DAMASCUS: France raised its flag at its Damascus embassy on Tuesday for the first time in 12 years and European Union officials prepared to engage with the new Syrian leadership, a sign of the growing contacts after Bashar Assad was ousted as president.
Western states are gradually opening channels to the new authorities in Damascus led by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham and its leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa, though they continue to designate the group as terrorists.
As well as France and Britain, which sent a team to meet Sharaa on Monday, Germany is also planning meetings with the new administration and the European Union said on Tuesday it will also establish contacts.
Nine days after Assad was ousted, the new prime minister installed by Sharaa’s Islamist HTS group said the government was grappling with very low currency reserves and called for sanctions imposed on the ousted government to be lifted.
Sharaa’s group was part of Al-Qaeda until he broke ties in 2016. It had been confined to a northwest corner of Syria for years until this month when the army melted away as it swept into Damascus.
France said its raising of the flag did not automatically mean it would reopen its embassy.
During his meeting with British officials, Sharaa, formerly known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed Al-Golani, called for countries to restore ties and lift sanctions on Syria to help refugees return home, Syria’s state news agency SANA reported.
SANA released photos of Sharaa sitting in a suit with an open shirt during the meeting with the British. Sharaa “spoke about the need to build a state of law and institutions, and establishing security,” SANA reported. “He also spoke about Britain’s important role internationally.”
Assad’s fall, a blow to Syria’s longstanding Russian and Iranian allies, could potentially open the way for Western states to reopen contacts with Damascus. But for now at least, that requires manoeuvring around both the terrorism designation imposed on HTS during its days as an Al-Qaeda affiliate and financial sanctions imposed on Damascus under Assad.
German diplomats are also planning talks with representatives of HTS in Damascus on Tuesday, the German foreign ministry said. A German foreign ministry spokesperson said the talks would focus on a transitional process for Syria and the protection of minorities.
“The possibilities of a diplomatic presence in Damascus are also being explored there,” the spokesperson added in a statement, reiterating that Berlin was monitoring HTS closely in light of its roots in Al-Qaeda ideology.
“As far as one can tell, they have acted prudently so far,” the spokesperson said.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, whose country was the biggest backer of rebels during the civil war, said an inclusive administration was now needed in Damascus and called on the European Union to support the return of refugees.
In an interview with Al Jazeera Mubasher, the newly installed Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Bashir said the defense ministry would be restructured using former rebel factions and officers who defected from Assad’s army.
Syria has many ethnic and sectarian minority groups, some of whom have worried about how they might be treated under the rule of groups such as HTS with roots in Sunni Islamist militancy.
Asked what he would say to those worried about a single religious or political group dominating Syria, Bashir said: “Those who are afraid...of a religion trend or anything else don’t truly understand Islam, the forgiveness of Islam, the justice of Islam.”
“Syria is for all Syrians,” he said. “Everyone is a partner for us building the Syria of the future.”
Bashir, who formerly led an HTS-affiliated government in Idlib province, has said he will remain in office until March.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday the European Union should be ready to ease sanctions on Syria if the country’s new leadership takes “positive steps” to establish an inclusive government and respect women’s and minority rights.
UN humanitarian coordinator Tom Fletcher said he had also met Sharaa, posting on social media: “we have basis for ambitious scaling up of vital humanitarian support” for Syria.
The Syrian conflict, which spiralled out of a 2011 uprising against Assad’s repressive rule, drove millions of Syrians abroad as refugees, including around 1 million who went to Germany.
France returns flag to Damascus embassy as new Syria authorities build contacts with West
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France returns flag to Damascus embassy as new Syria authorities build contacts with West
- UK sends team to meet Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham and its leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa
- German diplomats also plan talks with representatives of HTS in Damascus
Anti-Hamas slogans chanted at hundreds-strong protest in Gaza
- Palestinians in Beit Lahia shouted anti-Hamas slogans at a protest, calling for an end to the war with Israel
BEIT LAHIA: Hundreds of Palestinians shouted anti-Hamas slogans at a protest in northern Gaza on Tuesday calling for an end to the war with Israel, witnesses said.
“Hamas out” and “Hamas terrorists” were chanted by the mostly male demonstrators in Beit Lahia, where the crowd had gathered a week after the Israeli army resumed its intense bombing of Gaza following nearly two months of a truce.
