Latest news with #Israeli-Syrian
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
7 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Israeli and Syrian ministers meet in US-brokered talks for first time in 25 years
Senior ministers from Israel and Syria met in Paris for the first high-level talks in over 25 years, focusing on de-escalating tensions and security in southern Syria. read more Druze from Syria and Israel protest on the Israeli-Syrian border, in Majdal Shams in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. AP Senior ministers from Israel and Syria convened in Paris on Thursday for a four-hour meeting facilitated by the U.S. Special Envoy Tom Barrack. These talks mark the first high-level official engagement between the two nations in over 25 years. The discussions primarily focused on de-escalating tensions and reaching security understandings in southern Syria, according to reports in the Times of Israel. Key takeaways from the meeting: * **De-escalation of tensions:** The primary objective of the meeting was to reduce tensions between Israel and Syria. The discussions aimed to address recent sectarian violence and security concerns, with both parties expressing a commitment to finding common ground. This follows reports from Saudi media on Tuesday that Israel and Syria had resumed dialogue on security matters. * **US mediation:** The United States played a crucial role in brokering the talks, with U.S. Special Envoy Tom Barrack overseeing the discussions. Barrack confirmed that he met with Syrian and Israeli officials in Paris. His involvement underscores the U.S.'s effort to stabilize the region and foster dialogue between the two countries, despite recent criticisms of Israel's intervention in Syria, where Barrack called it poorly timed and complicating stabilization efforts, according to PBS News. * **Security understandings in southern Syria:** A key focus of the meeting was to establish security understandings in southern Syria. This is particularly important for maintaining the ceasefire between Israel and Syria and preventing further conflict. The talks also addressed the issue of Israeli incursions into Syrian border areas, with the aim of finding ways to prevent conflict and reduce these incursions, as per Reuters. * **High-level engagement after decades:** This meeting represents the most significant diplomatic engagement between Israel and Syria in over two decades. Given the historical lack of diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries, the meeting signals a potential shift in relations, driven by the new Syrian authorities' openness to peace and upholding the 1974 ceasefire agreement, according to Al Jazeera. The meeting also touched on broader regional issues, including the upcoming Iranian nuclear programme, as reported by The Jerusalem Post. While the talks are currently focused on joint security, they represent a critical step toward addressing long-standing issues and promoting stability in the region. Looking ahead, the ongoing dialogue may pave the way for further discussions and agreements aimed at resolving the complex challenges facing Israel and Syria. The international community will be closely watching these developments, as they could have significant implications for the broader West Asia, according to the Times of Israel. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Newsweek
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Ally Issues Ominous Warning Over Middle East War
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Turkey's foreign minister has warned that the NATO member country could intervene in Syria to deter what it sees as emerging threats to its national security following recent violence and Israeli military operations. Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department, the Syrian government and the Israeli Prime Minister's office for comment. Why It Matters The threat highlights the danger of Syria becoming a direct battleground for the Middle East's major military powers. Turkey, which maintained a significant military presence in Syria throughout the civil war, remains entangled in a country that sits at the intersection of conflicts involving major Middle Eastern powers — Israel, Iran, and Turkey and also has a presence of ISIS. A broader regional war could also pull in the United States, which has backed Syria's interim leader in efforts to end the conflict, reshape alliances, and push for more peace treaties with Israel. Both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are close to President Donald Trump, but they remain deeply at odds over Gaza and Syria. Syrian Druze people cross back into Syria as they walk at the Israeli-Syrian border, in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams, Thursday, July 17, 2025. Syrian Druze people cross back into Syria as they walk at the Israeli-Syrian border, in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams, Thursday, July 17, 2025. Leo Correa/AP Photo What To Know Turkey "views any attempt to divide Syria as a national security threat and would directly intervene" if necessary, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, blaming both Israel and armed Syrian factions for fueling unrest in Syria's Druze-majority south, according to Daily Sabah's website. "As Türkiye, we could never stay silent against such a move," Fidan was quoted as saying on Tuesday at a news conference with his El Salvadorian counterpart in Ankara. Israel launched airstrikes on government sites in Syria last week, citing the need to protect the Druze community after accusing the Syrian government forces of violence against the religious minority sect in the southwest — where hundreds of people were killed in clashes with Bedouin tribes in Suwayda. Israel's intervention