US envoy to lead meeting between Syria, Israel later this week: Report
The talks aim to reach new understandings on the volatile situation in southern Syria, Axios reported, citing a US official and another source familiar with the matter.
According to the report, Barrack hopes to facilitate increased coordination and communication between Syria and Israel following last week's Israeli airstrikes on Sweida and subsequent attacks on Damascus.
Israel has claimed the operations were conducted to protect Druze residents in Sweida.
'There is relative calm now, but the fundamental issues will not be resolved without comprehensive agreements between the US, Israel and the Syrian government,' a senior Israeli official told Axios.
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Arab News
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US envoy visits distribution site in Gaza as humanitarian crisis worsens
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff visited southern Gaza on Friday amid international outrage over starvation, shortages and deadly chaos near aid distribution sites. With food scarce and parcels being airdropped, Witkoff and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee toured one of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's distribution sites in Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city. Chapin Fay, the group's spokesperson, said the visit reflected Trump's understanding of the stakes and that 'feeding civilians, not Hamas, must be the priority.' All four of the group's sites are in zones controlled by the Israeli military and have become flashpoints of desperation during their months of operation, with starving people scrambling for scarce aid. Hundreds have been killed by either gunfire or trampling. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots at people who approach its forces, and GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to prevent deadly crowding. Witkoff's visit comes a week after US officials walked away from ceasefire talks in Qatar, blaming Hamas and pledging to seek other ways to rescue Israeli hostages and make Gaza safe. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Witkoff was sent to craft a plan to boost food and aid deliveries, while Trump wrote on social media that the fastest way to end the crisis would be for Hamas to surrender and release hostages. Officials at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza said they have received the bodies of 25 people, including 13 who were killed while trying to get aid, including near the site that US officials visited. GHF denied anyone was killed at their sites on Friday and said most recent incidents had taken place near United Nations aid convoys. The remaining 12 were killed in airstrikes, the officials said. Israel's military did not immediately comment. Human Rights Watch: 'Near impossible' International organizations have said Gaza has been on the brink of famine for the past two years. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the leading international authority on food crises, said recent developments, including a complete blockade on aid for 2 1/2 months, mean the 'worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in Gaza.' Though the flow of aid has resumed, including via airdrops, the amount getting into Gaza remains far lower than what aid organizations say is needed. A security breakdown in the territory has made it nearly impossible to safely deliver food to starving Palestinians, much of the limited aid entering is hoarded and later sold at exorbitant prices. At a Friday press conference in Gaza City, representatives of the territory's influential tribes accused Israel of empowering factions that loot aid sites and implored Witkoff to stay several hours in Gaza to witness life firsthand. 'We want the American envoy to come and live among us in these tents where there is no water, no food and no light,' they said. 'Our children are hungry in the streets.' In a report issued Friday, Human Rights Watch called the current setup 'a flawed, militarized aid distribution system that has turned aid distributions into regular bloodbaths.' 'It would be near impossible for Palestinians to follow the instructions issued by GHF, stay safe, and receive aid, particularly in the context of ongoing military operations, Israeli military sanctioned curfews, and frequent GHF messages saying that people should not travel to the sites before the distribution window opens,' the report said. It cited doctors, aid seekers and at least one security contractor. Since the group's operations began in late May, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in shootings by Israeli soldiers while on roads heading to the sites, according to witnesses and health officials. The Israeli military has said its troops have only fired warning shots to control crowds. Responding to the report, Israel's military blamed Hamas for sabotaging the aid distribution system but said it was working to make the routes under its control safer for those traveling to aid sites. GHF did not immediately respond to questions about the report. The group has never allowed journalists to visit their sites and Israel's military has barred reporters from independently entering Gaza throughout the war. International condemnations have mounted as such reports trickle out of Gaza, including from aid organizations that previously oversaw distribution. A July 30 video published Thursday by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs showed an aid convoy driving past a border crossing as gunfire ricocheted off the ground near where crowds congregated. 'We were met on the road by tens of thousands of hungry and desperate people who directly offloaded everything from the backs of our trucks,' said Olga Cherevko, an OCHA staff member.
Asharq Al-Awsat
an hour ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
US Envoy Visits Distribution Site in Gaza as Humanitarian Crisis Worsens
US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff visited southern Gaza on Friday during international outrage over starvation, shortages and deadly chaos near aid distribution sites. Witkoff and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee toured one of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's distribution sites in Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, according to an official involved with the visit. The official requested anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media. All four of the group's distribution sites are in zones controlled by the Israeli military and throughout their months in operation have become flashpoints of desperation, where starving people scramble for scarce aid. Hundreds have been killed by either gunfire or trampling. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots at people who approach its forces, and GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to prevent deadly crowding. Witkoff's visit comes a week after US officials walked away from ceasefire talks in Qatar, blaming Hamas and pledging to seek other ways to rescue Israeli hostages and make Gaza safe. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that he was sent to craft a plan to boost food and aid deliveries as part of an effort 'to save lives and end this crisis," while Trump wrote on social media that the fastest way to end the crisis would be for Hamas to surrender and release hostages. International organizations have said Gaza has been on the brink of famine for the past two years. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the leading international authority on food crises, said recent developments, including a complete blockade on aid for 2 1/2 months, mean the 'worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in Gaza.' Though the flow of aid has resumed, including via airdrops, the amount getting into Gaza remains far lower than what aid organizations say is needed. A security breakdown in the territory has made it nearly impossible to safely deliver food to starving Palestinians, much of the limited aid entering is horded and later sold at exorbitant prices. In a report issued Friday, Human Rights Watch called it 'a flawed, militarized aid distribution system that has turned aid distributions into regular bloodbaths.' Israel's military and prime minister's office did not respond to request for comment on the report. A July 30 video published Thursday by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs showed an aid convoy driving past a border crossing as gunfire ricocheted off the ground near where crowds congregated. 'We were met on the road by tens of thousands of hungry and desperate people who directly offloaded everything from the backs of our trucks,' said Olga Cherevko, an OCHA staff member. The war between Israel and Hamas started when Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251 others. They still hold 50 hostages, including around 20 believed to be alive. Most of the others have been released in ceasefires or other deals. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between fighters and civilians. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The UN and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Lebanon says four killed in Israeli strikes on Thursday
BEIRUT: A series of Israeli air strikes killed four people in south and east Lebanon, the health ministry said Friday, referring to strikes that occurred the previous evening. 'The series of strikes launched by the Israeli enemy Thursday evening led to the death of four people,' the Lebanese health ministry said. The Israeli military said Thursday that it had targeted Hezbollah 'infrastructure that was used for producing and storing strategic weapons' in south Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described one of the targets as Hezbollah's 'biggest precision missile manufacturing site.' More than a year of hostilities — including two months of all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah which largely ended with a November ceasefire — left the militant group badly weakened. Israel has nonetheless kept up near-daily air strikes in Lebanon despite the ceasefire, and has threatened to continue them until the group has been disarmed. 'Any attempt by the terrorist organization to recover, re-establish or threaten will be met with relentless intensity,' Katz said on Thursday. Under the terms of the truce, Hezbollah was to withdraw its fighters north of the Litani river, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border. Israel was meant to withdraw all its troops from Lebanon, but has kept them in five areas it deems strategic. In a speech on Thursday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he was determined to disarm Hezbollah, a step he has come under heavy US pressure to take, despite the group's protests that doing so would serve Israeli goals.