On the social media network Telegram, at least one appeal to protest was circulating on Tuesday.
“I don’t know who organized the protest,” said Mohammed, a demonstrator who declined to give his last name for fear of reprisals.
“I took part to send a message on behalf of the people: Enough with the war,” he said, adding that he had seen “members of the Hamas security forces in civilian clothing breaking up the protest.”
Majdi, another protester who did not wish to give his full name, said the “people are tired.”
“If Hamas leaving power in Gaza is the solution, why doesn’t Hamas give up power to protect the people?” he asked.
The Gaza Strip has been devastated by more than 17 months of war between Israel and Hamas, with the humanitarian situation again deteriorating after Israel blocked the passage of aid into the territory on March 2 in an attempt to force the militants to release Israeli hostages.
Since Israel resumed its military operations in Gaza, at least 792 Palestinians have been killed, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
The war was sparked by the militant group’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 50,021 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry.
Syria slams ‘flagrant’ Israeli violation after deadly bombardment
- Syrian foreign ministry in a statement condemned “the continued Israeli aggression on Syrian territory, which saw a dangerous escalation in the village of Kuwayya”
DAMASCUS: Syria slammed Israeli attacks as a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty after deadly bombardment Tuesday in the country’s south, where Israel’s military said it had responded to incoming fire.
The violence near the UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights followed Israeli air strikes in central Syria, the latest in a string of attacks on military sites since militants overthrew longtime president Bashar Assad.
The Syrian foreign ministry in a statement condemned “the continued Israeli aggression on Syrian territory, which saw a dangerous escalation in the village of Kuwayya” in the southern Daraa province.
It said “heavy artillery and air bombardment targeted residential and farming areas, leading to the death of six civilians,” raising an earlier toll provided by local authorities.
“This escalation comes in the context of a series of violations that started with Israeli forces’ penetrating into Quneitra and Daraa provinces, in an ongoing aggression on Syrian territory, in flagrant violation of national sovereignty and international law,” the ministry said.
Earlier Tuesday, the Israeli military said that its troops “identified several terrorists who opened fire toward them in southern Syria,” without providing a specific location.
“The troops returned fire in response and the IAF (air force) struck the terrorists,” it added in a statement.
Daraa governor Anwar Al-Zoabi said in a statement that “Israeli occupation army violations and repeated attacks on Syrian territory pushed a group of residents to clash with a military force that tried to penetrate” Kuwayya, northwest of Daraa city.
The situation “led to an escalation” by Israeli forces “with artillery shelling and drone bombardment,” said the statement posted on Telegram.
Provincial authorities said some 350 families had fled to shelters in a nearby village.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor that relies on a network of sources inside Syria, has reported near-daily Israeli military incursions into southern Syria beyond the demarcation line in recent months.
The foreign ministry in neighboring Jordan condemned Tuesday’s incursion and bombardment as “a dangerous escalation” that risked fueling “further conflict and tension in the region.”
Qatar’s foreign ministry in a statement also slammed the attack, calling it “a brazen violation of international law.”
Israel has launched hundreds of strikes on military sites since Assad’s fall in December, saying it wants to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of the new authorities, whom it considers extremists.
On Tuesday the Israeli military said it had “struck military capabilities that remained at the Syrian military bases of Tadmur and T4,” referring to a base in Palmyra and another 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of the city.
On Friday, the military carried out strikes on the same bases.
Israel has also deployed troops to the Golan Heights buffer zone, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded the demilitarization of southern Syria, which borders the Israeli-annexed Golan.
United Nations special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen told the Security Council on Tuesday that he was “concerned by Israeli statements on the intention to stay in Syria” and demands for the full demilitarization of the south.
At an Arab summit in Cairo in early March, Syria’s interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa called on the international community to pressure Israel to “immediately” withdraw its troops from southern Syria, calling it a “direct threat” to peace in the region.
Israel army kills Palestinian identified as Hamas fighter in West Bank
- Palestinian ministry of health said a young man it identified as 19-year-old Baraa Yusuf was killed by Israeli forces
- Israel’s police, military and internal intelligence agency said Israeli forces killed a Palestinian “who was planning an imminent attack“
RAMALLAH: Israel’s security forces said they killed a Palestinian, identified by Hamas as one of its fighters, in a raid in the occupied West Bank city of Qalqilya before dawn on Tuesday.