marked a new escalation in its expanding military operations in Syria. "Israel is unwilling to see a stable country around itself and aims to divide Syria with the violent unrest in southern Suwayda province," Fidan said. Israel's actions in Syria have drawn sharp condemnation from Turkey, which supported a number of the rebel factions that participated in the operation to oust Assad, particularly the Syrian National Army. Israel has warned Turkey against using Syrian territory to launch attacks that could destabilize the region. What People Are Saying Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, according to Türkiye Today's website: "If the groups in Syria move toward division and destabilization, Türkiye will consider it a direct threat to its national security and will intervene. Israel pursues a policy aimed at weakening its region and keeping it in chaos." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in April: "We don't want to see Syria being used by anyone, including Turkey, as a base for attack on Israel." What Happens Next The Syrian government has vowed accountability over the Suwayda incidents while a fragile U.S.-backed truce with Israel holds. Risks are growing of a bigger conflict.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
20-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Syria clears Druze fighters from Sweida, govt says tribal clashes halted
Druze fighters had pushed out rival armed factions from the city on Saturday, a monitor said, after the government ordered a ceasefire following a US-brokered deal to avert further Israeli military intervention. read more Druze from Syria and Israel protest on the Israeli-Syrian border, in Majdal Shams in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, Wednesday, July 16, 2025, amid the ongoing clashes between Syrian government forces and Druze armed groups in the southern Syrian city of | AP Fighting in Syria's Sweida 'halted' on Sunday, the government said, after the southern city was recaptured by Druze fighters and state forces redeployed to the region where more than 900 people have been killed in sectarian violence. Druze fighters had pushed out rival armed factions from the city on Saturday, a monitor said, after the government ordered a ceasefire following a US-brokered deal to avert further Israeli military intervention. Sweida was 'evacuated of all tribal fighters, and clashes within the city's neighbourhoods were halted', Syria's interior ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba said in a post on Telegram. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Israel had bombed government forces in both Sweida and Damascus earlier this week to force their withdrawal after they were accused of summary executions and other abuses against Druze civilians during their brief deployment in the southern province. More than 900 people have been killed in Sweida since last Sunday as sectarian clashes between the Druze and Bedouin drew in the Islamist-led government, Israel and armed tribes from other parts of Syria. Earlier Saturday, an AFP correspondent saw dozens of torched homes and vehicles and armed men setting fire to shops after looting them. But in the evening, Bassem Fakhr, spokesman for the Men of Dignity, one of the two largest Druze armed groups, told AFP there was 'no Bedouin presence in the city'. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor also said 'tribal fighters withdrew from Sweida city on Saturday evening' after Druze fighters launched a large-scale attack. Fighting nonetheless persisted in other parts of Sweida province, even as the Druze regained control of their city following days of fierce battle with armed Bedouin supported by tribal gunmen from other parts of Syria. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Israel sceptical The deal between the Islamist-government and Israel had been announced by Washington early Saturday. US pointman on Syria Tom Barrack said interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 'have agreed to a ceasefire' negotiated by the United States. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio later called on the Syrian government's security forces to prevent jihadists from entering and 'carrying out massacres', in a post on X. He also urged the Syrian government to 'hold accountable and bring to justice anyone guilty of atrocities including those in their own ranks'. Barrack, who is the US ambassador to Ankara, said the deal had the backing of Turkey, a key supporter of Sharaa, as well as neighbouring Jordan. 'We call upon Druze, Bedouins and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbours,' he wrote on X. Barrack later held a meeting in Amman with the Syrian and Jordanian top diplomats, during which they 'agreed on practical steps to support Syria in implementing the agreement', the US envoy said in a later post on X. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The US administration, which alongside Turkey and Saudi Arabia has forged ties with the Islamist president despite his past links with Al-Qaeda, was critical of its Israeli ally's recent air strikes on Syria and had sought a way out for Sharaa's government. Sharaa followed up on the US announcement with a televised speech in which he announced an immediate ceasefire in Sweida and renewed his pledge to protect Syria's ethnic and religious minorities. 'The Syrian state is committed to protecting all minorities and communities in the country… We condemn all crimes committed' in Sweida, he said. The president paid tribute to the 'important role played by the United States, which again showed its support for Syria in these difficult circumstances and its concern for the country's stability'. But Israel expressed deep scepticism about Sharaa's renewed pledge to protect minorities, pointing to deadly violence against Alawites as well as Druze since he led the overthrow of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad in December. