Latest news with #PalestinianIssue
Arab News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Syria's key role in Turkiye-Israel relations
The Palestinian issue has long been a decisive factor in Turkiye-Israel relations, but Syria has also played a significant role and continues to do so. Israel and Turkiye are reported to have reached agreement on a deconfliction mechanism to prevent an incident between their forces in Syria. Azerbaijan, a mutual ally, is said to have been the mediator. Ankara has emerged as a major actor in Syria since Bashar Assad was ousted, and Israel has expressed its opposition to a Turkish military presence there. Israeli forces operate in the south and Turkish troops in the north, and both countries have said they want to avoid a confrontation. Similar military deconfliction mechanisms in Syria operated before: when Moscow intervened in the civil war in 2015, Israel and Russia set up a hotline to avoid clashes. Unlike Russian or Iranian forces, Turkish troops have never had a serious confrontation with Israeli forces in Syria or anywhere else. This may be linked to decades of military and intelligence cooperation, although ties reached their lowest point in the past decade. In contrast, Turkish forces shot down a Russian military jet in 2015, leading to a sharp deterioration in relations. Tensions between Turkiye and Iran were also high, not only in Syria but also in Iraq. To reduce the risk of direct military confrontation in Syria, the Astana peace process was established Russia, Iran, and Turkiye in 2017, and enjoyed some success. Regional states, including Turkiye, want regional security and economic growth, but stability will remain out of reach unless Israel halts its military actions in Gaza and beyond. Israel has often used regional crises, such as the war in Syria, to engage other regional actors while sidelining the Palestinian issue. But it is unrealistic to expect any regional state to ignore the carnage in Gaza and simultaneously trust the Israeli government as a partner for regional cooperation in Syria. As long as Israel continues its current approach, cooperation with Turkiye is unlikely. Regional states, including Turkiye, want regional security and economic growth, but stability will remain out of reach unless Israel halts its military actions in Gaza and beyond. Dr. Sinem Cengiz Finally, Ankara sees a friend in Damascus and seeks to deepen engagement. However, the intensification of Israeli military operations in Syria further complicates the already fragile situation there, while the interim government strives to build a stable environment. Israel may have concerns about Syria following the fall of the Assad regime, but Turkiye's concerns are twofold: developments in Syria, and Israel's actions across the region. Syria's interim government already faces challenges and the Israeli military threat is hindering the efforts of both Damascus and regional states to address them. For Damascus, regional and international cooperation is essential for achieving lasting stability. A collaborative regional approach to rebuilding Syria could address the complex post-Assad challenges. Acknowledging this, regional states are keen to play a role in security and economic reconstruction: last week Turkiye and Jordan revealed plans to work with Iraq and the new leaders in Syria on reconstruction, energy, health and transport. Israel is also trying to establish relations with the new administration in Damascus: reports suggest that it has engaged in talks with Syria in Baku aimed at addressing their differences, discussions supported by Turkiye and Azerbaijan. President Ahmad Al-Sharaa is trying to reassure Israel that Syria poses no security threat. He has sought regional support in conveying this message and even appealed to international legal frameworks, urging Israel to respect Syrian sovereignty as outlined in the 1974 disengagement agreement. Washington has also expressed a clear interest in seeing Turkiye and Israel resolve their differences in Syria, an issue raised by President Donald Trump in a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Trump said he was ready to mediate. He also lifted US sanctions on Syria and met Al-Sharaa in person during his visit to Riyadh. This is all promising, but there is still no clear US policy on the new Syrian administration, so a clear assessment remains challenging for Turkiye and other regional states. Turkiye and Israel's policies, and their often tense relations, have not always aligned: that is not new. Now, however, Syria can play a decisive role in shaping both countries' regional strategies and their approach to each other.
