NAWA, Syria: Israeli strikes in Syrian Arab Republic reportedly killed at least nine people in the southwest of the country on Thursday, as Israel accused Turkiye of trying to build a “protectorate” in Syria.
Syrian state news agency SANA said that those who died in the strikes were civilians, without giving details.
Israel had also struck five cities in Syria late Wednesday, including more than a dozen strikes near a strategic air base in the city of Hama, where Turkiye, a key ally of interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, reportedly has interests in having a military presence.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the strikes had resulted in the “near-total destruction of the Hama military airport and the injury of dozens of civilians and military personnel.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Turkiye of playing a “negative role” in Syria.
“They are doing their utmost to have Syria as a Turkish protectorate, it’s clear that this is their intention,” he told a news conference in Paris on Thursday. “We don’t think that it was good when Syria was an Iranian proxy .... And we don’t think that Syria should be” a Turkish protectorate.”
Turkiye’s Foreign Ministry responded with a statement accusing Israel of “undermining efforts to establish stability in Syria.”
“Israel has become the greatest threat to the security of our region with its attacks targeting the territorial integrity and national unity of the countries in the region,” it said.
Israel has seized parts of southwestern Syria and created a buffer zone there since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, saying it’s to secure Israel’s safety from armed groups. But critics say the military operations have created tensions in Syria and aim to prevent any long-term stability and reconstruction for the war-torn country.
In the city of Nawa in western Daraa province, thousands took part in a procession through the streets to bury the dead.
Imad al Basri, an activist from the city, said that Israeli forces had advanced on Nawa for the first time on Thursday and arrived to the surrounding rural area when “people started to come out with light arms to the area of the incursion and there was an exchange of fire from both sides.”
Israeli soldiers withdrew and the Israeli military began to target the area with artillery shelling and airstrikes, he said, adding that ambulances were prevented from reaching the wounded and dead until the morning. He called on Syria’s new rulers to take a stronger stance.
“Why is the government silent about these incursions?”
Last month, residents in the village of Koawaya in the province had clashed with Israeli troops trying to cross through agricultural land.
On Thursday, the Israeli military dropped flyers in the area of Koawaya warning residents not to carry weapons and not to cross a road on the southwestern edge of the village.
Syria’s interim leadership has struggled to appeal to non Sunni Muslim communities. Tensions are still simmering with the Druze community in the south, and the Alawites on the coast are still fearful after clashes between security forces and Assad loyalists led to revenge killings.
Amnesty International said that the killings should be investigated as war crimes and accused government-affiliated militias of deliberately killing civilians.
“Our evidence indicates that government affiliated militias deliberately targeted civilians from the Alawite minority in gruesome reprisal attacks — shooting individuals at close range in cold blood,” Agnès Callamard, secretary-general of the international human rights group, said in a statement. “For two days, authorities failed to intervene to stop the killings.”
The new authorities have, however, made progress in relations with Kurdish-led forces, which control much of the country’s northeast. Turkish-backed former insurgent groups allied with the new authorities in Damascus had been fighting with Kurdish forces, but the clashes subsided after a landmark deal was reached between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and the government in Damascus last month.
On Thursday, SANA reported that a prisoner exchange had taken place in Aleppo between the SDF and forces affiliated with the new government in Damascus, with 250 prisoners slated to be released by both sides.
At least 9 people killed in southwestern Syria following countrywide Israeli strikes overnight
https://arab.news/69zu4
At least 9 people killed in southwestern Syria following countrywide Israeli strikes overnight
- Syria’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the strikes had resulted in the “near-total destruction of the Hama military airport”
- Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Turkiye of playing a “negative role” in Syria
UAE’s president welcomes Israel-Iran ceasefire
- In call with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan says he hopes agreement will enhance security, peace across Middle East
LONDON: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the president of the UAE, welcomed a ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart on Tuesday.
Sheikh Mohamed told President Masoud Pezeshkian he hoped the agreement would “serve as a foundation for enhancing stability, security and peace across the Middle East,” the Emirates News Agency reported.
Sheikh Mohamed added it was important to “ensure the success of the agreement in a way that benefits all the countries and peoples of the region.”
Pezeshkian gave thanks for the UAE’s position during Israel’s recent airstrikes against Iran.
The ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump came into force on Monday, a day after Iran attacked a US military base in Qatar in retaliation for the American bombing of its nuclear sites.
The UAE on Monday “condemned in the strongest terms” the Iranian attack on the Al-Udeid Air Base, which saw almost all of the missiles intercepted.
Rubio thanks Turkmenistan for letting through Americans from Iran
- Turkmenistan, one of the world’s most closed and authoritarian countries, initially balked at allowing Americans to cross
- Rubio, in his call with FM Rashid Meredov, expressed gratitude for Turkmenistan’s cooperation
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday thanked Turkmenistan and promised cooperation with the authoritarian state after it let US citizens cross through as they fled Iran following Israeli strikes.
Turkmenistan, one of the world’s most closed and authoritarian countries, initially balked at allowing Americans to cross but agreed over the weekend following appeals from Washington, officials said.
Rubio, in his call with Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, “expressed gratitude for Turkmenistan’s cooperation,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said.
Rubio said he “looks forward to further partnership with Turkmenistan, including expanding economic and commercial ties,” she said.
Washington has organized evacuation flights for its citizens in Israel, but has limited capacity in Iran due to the lack of diplomatic relations.
Most US citizens in Iran are dual nationals and hundreds have left since Israel launched its military campaign on June 13, another State Department official said.
Around 200 Americans had voiced an interest in going through Turkmenistan, which shares a 1,148-kilometer (713-mile) border with Iran, although so far only “tens” have proceeded through that route, the official said.
“We’re communicating to all of the US citizens... in Iran looking to go to Turkmenistan that that border is open,” the official said on customary condition of anonymity.
With flights unavailable, the vast majority have gone through Azerbaijan, with some also going through Armenia and Turkiye, the official said.
President Donald Trump, who has prioritized cracking down on immigration, earlier this month banned virtually all Iranian citizens and partially restricted nationals of Turkmenistan from entering the United States.
The visa restrictions continue to apply to Iranian nationals who leave even if they are family members of US citizens, the State Department official said.
Trump on Monday announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran but voiced frustration at implementation.
Israel lifts domestic restrictions linked to Iran war
- Israel’s airport authority also announced that all flights to and from the country would resume
- The country has been under tight restrictions since the start of the war, with schools closed and non-essential businesses shut
JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said Tuesday it was lifting restrictions on public gatherings, workplaces and schools it imposed during its 12-day war with Iran after a ceasefire took effect.
“All areas of the country will shift to full activity” from 8:00 p.m. (1700 GMT) on Tuesday on the orders of Defense Minister Israel Katz, the military said in a statement.
The guidelines will be effective until Thursday evening when they will be reviewed.
Israel’s airport authority also announced that all flights to and from the country would resume.
According to the transport ministry, between 100,000 and 150,000 Israelis were stranded abroad when Israel closed its airspace after launching a massive bombing campaign against Iran on June 13.
Tens of thousands of them have since been repatriated by air or sea.
The country has been under tight restrictions since the start of the war, with schools closed and non-essential businesses shut.
Israel and Iran both said Tuesday they would abide by a ceasefire deal first announced by US President Donald Trump.
Israel, in announcing it had agreed to Trump’s plan, said it had achieved all its military objectives.
Iran initially stopped short of officially accepting the proposal, but President Masoud Pezeshkian later said that if “the Zionist regime does not violate the ceasefire, Iran will not violate it either.”
Israel hit Iranian military and nuclear facilities as well as key commanders and scientists, prompting waves of retaliatory Iranian missile fire at Israel.
The full extent of the damage in Israel is still not known due to military censorship rules, but at least 50 impacts have been acknowledged nationwide and the official death toll stands at 28.
At least four people died in the southern city of Beersheba on Tuesday in a missile attack launched by Iran shortly before the ceasefire entered force, the emergency services said.
Qatari emir holds calls with Iranian and US presidents, condemns targeting Al-Udeid
- Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said Iran’s action contradicted the principles of good neighborliness
- Masoud Pezeshkian expressed regret to Sheikh Tamim for the damages caused by Monday’s attack
- Donald Trump rejected ‘any aggression that threatens the security and safety of the State of Qatar’
LONDON: The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, received separate phone calls from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump on Tuesday following the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ missile attack on Al-Udeid Air Base.
