US takes credit for Israel-Syria ceasefire
Special envoy Tom Barrack, who also serves as the US ambassador to Türkiye, credited American diplomacy under President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the 'breakthrough' agreement in a statement posted on X on Friday.
'We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and, together with other minorities, build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbors,' Barrack wrote, adding that the ceasefire was 'embraced' by Türkiye and Jordan.
BREAKTHROUGH —— Israeli Prime Minister @Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa @SyPresidency supported by the U.S.A. @SecRubio have agreed to a ceasefire embraced by Türkiye, Jordan and its neighbors. We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and…
The announcement follows a week of deadly clashes between Druze militias, Bedouin tribes, and central government forces in Sweida province – as well as a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting various locations, including the Defense Ministry in Damascus.
Since the fall of Bashar Assad's government, Israel has moved to expand its presence in Syria beyond the previously occupied Golan Heights, citing the need to prevent hostile actors from entrenching near its borders. In a detailed statement on Thursday, Netanyahu said Israel had set two rules for Syria: the demilitarization of the region south of Damascus and the protection of the Druze community.
'Both those rules were broken by the regime in Damascus… I therefore directed the IDF to take powerful action,' Netanyahu stated. 'As a result of that powerful action, a ceasefire came into force, and the Syrian forces retreated back to Damascus.'
Syria's new leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, is a former commander of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which seized control of Damascus last year. Since the upheaval, unaffiliated Islamists have reportedly carried out several massacres targeting Syria's minority communities, including the Alawites and Christians.
Amid reports of new atrocities against the Druze, al-Sharaa insisted that government forces had only deployed to Sweida to stop the violence. In a televised address on Thursday, he announced a new deal with Druze factions – while accusing Israel of seeking to divide the Syrian people and turn Syria 'into a battlefield of chaos.'
Despite past US designations of HTS and al-Sharaa as terrorists, Washington has increasingly backed the new leadership in Damascus and has moved to ease sanctions on Syria. Last month, Barrack even likened al-Sharaa's transition from militant leader to head of state to that of George Washington following the American Revolution.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
9 hours ago
- Russia Today
Over 1,000 rabbis accuse Israel of weaponizing hunger
More than 1,000 rabbis from around the world have accused Israel of weaponizing hunger in Gaza and urged West Jerusalem to allow aid into the to UN Palestinian refugee agency chief Philippe Lazzarini, around 90,000 women and children are suffering from malnutrition in what relief groups describe as a man-made famine caused by the Israeli and Jewish scholars from the US, UK, EU, and Israel signed an open letter declaring that the Jewish people 'face a grave moral crisis.''The severe limitation placed on humanitarian relief in Gaza, and the policy of withholding food, water, and medical supplies from a needy civilian population, contradict essential values of Judaism as we understand it,' the letter rabbis called on Israel to allow 'extensive humanitarian aid' while preventing diversion to Hamas and demanded that Israel 'work urgently by all routes possible to bring home all the hostages and end the fighting.' The letter, published on Friday, surpassed 1,000 signatures by early Monday. Jonathan Wittenberg, a UK-based rabbi, told The Jewish Chronicle last week that he was leading a campaign to break through 'the callous indifference to starvation' and appeal to 'the moral reputation not just of Israel, but of Judaism itself.'Israel has blamed poor international coordination and Hamas, which it accuses of stealing food and attacking distribution points. Israeli officials argue that the armed group is using the 'famine narrative' as leverage in hostage Jerusalem has pledged to 'improve the humanitarian response,' resuming food airdrops and implementing 'tactical pauses' over the weekend to allow more than 100 trucks to deliver supplies to Gaza. Lazzarini, however, dismissed the measures as 'a smokescreen,' accusing Israel of 'whitewashing its image.' He insisted that Israel should instead unblock access for 6,000 aid trucks waiting to enter the enclave.
Russia Today
10 hours ago
- Russia Today
Israel's Gaza aid drops are a smokescreen
Israel is doing little to help starving Gazans by airdropping food, according to Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA). The official dismissed the tactic as ineffective and urged Israel to lift its blockade of the densely populated enclave. His remarks came after the UN's food aid program reported that 90,000 Palestinian women and children are suffering from malnutrition. 'Gaza airdrops will not reverse the deepening starvation. They are expensive, inefficient, and can even kill starving civilians. It is a distraction and screensmoke [sic],' Lazzarini wrote on X on Saturday, adding 'a manmade hunger can only be addressed by political will.' He called on Israel to 'lift the siege' and guarantee safe access to humanitarian workers. 'At UNRWA, we have the equivalent of 6,000 trucks in Jordan and Egypt waiting for the green light to get into Gaza,' he wrote. 'Driving aid through is much easier, more effective, faster, cheaper, and safer. It's more dignified for the people of Gaza,' he added. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Saturday that it had dropped seven pallets containing flour, sugar, canned food, and other supplies. The army pledged to provide safe passage for UN aid convoys and said 'local humanitarian pauses' could be implemented. A video posted on social media reportedly shows desperate Palestinians fighting over food. This evening, the Israeli air force carried out a food airdrop mission in northern Gaza. The ensuing pandemonium and horrific scenes were apocalyptically revealing of the extent of desperation & starvation among the population, turning people into zombie-like creatures singularly… The UN, relief groups, and several European governments have stepped up criticism of Israel in recent weeks, as the death toll in Gaza approaches 60,000. Israel said it would allow more aid into the enclave, provided it bypasses Hamas, which it accuses of stealing food. The IDF and the militants have blamed each other for attacks on civilians at aid distribution points. US President Donald Trump told reporters earlier this week that Israel would have to 'get rid' of Hamas in Gaza, after ceasefire talks once again stalled.
