Syrian president tells country reconstruction effort has 'just begun'
by Naharnet Newsdesk 28 May 2025, 15:35
Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, said in a speech that the country's post-war reconstruction had 'just begun', calling on his people to unite.
Sharaa was speaking at the "Aleppo, Key to Victory" event in said city, the first major population center to fall during the Islamist-led offensive that toppled longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December.
Pictures of fighters killed in the battle for Aleppo were shown on screens prior to Sharaa's speech.
"O great Syrian people, the battle of construction has just begun," Sharaa said to a jubilant crowd.
"Let us all unite and seek the help of God to create a bright future for a venerable country and a deserving people," he added.
Syria's 14-year civil war killed over half a million people and left the country in desperate need of reconstruction.
Western sanctions imposed on Assad were recently lifted, paving the way for a potential recovery.
Addressing the Syrian people, Sharaa said they "let us seize the available opportunity and take on this duty".
"Let our slogan be as we raised it before, we do not rest and we do not relax until we rebuild Syria anew and boast about it to the entire world," he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nahar Net
an hour ago
- Nahar Net
Macron says stance on Israel must 'harden' unless Gaza situation improves
by Naharnet Newsdesk 30 May 2025, 11:58 French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that European countries should "harden the collective position" against Israel if it does not respond appropriately to the humanitarian situation in Gaza. With international pressure mounting on Israel over the deepening hunger crisis in Gaza, Macron said action was needed "in the next few hours and days". He also asserted recognition of a Palestinian state with conditions was "not only a moral duty, but a political necessity". If there was no response in line with the humanitarian situation in Gaza "in the coming hours and days... we will have to harden our collective position," Macron said on a visit to Singapore. This meant dropping an assumption that human rights were being respected "and apply sanctions", the French leader said hours before addressing a defense summit in the city-state. Macron is on a diplomatic tour in Southeast Asia which also saw him visit Vietnam and Indonesia earlier this week. While in Jakarta, Macron and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto issued a joint statement condemning Israeli plans to take control of Gaza and any moves to "forcibly remove the Palestinian population from their homeland". Paris hoped to "trigger a movement of recognition for a Palestinian state under certain conditions", including the demilitarization of Hamas and recognition of Israel's right to exist and protect itself, Macron said in the Indonesian capital. The humanitarian situation in Gaza remained dire despite aid beginning to trickle back into the territory after a more than two-month Israeli blockade. Food security experts said starvation was looming for one in five people. Israel has also intensified its military offensive in what it said was a renewed push to destroy Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack triggered the war.
Nahar Net
an hour ago
- Nahar Net
Gaza ceasefire talks gain momentum as Israel accepts US proposal
by Naharnet Newsdesk 30 May 2025, 11:50 Israel has accepted a new U.S. proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Hamas, the White House said Thursday. U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, expressed optimism earlier this week about brokering an agreement to halt the Israel-Hamas war and return more of the hostages captured in the attack that ignited it. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Israel "backed and supported" the new proposal. Hamas officials gave the Israeli-approved draft a cool response, but said they wanted to study the proposal more closely before giving a formal answer. "The Zionist response, in essence, means perpetuating the occupation and continuing the killing and famine," Bassem Naim, a top Hamas official, told The Associated Press. He said it "does not respond to any of our people's demands, foremost among which is stopping the war and famine." Nonetheless, he said the group would study the proposal "with all national responsibility." Hamas had previously said it had agreed with Witkoff on a "general framework" of an agreement that would lead to a lasting ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, an influx of aid, and a transfer of power from the militant group to a politically independent committee of Palestinians. Here's what's known about the emerging negotiations that aim to bring about an extended truce in the war in exchange for hostages that remain in captivity: What do Israel and Hamas want? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to end the war until all the hostages are released and Hamas is either destroyed or disarmed and sent into exile. He has said Israel will control Gaza indefinitely and facilitate what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of its population. Palestinians and most of the international community have rejected plans to resettle Gaza's population, a move experts say would likely violate international law. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages — its only bargaining chip — in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. It has offered to give up power to a committee of politically independent Palestinians that could oversee reconstruction. Hamas is still holding 58 hostages. Around a third are believed to be alive, though many fear they are in grave danger the longer the war goes on. Thousands of Palestinians have been killed since Israel renewed its airstrikes and ground operations after ending a ceasefire in March. The dispute over whether there should be a temporary ceasefire to release more hostages — as Israel has called for — or a permanent one — as Hamas wants — has bedeviled talks brokered by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar for more than a year and a half, and there's no indication it has been resolved. What is the latest ceasefire proposal? Witkoff has not publicized his latest proposal, but a Hamas official and an Egyptian official independently confirmed some of the details. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks. They say it calls for a 60-day pause in fighting, guarantees of serious negotiations leading to a long-term truce and assurances that Israel will not resume hostilities after the release of hostages, as it did in March. Israeli forces would pull back to the positions they held during the ceasefire Israel ended that month. Hamas would release 10 living hostages and a number of bodies during the 60-day pause in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, including 100 serving long sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks. Each day, hundreds of trucks carrying food and humanitarian aid would be allowed to enter Gaza, where experts say a nearly three-month Israeli blockade — slightly eased in recent days — has pushed the population to the brink of famine. Why is it so hard to end the war? Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 hostages. More than half the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals. Israel has rescued eight and recovered dozens of bodies. Israel's ensuing military campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. The offensive has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population of roughly 2 million Palestinians, with hundreds of thousands living in squalid tent camps and unused schools. Hamas has been vastly depleted militarily and lost nearly all of its top leaders in Gaza. It most likely fears that releasing all the hostages without securing a permanent ceasefire would allow Israel to launch an even more devastating campaign to ultimately destroy the group. Israel fears that a lasting ceasefire and withdrawal now would leave Hamas with significant influence in Gaza, even if it surrenders formal power. With time, Hamas might be able to rebuild its military might and eventually launch more Oct. 7-style attacks. Netanyahu also faces political constraints: His far-right coalition partners have threatened to bring down his government if he ends the war too soon. That would leave him more vulnerable to prosecution on longstanding corruption charges and to investigations into the failures surrounding the Oct. 7 attack. A broader resolution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict appears more distant than ever. The Palestinians are weak and divided, and Israel's current government — the most nationalist and religious in its history — is opposed to Palestinian demands for a state in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories Israel occupied in the 1967 Mideast war. The last serious peace talks broke down more than 15 years ago.
Nahar Net
an hour ago
- Nahar Net
Israel says it intercepted a missile from Yemen
by Naharnet Newsdesk 30 May 2025, 11:55 Yemen's Houthi rebels took responsibility for firing the long-range missile Thursday evening, which Israel's military says was intercepted as air-raid sirens sounded in parts of the country. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. Israel halted a national soccer championship match in Tel Aviv due to the Houthi missile attack, which came as the tempo of negotiations on a ceasefire in Gaza has increased. The Houthis have targeted Israel throughout the war in Gaza in solidarity with Palestinians. The Houthi missiles have mostly been intercepted, although some have penetrated Israel's missile defense systems, causing casualties and damage. Palestinian militants were once firing volleys of rockets each day out of Gaza, but that dwindled to nearly zero over the course of the 19-month war.
