logo
Syria evacuates Bedouin from Druze-majority Sweida as ceasefire holds

Syria evacuates Bedouin from Druze-majority Sweida as ceasefire holds

Yahoo3 days ago
Syrian authorities on Monday evacuated Bedouin families from the Druze-majority city of Sweida, after a ceasefire in the southern province halted a week of sectarian bloodshed that a monitor said killed more than 1,100 people.
An AFP correspondent outside the devastated provincial capital saw a convoy of buses and other vehicles enter Sweida and then exit again carrying civilians, including women and children.
They were headed for reception centres in neighbouring Daraa province and to the capital Damascus, in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.
State news agency SANA said 1,500 people from Bedouin tribes were to be evacuated.
The ceasefire announced Saturday put an end to the sectarian violence that has left more than 1,100 dead, most of them Druze fighters and civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, whose toll also includes hundreds of government security personnel.
Clashes began on July 13 between Druze and Bedouin tribes, who have had tense relations for decades, and were complicated by the intervention of Sunni Arab tribes who converged on Sweida in support of the Bedouin.
Witnesses, Druze factions and a monitor have accused government forces of siding with the Bedouin and committing abuses including summary executions when they entered Sweida last week.
"We reached a formula that allows us to defuse the crisis by evacuating the families of our compatriots from the Bedouin and the tribes who are currently in Sweida city," the province's internal security chief Ahmad Dalati told state television.
The ceasefire, though announced on Saturday, only effectively began on Sunday after Bedouin and tribal fighters withdrew from parts of Sweida and Druze groups regained control.
- Unidentified bodies -
The announcement came hours after the United States said it had negotiated a ceasefire between Syria's Islamist government and Israel, which had bombed government forces in both Sweida and Damascus earlier in the week.
Israel, which has its own Druze community, has said it was acting in defence of the group, as well as to enforce its demands for the total demilitarisation of Syria's south.
The deal allowed the deployment of government security forces in Sweida province but not its main city.
The AFP correspondent in the city said security forces had erected sand mounds to block some of Sweida's entrances.
Sunni tribal fighters armed with machine guns were sitting on the roadside beyond the checkpoints, under the shade of trees.
At the main hospital in Sweida city, dozens of bodies were still waiting to be identified, with a forensic medicine official at facility saying that "we still have 97 unidentified corpses".
According to the United Nations, the violence has displaced more than 128,000 people, an issue that has also made collecting and identifying bodies more difficult.
Health authorities have not released a comprehensive death toll.
- Aid convoy -
More than 450 bodies had been brought to the Sweida national hospital by Sunday evening, with more still being recovered from the streets and homes.
"The dead bodies sent a terrible smell through all the floors of the hospital," said nurse Hisham Breik, who had not left the facility since the violence began.
"The situation has been terrible. We couldn't walk around the hospital without wearing a mask," he said, his voice trembling, adding that the wounded included women, children and the elderly.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said hospitals and health centres in Sweida province were out of service, with "reports of unburied bodies raising serious public health concerns".
Humanitarian access to Sweida "remains highly constrained", it said a statement late Sunday.
On Sunday, a first humanitarian aid convoy entered the city which has seen power and water cuts and shortages of fuel, food and medical supplies.
A Red Crescent official told AFP the supplies included body bags.
On Monday, the Observatory said the ceasefire was holding, despite isolated gunfire in areas north of Sweida city with no reports of casualties.
str-at/ami/dv
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Syria and Saudi Arabia sign investment deals worth £4.4 billion
Syria and Saudi Arabia sign investment deals worth £4.4 billion

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Syria and Saudi Arabia sign investment deals worth £4.4 billion

Syria and Saudi Arabia announced 47 investment agreements, valued at more than £4.4 billion, in Damascus on Thursday, marking a significant step in rebuilding Syria's war-battered economy. The agreements signed at the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum cover a wide range of sectors, including property, telecommunications and finance. The planned projects include housing, the reconstruction of war-damaged areas, the development of tourism, medical and entertainment sites, skyscrapers, and three new cement factories. Syrian minister of information Hamza al-Mustafa said the deals are expected to create around 50,000 direct and 150,000 indirect job opportunities. Saudi Arabia has been strongly supportive of the interim government in Syria led by former insurgent commander President Ahmad al-Sharaa since the fall of former president Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive. The country faces major economic and social challenges. The United Nations in 2017 estimated that it would cost at least 250 billion dollars (£185 billion) to rebuild Syria after years of civil war. Some experts now say that number could reach at least 400 billion dollars (£295 billion). The Saudi deals come as a political boost to Syria's interim government at a moment when the country is reeling from a new round of sectarian violence that broke out in the southern province of Sweida earlier this month. Clashes broke out on July 13 between Sunni Muslim Bedouin clans and armed groups of the Druze religious minority, and government security forces who intervened to restore order ended up siding with the Bedouins. Members of the security forces allegedly killed Druze civilians and looted and burned homes. Druze armed groups later launched revenge attacks on Bedouin communities. Israel also intervened, launching strikes on convoys of government forces and on the Syrian Defence Ministry headquarters in Damascus, which Israeli officials said were in defence of the Druze religious minority. Hundreds have been killed, and the UN says more than 130,000 people have been displaced. The fighting has stopped as a ceasefire takes hold, but tensions remain high and the violence has further shaken the trust of religious minorities in the new government.

