BEIRUT: Insurgents’ stunning march across Syria gained speed on Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and with the government forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country.
The militants’ moves around Damascus, reported by an opposition war monitor and an insurgent commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters.
The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in Al-Qaeda and is considered a terrorist organization by the US and the United Nations. As they have advanced, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army.
The UN’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute.
In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands rushed the Syria border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country.
Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those that remained open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some shops were selling items at three times the normal price.
“The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions.
“People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.”
It was the first time that opposition forces reach the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege.
Assad’s status
Amid the developments, Syria’s state media denied rumors flooding social media that Assad has left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus.
Assad’s chief international backer, Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine. Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad’s forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran, meanwhile, has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes.
Pedersen said a date for the talks in Geneva on the implementation of UN Resolution 2254 would be announced later. The resolution, adopted in 2015, called for a Syrian-led political process, starting with the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with UN-supervised elections.
The insurgents’ march
Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were also marching from eastern Syria toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added.
A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus.
Syria’s military, meanwhile, sent large numbers of reinforcements to defend the key central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as insurgents approached its outskirts.
The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama, the country’s fourth largest city.
HTS leader Abu Mohammed Al-Golani told CNN in an interview Thursday from Syria that the aim is to overthrow Assad’s government.
The Britain-based Observatory said Syrian troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces and are sending reinforcements to Homs, where a battle is looming. If the insurgents capture Homs, they would cut the link between Damascus, Assad’s seat of power, and the coastal region where the president enjoys wide support.
The Syrian army said in a statement Saturday that it has carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists.” The army said it is setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south.
The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011.
After the fall of the cities of Daraa and Sweida early Saturday, Syrian government forces remained in control of five provincial capitals — Damascus, Homs and Quneitra, as well as Latakia and Tartus on the Mediterranean coast.
Tartus is home to the only Russian naval base outside the former Soviet Union while Latakia is home to a major Russian air base.
Diplomacy in Doha
In Qatar, the foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkiye met to discuss the situation in Syria. Turkiye is a main backer of the militants.
Qatar’s top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said.
Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the militants have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process.
After the fall of the cities of Daraa and Sweida early Saturday, Syrian government forces remained in control of five provincial capitals — Damascus, Homs and Quneitra, as well as Latakia and Tartus on the Mediterranean coast.
On Friday, US-backed fighters of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces captured wide parts of the eastern province of Deir Ezzor that borders Iraq as well as the provincial capital that carries the same name. The capture of areas in Deir Ezzor is a blow to Iran’s influence in the region as the area is the gateway to the corridor linking the Mediterranean to Iran, a supply line for Iran-backed fighters, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
With the capture of a main border crossing with Iraq by the SDF and after opposition fighters took control of the Naseeb border crossing to Jordan in southern Syria, the Syrian government’s only gateway to the outside world is the Masnaa border crossing with Lebanon.
Syrian insurgents reach Damascus suburbs as residents flee or stock up on supplies
https://arab.news/v666b
Syrian insurgents reach Damascus suburbs as residents flee or stock up on supplies
- Thousands rushed Syria border with Lebanon, trying to leave country
- Pace of events raised fears of fresh wave of regional instability
Israel ultra-Orthodox party threatens government over draft law
JERUSALEM: Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Shas party on Monday threatened to bring down Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government by backing a motion for early elections amid a row over military service.
Netanyahu’s coalition, one of the most right-wing in Israel’s history, is at risk of collapsing over a bill that could reverse the long-standing exemption from the draft for ultra-Orthodox Jews.
The exemption is facing growing pushback as Israel wages war on Palestinian Islamist militants Hamas in Gaza.
Netanyahu is under pressure from within his Likud party to draft more ultra-Orthodox men and impose penalties on draft dodgers — a red line for Shas.
The party is demanding legislation to permanently exempt its followers from military service and gave Netanyahu two days to find a solution.
“We don’t want to bring down a right-wing government, but we’ve reached our limit,” Shas spokesperson Asher Medina told public radio.
