Latest news with #Golan
17-07-2025
22-year-old charged with murder in alleged killing of 'American Idol' music supervisor and husband
Murder and burglary charges were filed Thursday in the killing of an "American Idol" music supervisor and her husband at their home in Los Angeles. The suspect -- 22-year-old Raymond Boodarian -- is accused of scaling a fence onto the Encino property and then shooting and killing the couple during a struggle when they arrived home, Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Guy Golan told reporters Tuesday. Boodarian has been charged with two counts of murder and a count of residential burglary, according to Los Angeles ABC station KABC. He is expected to appear in court on Thursday afternoon to make an initial appearance on the charges. The victims -- Robin Kaye and her husband, Thomas Deluca, both 70 -- were found shot to death in their Los Angeles home during a welfare check on Monday, authorities said. It is believed the couple was killed four days earlier, on July 10, police said. That day, the Los Angeles Police Department said it received two calls about a possible burglary at the address after a person was seen jumping the fence onto the property. Officers responding to the calls that day were unable to go into the home because it is highly fortified, with 8-foot walls with spikes, police sources said. Police flew a helicopter over and saw no signs of a burglary or any other trouble and cleared the scene, Golan previously told reporters. Surveillance footage later reviewed by police showed the suspect scaling the fence and then apparently entering an unlocked door, Golan said. The victims arrived home about 30 minutes later, police said. While responding for a welfare check on Monday, officers were able to make their way into the home and found the victims dead with multiple gunshot wounds, Golan said. They both had gunshot wounds to the head, police said. Detectives have since found a gun at the suspect's residence that will be tested to determine if it was the alleged murder weapon, LAPD homicide detectives said Wednesday. A motive in the attack remains under investigation. Police do not believe Boodarian knew the victims, and the house did not appear to be ransacked, Golan said Tuesday. There is no camera footage from inside the house that shows what went on, he said. The LAPD will look into how police responded to the initial burglary call last week to make sure it was handled appropriately, Golan said. Kaye had been with "American Idol" since 2009, according to a spokesperson for the ABC television show.
France 24
17-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
'Like a dream': Druze reunited across Golan Heights buffer zone
Young men drove around the area near the de facto border, waving the Druze flag with its five colourful stripes representing the pillars of their Druze faith, an esoteric offshoot of Shiite Islam. The area has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, separating the Golan Druze from their relatives across the demilitarised buffer zone. In the crowds, everyone asked for news of their families across the frontier, where days of violence in Syria's Druze-majority Sweida province have left hundreds dead since Sunday, according to a monitor. "Because of the dramatic situation in Syria, the murders, massacres and the violence, many people headed towards the border," said Qamar Abu Saleh, a 36-year-old educator, who lives in Majdal Shams. "They opened the fence and entered, and people from Syria also started crossing here. "It was like a dream, and we still can't believe it happened", she said enthusiastically, adding she came that day in the hope that the border would permanently reopen. "It was completely crazy," Amali Shufek, another resident, told AFP. Shufek, in her 50s, hoped to meet her uncle's family living on the Syrian-controlled side just a few kilometres away. She left her parents on chairs facing the fence, again guarded by the Israeli army, hoping it would open again so that she might meet her cousins. "I've only seen photos of them," she added. Talking all night Nearby, a group of men hugged one another while a small Druze child from across the frontier waved an Israeli flag. The boy's father, who did not disclose his name for security reasons, said they had come from the village of Hader, and that he had just spent a few hours with his cousins in Majdal Shams. "We didn't sleep all night, we only talked," he said. "I have goose bumps just seeing him here", said his cousin who lives on the Israeli-controlled side, adding that he wished for peace in the area so that these visits could become commonplace. In the afternoon, several Druze under Israeli army supervision were escorted through a hole in the ceasefire line fence back to Syrian-controlled territory. Israel, which is home to over 150,000 Druze, including those in the occupied Golan Heights, has presented itself as a defender of the minority group and bombed Syrian forces during the clashes in Sweida. Those living in Israel hold Israeli citizenship, but most of the roughly 23,000 from the occupied Golan do not and still identify as Syrians. Some analysts say that Israel is using the Druze as a pretext to pursue its own military goal of keeping Syrian government forces as far from their shared frontier as possible. Following former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's overthrow in December, the Israeli military took control of the UN-monitored demilitarised zone in the Golan Heights and conducted hundreds of strikes on military targets in Syria. Israel and Syria signed an armistice in 1974 after the Arab-Israeli war of the previous year, but never a formal peace treaty. Though Israel has made contact with Syria's new Islamist-led authorities, it has treaded with caution and is now showing clear antagonism towards them. 'Same family' A few local elders and Druze clerics wearing traditional clothing — a white veil covering the mouth for women and a red tarboush cap wrapped in a white cloth for men — had also come to watch the horizon. While the Druze are spread across Syria, Lebanon and Israel, they "all belong to the same family", Salim Safadi, a resident of a nearby village, told AFP. "I think we have some sort of agreement with Israel; when they have a problem we help them, and when we have a problem they help us," the 60-year-old lawyer said, pointing to the fact that many Druze serve in Israel's armed forces and police. He said he felt grateful for Israel's intervention in Syria's clashes, and that it was its involvement that brought the ceasefire announced Wednesday. "We condemn what is happening in Syria, it's a barbaric act", said Intisar Mahmud, a woman in her sixties shocked by the recent days' events. "Even animals don't do this -- they killed innocents", she added. "We ask the entire world to stand by our relatives in Syria", she said, adding that the current borders did not always exist and calling on people of the region to be like "the fingers of one hand".
