Latest news with #GideonSa'ar
Daily News Egypt
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily News Egypt
Southern Syria's Power Vacuum: Will Israel Become the Unlikely Guardian?
As the smoke of Syria's civil war settles—only to rise again in new, unpredictable ways—an entirely different reality has taken hold south of Damascus. There, in the stretch of desert that spills toward the Jordanian frontier and the Golan Heights, no single power commands authority. Instead, a fractured mosaic of Druze fighters, Bedouin clans, jihadist remnants, and rifle-wielding militias carves out territories amid complete state collapse. This is not the Syria we once knew. The United Nations still labels its ruling factions 'terrorist,' yet even that designation obscures the daily drama unfolding on the ground: hundreds slaughtered, wounded, or displaced in clashes between Druze and Bedouin communities around Suwayda. Once, these confrontations were local disputes over pasturelands and water rights—now they have become existential battles, each side convinced its survival hangs in the balance. Since October 2023, the Assad regime has all but vanished from southern Syria. Its vaunted 'Fifth Corps'—propped up by Russian officers and staffed by recruited ex-ISIS fighters—has collapsed under its own contradictions. Bakeries and flour mills lie in ruins, military checkpoints have dissolved, and the 'Al-Sharaa Government' exists only on paper. With 88% of vital infrastructure destroyed and 2.1 million civilians deprived of basic needs, the humanitarian toll is staggering: children starving to death in their mothers' arms, hospitals gasping for medicine, and more than 5,200 wounded or displaced by the violence of competing armed factions. Into this vacuum steps Israel—unannounced but increasingly unavoidable. Tel Aviv has long professed an 'unofficial moral commitment' to Syria's Druze minority, who dwell perilously close to its border. Two months ago, Israeli commandos reportedly intervened directly to protect a Druze enclave under attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister have repeatedly declared that safeguarding Syria's Druze is 'a moral and social obligation' of the Jewish state. For many Druze trapped between collapsing authority and marauding militias, Israel's intervention is not a choice but a lifeline. 'If Damascus cannot protect us,' they ask, 'who else but Israel?' In a landscape where every actor is suspect, Tel Aviv paradoxically emerges as the only guarantor of stability—at least for those it chooses to defend. This is both an opportunity and a dilemma for Israel. As Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar recently put it, Israel seeks to 'extend the circle of peace to Syria and Lebanon,' even as it insists the Golan Heights remains unequivocally Israeli territory. The old agreements once negotiated with Damascus are buried beneath the rubble; 'what is past is dead,' in Sa'ar's words. A new order is rising—one defined not by treaties but by raw power and on-the-ground realities. Yet questions abound. Will Israel's ad hoc security role evolve into a formal arrangement with a Damascus government it never truly recognised? Can Tel Aviv balance its strategic interests with the moral imperative of protecting civilians? And who, ultimately, will guarantee any future accord when the only credible fighting force is tribal loyalty, not national unity? For now, southern Syria remains a test case—of Israel's willingness to police its borderlands, of the international community's readiness to step in where states have failed, and of the Druze community's faith in an unlikely protector. In this fragile interlude, every stray bullet and empty stomach serves as a reminder that, sometimes, peace begins when chaos seems interminable. But peace also demands vision: a durable force to uphold any agreement, clear security arrangements among neighbours, and, most critically, a commitment to human dignity that transcends sectarian lines. Until then, Israel's 'unspoken duty' in Syria's southern chaos may be the only semblance of order—or compassion—left in a land bereft of both. Dr. Hatem Sadek – Professor at Helwan University
Saudi Gazette
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
At least 1,054 Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza have been killed by the Israeli military, UN says
GENEVA — At least 1,054 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military while trying to access food aid in Gaza, the United Nations' human rights office said in a statement Tuesday. 'Palestinians in Gaza are starving to death,' the statement said. Desperate, hungry people are approaching aid sites run by the controversial Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the statement said, 'even though between May 27 and July 21, 1,054 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli military in Gaza while trying to access food.' The GHF began operating in the Gaza Strip on May 27. Some 766 people were killed in the vicinity of their sites since then, the UN office said, while 288 were killed around aid convoys run by groups including the UN. CNN has reached to the Israel Defense Forces for comment. In a post on X, Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar accused Hamas of shooting civilians trying to collect aid, but did not provide any evidence for this. 'The deaths and the horrendous physical and psychological suffering caused by hunger are the result of Israel's interference with and militarization of humanitarian assistance into Gaza,' the UN's statement said. 'The Israeli military must immediately stop shooting at people trying to get food. Firearms must never be used simply to disperse a crowd, even as a warning.' The UN office called on Israel to allow more humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip and lift its restrictions on the UN and other humanitarian groups in the enclave. — CNN