Asharq Al-Awsat
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Syria's Sharaa Skips Iraq Summit After Firestorm Over Invitation
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa will not attend the Arab League Summit in Baghdad this weekend, Syrian state media said on Monday, after Iraq's invitation spurred criticism from pro-Iran groups. Syria's delegation to Saturday's summit will be headed by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, state-owned Ekhbariya TV reported, without providing a reason for Sharaa's absence. The summit is expected to focus on Gaza reconstruction and the Palestinian issue. Sharaa's decision highlighted Syria's mixed results establishing ties across the region after former President Bashar al-Assad's ouster last year. Sharaa has made rapid inroads with Gulf Arab states Saudi Arabia and Qatar, but has tread more carefully with others where Iran has had strong influence, like Iraq. Several influential Iraqi politicians had voiced opposition to Sharaa's visit. They include former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, a leading member of Iraq's main pro-Iran coalition that holds a parliamentary majority. Armed groups aligned with Tehran had also joined the call against Sharaa, including the Kataeb Hezbollah faction, which previously fought in Syria alongside Assad's forces. Sharaa fought with Al-Qaeda in Iraq after the US-led invasion in 2003. He was imprisoned there for more than five years, then released for lack of evidence in 2011, according to a senior Iraqi security official. Several Iraqi security sources told AFP that an old arrest warrant for Sharaa from his time as a member of Al-Qaeda remains in place. However, authorities seek good relations with Syria's new leadership to help maintain regional stability, the sources said. Sunni politicians largely welcomed Sharaa's participation in the summit as a step towards pulling Iraq away from Iran and towards the Arab fold. "There are elements... working against Iraq's progress to reclaim its rightful place within the Arab community," said Raad al-Dahlaki, head of Azm Alliance, a major Sunni bloc in Iraq's parliament.
Asharq Al-Awsat
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Arab Leaders Endorse Egypt's Plan to Rebuild Gaza as an Alternative to Trump's Proposal
Arab leaders on Tuesday endorsed Egypt's postwar plan for the Gaza Strip that would allow its roughly 2 million Palestinians to remain, in a counterproposal to US President Donald Trump's plan to depopulate the territory and redevelop it as a beach destination. The $53 billion plan's endorsement by Arab leaders at a summit in Cairo amounted to a rejection of Trump's proposal. The summit conclusions were welcomed by Hamas, rejected by Israel and given a lukewarm response by the Trump administration. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi expressed his appreciation for "the consensus among the Arab countries to support the reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip, which allows the Palestinian people to stay on their land without displacement." In a social media post after the summit, Sisi said he looked forward to working with Trump, other Arab nations and the international community "to adopt a plan that aims for a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian Issue, ends the root causes of the Israeli Palestinian conflict, guarantees the security and stability of the peoples of the region and establishes the Palestinian State." Initial reactions White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes dismissed the Egyptian proposal as unworkable. "The current proposal does not address the reality that Gaza is currently uninhabitable and residents cannot humanely live in a territory covered in debris and unexploded ordnance," Hughes said. "President Trump stands by his vision to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas. We look forward to further talks to bring peace and prosperity to the region." A spokesperson for Israel's foreign ministry, Oren Marmorstein, posted on X that the Egyptian plan "fails to address the realities of the situation" and said the summit's joint communique does not mention Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war or condemn the militant group. The plan, he said, remains "rooted in outdated perspectives." Marmorstein reiterated Israel's support for Trump's plan to resettle Gaza's population elsewhere, describing it as "an opportunity for the Gazans to have free choice based on their free will." Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty blasted Israel's rejection as "unacceptable," describing its position as "stubborn and extremist." "There will be no peace neither to Israel or to the region" without establishing an independent Palestinian state in accordance with United Nations resolutions, he said. He said "Israel violates all international law rules … the international law must be imposed." "No single state should be allowed to impose its will on the international community," Abdelatty said. Hamas welcomed the summit's outcome, saying it marked a new phase of Arab and Islamic alignment with the Palestinian cause and that it valued Arab leaders' rejection of attempts to transfer Palestinians from their territories in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Israel has embraced what it says is an alternative US proposal for the ceasefire itself and the release of hostages taken in Hamas' attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the war. Israel has blocked the entry of food, fuel, medicine and other supplies to Gaza to try to get Hamas to accept the new proposal and has warned of additional consequences, raising fears of a return to fighting. The suspension of aid drew widespread criticism, with human rights groups saying that it violated Israel's obligations as an occupying power under international law. The alternative proposal would require Hamas to release half its remaining hostages — the group's main bargaining chip — in exchange for a ceasefire extension and a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Israel made no mention of releasing more Palestinian prisoners — a key component of the first phase. Egypt's postwar plan Egypt's plan foresees rebuilding Gaza by 2030 without removing its population. The first phase calls for starting the removal of unexploded ordnance and clearing more than 50 million tons of rubble left by Israel's bombardment and military offensives. Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the summit's final communique calls on the UN Security Council to deploy an international peacekeeping force in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. "Peace is the Arabs' strategic option," he said, adding that the communique rejected the transfer of Palestinians and endorsed Egypt's reconstruction plan. "The Egyptian plan creates a path for a new security and political context in Gaza." The communique said Egypt will host an international conference in cooperation with the United Nations for Gaza's reconstruction, and a World Bank-overseen trust fund will be established to receive pledges to implement the early recovery and reconstruction plan. According to a 112-page draft of the plan obtained by The Associated Press, hundreds of thousands of temporary housing units would be set up for Gaza's population while reconstruction takes place. Rubble would be recycled, with some of it used as infill to expand land on Gaza's Mediterranean coast. In the following years, the plan envisages completely reshaping the strip, building "sustainable, green and walkable" housing and urban areas, with renewable energy. It renovates agricultural lands and creates industrial zones and large park areas. It also calls for the opening of an airport, a fishing port and a commercial port. The Oslo peace accords in the 1990s called for the opening of an airport and a commercial port in Gaza, but the projects withered as the peace process collapsed. Hamas would cede power to an interim administration of political independents until a reformed Palestinian Authority can assume control. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Western-backed authority and an opponent of Hamas, attended the summit. Israel has ruled out any role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza and, along with the United States, has demanded Hamas' disarmament. Hamas, which doesn't accept Israel's existence, has said it's willing to cede power in Gaza to other Palestinians, but won't give up its arms until there is a Palestinian state. Israel has vowed to maintain open-ended security control over both territories, which it captured in the 1967 Mideast war and which Palestinians want for their future state. Israel's government and most of its political class are opposed to Palestinian statehood. Trump shocked the region last month by suggesting Gaza's roughly 2 million Palestinians be resettled in other countries. He said the United States would take ownership of the territory and redevelop it into a Middle Eastern "Riviera." Netanyahu embraced the proposal, which was roundly rejected by Palestinians, Arab countries and human rights experts, who said it would likely violate international law. The war began with Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, in which Palestinian gunmen killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 people hostage. Hamas-led fighters are still holding 59 hostages, 35 of whom are believed to be dead. Most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements. Israel has rescued eight living hostages and recovered the remains of dozens more. Israel's 15-month offensive killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It doesn't say how many were fighters, but the ministry says women and children made up more than half the dead. Israel says it killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence. The offensive destroyed large areas of Gaza, including much of its health system and other infrastructure. At its height, the war displaced about 90% of the population, mostly within the territory, where hundreds of thousands packed into squalid tent camps and schools repurposed as shelters.
Daily News Egypt
09-02-2025
- Politics
- Daily News Egypt
Egyptian, Pakistani Foreign Ministers discuss Gaza crisis
Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, and Egypt's Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, spoke by telephone on Sunday to discuss the situation in Gaza, including the critical humanitarian conditions affecting millions of Palestinian residents. During the conversation, the Deputy Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan's support for the Palestinian people and expressed solidarity with Egypt. He also conveyed Pakistan's support for convening an Extraordinary Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers to deliberate on the issue. Both ministers agreed to maintain close contact on developments. The conversation followed Pakistan's condemnation on Saturday of remarks made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who suggested the Palestinian people should establish a state in Saudi Arabia. In a press statement, Senator Dar described the Israeli remark as 'irresponsible, provocative and thoughtless.' 'The remark is not only deeply offensive but also undermines and disregards the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and an independent State on their own historical and legitimate territory,' he said. Senator Dar affirmed Pakistan's solidarity with Saudi Arabia and praised its 'steadfast support for the Palestinian people and their just cause.' 'Any attempt to undermine Saudi Arabia's unwavering position and misrepresentation of its commitment to the Palestinian cause is deeply regrettable,' he said. Senator Dar further stated Pakistan's firm belief that the Palestinian people have an inalienable right to establish an independent and sovereign state based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital. He added that 'any proposal that seeks to displace or relocate the Palestinian people from their ancestral homeland is unacceptable and constitutes a blatant violation of international law, United Nations resolutions and the principles of justice and fairness.' 'The Government of Pakistan reiterates its unflinching support for the Palestinian cause and will continue to work closely with Saudi Arabia and other members of the international community to advocate for the rights of the Palestinian people and to achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to the Palestinian Issue,' Senator Dar said. Pakistan is urging the international community to denounce the remarks and hold Israel accountable for attempts to undermine the peace process.
