Latest news with #AhmadAlDalati
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Syrian government starts evacuating Bedouin families from Sweida in bid to end weeklong clashes
The Syrian government on Monday started evacuating Bedouin families trapped inside the city of Sweida, where Druze militiamen and Bedouin fighters have clashed for over a week. The clashes between militias of the Druze religious minority and the Sunni Muslim clans killed hundreds and threatened to unravel Syria's already fragile postwar transition. The clashes also led to a series of targeted sectarian attacks against the Druze community, followed by revenge attacks against the Bedouins. The U.N. International Organization for Migration said some 128,571 people were displaced in the hostilities that started with a series of tit-for-tat kidnappings and attacks a week ago. Israel also launched dozens of airstrikes in the Druze-majority Sweida province, targeting government forces who had effectively sided with the Bedouins. Syrian state media said early Sunday that the government had coordinated with some officials in Sweida to bring in buses to evacuate some 1,500 Bedouins in the city. Syrian Interior Minister Ahmad al-Dalati told SANA that the initiative will also allow displaced civilians from Sweida to return, as the fighting has largely stopped and efforts for a complete ceasefire are ongoing. 'We have imposed a security cordon in the vicinity of Sweida to keep it secure and to stop the fighting there,' al-Dalati told the Syrian state-run news agency. 'This will preserve the path that will lead to reconciliation and stability in the province." Buses filled with Bedouin families were accompanied by Syrian Arab Red Crescent vehicles and ambulances. Some families left on trucks with their belongings. Syrian authorities did not give further details about the evacuation and how it ties into the broader agreement, following failed talks for a hostage swap deal Saturday. However, Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that as part of the agreement, the Bedouin fighters would have to release Druze women they were holding captive, and leave the province. The Bedouin fighters had withdrawn from Sweida city Sunday, and alongside other tribesman from other parts of the country stood on the outskirts while security forces cordoned off the area. An aid convoy of some 32 Red Crescent vehicles entered the city, though a government delegation with another aid convoy was turned away. After talks for a hostage swap fell through late Sunday, the Observatory and activist groups in Sweida reported hearing what they said were Israeli airstrikes and helicopters over villages where some skirmishes took place between the Bedouins and Druze militias. The Israeli military said it was 'not aware' of any overnight strikes in Syria. Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has tried to appeal to the Druze community while slamming the factions loyal to spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri who have been involved in the clashes. He promised to hold accountable perpetrators of targeted attacks and other violations. The country's Druze community largely celebrated the downfall of the Assad family that ended decades of tyrannical rule. While they had concerns about Al-Sharaa's de facto Islamist rule, a large number wanted to approach matters diplomatically. Al-Hijri and his supporters, though, have taken a more confrontational approach with Al-Sharaa, contrary to most other influential Druze figures. Critics also note al-Hijri's previous allegiance to Assad. However, the numerous cases of sectarian attacks, which included killing Druze civilians and desecrating photos of religious notables, have made the Druze more skeptical of Al-Sharaa and less optimistic of peaceful coexistence. More than half of the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981. ——
The National
28-05-2025
- General
- The National
Syria-Israel talks are focused on reducing military presence near the Golan, source says
Talks between Syria and Israel have focused on the sides cutting back their military presence near the Golan Heights, a Syrian political source said. The source, who does not hold a government position, told The National that 'no political issues have been discussed'. Syria is demanding that Israel withdraws its troops to a 1974 armistice line on the Golan Heights, the source said. Israel sent its forces across the line into Syrian territory after rebel forces toppled former president Bashar Al Assad in December. The Israelis want the Syrian government to commit to an expanded demilitarised zone, free from heavy weapons, that runs from the Golan Heights to the outskirts of Damascus, the source said. Security teams from the sides have been discussing the details in an area of the Golan Heights patrolled by United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, the source said, without naming the participants. Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara said this month that Syria is engaged in 'indirect talks through mediators' with Israel 'to calm down the situation so that it does not get out of control'. Quoting sources, Reuters reported on Tuesday that a Syrian team led by Ahmad Al Dalati, a colonel in the security forces, held direct talks with Israel in the region of Quneitra, the heart of the 1974 demilitarised zone. Mr Al Dalati told Syrian state television that he 'categorically denies participating in any direct talks with the Israeli side'. 