Clashes in Syria: Who are the Druze and why does Israel defend them?
The clashes, involving Druze militia groups, whose faith stems from a branch of Shia Islam, and Sunni tribes, began after a vegetable merchant was kidnapped in the governorate of Sweida, where Syrian government forces intervened to restore order.
The Syrian army was accused of having committed abuses, and, under military pressure from Israel, which has claimed to want to ensure the protection of the Druze, it withdrew on July 16, leaving the local militia groups the responsibility for maintaining order.
On Friday, July 18, the United States special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa had agreed to a ceasefire, two days after Israeli airstrikes on Damascus. On Saturday, al-Sharaa's government and Druze notables in Sweida announced that they had concluded a ceasefire agreement, which was only truly respected from Sunday onward.
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France 24
4 hours ago
- France 24
US quits Gaza ceasefire talks, accuses Hamas of lacking 'good faith'
The United States is cutting short Gaza ceasefire talks and bringing its negotiating team home from Qatar to discuss next steps after Hamas' latest response 'shows a lack of desire" to reach a truce, President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday. 'While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith," Witkoff said in a statement. 'We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.' State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott would not offer details on what 'alternative options' the US is considering to free hostages held by the militant group. Hamas said in a statement that it was surprised by Witkoff's 'negative remarks' and said it has shown responsibility and flexibility in the negotiating track. It added that it was 'keen to reach an agreement that ends the aggression and the suffering of our people in Gaza.' A breakthrough on a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas following 21 months of war has eluded the Trump administration as humanitarian conditions worsen in Gaza. Thursday's move is the latest setback as Trump has tried to position himself as peacemaker and vowed to broker agreements in conflicts from Ukraine to Gaza. When pressed on whether and how the US would proceed on seeking a truce in Gaza, Pigott did not offer clarity and told reporters that 'this is a very dynamic situation.' He said there's never been a question of the US commitment to reaching a ceasefire and faulted Hamas. The sides have held weeks of talks in Qatar, reporting small signs of progress but no major breakthroughs. Officials have said a main sticking point is the redeployment of Israeli troops after any ceasefire takes place. Witkoff said the US is 'resolute' in seeking an end to the conflict in Gaza and it was 'a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way.' The White House had no comment. Hamas, in the statement it released early Friday, said it had offered its final answer following wide consultations with Palestinian factions, mediators and countries in the region. It said it has dealt positively with all remarks it received reflecting a 'true commitment' to making the efforts of the mediators successful and to 'deal constructively' with the presented initiatives. Hamas said it reaffirmed its 'keenness to continue the negotiations and to engage in a way that would ease obstacles and ensure reaching a permanent ceasefire.' Earlier Thursday, Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu's office recalled his negotiating team in light of Hamas' response. In a brief statement, Netanyahu's office expressed appreciation for the efforts of Witkoff and other mediators Qatar and Egypt but gave no further details. The deal under discussion was expected to include an initial 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Aid supplies would be ramped up, and the two sides would hold negotiations on a lasting ceasefire. The talks have been bogged down over competing demands for ending the war. Hamas says it will only release all hostages in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal and end to the war. Israel says it will not agree to end the conflict until Hamas gives up power and disarms. The militant group says it is prepared to leave power but not surrender its weapons. Hamas is believed to be holding the hostages in different locations, including tunnels, and says it has ordered its guards to kill them if Israeli forces approach. Trump has made little secret of the fact he wants to receive a Nobel Peace Prize. For instance, he has promised to quickly negotiate an end to Russia's war in Ukraine, but little progress has been made. On the war in Gaza, Trump met with Netanyahu at the White House this month, putting his weight behind a push to reach a deal. But despite a partnership further solidified by their countries' joint strikes on Iran, the Israeli leader left Washington without any breakthrough. The State Department had said earlier in the week that Witkoff would be traveling to the Middle East for talks, but S officials later said that Witkoff would instead travel to Europe. It was unclear if he held meetings there Thursday. The apparent derailing of the talks comes as Israel's blockade and military offensive have driven Gaza to the brink of famine, according to aid groups. The UN food agency says nearly 100,000 women and children are suffering from severe, acute malnutrition, and the Gaza Health Ministry has reported a rise in hunger-related deaths. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would hold an emergency call Friday with officials from Germany and France to discuss how to urgently get food to people in need and launch steps to build a lasting peace. 'The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible,' he said in a statement. The three European countries 'all agree on the pressing need for Israel to change course and allow the aid that is desperately needed to enter Gaza without delay.' French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that France would recognize Palestine as a state, saying, 'The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved.″ Israel has come under mounting pressure, with 28 Western-aligned countries calling for an end to the war and harshly criticising Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out. More than 100 charity and human rights groups released a similar letter, saying even their own staff are struggling to get enough food. The US and Israel rejected the allegations and blamed Hamas for prolonging the war by not accepting their terms for a ceasefire. Israel says it is allowing in enough aid and blames UN agencies for not distributing it. But those agencies say it is nearly impossible to safely deliver it because of Israeli restrictions and a breakdown of law and order, with crowds of thousands unloading food trucks as soon as they move into Gaza. A separate Israeli- and US-backed system run by an American contractor has also been marred by chaos. 'Of course, we want to see the end of devastation that is taking place in Gaza,' Pigott said. 'That is why we have supported the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. That is why we've seen those 90 million meals being distributed.'
