered mostly a bistro delicacy, they’re again gaining traction in Tunisia as a practical alternative to red meat — a protein-rich substitute that pairs perfectly with salt, spices, and bold seasonings.
The snails are a lifeline for some in Tunisia, where youth unemployment now hovers above 40 percent and inflation remains high, three years after spiking to its highest levels in decades. A lack of opportunity has fueled social discontent throughout the country and, increasingly, migration to Europe.
Low in fat and high in iron, calcium and magnesium, snails offer both nutritional value and economic relief. In a country where unemployment runs high and median wages remain low, they cost about half as much as beef per kilogram and often less when sold by the bowl.
“Snails are better for cooking than lamb. If lamb meat costs 60 dinars ($19.30), a bowl of snails is five dinars ($1.60),” a man named Mohammed said at the Akouda market.
As the price of meat and poultry continues to rise, more Tunisians are turning to affordable, alternative sources of protein. Beyond their economic appeal, these substitutes are also drawing interest for their environmental benefits. Scientists say they offer a more sustainable solution, producing far fewer carbon emissions and avoiding the deforestation linked to traditional livestock farming.
Wahiba Dridi, who serves snails at her restaurant in Tunis, cooks them in a traditional fashion with peppers and spices. She said they were popular throughout this year’s Ramadan, which ended last week. Though Tunisian Muslims traditionally eat red meat at the meals during which they break their daily fasts, a kilogram of snails costs less than 28 Tunisian dinars ($9) compared to beef, which costs 55 dinars per kilogram ($18).
“If people knew the value of snails they would eat them all year long,” Dridi said.
Israel kills Hamas commander in Lebanon strike
- PM Nawaf Salam condemns targeting of civilians in Sidon, violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty
BEIRUT: Israel killed a commander of Hamas on Friday in a pre-dawn strike in the Lebanese port city of Sidon that also killed his two children.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described the strike as a “blatant violation of Lebanese sovereignty” and a breach of the ceasefire established on Nov. 27 with Israel.
He urged for maximum pressure on Israel to stop ongoing attacks that target various districts, many of which are residential areas, affirming that all military operations must cease.
The Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, confirmed the death of Hassan Farhat, also known as Abu Yasser.
According to a statement from his media office, Salam said: “Targeting Saida (Sidon) or any other area in Lebanon is a blatant violation of Lebanese sovereignty and a clear breach of UN Resolution 1701, as well as the security arrangement agreement regarding the cessation of hostilities.”
Lebanese state media had reported the 3:45 a.m. (0045 GMT) strike in Sidon.
A drone attacked a residential apartment, resulting in two explosions that caused a fire and significant damage, the National News Agency reported.
Sidon Mayor Hazem Badih stated that the raid resulted in the deaths of a father, his son Hamza, and his daughter Jinane.
It also destroyed the apartment and its contents, damaging neighboring apartments and buildings.
Media reports from Sidon indicated that the husband’s daughter was associated with the “Islamic Group in Lebanon.”
The Israeli raid caused damage to nearby buildings, shops, and parked cars, resulting in panic among residents.
Sidon is located less than 50 km from the southern border and 45 km from Beirut.
It is home to the Ain Al-Helweh camp, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon.
Over the decades, many of its residents have opted to live in the city rather than in the overcrowded neighborhoods of the camp.
Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee stated that the military carried out an operation directed by the Northern Command and the Intelligence Directorate.
Adraee said the objective was to target Farhat, the commander of the Western Sector of Hamas in Lebanon, who is based in the Sidon area of southern Lebanon.
The army claimed that Farhat orchestrated multiple attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians during the hostilities that followed the outbreak of war in Gaza in October 2023.
Adraee also stated that Farhat had promoted plans against Israel in recent months, posing a threat to the country and its citizens. This included the rocket fire on the Israeli town of Safed on Feb. 14, 2024, which resulted in the death of an Israeli soldier, according to the military.
Hamas stated that Farhat was “assassinated by an Israeli military drone in his apartment on the fourth floor of a seven-story building in a neighborhood of Saida, southern Lebanon. He was killed along with his two children by two guided missiles while they were sleeping.”
The Palestinian movement stated that the target was a commander of the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, and his son was a member of Hamas’ military wing.
This is the second Israeli assassination in a matter of days, following the killing of a Hezbollah official at his apartment on the second day of Eid Al-Fitr in the southern suburb of Beirut.
Also on Friday, Lebanon’s prime minister met with a delegation of mayors from border villages that were destroyed by the Israeli army during its conflict with Hezbollah, preventing residents from returning.
Salam reiterated his support for the residents in their efforts to secure essential assistance from the government to rebuild their destroyed homes and emphasized that the government was continuing its efforts to end the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon.
He stated that the initial phase of the reconstruction process will prioritize repairing infrastructure, including roads, and ensuring the provision of water, electricity, and communication services.
A plan is being developed with the World Bank to ensure fairness among different villages and towns.
Salam highlighted the importance of maintaining stability, which requires implementing measures to ensure the safety and dignified existence of citizens.
Qassem Al-Qadri, the mayor of Kfar Shouba, stated that the border villages were facing difficult conditions, with a severe lack of security.
Al-Qadri claimed that the presence of the state in “our villages is still very limited” and that the government had not yet assessed all the damages nor reached every village.
He stated that the assistance at present primarily included food aid, while “we urgently require electricity, water, and infrastructure.”
Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said that the recent Israeli airstrike on Sidon constituted a clear violation of Lebanese sovereignty.
He said that if UN Resolution 1701 is to be enforced, it should be emphasized that Israel is the main violator of both the resolution and the agreement that established it.
The countries sponsoring this agreement, namely the US and France, must urge Israel to stop its attacks on Lebanon, he added.
In the border town of Kafr Kila, residents found flyers posted on the walls of their damaged homes amid ongoing Israeli military actions.
The flyers warned that their homes would be targeted if members of Hezbollah used them, stating: “Do not allow Hezbollah members to return to their homes or the area. Hezbollah is putting you and your family at risk. The choice is yours.”