'Such claims lake accuracy and credibility,' said Mr Al Dalati, who was appointed this month as governor of the mostly Druze province of Suweida in southern Syria. Syria and Israel have been technically at war since 1967. Israel seized the Golan Heights that year and annexed it in 1981. Syria launched an unsuccessful war to regain the area in 1973, leading to the creation of the UN demilitarised zone the following year. The regime of Mr Al Assad, and his father Hafez held peace talks with Israel several times without reaching an agreement. On May 14, President Donald Trump met Mr Al Shara in Riyadh after being urged to do so by Ankara and Saudi Arabia and he asked Syria to join the Abraham Accords that established diplomatic relations between Israel and a number of Arab states. Although Mr Al Shara's Hayat Tahrir Al Sham group is a former ally of Al Qaeda, many see him and his government as a bulwark against more extreme elements. Israel bombed Syria since he was named leader by fellow rebels in late January, but the raids have subsided in recent weeks.
Asharq Al-Awsat
28-05-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Syria and Israel in Direct Talks Focused on Security Rather Than Normalization
Israel and Syria are in direct contact and have in recent weeks held face-to-face meetings aimed at calming tensions and preventing conflict in the border region, five people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. The contacts mark a significant development in ties between states that have been on opposite sides of conflict in the Middle East for decades, as the US encourages the new rulers in Damascus to establish relations with Israel and Israel eases its bombardment of Syria. They also build on back-channel talks via intermediaries since Hayat Tahrir al-Sham toppled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December, said two Syrian and two Western sources, as well as a regional intelligence source familiar with the matter. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject for two nations with no official ties and a history of enmity. The direct talks and their scope have not been previously reported. On the Syrian side, the sources said contacts have been led by senior security official Ahmad al-Dalati, who was appointed governor of the province of Quneitra, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, after the fall of Assad. Earlier this week, Dalati was also put in charge of security in the southern province of Sweida, home to Syria's Druze minority. Reuters could not determine who participated on Israel's side, though two of the sources said they were security officials. Three of the sources said there had been several rounds of in-person meetings in the border region, including in territory controlled by Israel. Israel's foreign ministry and Syrian officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Earlier this month, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa confirmed indirect talks with Israel that he said were aimed at calming tensions, a striking admission that followed a Reuters report that the UAE was mediating such talks. Israel has occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and took more territory in the aftermath of Assad's ouster in December, citing lingering concerns over the extremist past of the country's new rulers. It has also waged a campaign of aerial bombardment that destroyed much of the country's military infrastructure, while at the same time lobbying Washington to keep the country weak and decentralized. But the bombing and the criticism have subsided in recent weeks. On May 14, a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Sharaa in Riyadh upended decades of US-Syria policy, and signaled to Israel's right-wing government that it should work to reach understandings with al-Sharaa. The regional intelligence source described Trump's engagement with al-Sharaa as a pivotal part of a realignment in US policy that upset Israel's post-Assad strategy of exploiting Syria's fragmentation. The relative calm in May has also seen a reduction in tensions around Sweida, which saw days of bloody clashes between Druze armed factions, some of which enjoy Israeli backing, and Sunni fighters last month. Amid the violence, Israel had launched a series of airstrikes, including one just outside the presidential palace overlooking Damascus, which it framed as a warning over threats against the Druze. Broader Understandings? While the direct talks are currently focused on joint security, such as preventing conflict and reducing Israeli incursions into Syrian border villages, two of the sources said they may help pave the way for broader political understandings. 'For now, they are about peace, as in the absence of war, rather than normalization,' said the person familiar with backchannel talks. Trump indicated after meeting Sharaa that the Syrian President was willing to eventually normalize ties with Israel, while adding that it would take some time. Al-Sharaa has not commented on the statement, saying instead that he supported a return to the terms of a 1974 ceasefire agreement that created a UN buffer zone in the Golan Heights. Syria's new rulers have made repeated efforts to show they pose no threat to Israel, meeting representatives of the Jewish community in Damascus and abroad and detaining two senior members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which participated in the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. A letter sent by Syria's foreign ministry to the US State Department last month, seen by Reuters, said 'we will not allow Syria to become a source of threat to any party, including Israel.' More recently, Syria's leadership has shown goodwill by approving the handover of a trove of long-dead Israeli master spy Eli Cohen's belongings.