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In Sharaa's Syria 'it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority – Kurd, Druze, Alawite or Christian', Foreign Minister Gideon Saar posted on X. - Humanitarian corridors - The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said at least 940 people had been killed in the violence since Sunday. They included 326 Druze fighters and 262 Druze civilians, 165 of whom were summarily executed, according to the Observatory. They also included 312 government security personnel and 21 Sunni Bedouin, three of them civilians who were 'summarily executed by Druze fighters'. Another 15 government troops were killed in Israeli strikes, the Observatory said. Syria's Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa on Saturday evening said that after the first phase of the ceasefire, which began on Saturday and involved the deployment of security forces to the province, a second phase would see the opening of humanitarian corridors. According to the United Nations, the fighting has displaced least 87,000 people. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Gulf Insider
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Why Iran Fears A Syria-Azerbaijan Axis
Syria and Azerbaijan pledged to deepen ties, including a landmark Azerbaijani gas export deal via Turkey. Iranian media warned of a potential redeployment of Syrian fighters into the Caucasus, heightening regional tensions. Reports of Israeli-Syrian contacts in Baku added to Tehran's suspicion of an anti-Iran alignment involving Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Israel. Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa's visit to Baku last weekend highlighted a dramatic shift in regional alliances, prompting a mix of concern, suspicion, and strategic recalculation across Iranian media. Official statements following Sharaa's meeting with President Ilham Aliyev emphasized a new era in Syrian-Azerbaijani relations. Both leaders acknowledged past stagnation, directly blaming ousted President Bashar al-Assad's 'unfriendly policy' and pledged to restore and deepen cooperation. Notably, the visit yielded a deal to export Azerbaijani gas to Syria via Turkey, with officials hailing the agreement as a needed remedy for Syria's chronic energy crisis. Meanwhile, various outlets, including Israeli media, claimed that Syrian and Israeli officials met on the sidelines of the trip. It's unclear whether Sharaa attended the meeting, but the mere occurrence of such a meeting — facilitated by Azerbaijan, Israel's key ally in the region — has further fueled concerns in Tehran. Sharaa, a former insurgent known under the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, joined forces with Turkish-backed rebels and, in December 2024, led his Hayat Tahrir al?Sham (HTS) faction in a lightning offensive that ultimately toppled the Iran? and Russia?backed Assad government. A shared concern in Iranian media is what is seen as a shifting militant footprint from the Syrian battlefield to the Caucasus — right on Iran's doorstep. Arman-e Melli, a pro-reform newspaper, argued that one aspect of the budding relationship between Damascus and Baku will involve the transfer of Syria-based fighters through Turkey into bases in Azerbaijan — a potential development it described as a 'mission' for Sharaa. It is speculated that their presence is meant to destabilize areas along the borders of Iran and Russia and to carry out operations targeting the broader axis of China, Russia, and Iran. The conservative newspaper Farhikhtegan struck a similar tone, arguing that Sharaa sees the redeployment of his fighters to meet a US demand to expel foreign fighters from Syria. Under such a plan, the paper said, Azerbaijan would emerge as a strategic hub; either a staging ground for further infiltration into the Caucasus and Russia or a site for settlement in areas such as Karabakh. Israel's i24NEWS network, citing an unnamed Syrian source, claimed that Israel and the United States had made a decision for Baku to host a meeting between Israeli and Syrian officials to 'send a message to Iran.' Referencing the report, Iran's state broadcaster-run Jam-e Jam newspaper charged that given Baku's track record of alleged involvement in anti-Iranian operations over the years, and suspicions about its cooperation with Israel during last month's war, this could well be taken as 'clear evidence' that some neighboring countries are working with Israel against Iran. Jam-e Jam specifically named Azerbaijan and its allies, Turkey and Israel, as the countries involved in 'shaping new dynamics that work against Iran's interests.' The paper argued that ultimately Iran will need to safeguard its national interests with both diplomatic and security savvy, including strengthening ties with neighbors such as Armenia and Russia, and taking a firm stand against 'Baku's provocations.' Tehran has watched with growing concern as Azerbaijan forges ever?closer links with Israel. In recent years, the partnership has significantly expanded, highlighted by deepening defense collaboration and Baku's decision to open an embassy in Tel Aviv in 2023 — developments that have only heightened Iranian mistrust. Iran's president, Masud Pezeshkian, last month pressed Aliyev to 'investigate and verify' reports that Israeli drones, including micro-drones, had crossed into Iranian airspace through Azerbaijani territory during the 12-day war that ended in a ceasefire on June 24. Aliyev rejected the allegations, affirming that his government would never permit Azerbaijani territory to be used against Iran.