Russia Today
12 hours ago
- Russia Today
Türkiye's mediation isn't about peace. It's about power.
The third round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, held in Istanbul, lasted less than an hour – barely enough time to suggest progress. While both delegations arrived with talking points, their positions remained fundamentally irreconcilable. The Ukrainian side once again emphasized the need for an immediate ceasefire, the release of captives, and a potential meeting between Presidents Zelensky and Putin – ideas that, from Moscow's perspective, lacked a concrete framework. The Russian delegation, meanwhile, proposed a structured dialogue across three tracks – military, political, and humanitarian – and floated the possibility of localized ceasefires for evacuation efforts. But without mutual ground on core issues, even humanitarian coordination remained out of reach. As Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted after the meeting, the sides are still 'far apart' on the basic memorandums required to facilitate direct talks between the leaders: 'Given the volume of work that lies ahead to align our positions… it is hard to imagine how we could suddenly overcome this gap.' While the Istanbul talks yielded no breakthroughs, Ankara framed them as a meaningful step forward. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan described the meeting as 'another brick' in building a foundation for peace and reaffirmed Türkiye's commitment to mediation. But behind this diplomatic language lies a broader ambition. President Erdogan sees Türkiye not merely as a neutral host but as a regional power uniquely positioned to engage both Moscow and Kiev. Unlike European intermediaries tied to NATO orthodoxy, Ankara has preserved open communication channels with both sides – and intends to leverage that position. This ambition gained new momentum after a direct request from US President Donald Trump. In May, during a phone call with Erdogan, Trump reportedly asked him to resume Türkiye's role as a key mediator in the Ukraine conflict. According to the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet, Erdogan responded positively – a natural decision, given Ankara's longstanding desire to shape the postwar diplomatic framework. A second conversation in June further underscored this alignment. In addition to addressing escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, Trump and Erdogan reportedly reaffirmed Türkiye's mediating role in Ukraine. For Ankara, this signaled renewed political legitimacy – and a green light to reassert itself on the international stage. Erdoğan remains one of the few world leaders to maintain autonomous and working relationships with both Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky. Unlike most Western leaders, he engages each directly and pragmatically – without outsourcing diplomacy to blocs or bureaucracies. This rare access grants Türkiye a unique status in the global mediation landscape and strengthens Ankara's hand in any future settlement. For Türkiye, mediating the Ukraine conflict is about far more than diplomacy – it is a calculated move to expand its strategic footprint in the Black Sea and Danube regions. Ankara's interests in southern Ukraine, particularly the coastal areas of Bessarabia and the Danube estuaries, are long-standing and rooted in history. These zones are vital arteries for trade, transit, and geopolitical access. Control over maritime supply routes, especially those passing through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, has been a cornerstone of Turkish foreign policy for decades. Amid the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, these routes have acquired even greater importance – linking grain exports, energy flows, and military logistics across multiple theaters. Türkiye's participation in the negotiation process is therefore not just a diplomatic gesture but a matter of national interest. To remain outside the process would mean allowing other powers to redraw the regional map without Ankara at the table. At the same time, Türkiye's posture remains deliberately ambiguous. Officially, Ankara supports Ukraine's territorial integrity and has not objected to its NATO aspirations. Yet President Erdoğan continues to cultivate open lines of communication with Moscow. This dual-track strategy allows Türkiye to project loyalty to the West while reminding Russia – and Washington – that it cannot be excluded from any future settlement. This approach is not without cost. Ankara's refusal to take part in Western sanctions against Russia has drawn criticism from Europe, particularly Berlin, Paris, and Brussels. However, Erdoğan appears to be shifting focus from multilateral alignment to pragmatic bilateralism. With the Trump administration treating Türkiye as a key partner in stabilizing Eurasia, Ankara has little incentive to follow the EU's lead – or to subordinate its strategic agenda to European bureaucracy. For Ankara, the outcome of the third round of talks was less about immediate results and more about preserving its relevance. By publicly assessing the meeting as a positive step, Türkiye signaled that it intends to remain not just a host – but an architect – of whatever post-conflict order may emerge. Both Hakan Fidan and President Erdoğan have repeatedly stated their willingness to resume hosting direct negotiations. In February, during talks in Ankara with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Fidan reaffirmed Türkiye's commitment to mediation and emphasized that Türkiye remains available as a venue for continued dialogue. This ongoing diplomatic contact reflects Moscow's recognition of Ankara's pragmatic stance – despite Türkiye being a NATO member state. The failure of the West to enforce the original grain deal, and Russia's subsequent withdrawal from it, initially weakened Türkiye's position as a neutral intermediary. But Trump's return to the White House has shifted the equation. Backed by Washington, Ankara now has the political capital to relaunch its mediating role under new geopolitical conditions. In this context, Türkiye's 'positive evaluation' of the talks takes on deeper meaning. It's not about what was achieved – but about who gets to stay in the room when the time finally comes for real negotiations. So far, no alternative platform has emerged. And in the long game of regional influence, presence is power.