Al Bawaba
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
Druze leader denies involvement in revenge attacks as Israeli-backed militias seize control in Suwayda
Published July 17th, 2025 - 03:30 GMT In a video statement coinciding with a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Al-Hijri emphasized the Druze community's commitment to coexistence and rejected collective blame. ALBAWABA- Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, the Israel-backed Druze spiritual leader in Suwayda, has publicly denied that his armed followers committed retaliatory acts against Bedouin tribes following the withdrawal of Syrian government forces from the governorate. Also Read Israel strikes near Damascus palace amid Druze protection pledge In a video statement coinciding with a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Al-Hijri emphasized the Druze community's commitment to coexistence and rejected collective blame. ⚡️🇮🇱BREAKING: Israel's PM Netanyahu vows to never allow the militarization of Southern Syria:'I want to update you on what we have done in Syria—and what we will do in Syria. We established a clear policy: the demilitarization of the area south of Damascus—from the Golan to… — Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) July 17, 2025 'Despite the painful attacks our community has suffered, we continue to uphold the values of tolerance,' Al-Hijri stated. 'Anyone committing acts of sabotage or provocation represents no one but himself. We reject sectarianism and any call for fragmentation.' ⚡️🇸🇾JUST IN: Israel-backed Druze militias under Hikmat al-Hijri killed Bedouin civilians, including women and children, looted homes, and forced many to flee after the Syrian army withdrew from Suwaida. — Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) July 17, 2025 His remarks follow widespread reports and video footage circulating on social media that show members of Bedouin tribes fleeing Suwayda amid claims of targeted violence by armed Druze factions. These events come after Syrian forces pulled out of the region as part of a local ceasefire agreement reached in Yestrday between Suwayda community leaders and state officials. The deal granted local forces authority over internal security in the province. Following the withdrawal, Druze fighters aligned with Al-Hijri reportedly took control of key areas in Suwayda. They raised the Druze flag, bearing the Star of David, a symbol increasingly used by pro-Israel Druze militias, over the governorate building, declaring their rejection of any renewed Syrian military presence south of Damascus. According to local sources, initial reports indicate that armed militias affiliated with Hikmat al-Hijri have carried out field executions resulting in the deaths of approximately 100 Bedouin tribespeople, including women and children. As-Suwayda, SyriaThursday, July 17, 2025 On July 17, 2025, disturbing reports emerged from As-Suwayda, Syria, alleging that militias affiliated with Hikmat al-Hijri, a prominent Druze leader, committed severe human rights violations 👇#السويداء #HekmatAlHajriMilitiaMassacre — Roba Alhakiem (@RAlhakiem) July 17, 2025 'What the regime did was send troops to kill our Druze brothers,' Al-Hijri said in his speech. 'So I instructed our forces to retaliate. The ceasefire came through force, not through negotiations.' Israeli support for Al-Hijri's forces appears to have intensified in last few days. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have reportedly provided air cover for Druze militias, targeting Syrian military convoys and blocking reinforcements near and inside Suwayda. Over the last 48 hours, IDF airstrikes have hit Syrian armored vehicles and convoys, while also targeting the gate of the Syrian military headquarters in Damascus in what sources describe as a 'warning shot.' Also Read Israeli forces strike Syrian tanks amid clashes in Suwayda Analysts describe the conflict as a key test for Ahmad Al-Shara's leadership, as Syrian forces face mounting casualties and growing regional pressure. Military analysts suggest Israel may escalate its air campaign further, potentially targeting government institutions, military headquarters, and launching selective assassinations against key regime figures, while continuing to back proxy militias on the ground. Reports of Bedouin families fleeing Suwayda toward Daraa have raised alarms over what some are calling an emerging ethnic cleansing campaign, as retaliatory violence intensifies. Despite the denial from Al-Hijri, the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate, with the fragile ceasefire hanging by a thread, and Suwayda increasingly becoming the epicenter of a regional showdown between Syrian forces and Israeli-backed militias. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
LBCI
16-07-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
UN chief condemns Israel strikes on Syria: Spokesman
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Israel's airstrikes on Syria Wednesday as the country puts pressure on Damascus to protect the Druze minority following clashes. "The Secretary-General further condemns Israel's escalatory airstrikes on Sweida, Daraa and in the center of Damascus, as well as reports of the Israeli army's redeployment of forces in the Golan," Guterres's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. AFP
SBS Australia
16-07-2025
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Israel launches strikes on the Syrian capital, Damascus
