Latest news with #Hama
Saba Yemen
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Hamas: We holding consultations with Palestinian forces, factions regarding Witkoff proposal
Gaza – Saba: Hama announced on Friday that it is holding consultations with Palestinian forces and factions regarding the ceasefire proposal it received from US Middle East envoy John Witkoff. The movement said in a brief statement that "Hamas is holding consultations with Palestinian forces and factions regarding the ceasefire proposal it recently received from Mr. Witkoff through mediators." Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Photos: Syrians return to villages destroyed by war
Aref Shamtan, 73, chose to erect a tent near his decimated home in northwest Syria instead of remaining in a displacement camp following the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. 'I feel good here, even among the rubble,' Shamtan said, sipping tea at the tent near his field. Upon returning with his son after al-Assad was toppled in December, Shamtan discovered his village of al-Hawash, situated amid farmland in central Hama province, severely damaged. His house had lost its roof and suffered cracked walls. Nevertheless, 'living in the rubble is better than living in the camps' near the Turkish border, where he had resided since fleeing the conflict in 2011, Shamtan explained. Since al-Assad's downfall after nearly 14 years of war, the United Nations' International Organization for Migration reports that 1.87 million Syrians who were refugees abroad or internally displaced have returned to their places of origin. The IOM identifies the 'lack of economic opportunities and essential services' as the greatest challenge facing returnees. Unable to afford rebuilding, Shamtan decided approximately two months ago to leave the camp with his family and young grandchildren, and has begun planting wheat on his land. Al-Hawash had been under al-Assad's control and bordered front lines with neighbouring Idlib province, which became a stronghold for opposition groups, particularly Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the opposition fighters that spearheaded the offensive that toppled the former president. 'We cannot stay in the camps,' Shamtan maintained, even though 'the village is all destroyed … and life is non-existent,' lacking fundamental services and infrastructure. 'We decided … to live here until things improve. We are waiting for organisations and the state to help us,' he added. 'Life is tough.' Local official Abdel Ghafour al-Khatib, 72, has also returned after escaping in 2019 with his wife and children to a camp near the border. 'I just wanted to get home. I was overjoyed … I returned and pitched a worn-out tent. Living in my village is the important thing,' he stated. 'Everyone wants to return,' he noted. However, many cannot afford transportation in a country where 90 percent of the population lives in poverty. 'There is nothing here – no schools, no health clinics, no water and no electricity,' al-Khatib said while sitting on the ground in his tent near what remains of his home. The conflict, which erupted in 2011 following al-Assad's brutal suppression of antigovernment protests, killed more than 500,000 people and displaced half of Syria's pre-war population either internally or abroad, with many seeking refuge in Idlib province. According to the International Organization for Migration, more than six million people remain internally displaced.
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 days ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Displaced Syrians Leave Camps to Pitch Tents near Destroyed Homes
Aref Shamtan, 73, preferred to pitch a tent near his destroyed home in northwest Syria rather than stay in a camp for the displaced following longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad's ouster. "I feel good here, even among the rubble," Shamtan said, sipping tea at the tent near his field. When he and his son returned after Assad's December 8 overthrow, Shamtan found his village of Al-Hawash, nestled among farmland in central Hama province, badly damaged. The roof of their house was gone and its walls were cracked. But "living in the rubble is better than living in the camps" near the border with Türkiye, where he had been since 2011 after fleeing the fighting, Shamtan said. Since the opposition factions ousted Assad after nearly 14 years of war, 1.87 million Syrians who were refugees abroad or internally displaced have returned to their areas of origin, the United Nations' International Organization for Migration says. The IOM says the "lack of economic opportunities and essential services pose the greatest challenge" for those returning home. Shamtan, who cannot afford to rebuild, decided around two months ago to leave the camp with his family and young grandchildren, and has started planting his farmland with wheat, said AFP. Al-Hawash had been controlled by Assad's forces and was along the front lines with neighboring Idlib province, which became a bastion for opposition factions, particularly Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group that led the offensive that toppled Assad. 