“If there’s no last-minute solution (on conscription), we’ll vote to dissolve the Knesset,” he said, referring to the Israeli parliament.
Last week, a Shas source told AFP the party was threatening to quit the coalition unless a solution was reached by Monday.
The opposition is seeking to place a bill to dissolve parliament on Wednesday’s plenary agenda, hoping to capitalize on the ultra-Orthodox revolt to topple the government.
Netanyahu’s coalition, formed in December 2022, includes Likud, far-right factions and ultra-Orthodox parties. A walkout by the latter would end its majority.
A poll published in March by right-wing daily Israel Hayom found 85 percent of Israeli Jews support changing the conscription law for Haredim.
Forty-one percent backed compulsory military service — currently 32 months for men — for all eligible members of the community.
British surgeon says only people she saw in Gaza with guns were Israeli troops
- Dr. Victoria Rose saw no evidence for claims that Hamas uses hospitals as bases
- Palestinian enclave’s population ‘on their knees’ with ‘a lot of avoidable deaths’
LONDON: A British surgeon who worked in Gaza has said she never saw anyone in the Palestinian enclave with weapons except Israeli soldiers.
Dr. Victoria Rose told Sky News that there had been a “real escalation in the bombing campaign” in Gaza that had left the population “on their knees.”
Hospitals, despite being protected under international law, have frequently been targeted by Israel since the war began in October 2023.
The Israel Defense Forces claim that hospitals are often used as bases by Hamas, but the National Health Service plastic surgeon said she had seen no evidence that this is the case.
Rose told the “Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips” program: “I’ve never treated or seen anyone — in any of the hospitals that I’ve worked in — in military uniform or with a weapon. The only people I’ve ever seen in Gaza with military uniforms and weapons are the IDF.”
She said the toll that the war is taking on medics in Gaza is catastrophic, adding: “Lots of my Palestinian colleagues were telling me that they’d rather die than carry on with this war.”
The public health situation in Gaza has been worsened by the ongoing food crisis in the enclave, with vital aid being blocked from entering by the Israeli military for several months.
Rose said malnutrition is a severe problem in Gaza, especially among children. When she was in the enclave, “infection rates were soaring,” she added.
“We were seeing a lot of avoidable deaths, a lot of small children dying from sepsis that would’ve been prevented if they’d been in in the Western world.”
Contractor in Syria uncovers a surprise beneath the rubble: an ancient tomb complex
MARAAT AL-NUMAN, Syria: A contractor digging into the earth where the rubble of a destroyed house had been cleared away in northern Syria stumbled across a surprise: the remains of an underground Byzantine tomb complex believed to be more than 1,500 years old.
The discovery emerged last month in the town of Maarat Al-Numan in Idlib province, which is strategically located on the route between the cities of Aleppo and Damascus. The community became a touchpoint in the nearly 14-year Syrian civil war that ended with the fall of former President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive in December.
Assad’s forces seized the area back from opposition control in 2020. Houses were looted and demolished. Aerial images of the area show many houses still standing but without roofs.
Now residents are beginning to return and rebuild. In the course of a reconstruction project, stone openings were uncovered indicating the presence of ancient graves. Residents notified the directorate of antiquities, which dispatched a specialized team to inspect and secure the site.
Aboveground, it’s a residential neighborhood with rows of cinder-block buildings, many of them damaged in the war. Next to one of those buildings, a pit leads down to the openings of two burial chambers, each containing six stone tombs. The sign of the cross is etched into the top of one stone column.
“Based on the presence of the cross and the pottery and glass pieces that were found, this tomb dates back to the Byzantine era,” said Hassan Al-Ismail, director of antiquities in Idlib. He noted that the discovery adds to an already rich collection of archaeological sites in the area.
Idlib “has a third of the monuments of Syria, containing 800 archaeological sites in addition to an ancient city,” Al-Ismail said.
The Byzantine Empire, which began in the 4th century AD, was a continuation of the Roman empire with its capital in Constantinople — today’s Istanbul — and Christianity as its official religion.
