logo
Israel, Syria leaders agree on ceasefire: US envoy

Israel, Syria leaders agree on ceasefire: US envoy

RTHK4 days ago
Israel, Syria leaders agree on ceasefire: US envoy
Sweida province has been engulfed by nearly a week of violence triggered by clashes between Bedouin fighters and factions from the Druze. Photo: Reuters
The leaders of Israel and Syria have agreed to a ceasefire days after major Israeli strikes, a US envoy said on Friday, as he urged all sides in war-torn Syria to lay down arms.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa "have agreed to a ceasefire" also backed by neighbors Turkey and Jordan, said Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey who is also point man on Syria.
"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," he wrote on X.
Israel had on Wednesday carried out major air strikes inside the Syrian capital Damascus including on the army headquarters.
Israel said it was defending the Druze community after deadly clashes between the minority, which has a presence in Israel, and Bedouins in the southern Syrian area of Sweida.
Some diplomats and analysts see Israel as maximising the damage it can to weaken its historic adversary Syria, after Sharaa's Islamist forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, an Iranian ally, in December.
The United States on Wednesday announced a deal in which Syrian government forces retreated from Sweida.
The State Department later said that the United States did not support the air strikes by Israel, its ally which relies on US diplomatic and military support. (AFP)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Over 100 groups warn of faltering aid efforts in Gaza
Over 100 groups warn of faltering aid efforts in Gaza

RTHK

time6 hours ago

  • RTHK

Over 100 groups warn of faltering aid efforts in Gaza

Over 100 groups warn of faltering aid efforts in Gaza People march along the streets of New York City in a 'Stop Starving Gaza Now' protest. Photo: Reuters More than 100 aid organisations warned on Wednesday that "mass starvation" was spreading in Gaza ahead of the US top envoy's visit to Europe for talks on a possible ceasefire and an aid corridor. Israel is facing mounting international pressure over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the enclave, where more than two million people face severe shortages of food and other essentials after 21 months of conflict, triggered by Hamas' attack on Israel. The UN said on Tuesday that Israeli forces had killed more than 1,000 Palestinians trying to get food aid since the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation started operations in late May – effectively sidelining the existing UN-led system. A statement with 111 signatories, including Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children and Oxfam, warned that "our colleagues and those we serve are wasting away". The groups called for an immediate negotiated ceasefire, the opening of all land crossings and the free flow of aid through UN-led mechanisms. It came a day after the United States said its envoy Steve Witkoff will head to Europe this week for talks on Gaza and may then visit the Middle East. Even after Israel began easing a more than two-month aid blockade in late May, Gaza's population is still suffering extreme scarcities. In their statement, the humanitarian organisations said that warehouses with tonnes of supplies were sitting untouched just outside the territory, and even inside, as they were blocked from accessing or delivering the goods. "Palestinians are trapped in a cycle of hope and heartbreak, waiting for assistance and ceasefires, only to wake up to worsening conditions," the signatories said. "It is not just physical torment, but psychological. Survival is dangled like a mirage," they added. "The humanitarian system cannot run on false promises. Humanitarians cannot operate on shifting timelines or wait for political commitments that fail to deliver access." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday that the "horror" facing Palestinians in Gaza under Israeli military attack was unprecedented in recent years. The head of Gaza's largest hospital said Tuesday 21 children had died due to malnutrition and starvation in the past three days. (AFP)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store