US said it agreed on 'specific steps' to bring end to Syria clashes
"We have engaged all the parties involved in the clashes in Syria. We have agreed on specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end tonight," he wrote on X, calling on all parties to "deliver on the commitments they have made."
Rubio's statement followed shortly after Israel struck the Syrian Defence Ministry headquarters, located next to a busy square in the heart of Damascus.
Syria's Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa denounced Israel's actions, claiming it sought to sow division in the country since the fall of the former regime, and said protecting Druze citizens was its top priority.
"We reject any attempt, foreign or domestic, to sow division within our ranks. We are all partners in this land, and we will not allow any group to distort the beautiful image that Syria and its diversity represent," al-Sharaa said early Thursday in an address aired on state television.
Israel said the airstrike was a response to recent escalation of violence against the Druze minotiry, and said it sought to protect the community.
In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said "a recurring phenomenon of persecution of minorities to the point of murder and pogroms in Syria" was unfolding, involving both regime forces and militias that formed the country's transitional government after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
The Israeli foreign minister said there was a noticeable pattern of violence against several minority groups over the last six months, including "mass murders against the Alawites in northwestern Syria, on a very large scale" and "constant acts of hostility" toward Kurds in the country's north.
The unrest in Syria's Sweida province began with tit-for-tat kidnapping between Sunni Bedouins tribes and the Druze community.
The violence, which erupted over the weekend, continued on Monday as government forces intervened to restore order and clashed with Druze fighters, also attacking some civilians.
No official casuality figures have been released since the Interior Ministry said on Monday that 30 people had been killed since the start of the fighting. However, UK-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported a higher number, claiming more than 300 people have been killed as of Wednesday morning.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
4 hours ago
- LeMonde
Clashes in Syria: Who are the Druze and why does Israel defend them?
The Druze, a Middle Eastern religious minority population, whose communities are at the center of the clashes that broke out in southern Syria from July 13 to 20, represent a unique and distinct community due to their beliefs, geographic distribution and political allegiances. 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.
LeMonde
6 hours ago
- LeMonde
US announces leaving UN cultural body UNESCO
The United States on Tuesday, July 22, announced it has left UNESCO, saying the UN cultural and education agency, best known for establishing world heritage sites, is biased against Israel and promotes "divisive" causes. "Continued involvement in UNESCO is not in the national interest of the United States," the State Department spokeswoman said. The US exit was expected under President Donald Trump, who also ordered withdrawal from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2017 during his first term. President Joe Biden then reestablished US membership. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce described UNESCO as working "to advance divisive social and cultural causes" and being overly focused on UN sustainability goals, which she described as a "globalist, ideological agenda." Bruce also highlighted what she said was the body's anti-Israeli position in admitting Palestine as a state. "UNESCO's decision to admit the 'State of Palestine' as a member state is highly problematic, contrary to US policy, and contributed to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric within the organization," Bruce said. UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay said on Tuesday, "I deeply regret President Donald Trump's decision to once again withdraw the United States of America from UNESCO. However regrettable, this announcement was expected, and UNESCO has prepared for it." The UN organization describes its mission as promoting education, scientific cooperation and cultural understanding. It oversees a list of heritage sites aimed at preserving unique environmental and architectural gems, ranging from the Great Barrier Reef off Australia and the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Athens Acropolis and Pyramids of Egypt. Trump was not the first to pull the US out of UNESCO. President Ronald Reagan ended US membership in the 1980s, saying the agency was corrupt and pro-Soviet. The US reentered under the presidency of George W. Bush.
LeMonde
12 hours ago
- LeMonde
French foreign minister urges Israel to let foreign press into Gaza
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Tuesday, July 22, urged Israel to allow foreign press into the besieged Palestinian territory of Gaza, as warnings of famine mount after 21 months of war. "I ask that the free and independent press be allowed to access Gaza to show what is happening there and to bear witness," he told France Inter radio in an interview from eastern Ukraine. He spoke after Agence France-Presse (AFP) warned that the lives of Palestinian freelance journalists it was working with in Gaza were in danger and urged Israel to allow them and their families to leave the occupied coastal territory. Asked if France would help evacuate these stringers, Barrot said France was "addressing the issue." "We hope to be able to evacuate some collaborators of journalists in the coming weeks," he said. On Monday, AFP's internal journalists' union, the Société des Journalists (SDJ), sounded the alarm, urging "immediate intervention" to help reporters working with the agency in Gaza. The SDJ cited the example of one such freelancer, a 30-year-old living with his family in Gaza City, who reported on Sunday that his older brother "fell because of hunger." AFP responded in a statement posted on X and Instagram. "Since October 7, Israel has prohibited access to the Gaza Strip for all international journalists. "In this context, the work of our Palestinian freelancers is crucial to inform the world," it said. "But their lives are in danger, which is why we urge the Israeli authorities to allow their immediate evacuation along with their families." AFP evacuated its eight staff members and families from Gaza between January and April 2024. Barrot urged an "immediate ceasefire" after Israel on Monday expanded military operations to the central city of Deir el-Balah. "There is no longer any justification for the Israeli army's military operations in Gaza," he said. "This is an offensive that will exacerbate an already catastrophic situation and cause new forced displacements of populations, which we condemn in the strongest terms."