Abandoned Byzantine-era settlements called Dead Cities stretch across rocky hills and plains in northwest Syria, their weathered limestone ruins featuring remnants of stone houses, basilicas, tombs and colonnaded streets.
In the past, the owners of sites where archaeological ruins were found sometimes covered them up, fearful that their property would be seized to preserve the ruins, said Ghiath Sheikh Diab, a resident of Maarat Al-Numan who witnessed the moment when the tomb complex was uncovered.
He said he hoped the new government will fairly compensate property owners in such cases and provide assistance to the displaced people who have returned to the area to find their homes destroyed.
The years of war led to significant damage to Syria’s archaeological sites, not only from bombing but from looting and unauthorized digging.
Some see in the ruins a sign of hope for economic renewal.
Another local resident, Abed Jaafar, came with his son to explore the newly discovered tombs and take pictures.
“In the old days, a lot of foreign tourists used to come to Maarat just to see the ruins,” he said. “We need to take care of the antiquities and restore them and return them to the way they were before … and this will help to bring back the tourism and the economy.”
Palestinians say Israeli fire kills 12 near aid sites, Israel says it fired warning shots
- Palestinian health officials and witnesses say Israeli fire killed at least 12 people as they headed toward two aid distribution points in Gaza
- The past two weeks have seen frequent shootings near the new hubs where thousands of Palestinians are directed to collect food
DEIR AL-BALAH: Israeli fire killed at least 12 people and wounded others as they headed toward two aid distribution points in the Gaza Strip run by an Israeli and US-backed group, Palestinian health officials and witnesses said Sunday. Israel’s military said it fired warning shots at people who approached its forces.
The past two weeks have seen frequent shootings near the new hubs where thousands of Palestinians — desperate after 20 months of war — are being directed to collect food. Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed, according to Gaza hospital officials.
In all, at least 108 bodies were brought to hospitals in Gaza over the past 24 hours, the territory’s Health Ministry said. Israel’s military said it struck dozens of militant targets throughout Gaza over the past day.
Eleven of the latest bodies were brought to Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis. Palestinian witnesses said Israeli forces fired on some at a roundabout around a kilometer (half-mile) from a site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, or GHF, in nearby Rafah.
Israel’s military said it fired warning shots at approaching “suspects” who ignored warnings to turn away. It said the shooting happened in an area that is considered an active combat zone at night.
Al-Awda Hospital said it received the body of a man and 29 people who were wounded near another GHF aid distribution point in central Gaza. The military said it fired warning shots in the area at around 6:40 a.m., but didn’t see any casualties.
A GHF official said there was no violence in or around its distribution sites, all three of which delivered aid on Sunday. The group closed them temporarily last week to discuss safety measures with Israel’s military and has warned people to stay on designated access routes. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
The new aid hubs are set up inside Israeli military zones where independent media have no access. The GHF also said it was piloting direct delivery to a community north of Rafah.
Witnesses fear for their safety
Witnesses said the first shootings in southern Gaza took place at around 6 a.m., when they were told the site would open. Many headed toward it early, seeking desperately needed food before crowds arrived.
Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians are almost completely reliant on international aid because nearly all food production capabilities have been destroyed.
Adham Dahman, who was at Nasser Hospital with a bandage on his chin, said a tank fired toward them.
“We didn’t know how to escape,” he said. “This is trap for us, not aid.”
Zahed Ben Hassan said someone next to him was shot in the head.
“They said it was a safe area from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. ... So why did they start shooting at us?” he said. “There was light out, and they have their cameras and can clearly see us.”
The military announced on Friday that the sites would be open during those hours, and the areas would be a closed military zone the rest of the time.
Children cried over their father’s body at the hospital.
“I can’t see you like this, Dad!” one girl said.
Aid distributed inside Israeli military zones
The new aid hubs are run by GHF, a new group of mainly American contractors. Israel wants it to replace a system coordinated by the United Nations and international aid groups.