'Nothing here' "We can't stay in the camps," Shamtan insisted, even if "the village is all destroyed... and life is non-existent", lacking basic services and infrastructure. "We decided... to live here until things improve. We are waiting for organizations and the state to help us," he said. "Life is tough." Local official Abdel Ghafour al-Khatib, 72, has also returned after fleeing in 2019 with his wife and children for a camp near the border. "I just wanted to get home. I was overjoyed... I returned and pitched a worn-out tent. Living in my village is the important thing," he said. "Everyone wants to return," he said. But many cannot even afford the transport to do so in a country where 90 percent of people live in poverty. "There is nothing here -- no schools, no health clinics, no water and no electricity," Khatib said, sitting on the ground in the tent near the remains of his home. The war, which erupted in 2011 after Assad's brutal repression of anti-government protests, killed more than 500,000 people and displaced half of the pre-war population internally or abroad, with many fleeing to Idlib province. More than six million people remain internally displaced, according to the IOM. With the recent lifting of Western sanctions, Syria's new authorities hope for international support to launch reconstruction, which the UN estimates could cost more than $400 billion. IOM chief Amy Pope said on Monday that "the lifting of sanctions sends a powerful message of hope to millions of displaced Syrians", cautioning, however, that "hope must be matched with concrete support". 'No home' After being repeatedly displaced, Souad Othman, 47, returned with her three daughters and son to Al-Hawash around a week ago. "Everything has changed -- the homes are damaged and there is nothing left in their place," said Othman, whose husband died during the war. The roof of her home has collapsed and its walls are cracked, but she still chose to return, eking out a living through manual labor. A small bed sits out in the open, protected only by blankets on a clothesline, with a makeshift cooking area set up on the rubble. She said she borrowed $80 to pay for a battery for two solar panels. "There are snakes and insects here. We can't live without light during the night," she said. AFP aerial footage of camps in northwest Syria showed some former structures empty of residents. Jalal al-Omar, 37, who is responsible for part of a camp near the village of Qah in Idlib province, said around 100 families had left for his home village of Treimsa in the Hama region. But around 700 other families cannot afford to return, he said, also noting the lack of infrastructure in Treimsa, where people have to travel miles just to buy bread. "People don't want to stay in the camps, they want to return to their villages. But the lack of essential services... prevents their return," he said. "I myself have no home. I'm waiting... for a place to shelter in the village," he added.
LBCI
3 days ago
- General
- LBCI
Alleged talks with Syria, warnings on Lebanon: Israel walks a strategic 'tightrope'
Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian Between near-daily bombings and incursions, the Israeli army's threats to expand its presence deeper into Lebanon, and the relative calm in Syria's interior, it appears Israel, through its security agencies and political consultations, is trying to ensure calm on the Syrian front. Israel considers itself closer to peace with Syria, despite some officials' concerns that certain steps could jeopardize the army's achievements and freedom of operation there. This warning came after the disclosure of direct talks between Syrian and Israeli security and military officials. Some say the talks took place at the border, while others claim they occurred inside Israel. A report further revealed that efforts are focused on accelerating an understanding between the two sides. At the same time the talks were revealed, a military report discussed the Israeli army's deployment in Syria, noting it controls nine military sites from the summit of Mount Hermon through the Hama region to the border triangle with Jordan. However, the report also pointed to the continued presence of weapons caches, specifically in villages known to be affiliated with ISIS. This issue was discussed by Israelis with Syrian figures due to concerns about the impact on the army's safety and border security. The report also warned about the situation regarding Lebanon, particularly Hezbollah's "calm state," noting that if the group decides to retaliate against Tel Aviv, it will not be limited to the five hills it occupies inside Lebanon but will extend into Israel proper. The report said this requires decisive action on this front as well.