See - Sada Elbalad
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Greece Prevents Israelis from Landing on Syros Island Due to Pro-Gaza Protests
Amir Hagag Greek authorities have prevented several Israeli settlements from docking on the island of Syros due to massive pro-Gaza protests on the same island. According to Hebrew media, the Israelis were stuck on the ship, and some passengers began a counter-demonstration, waving Israeli flags and chanting, "We are the believers, children of the believers." Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar spoke with his Greek counterpart, Georgios Gerapetritis, to discuss the matter. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks
Rudaw Net
4 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Damascus denies forces re-entered Druze area
Also in Syria Syria's Druze seek access to Rojava as Kurds send humanitarian aid Syrian forces withdraw from Suwayda after Israeli strikes, rising death toll Syrian army withdraws from Suwayda following deadly clashes Syrian Druze leader vows to continue battle to 'liberate' Suwayda A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syria's Interior Ministry denied reports that its forces had entered the southern Druze-majority province of Suwayda to contain ongoing clashes between Druze groups and Bedouin tribes, a state-owned Syrian TV reported on Friday, a day after interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced the withdrawal of state forces from the area. 'There is no truth so far to what is being circulated about the entry of Ministry of Interior forces to resolve the conflict in Suwayda,' an informed security source told state-run al-Ikhbariya TV. Sharaa on Wednesday announced the withdrawal of state forces from Suwayda after days of inter-communal violence. Fighting erupted on Sunday between Druze groups and Sunni Bedouin tribes, prompting the deployment of forces from Syria's defense and interior ministries, along with affiliated armed factions. The Syrian army seized most of the province, which had been under the control of armed Druze groups since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December. A ceasefire was later announced by the Defense Ministry, following an agreement with Druze leaders. The spiritual leader of Syria's Druze community, Hikmat al-Hajari, said they were pressured into making the deal and warned that they are facing 'extermination.' The Syrian army pulled out of the area after reported US mediation and Israeli support for the Druze. Clashes continued after the announced truce. As of Thursday, nearly 600 people have been killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based war monitor. Nearly half of the casualties are residents of Suwayda. The humanitarian situation in the province is dire. SOHR reported that Suwayda is witnessing a near-complete cut in water supplies, and there is a scarcity of food and medicines. On Thursday, Syria's Druze community appealed for a route to be opened to connect them with the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria (Rojava). Rojava authorities responded by expressing solidarity with the Druze and announcing plans to send humanitarian aid. Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on Friday ordered the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Druze. 'In light of the recent attacks against the Druze in Suwayda and the serious humanitarian situation there, and in accordance with the needs on the ground - Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has ordered the urgent transfer of humanitarian aid to the Druze in Suwayda,' Israel's Foreign Ministry said on X. The aid package, valued at just under $600,000, includes food supplies, medical equipment, first aid kits, and medicine, funded by the Foreign Ministry, according to the statement. The Syrian presidency on Thursday said it had launched an investigation into reported violations committed during the recent violence. Footage widely circulated online showed Damascus-affiliated fighters forcibly shaving Druze men, removing their mustaches that are a traditional symbol of pride. On Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes targeted the General Staff Command Building of the Syrian Armed Forces in central Damascus, a day before Sharaa announced state forces were withdrawing. Israel has repeatedly stated its commitment to protecting Syria's Druze minority and preventing the establishment of a hostile military presence near its borders, citing national security concerns. On Thursday, SOHR reported that an Israeli drone strike targeted tribal fighters near Suwayda. A day earlier, five members of the Syrian Defense Ministry's 70th Division were killed when an Israeli drone hit a military vehicle on a mountain road near the province. Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a post on X that Israeli forces had targeted Syrian regime military sites in southern Syria.
Jordan News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Jordan News
Israel: Syrian Regime Engaging in Hostile Acts Against Minorities - Jordan News
Israeli occupation Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar stated on Wednesday that the Syrian regime is carrying out hostile actions against minority groups. اضافة اعلان In a press statement, Sa'ar said: "We are determined to prevent harm to the Druze community in Syria." He also emphasized that Israel seeks to maintain the current status quo along the Syrian border. Sa'ar stressed that Israel's intervention in Syria to protect the Druze is essential for Israeli security. These remarks come following a recent Israeli military intervention in Syria, under the pretext of protecting the Druze community, after the Syrian army entered Sweida Province, a majority-Druze area, following violent clashes between armed factions in the region.