Japan Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Syria and Israel in direct talks focused on security, sources say
Israel and Syria are in direct contact and have in recent weeks held face-to-face meetings aimed at calming tensions and preventing conflict in the border region between the two longtime foes, five people familiar with the matter said. The contacts mark a significant development in ties between states that have been on opposite sides of conflict in the Middle East for decades, as the U.S. encourages the new Islamist rulers in Damascus to establish relations with Israel and Israel eases its bombardment of Syria. They also build on back-channel talks via intermediaries since Islamist rebels Hayat Tahrir al-Sham toppled Syrian strongman Bashar Assad in December, said two Syrian and two Western sources, as well as a regional intelligence source familiar with the matter. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject for two nations with no official ties and a history of enmity. The direct talks and their scope have not been previously reported. On the Syrian side, the sources said contacts have been led by senior security official Ahmad al-Dalati, who was appointed governor of the province of Quneitra, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, after the fall of Assad. Earlier this week, Dalati was also put in charge of security in the southern province of Sweida, home to Syria's Druze minority. In a statement to Syria's government-owned news channel, Ekhbariya, Dalati said, "I categorically deny my participation in any direct negotiation sessions with the Israeli side." "The Syrian leadership continues to take all necessary measures to protect the Syrian people and defend the sovereignty and unity of the Republic's lands, using all lawful means." It could not be determined who participated on Israel's side, though two of the sources said they were security officials. Three of the sources said there had been several rounds of in-person meetings in the border region, including in territory controlled by Israel. Israel's foreign ministry and Syrian officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Earlier this month, Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa confirmed indirect talks with Israel that he said were aimed at calming tensions, a striking admission that followed a report that the UAE was mediating such talks. Israel has occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and took more territory in the aftermath of Assad's ouster in December, citing lingering concerns over the extremist past of the country's new rulers. It has also waged a campaign of aerial bombardment that destroyed much of the country's military infrastructure, while at the same time lobbying Washington to keep the country weak and decentralized. But the bombing and the criticism have subsided in recent weeks. On May 14, a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Sharaa in Riyadh upended decades of U.S. Syria policy, and signaled to Israel's right-wing government that it should work to reach understandings with Sharaa. The regional intelligence source described Trump's engagement with Sharaa as a pivotal part of a realignment in U.S. policy that upset Israel's post-Assad strategy of exploiting Syria's fragmentation. Members of Syrian security forces stand guard at a damaged site, after Israel carried out an airstrike on the Syrian capital Damascus on Thursday. | REUTERS The relative calm in May has also seen a reduction in tensions around Sweida, which saw days of bloody clashes between Druze armed factions, some of which enjoy Israeli backing, and Sunni Muslim fighters last month. Amid the violence, Israel had launched a series of airstrikes, including one just outside the presidential palace overlooking Damascus, which it framed as a warning over threats against the Druze, an offshoot of Islam with adherents in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. While the direct talks are currently focused on joint security, such as preventing conflict and reducing Israeli incursions into Syrian border villages, two of the sources said they may help pave the way for broader political understandings. "For now, they are about peace, as in the absence of war, rather than normalization," said the person familiar with back-channel talks. Trump indicated after meeting Sharaa that the Syrian leader was willing to eventually normalize ties with Israel, while adding that it would take some time. Sharaa has not commented on the statement, saying instead that he supported a return to the terms of a 1974 ceasefire agreement that created a U.N. buffer zone in the Golan Heights. Syria's new rulers have made repeated efforts to show they pose no threat to Israel, meeting representatives of the Jewish community in Damascus and abroad and detaining two senior members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which participated in the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. A letter sent by Syria's foreign ministry to the U.S. State Department last month said "we will not allow Syria to become a source of threat to any party, including Israel." More recently, Syria's leadership has shown goodwill by approving the handover of a trove of long-dead Israeli master spy Eli Cohen's belongings.