Indian Express
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Why is Israel striking Syria? All we need to know about the conflict
In a dramatic escalation, Israeli fighter jets struck multiple sites in the heart of Syria's capital on Wednesday, damaging a compound of the defence ministry and targeting areas near the presidential palace. The Israeli military confirmed the strikes, saying they were aimed at halting the advance of Syrian forces in the southern province of Sweida, a region at the centre of the country's Druse minority. The airstrikes come amid bloody clashes in Sweida and heightened tensions between Israel and Syria. Here's what to know about the conflict: Israeli warplanes launched several waves of airstrikes over central Damascus, according to both Israeli and Syrian authorities. One of the primary targets was a military compound that includes the Syrian defence ministry and the general staff headquarters, which Israeli officials said was being used to coordinate government offensives in Sweida. The Syrian health ministry said at least one civilian was killed and 18 others injured. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights described 'extensive' damage in Damascus's government district. Eyewitnesses spoke of chaos and panic as missiles rained down. 'We were inside the ministry when the first airstrike hit,' Abu Musab, a 30-year-old employee at the defence ministry, told The New York Time. 'Then a second strike followed. Later, the aircraft came back and carried out four strikes in a row… There are still people trapped under the rubble.' Israel also confirmed it was conducting dozens of strikes in Sweida itself, targeting Syrian soldiers and military infrastructure. The Sweida region is the heartland of Syria's Druse community — a religious minority with a significant presence in Israel. Clashes broke out there on Sunday after members of a Bedouin tribe attacked a Druse man. The Syrian government deployed troops on Monday to quell the unrest. Some accused the government of siding with the Bedouin attackers. Israel, which has pledged to protect the Druse minority, issued a warning to Syria this week, demanding a withdrawal of government troops from Sweida. On Wednesday, Israel escalated its response with strikes. 'We are acting to save our Druse brothers and to eliminate the gangs of the regime,' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address. 'Now I have a single request of you: You are Israeli citizens. Do not cross the border. You are risking your lives.' Dozens of Druse citizens of Israel had surged toward the Israeli-Syrian border to show solidarity with their Syrian counterparts before Netanyahu urged restraint. The Druse are a small and secretive religious minority spread across Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. They are an Arabic-speaking, ethno-religious community whose faith emerged as an offshoot of Shia Islam in the 11th century. Numbering roughly one million worldwide, about half live in Syria, where they constitute around 3 per cent of the population. In Israel, for example, the approximately 152,000 Druse citizens and residents have long distinguished themselves through participation in Israeli public life, particularly the military. In Syria, the Druse have historically tried to maintain autonomy. During the country's nearly 14-year civil war, Druse communities in the southern province of Sweida operated their own militias and distanced themselves from both the Assad regime and Islamist rebel factions. Since the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in December, Syria's new government under Ahmed al-Shara has sought to reimpose state control across fractured regions. But in Sweida, where the Druse have long maintained a degree of self-rule, many have resisted those efforts. Tensions spiked in May and again in July, when fighting between government troops and Druse fighters led to the deaths of hundreds. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, Syrian government forces carried out summary executions of Druse civilians in the town of Sweida. The strikes come at a politically sensitive time in Syria. The country's new president, Ahmed al-Shara, came to power in December after toppling longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, who was closely aligned with Iran and a staunch adversary of Israel. Al-Shara's rise was supported in part by rebels who have since opened backchannel contacts with Israel, reportedly facilitated by the United States, according to a report by NYT. However, trust in the new regime remains fragile, especially among Syria's religious minorities. Despite assurances from al-Shara's administration, some Druse militias believe the government is acting against them, not protecting them. The fighting in Sweida is among the worst in recent memory. Hospitals are running out of medical supplies, power and internet blackouts are widespread, and many civilians remain trapped. On Wednesday night, a new ceasefire was announced. Syria's interior ministry said it had been brokered with local leaders and would involve an immediate end to hostilities, withdrawal of government forces, and the re-establishment of state authority in the province. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said his country helped mediate the truce: 'We have agreed on specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end tonight.' The Sweida clashes mark the third major flare-up of minority-related violence since Assad's fall. (With inputs from The New York Times and AP)