Yomiuri Shimbun
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Gaza Ceasefire Talks Resume as Israeli Assault Kills Hundreds in 72 Hours
Reuters A general view of destruction in North Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border, May 17, 2025. JERUSALEM/CAIRO, May 17 (Reuters) – Israel and Hamas resumed ceasefire talks on Saturday in Qatar, both sides said, even as Israeli forces ramped up a bombing campaign that has killed hundreds of people over 72 hours, and mobilized for a massive new ground assault. Palestinian health authorities said at least 146 people had been confirmed killed in the third day of Israel's latest bombing campaign, one of the deadliest waves of strikes since a ceasefire collapsed in March. Many hundreds more were wounded in hospitals and countless others buried under rubble. Israel says it is mobilizing to seize more ground in Gaza in a new campaign dubbed 'Operation Gideon's Chariots,' following a visit this week to the Middle East by U.S. President Donald Trump. It has halted all supplies entering Gaza since the start of March, leading to rising international concern over the plight of the enclave's 2.3 million residents. Reuters journalists saw Israeli tanks assembled on the outskirts of the enclave. Inside Gaza, people fled from the bombardment of northern areas, pushing their belongings on carts. 'They are bombing houses, and the people are afraid. What should we do?' Imad Naseer, 50, fleeing his home in the face of the assault, told Reuters. 'They treat us as if we are animals, not as humans.' Taher Al-Nono, the media advisor for the Hamas leadership, told Reuters a new round of indirect talks with the Israeli delegation in Doha began on Saturday, discussing all issues 'without pre-conditions.' 'The Hamas delegation outlined the position of the group and the necessity to end the war, swap prisoners, the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and allowing humanitarian aid and all the needs of the people of Gaza back into the strip,' he added. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz also said in a statement that negotiations on a deal to release Israeli hostages held by Hamas had resumed in Doha. He noted that the talks had started without Israel first agreeing to a ceasefire or to lift its blockade. Israel's military said it was conducting extensive strikes and mobilizing troops with the aim of achieving 'operational control' in parts of Gaza. Gaza health authorities said most of those killed on Saturday were in towns on the northern edge of the enclave, including Beit Lahiya and the Jabalia refugee camp, as well as in the southern city of Khan Younis. They said 459 people had been injured. Israeli forces had told people to leave the northern areas on Friday. 'Northern Gaza is witnessing a systematic campaign of extermination,' Hamas said in a statement, calling on Arab leaders at a summit in Baghdad to help stop the aggression and ensure the delivery of aid. FAMINE LOOMS Talks since March have failed to restore a truce under which Hamas would release remaining hostages captured in the October, 2023 assault on Israel that precipitated the war. Hamas has long said it would not free them unless Israel ends its campaign; Israel says it will fight on until Hamas is dismantled. At the Arab League summit, Egypt's President Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi, whose country mediates Gaza peace talks alongside Qatar, said Israel's actions aimed at 'obliterating and annihilating' the Palestinians and 'ending their existence in the Gaza Strip.' United Nations experts say famine now looms in Gaza more than two months after Israel halted all deliveries of supplies.U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher asked the Security Council this week if it would act to 'prevent genocide.' Israel says enough food reached Gaza during the six-week ceasefire at the start of the year to stave off hunger now, and blames Hamas for the suffering of civilians for operating among them and hijacking aid, which Hamas denies. On Friday, Trumpsaid 'a lot of people are starving' in Gaza. A U.S.-backed foundation aims to start distributing aid to Gazans by the end of May using private U.S. security and logistics firms. The U.N. has said it won't work with them because they are not impartial. Gaza's health system is barely operational with hospitals hit repeatedly by the Israeli military during the 19-month war and medical supplies drying up. The head of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, Marwan Al-Sultan, said huge numbers of wounded victims of the latest bombing were in critical condition. 'Since midnight, we have received 58 martyrs, while a large number of victims remain under the rubble. The situation inside the hospital is catastrophic,' he said on X. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 5 that Israel was planning an expanded offensive against security cabinet approved plans that could involve seizing the entire strip and controlling aid. Israel's declared goal in Gaza is the elimination of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas, which attacked Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and seizing about 250 hostages. Its military campaign has devastated the enclave, pushing nearly all residents from their homes and killing more than 53,000 people according to Gaza health authorities. NBC News reported on Friday, citing five sources, that the Trump administration was working on a plan to permanently relocate as many as one million Palestinians from Gaza to Libya. All major Palestinian political groups reject any such displacement.