Al Arabiya
27-05-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Syria and Israel in direct talks focused on security: Report
Israel and Syria are in direct contact and have in recent weeks held face-to-face meetings aimed at calming tensions and preventing conflict in the border region between the two longtime foes, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing five people familiar with the matter. The contacts mark a significant development in ties between states that have been on opposite sides of conflict in the Middle East for decades, as the US encourages the new rulers in Damascus to establish relations with Israel and Israel eases its bombardment of Syria. They also build on back-channel talks via intermediaries since opposition forces, led by the 'Hayat Tahrir al-Sham' (HTS) group, toppled Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad in December, said two Syrian and two Western sources, as well as a regional intelligence source familiar with the matter. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject for two nations with no official ties and a history of enmity. The direct talks and their scope have not been previously reported. On the Syrian side, the sources said contacts have been led by senior security official Ahmad al-Dalati, who was appointed governor of the province of Quneitra, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, after the fall of al-Assad. Earlier this week, al-Dalati was also put in charge of security in the southern province of Sweida, home to Syria's Druze minority. Reuters could not determine who participated on Israel's side, though two of the sources said they were security officials. Three of the sources said there had been several rounds of in-person meetings in the border region, including in territory controlled by Israel. Israel's foreign ministry and Syrian officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Earlier this month, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa confirmed indirect talks with Israel that he said were aimed at calming tensions, a striking admission that followed a Reuters report that the UAE was mediating such talks. Israel has occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and took more territory in the aftermath of al-Assad's ouster in December, citing lingering concerns over the extremist past of the country's new rulers. It has also waged a campaign of aerial bombardment that destroyed much of the country's military infrastructure, while at the same time lobbying Washington to keep the country weak and decentralized. But the bombing and the criticism have subsided in recent weeks. On May 14, a meeting between US President Donald Trump and al-Sharaa in Riyadh upended decades of US Syria policy, and signaled to Israel's right-wing government that it should work to reach understandings with al-Sharaa. The regional intelligence source described Trump's engagement with al-Sharaa as a pivotal part of a realignment in US policy that upset Israel's post-al-Assad strategy of exploiting Syria's fragmentation. Broader understandings? The relative calm in May has also seen a reduction in tensions around Sweida, which saw days of bloody clashes between Druze armed factions, some of which enjoy Israeli backing, and Sunni Muslim fighters last month. Amid the violence, Israel had launched a series of airstrikes, including one just outside the presidential palace overlooking Damascus, which it framed as a warning over threats against the Druze, an offshoot of Islam with adherents in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. While the direct talks are currently focused on joint security, such as preventing conflict and reducing Israeli incursions into Syrian border villages, two of the sources said they may help pave the way for broader political understandings. 'For now, they are about peace, as in the absence of war, rather than normalization,' said the person familiar with backchannel talks. Trump indicated after meeting al-Sharaa that the Syrian leader was willing to eventually normalize ties with Israel, while adding that it would take some time. Al-Sharaa has not commented on the statement, saying instead that he supported a return to the terms of a 1974 ceasefire agreement that created a UN buffer zone in the Golan Heights. Syria's new rulers have made repeated efforts to show they pose no threat to Israel, meeting representatives of the Jewish community in Damascus and abroad and detaining two senior members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which participated in the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. A letter sent by Syria's foreign ministry to the US State Department last month, seen by Reuters, said 'we will not allow Syria to become a source of threat to any party, including Israel.' More recently, Syria's leadership has shown goodwill by approving the handover of a trove of long-dead Israeli master spy Eli Cohen's belongings.