The Ramallah-based Palestinian ministry of health said a young man it identified as 19-year-old Baraa Yusuf was killed by Israeli forces in the early morning in Qalqilya.
In a joint statement, Israel’s police, military and internal intelligence agency said Israeli forces killed a Palestinian “who was planning an imminent attack” in a raid carried out “during the night.”
They said the target of the raid “intended to carry out an attack against Israeli civilians in the immediate future” and began firing at police officers, who returned fire, killing him.
The statement said two other individuals “were neutralized” during the exchange of fire, in which Israeli forces used “shoulder-launched missiles, an explosive drone, and live ammunition.”
The official Palestinian news agency Wafa cited Palestinian security sources as saying that the Israeli army opened fire on Yusuf while he was inside a shop, wounding two other Palestinians after he refused to surrender.
Hamas said on Telegram that Yusuf, known as “Miskawi,” was a member of its armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades.
He had been released in November 2023 as part of a hostage-prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel during an early truce in the war in Gaza.
Violence has soared throughout the West Bank since the war in Gaza broke out.
Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 913 Palestinians, including many militants, in the West Bank since the start of the war, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
At least 32 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations, according to official Israeli figures.
King of Jordan visits Abu Dhabi for meeting, iftar banquet with UAE president
- Leaders discussed regional developments, focusing on halting the Israeli war in Gaza
- Sheikh Mohamed hosted a Ramadan iftar banquet in honor of King Abdullah
LONDON: King Abdullah II of Jordan arrived in the UAE for a fraternal visit on Tuesday.
He was warmly welcomed at Al-Bateen Airport by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the Emirates News Agency reported.
The two leaders affirmed the strong historical relationship between their countries during a meeting at Al-Bateen Palace in Abu Dhabi.
They discussed regional developments, focusing on halting the Israeli war in Gaza, ensuring humanitarian aid entry and opposing Palestinian displacement, the Petra News Agency reported.
Sheikh Mohamed hosted a Ramadan iftar banquet in honor of King Abdullah and his accompanying delegation, the Petra added.
High-ranking Emirati officials attended, including Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, vice president; Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, minister of interior; and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, minister of foreign affairs. Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi were also present.
Jordan eases entry regulations to boost tourism and investment
- New measures will grant easier access to the country for residents of Gulf nations, the US, Canada and European countries, among others
- Entry eligibility for Syrian nationals also expanded; new rules for visitors from South Sudan and Libya in an effort to boost medical tourism
AMMAN: Jordan has introduced new regulations for entry to the country that are designed, officials said, to enhance the country’s appeal as a global tourism and investment hub.
The revised measures, part of Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision, were announced on Tuesday by Tareq Majali, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior. He said the new policies simplify entry requirements for many foreign nationals, making it easier for visitors and investors to visit Jordan.
The updated regulations mean that residents of Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea and all European nations can now enter Jordan without prior approval, provided they hold residency permits in those countries valid for at least four months, the Jordan News Agency reported
The ministry has also expanded entry eligibility for Syrian nationals, allowing them to enter from all European countries rather than restricting them only to those that are members of the EU. In addition, citizens of South Sudan and Libya will no longer require prior approval to enter, in an attempt to bolster medical tourism and capitalize on the strong healthcare sector in Jordan.
In a further move to ease entry requirements, Jordan will permit foreign nationals who require prior approval to be assessed based on the entry conditions of their countries of residence, as long as they hold a residency permit valid for at least four months. Holders of Schengen and US visas will also be granted entry to Jordan, even if those visas have not been used previously.
A highlight of the new regulations is the introduction of a five-year, multiple-entry visa, issued at border crossings, that will allow holders to remain in Jordan for up to three months per visit without requiring them to report to security centers.
In a related move, domestic workers who accompany either Jordanian sponsors who reside in the Gulf or citizens of GCC countries will be eligible for a three-month temporary residency permit. This is designed to facilitate visits by Jordanian expatriates and their regional counterparts.
Majali encouraged travelers to make use of the electronic services provided by the ministry through its official website to streamline entry procedures.