Sheikh Tamim strongly condemned the Iranian attack at the outset of his call with Pezeshkian. He said the act was “a blatant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace, as well as a breach of international law and the United Nations Charter.”
The IRGC on Monday night fired missiles at Al-Udeid Air Base, the largest US military base in the Middle East, accommodating about 10,000 service members, located 30 kilometers southwest of Doha. The attack was a retaliatory action after the US hit three of Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend.
Sheikh Tamim said that Iran’s action contradicted the principles of good neighborliness and highlighted Doha’s ongoing commitment to dialogue with Iran.
He urged an immediate halt to military operations and a return to negotiations to resolve the crisis and ensure regional security and safety, the Qatar News Agency reported.
Pezeshkian expressed regret to Sheikh Tamim for the damage caused by Monday’s attack. He said that Qatar and its people were not the intended targets of the military operation and that “the attack does not constitute a threat” to Qatar.
Sheikh Tamim also spoke with Trump, who affirmed Washington’s solidarity with Doha after the Iranian attack and rejected “any aggression that threatens the security and safety of the State of Qatar and undermines the security and stability of the region.”
During the call with Sheikh Tamim, Trump urged restraint and seeking diplomatic solutions.
Sheikh Tamim thanked Trump for the supportive stance of the United States. He also mentioned that the readiness of the Qatari armed forces and the precautionary measures authorities took resulted in no fatalities or injuries.
Lebanon’s prime minister hails success in staying out of Iran-Israel conflict
- War prevented in Lebanon but true stability demands departure of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory, Nawaf Salam says during visit to Doha
- ‘We are striving to use all available political and diplomatic forces to pressure Israel’ into withdrawing, he adds
BEIRUT: During an official visit to Qatar on Tuesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the fact that his country had managed to avoid being pulled into the conflict between Iran and Israel that began on June 13.
When he met the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Salam hailed the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran announced on Monday, and thanked Doha for its efforts to help end the hostilities. Both leaders agreed that the end of the conflict would help foster stability in Lebanon, Palestine and the wider Gulf region, the prime minister’s media office said.
During a joint press conference with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, Salam said: “We in Lebanon, all of us, have succeeded in preventing the country from being drawn into a new war amid the ongoing regional conflict over the past two weeks.
“Now, with military operations having ceased, we look forward to turning a new page focused on diplomatic efforts.”
Israel has been accused of ramping up strikes on targets in southern Lebanon amid its conflict with Iran, and near-daily violations of a November ceasefire agreement that ended its 14-month war with Hezbollah.
Salam arrived in Doha on Tuesday morning, the day after Iran’s attack on a US military base in Qatar caused his flight to be diverted to Bahrain. He resumed his journey when airspace reopened and was the first passenger to land at the city’s airport following the previous day’s incident.
He condemned the attack on Qatar and expressed his full solidarity with the leadership of the country and its people. He also described the Israeli aggression against Iran as a violation of Iranian sovereignty and a breach of international law.
Addressing the possibility of renewed Hezbollah involvement in conflicts, Salam said: “The Lebanese state will extend its authority, through its own forces, over all Lebanese territory, as stipulated in the Taif Agreement.”
He added that “true stability cannot be achieved unless Israel fully withdraws from the Lebanese territories it continues to occupy, known as the Five Points.”
During talks with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed, Salam thanked Qatar for its “continued support for the Lebanese army.” They addressed the need for intensified international and regional efforts to halt repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanon, and reiterated calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied Lebanese territories, reconstruction efforts, and the full restoration of Lebanese sovereignty over all of its territory.
Regarding the possibility that Lebanon could ask Qatar and Turkiye to put diplomatic pressure on Israel to withdraw from its positions in Lebanese territory, Salam said: “We are striving to use all available political and diplomatic forces to pressure Israel, beginning with our Arab brothers and extending to the permanent members of the UN Security Council and the United States.”
He highlighted reported Israeli violations of the November ceasefire deal and called for international pressure on the state “to respect and implement that agreement.”
Qatari officials offered their support for efforts to address the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon, and are considering “practical plans that would allow for a safe and dignified return to their homes,” Salam’s media office said.
The prime minister led a delegation during his trip to Qatar that included Minister of Culture Ghassan Salameh, Minister of Energy and Water Joe Saddi, Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamni, and Minister of State for Administrative Reform Fadi Makki.