Syria and Saudi Arabia sign investment deals worth £4.4 billion
Syria and Saudi Arabia sign investment deals worth £4.4 billion

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Syria and Saudi Arabia sign investment deals worth £4.4 billion

Syria and Saudi Arabia announced 47 investment agreements, valued at more than £4.4 billion, in Damascus on Thursday, marking a significant step in rebuilding Syria's war-battered economy. The agreements signed at the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum cover a wide range of sectors, including property, telecommunications and finance. The planned projects include housing, the reconstruction of war-damaged areas, the development of tourism, medical and entertainment sites, skyscrapers, and three new cement factories. Syrian minister of information Hamza al-Mustafa said the deals are expected to create around 50,000 direct and 150,000 indirect job opportunities. Saudi Arabia has been strongly supportive of the interim government in Syria led by former insurgent commander President Ahmad al-Sharaa since the fall of former president Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive. The country faces major economic and social challenges. The United Nations in 2017 estimated that it would cost at least 250 billion dollars (£185 billion) to rebuild Syria after years of civil war. Some experts now say that number could reach at least 400 billion dollars (£295 billion). The Saudi deals come as a political boost to Syria's interim government at a moment when the country is reeling from a new round of sectarian violence that broke out in the southern province of Sweida earlier this month. Clashes broke out on July 13 between Sunni Muslim Bedouin clans and armed groups of the Druze religious minority, and government security forces who intervened to restore order ended up siding with the Bedouins. Members of the security forces allegedly killed Druze civilians and looted and burned homes. Druze armed groups later launched revenge attacks on Bedouin communities. Israel also intervened, launching strikes on convoys of government forces and on the Syrian Defence Ministry headquarters in Damascus, which Israeli officials said were in defence of the Druze religious minority. Hundreds have been killed, and the UN says more than 130,000 people have been displaced. The fighting has stopped as a ceasefire takes hold, but tensions remain high and the violence has further shaken the trust of religious minorities in the new government.

These 4 Student Loan Provisions Of The ‘Big, Beautiful Bill' Take Effect Now
These 4 Student Loan Provisions Of The ‘Big, Beautiful Bill' Take Effect Now

