Kurdish militia cedes control to regime in Aleppo and north-east Syria
MENA
Ideologically opposed sides signed deal last month to bring Kurdish-run zones into post-Al Assad order
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Al Etihad
10 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Egypt rejects Israeli plans to displace Palestinians, warns of legal, regional consequences
17 Aug 2025 17:14 CAIRO (WAM) Egypt has firmly renewed its rejection of any Israeli plans to displace Palestinians from their historical homeland, whether in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, under any pretext—be it forced or condemned all forms of displacement, including those carried out through policies of starvation, land confiscation, settlement expansion, or by making life unlivable for Palestinians in their own a statement issued on Sunday and carried by Middle East News Agency (MENA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed Egypt's deep concern over recent reports suggesting that Israel has held consultations with certain countries regarding the potential resettlement of Palestinian refugees from ministry criticised these discussions as part of a broader, rejected Israeli strategy to depopulate Palestinian territories and undermine the Palestinian emphasised that it will not accept, support, or participate in any plans that involve the displacement of Palestinians, calling such proposals a historic injustice that lacks any moral or legal statement urged the international community—particularly peace-supporting nations—to reject complicity in such an "immoral and illegal crime" that would violate the principles of international humanitarian law, constitute a war crime, and amount to ethnic cleansing. It further noted that such actions would blatantly breach the four Geneva Egypt warned of the grave historical and legal consequences that would befall any party involved in or facilitating such displacement. It also stressed the potential for far-reaching political repercussions across the region and beyond if such policies were to proceed.
Gulf Today
4 days ago
- Gulf Today
Foreign NGOs say new Israeli rules keep them from delivering Gaza aid
New Israeli legislation regulating foreign aid groups has been increasingly used to deny their requests to bring supplies into Gaza, according to a joint letter signed by more than 100 groups published Thursday. Ties between foreign-backed aid groups and the Israeli government have long been beset by tensions, with officials often complaining the organisations are biased. The rocky relations have only gotten more strained in the wake of Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel in October 2023. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at least 235 people including 106 children have died of hunger since the war began in October 2023, with many of the cases recorded in recent weeks. "Israeli authorities have rejected requests from dozens of NGOs to bring in lifesaving goods, citing that these organisations are 'not authorised to deliver aid'," the joint statement reads. People stand in front of a warehouse for aid deliveries, waiting to be delivered to Gaza, at a logistics site run by the Egyptian Red Crescent, outside Arish, Egypt. Reuters According to the letter, whose signatories include Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), at least 60 requests to bring aid into Gaza were rejected in July alone. In March, Israel's government approved a new set of rules for foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working with Palestinians. The law updates the framework for how aid groups must register to maintain their status within Israel, along with provisions that outline how their applications can be denied or registration revoked. Registration can be rejected if Israeli authorities deem that a group denies the democratic character of Israel or "promotes delegitimisation campaigns" against the country. Radwan Radwan, father of displaced Palestinian boy Bader Radwan who shelters with his parents and five siblings in a destroyed clinic, helps his son unpack the contents of a food supplies package, which includes a bag of lentils, cooking oil, rice, flour, tahini (ground sesame seeds), and cans of meat, fava beans, hummus, white beans, and tomato sauce, after collecting it from aid trucks that entered Gaza through Israel, in Gaza City, on Wednesday. Reuters "Unfortunately, many aid organisations serve as a cover for hostile and sometimes violent activity," Israel's Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli told the media. "Organisations that have no connection to hostile or violent activity and no ties to the boycott movement will be granted permission to operate," added Chikli, whose ministry directed an effort to produce the new guideline. Aid groups say, however, that the new rules are leaving Gazans without help. "Our mandate is to save lives, but due to the registration restrictions civilians are being left without the food, medicine and protection they urgently need," said Jolien Veldwijk, director of the charity CARE in the Palestinian territories. Veldwijk said that CARE has not been able to deliver any aid to Gaza since Israel imposed a full blockade on the Palestinian territory in March, despite partially easing it in May. Israel has long accused Hamas of stealing aid entering the Strip, and since May, the government has relied on the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to manage food distribution centres. According to Gaza's civil defence agency, its operations have been frequently marred by chaos as thousands of Gazans have scrambled each day to approach its hubs, where some have been shot, including by Israeli soldiers. Agence France-Presse
Middle East Eye
4 days ago
- Middle East Eye
Turkey warns Syrian Kurds: Don't become Israeli pawns