Israel and the United States accuse the Hamas militant group of stealing aid. The UN denies there is systematic diversion. The UN says the new system is unable to meet mounting needs, allows Israel to use aid as a weapon by determining who can receive it and forces people to relocate to where aid sites are positioned.
The UN system has struggled to deliver aid, even after Israel eased its blockade of Gaza last month. UN officials say their efforts are hindered by Israeli military restrictions, the breakdown of law and order and widespread looting.
Experts warned earlier this year that Gaza was at critical risk of famine, if Israel didn’t lift its blockade and halt its military campaign. Both were renewed in March.
Israeli officials have said the offensive will continue until all hostages are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent into exile.
Israel says it identified Hamas chief Mohammed Sinwar’s body
On Sunday, Israel’s military invited journalists into Khan Younis to show a tunnel under the European Hospital, saying they found the body of Mohammed Sinwar, the head of Hamas’ armed wing, there after he was killed last month. Israel has barred international journalists from entering Gaza independently since the war began.
“(Israeli forces) would prefer not to hit or target hospitals,” army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said. Sinwar’s body was found in a room under the hospital’s emergency room, Defrin said.
Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Talks mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar have been deadlocked for months.
Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 54,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It says women and children make up most of the dead, but doesn’t say how many civilians or combatants were killed. Israel says it has killed more than 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.
The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90 percent of its population.
Israeli forces seize Gaza-bound aid boat and detain Greta Thunberg and other activists
- Operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the British-flagged Madleen boat headed toward the Gaza Strip
- Gaza’s health ministry says over 54,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israel’s military campaign
JERUSALEM: Israeli forces seized a Gaza-bound aid boat and detained Greta Thunberg and other activists who were on board early Monday, enforcing a longstanding blockade of the Palestinian territory that has been tightened during the war with Hamas.
The activists had set out to protest Israel’s ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which is among the deadliest and most destructive since World War II, and its restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid, both of which have put the territory of some 2 million Palestinians at risk of famine.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which had organized the voyage, said the activists were “kidnapped by Israeli forces” while trying to deliver desperately needed aid to the territory.
“The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo— including baby formula, food and medical supplies— confiscated,” it said in a statement.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry cast the voyage as a public relations stunt, saying in a post on X that “the ‘selfie yacht’ of the ‘celebrities’ is safely making its way to the shores of Israel.” The boat was expected to arrive at the Israeli port of Ashdod later on Monday.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Vessel aimed to deliver aid, raise awareness of Gaza crisis
• Crew includes climate activist Greta Thunberg
• Israel says all aboard are safe, heading to an Israeli port
• UN rapporteur urges more boats to challenge Gaza blockade
The Foreign Ministry said the activists would return to their home countries and the aid would be sent to Gaza through established channels. It circulated footage of what appeared to be Israeli military personnel handing out sandwiches and water to the activists, who were wearing orange life vests.
A weeklong voyage
Thunberg, a climate campaigner, was among 12 activists aboard the Madleen, which set sail from Sicily a week ago. Along the way, it had stopped on Thursday to rescue four migrants who had jumped overboard to avoid being detained by the Libyan coast guard.
“I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible,” Thunberg said in a pre-recorded message released after the ship was halted.
Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, was also among the volunteers on board. She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians.
After a 2½-month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel started allowing some basic aid into Gaza last month, but humanitarian workers and experts have warned of famine unless the blockade is lifted and Israel ends its military offensive.
Turkey slammed Israel for intercepting a Gaza-bound boat carrying activists including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg early on Monday, describing it as a “heinous attack”.
“The intervention by Israeli forces on the ‘Madleen’ ship.. while sailing in international waters is a clear violation of international law,” it said, describing it as a “heinous attack” by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza by sea failed after another of the group’s vessels was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off Malta, organizers said. The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the front section of the ship.
Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, while critics say it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza’s Palestinian population.
Israel sealed Gaza off from all aid in the early days of the war ignited by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, but later relented under US pressure. In early March, shortly before Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas, the country again blocked all imports, including food, fuel and medicine.