LeMonde
6 hours ago
- LeMonde
US pulls negotiators from Gaza truce talks, blaming Hamas for failure to reach a deal
The United States joined Israel on Thursday, July 24, in pulling its negotiators from Gaza ceasefire talks, with special envoy Steve Witkoff blaming Hamas for failing to reach a deal and saying Washington would "consider alternative options." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier that his government was still seeking a ceasefire despite recalling its negotiators from indirect talks in Qatar, also accusing Hamas of blocking an end to nearly two years of fighting. Mediators have been shuttling between Israeli and Hamas delegations in Doha for more than two weeks but the talks have failed to yield a breakthrough. Pressure is mounting over the plight of the more than two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where the fighting has triggered a dire humanitarian crisis and warnings that "mass starvation" were spreading. After Hamas submitted its response to mediators on the latest ceasefire proposal, Netanyahu's office said Israeli negotiators were returning for consultations. "We are working to reach another deal for the release of our hostages," Netanyahu said in a speech. "But if Hamas interprets our willingness to reach a deal as a weakness, as an opportunity to dictate surrender terms that would endanger the State of Israel, it is gravely mistaken." Witkoff accused Hamas of not "acting in good faith," and said the United States was bringing home its team. Hamas's response "clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza," Witkoff said in a post on social media. Washington would now "consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza. It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way," he added. A Palestinian source familiar with the talks said that Hamas's response included proposed amendments to clauses on the entry of aid, maps of areas from which the Israeli army should withdraw and guarantees on securing a permanent end to the war. Key demands Through 21 months of fighting, both sides have clung to long-held positions, preventing two short-lived truces from being converted into a lasting ceasefire. The talks in Doha began on July 6 to try to reach an agreement on a truce that would also see the release of Israeli hostages. Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. But the talks have dragged on without a breakthrough, with each side blaming the other for refusing to budge on their key demands. For Israel, dismantling Hamas's military and governing capabilities is non-negotiable, while Hamas demands firm guarantees on a lasting truce, a full withdrawal of Israeli troops and the free flow of aid into Gaza. 'Peace and security' Israel has rejected accusations that it is responsible for Gaza's deepening hunger crisis, which the World Health Organization has called "man-made" and France blamed on an Israeli "blockade." Instead, it accuses Hamas of preventing supplies from being distributed and looting aid for themselves or to sell at inflated prices as well as shooting at people seeking handouts. International news organizations have urged Israel to allow journalists in and out of Gaza, with concern that a lack of food is putting their lives at risk. Israel maintains that it is allowing aid into the Palestinian territory but that international relief agencies were failing to pick it up for distribution. Aid agencies have said permissions from Israel are still limited, and coordination to safely move trucks to where they are needed is a major challenge in an active war zone.
France 24
6 hours ago
- France 24
France will recognise State of Palestine: Macron
At least 142 countries now recognise or plan to recognise Palestinian statehood, according to an AFP tally -- though Israel and the United States strongly oppose the moves. Several countries have announced plans to recognise statehood for the Palestinians since Israel launched a bombardment of Gaza in 2023 in response to the October 7 attacks. Macron's announcement drew immediate anger from Israel, with Deputy Prime Minister Yariv Levin labelling it a "shameless decision" that would be a "direct aid to terrorism". Senior Palestinian Authority official Hussein al-Sheikh welcomed the move, saying it "reflects France's commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people's rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state". 'Urgent priority' International concern is growing about the plight of the more than two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where the fighting has triggered a dire humanitarian crisis and warnings of mass starvation. Israel has rejected accusations it is responsible for Gaza's deepening hunger crisis, which the World Health Organization has called "man-made" and France blamed on an Israeli "blockade". Macron said the "urgent priority today is to end the war in Gaza and rescue the civilian population". "We must finally build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability and enable it, by accepting its demilitarisation and fully recognising Israel, to contribute to the security of all in the Middle East," he wrote on social media. He said he intended to make the announcement at the UN General Assembly in September. While France would be the most significant European power to recognise a Palestinian state, others have hinted they could do the same. Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced he would hold a call with counterparts in Germany and France on efforts to stop the fighting on Friday, adding that a ceasefire would "put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state". Norway, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia all announced recognition following the outbreak of the Gaza conflict, along with several other non-European countries. Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed 59,587 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. © 2025 AFP