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday issued yet another ultimatum to Syrian Kurdish armed groups, urging them to abandon hopes of cooperating with Israel against Damascus and to honour their agreement to integrate with the central government. In an unusually sharp tone, Fidan said Ankara was not naive and was fully aware of the Syrian Democratic Forces' (SDF) activities. 'They say that the agreement we made with Syria does not bind us much in terms of the clauses written in it,' he said. 'Well then, what does concern you? Is it making the esteemed Kurdish brothers of the region into Israel's pawns that concerns you?' Fidan's remarks came as Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Al-Shaibani visited Ankara, accompanied by the Syrian defence minister and intelligence chief, to discuss security challenges in northern Syria as well as the situation in Sweida. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters On Tuesday, Shaibani had attended a meeting in Jordan with US Special Envoy Thomas Barrack, aiming to find a path forward that would accommodate both Syrian and Israeli concerns regarding the safety of the Druze community in Suwayda. At the joint press conference in Ankara, Shaibani also criticised a recent conference held by the SDF in Hasakah, where representatives of various ethnic and religious minority groups called for autonomy. He said they did not represent the Syrian people and warned that Damascus remained resolute in preserving Syria's territorial integrity. Damascus last week cancelled a meeting with SDF representatives in Paris in protest for the conference, partially also because of Turkey's objections to the French mediation. Negotiations and centralisation In March, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa signed a memorandum with SDF commander Mazlum Abdi, agreeing in principle to integrate with Damascus. The deal included incorporating SDF forces into the national army, transferring control of borders, government institutions, prisons, and oil and gas fields to the central authorities. This step coincided with Turkey's own peace talks with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which announced its dissolution in May following appeals from its imprisoned founder Abdullah Ocalan. The SDF later said the process doesn't concern them either. Since then, the SDF, widely seen as a PKK offshoot, has shifted its stance and begun demanding autonomy and a decentralised system of governance, particularly after Israeli air strikes on Damascus and southern Syria. In multiple interviews, Abdi has said he wants the SDF to remain under a separate command structure. 'In an environment where Turkey's security concerns are not addressed, there is no way for us to remain calm here' - Hakan Fidan, Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan warned that Ankara's patience was wearing thin as the SDF failed to take concrete steps to address Turkish security concerns. 'At present, we see that members of the SDF coming from Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Europe have not left Syria,' he said, referring to the foreign fighters the SDF had pledged to expel. 'On the contrary, we see that they are waiting for possible problems to maximise their benefit from all processes - both in Damascus and in Ankara. They should not think we do not see this; we do see it.' Fidan further alleged that the SDF was seeking Israeli assistance to maintain control over Arab-majority areas by force and to preserve its ties to the PKK. 'But in an environment where Turkey's security concerns are not addressed, there is no way for us to remain calm here,' he said. While calling on the SDF to pursue peace with both Turkey and Damascus, Fidan also suggested that no one should be surprised by potential developments, hinting that Ankara was prepared to take other measures, possibly including military action. Deadlines Last month, Middle East Eye reported that Turkey and the US, in a meeting with SDF officials, had given Abdi's group a 30-day deadline to accelerate the process of joining Damascus. That deadline is set to expire within days. According to a regional source speaking to MEE, US officials warned the SDF that the international coalition might not be able to shield them if Damascus decided to launch a military offensive in the event the 10 March agreement was not upheld. Security sources told MEE that while Turkey would not directly intervene against the SDF, the Turkish Armed Forces could provide indirect support for a limited operation carried out by the Syrian army. They said preparations for such an operation had already been completed. Syrian democracy campaigners wary of upcoming 'selected' elections Read More » The sources also revealed that US Special Envoy Thomas Barrack, in meetings with Turkish officials in Ankara, requested more time for diplomatic efforts and negotiations with the SDF. Turkish officials reportedly responded, in diplomatic terms, that 'the decision and authority on the matter rest with the Damascus government, and that in line with the military cooperation between Damascus and Turkey and Turkey's national security sensitivities, any request for support from Damascus would be met positively'. Meanwhile, intermittent clashes have broken out between the Syrian army and the SDF in Deir Hafir, east of Aleppo, and around the Tishrin Dam last week, with both sides trading blame for the escalation. Syrian security sources told MEE that the Syrian delegation's visit to Ankara would focus on this context, with key agenda items including shared threats, border security, follow-up on agreements, and potential economic investments. Last month, Syria formally requested that Turkey extend security assistance. The sources added that discussions on the deployment of Turkish Armed Forces in Syria would also be part of the talks.