TRANSCRIPT Israel launches strikes on the Syrian capital, Damascus Russian aerial attacks strike a Ukraine shopping centre Essendon pledge to fix their appalling injury list Israel has launched airstrikes on Damascus, hitting Syria's defence ministry and areas near the presidential palace. Israel says the strikes were part of a campaign intended to defend Syria's Druze minority in the south who also form a substantial community in Israel, and to push Islamic militants away from its border. Syrian Interior Ministry official Nabil al-Khalidi confirmed civilians are among the casualties. Fighting in and around the Druze city of Sweida has escalated sharply, with death toll estimates ranging from 169 to 300. Stephan Dujarric, spokesman for U-N Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued this condemnation. "The Secretary-General condemns Israel's escalatory airstrikes on Sweida, Daraa, and in the centre of the Syrian capital, Damascus, as well as reports of Israeli Defenc e Forces redeployment of forces in the Golan. He calls for an immediate cessation of all violations of serious sovereignty and territorial integrity and for respect of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement." Twenty Palestinians have been killed in a crush at a food distribution site in Gaza. The site, in the southern city of Khan Younis, is run by the controversial Israeli-backed American aid group the Gaza Humanitarian Fund. It's the first time the Fund has acknowledged deadly violence at one of its sites, although there have previously been reports of others. It says the Hamas militant group, which governs Gaza, whipped up panic that led to the violence, with reports 19 people died in a stampede and one was stabbed to death. The Fund has presented no evidence for these claims. Ahmad Abu Amra was there and describes what he saw. 'We arrived at the gate of the aid distribution centre. The Americans were standing there and announced over loudspeakers that no one should advance. The Jews (how many in Gaza refer to Israelis) started shooting from one side, and the Americans did as well. There were turnstiles at the gate. The young men were rushing through them. Those who fell down, we couldn't lift them. Everyone was on top of each other. We tried to pull the young men up from the ground and help them, but we couldn't.' Witnesses are also claiming Fund employees used tear gas against the crowd. Rescue efforts are underway in Ukraine's Donetsk region, where authorities are reporting Russian strikes that hit a shopping centre have killed two people and injured 27 others. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the attack on Dobropillia - a town that lies northwest of Polrovsk, a town that has become a target for Russia since the war broke out. This attack follows a deadly assault on Dopropillia in March, in which 11 people including 5 children, were killed. This week there have been reports of a major assault on energy infrastructure. The attacks, conducted via a missile strike and 400 drones, have wounded 15 people. Mr Zelenskyy rejected Russia's assertion these strikes are strategic and justifiable in its war against Ukraine. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare says the case of an alleged child abuser working at dozens of childcare centres is a nightmare for parents and highlights the need for a national register of childcare workers. The 26-year-old who has been charged with more than 70 sex offences against eight young children has been revealed to have worked at more early learning centres than originally thought. He is now believed to have worked at 24 childcare facilities since 2017 and authorities have recommended an additional 800 children who crossed paths with him be tested for infectious diseases. The allegations have put childcare record-keeping in the spotlight, with police forced to use search warrants to confirm the man's employment history. Mr Clare tells the ABC that a register is badly needed. "This is a nightmare for hundreds more parents who now have to go through the ringer of working out whether their kids are sick or not. It strikes me when I saw this yesterday that this is another reason why we need an educator register, a database that tells us where people are working and where they have been working. The company responsible here should know this at a click of a button and so should we. This shouldn't be the sort of information that comes out in drip-feed form. It should be information that's easy to access quickly." If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732, or visit In an emergency, call 000. Buyers are warned to be on the lookout for suspiciously cheap designer handbags after a ram raid on a luxury store. Italian designer fashion retailer Fendi was the target of the attack in Sydney's city-centre early on Wednesday, when police say tens of thousands of dollars worth of items were stolen from the shopfront. Chief Inspector Gary Coffey says a Lexus SUV, stolen on Monday night, was driven on to the pavement on Elizabeth St about 3:45am and smashed the shop window. Broken glass scattered across the footpath and empty shopfront displays greeted police and store employees when they arrived at the scene. In the AFL, Essendon will allocate extra resources to its strength conditioning program to try and avoid a repeat of its extraordinarily-long injury list. Eleven first-choice Essendon players will be unavailable for tonight's match against Greater Western Sydney in Melbourne. Elijah Tsatsas is the latest injury absentee- he'll miss this game with a hamstring complaint. Liam McMahon will become the 13th player to debut for the club when he plays for the Bombers in this game, setting a new record for the modern era. The injuries have contributed to the Bombers' poor season, with the side 14th on the ladder coming into the match against GWS.