Forbes

time3 hours ago

  • Forbes

These 4 Student Loan Provisions Of The ‘Big, Beautiful Bill' Take Effect Now

US President Donald Trump holds up his signed signature bill of tax breaks and spending cuts "Big ... More Beautiful Bill" on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on July 4, 2025. The bill includes major changes to federal student loan programs, some of which will take effect immediately. (Photo by Alex Brandon / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ALEX BRANDON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) POOL/AFP via Getty Images Several student loan provisions of the 'Big, Beautiful Bill' – the massive reconciliation legislation passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump earlier this month – will go into effect immediately or very soon, according to the Department of Education. The bill makes unprecedented changes to the federal student loan system by repealing several popular income-driven repayment plans, creating a new repayment option, and cutting or eliminating certain federal student loan programs. While many of these changes will be phased in gradually over the course of the next one to three years, some of the reforms legally take immediate effect. And the department is working on speedy implementation. 'On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21) (OBBB) into law,' said the department in a 'Dear Colleague' letter issued last Friday. 'The OBBB contains numerous provisions that amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) and impact the administration of Title IV , HEA programs. Many of the changes under the OBBB will be implemented on July 1, 2026 and over the subsequent years. However, several changes made by the OBBB became effective upon enactment.' Here's a breakdown of the most immediate changes to federal student loan forgiveness and repayment programs. One of the immediate changes to student loan programs under the Big, Beautiful Bill is the removal of the Partial Financial Hardship requirement, or PFH, for the Income-Based Repayment plan. IBR is the only current income-driven repayment plan that is preserved under the bill; ICR, PAYE, and the SAVE plan will eventually be repealed. But IBR has an enrollment barrier in the form of the PFH rule, which essentially prevents borrowers from accessing IBR if their income is too high. More specifically, it blocks IBR enrollment for borrowers if their calculated IBR payment would be higher than what they would otherwise pay under a 10-year Standard repayment plan. The removal of the PFH rule for IBR is immediate. However, it will take the Department of Education and its contracted loan servicers at least some time to update its systems to reflect the removal of the PFH requirement. 'The OBBB eliminates the requirement that borrowers have a partial financial hardship to qualify for enrollment in an income-based repayment (IBR) plan authorized under section 493C of the HEA,' says the department in the Dear Colleague letter. 'This change is effective upon enactment and the Department is currently working with its student loan servicers to remove the partial financial hardship eligibility requirement from the IBR enrollment process.' New Student Loan Repayment Option For Parent PLUS Borrowers Another major change under the bill is that Parent PLUS borrowers who have already consolidated their loans by July 1, 2026 will be able to access the IBR plan. Under current law, Parent PLUS borrowers are ineligible for any income-driven repayment plan option unless they consolidate those loans into a Direct consolidation loan, at which point they would become eligible only for the ICR plan, which is more expensive than any other income-driven option. ICR will be phased out under the Big, Beautiful Bill, but these borrowers will be able to instead enroll in the IBR plan. Not only is IBR generally more affordable than ICR, but it also will allow Parent PLUS borrowers to be able to pursue eventual student loan forgiveness, including through Public Service Loan Forgiveness, or PSLF. The change is effective immediately, according to the department. 'The OBBB allows borrowers with a consolidation loan that repaid a Parent PLUS Loan to enroll in an IBR plan effective upon enactment,' says the Dear Colleague letter. 'The Secretary will provide additional information to its federal loan servicers and update the website when the system is available to enable such borrowers to enroll in IBR.' Importantly, Parent PLUS borrowers must consolidate their loans through the Direct loan program by July 1, 2026 in order to be able to access IBR. Otherwise, these borrowers will be completely cut off from any income-driven repayment option and associated student loan forgiveness pathways, including through PSLF. RAP Will Qualify For Student Loan Forgivenes Through PSLF While the ICR, PAYE, and SAVE plans will be repealed, the Big, Beautiful Bill creates a new income-driven repayment plan called the Repayment Assistance Plan, or RAP. RAP uses a different formula than the current income-driven options. For many borrowers, RAP will be more affordable than the older version of IBR for those who took out student loans prior to July 1, 2014, but much more expensive than the SAVE plan. RAP also stretches out the repayment term to 30 years before a borrower can qualify for student loan forgiveness, but the plan also includes a principal and interest subsidy for those whose payments aren't high enough to cover monthly interest accrual. RAP isn't yet available, but the department is expected to launch the new plan no later than July 1, 2026. And the department indicated that it is working to make RAP available much sooner than that. Once it is launched, RAP will be a qualifying repayment plan for borrowers pursuing student loan forgiveness through PSLF, effective immediately. 'The OBBB amends the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program to allow for payments made under the newly created Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) to count toward loan forgiveness, if all other eligibility criteria are met,' says the Dear Colleague letter. 'The RAP was created by the OBBB and will be in effect no later than July 1, 2026. This PSLF provision is effective upon enactment, meaning that whenever the Department launches the RAP program, borrowers will be able to immediately get credit for PSLF under RAP.' Biden-Era Student Loan Forgiveness Rules Are Paused Immediately The Big, Beautiful Bill suspends Biden-era regulations governing two student loan forgiveness programs. The Borrower Defense to Repayment program allows borrowers to request a discharge of their federal student loans if their school engaged in certain kinds of misconduct, such as misrepresenting key statistics about admissions selectivity or employment prospects. The Closed School Discharge program allows borrowers to apply for relief if their school closed while they were enrolled, preventing them from completing their degree. The Biden administration enacted new regulations for both of these programs to make it easier for borrowers to qualify for loan forgiveness. But the Big, Beautiful Bill pauses these new regulations for 10 years. That doesn't mean that the programs themselves are fully repealed. But it leaves in place earlier versions of the regulations enacted under the first Trump administration that aren't nearly as favorable to borrowers. The Department of Education confirmed in its Dear Colleague letter that the pause takes immediate effect, which means the earlier Trump-era regulations governing these programs are now in place. 'The previous Trump Administration's Borrower Defense to Repayment regulations that were effective beginning July 1, 2020, will be effective as if the regulations were never amended during the Biden Administration for loans originated before July 1, 2035,' says the letter. 'This provision is effective upon enactment and the Department will publish a Federal Register notice shortly that restores the regulations that were in effect on July 1, 2020.' Additional Changes To Student Loan Programs Are Coming The Big, Beautiful Bill ensures that additional changes to federal student loan programs will occur over the course of the next several years, although those reforms are not immediate. Starting in July 2026, borrowers who take out new federal student loans or consolidate existing loans will lose access to the IBR plan, and their only repayment plan options will be RAP or a Standard plan (new Parent PLUS borrowers will only be able to access the Standard plan). And by July 1, 2028, the department will phase out the ICR, PAYE, and SAVE plans, and borrowers who want to remain on track for eventual student loan forgiveness under IDR or PSLF will need to switch to either the IBR plan or RAP. Many observers expect the department to phase out these plans (especially SAVE) well before 2028.

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