Latest news with #SyriaConflict
The National
3 days ago
- General
- The National
Israel attacks western Syria as indirect talks take place
Israel has bombed western Syria killing at least one person in the first such attack on the country in nearly a month, state media said on Friday. "A strike from Israeli occupation aircraft targeted sites close to the village of Zama in the Jableh countryside south of Latakia," state television said. One civilian was killed 'as a result of an Israeli occupation air strike targeting the vicinity of Zama', state news agency Sana reported. This month, Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara said that his government is holding indirect talks with Israel to bring an end to Israeli attacks on Syria. The US called for a 'non-aggression agreement' between the sides. The Israeli military said it had "struck weapon storage facilities containing coastal missiles that posed a threat to international and Israeli maritime freedom of navigation, in the Latakia area of Syria". "In addition, components of surface-to-air missiles were struck," it said, adding it would "continue to operate to maintain freedom of action in the region, in order to carry out its missions and will act to remove any threat to the state of Israel and its citizens". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that jets likely to have been Israeli warplanes fired on military sites on the outskirts of Tartus and Latakia. Since 1948, Syria and Israel have technically been at war. The most notable event was when Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and carried out hundreds of strikes and several incursions. Israel said its strikes were aimed at stopping advanced weapons reaching Syria's new authorities, whom it considers as terrorists. This comes as the newly-appointed US envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, visited Damascus and said he believed peace between Syria and Israel was achievable. Mr Barrack made his first trip to Damascus on Thursday and said "Syria and Israel are a solvable problem. But it starts with a dialogue.' The US official told the press that 'we need to start with just a non-aggression agreement, talk about boundaries and borders.' The US officially issued a sanctions waiver for Syria last week. Following the waiver, Mr Barrack met Mr Al Shara and Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani in Istanbul.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Israeli airstrikes target sites in western Syria, reportedly killing one
Israeli airstrikes have struck western Syria, the Israeli military and Syrian state media have said, and reportedly one civilian has been killed in the first such attack on the country in nearly a month. Earlier this month Damascus had announced indirect talks with Israel to calm tensions, and the US called for a 'non-aggression agreement' between the two countries, which are technically at war. 'A strike from Israeli occupation aircraft targeted sites close to the village of Zama in the Jableh countryside south of Latakia,' state television said. State news agency Sana reported one civilian was killed 'as a result of an Israeli occupation airstrike targeting the vicinity of Zama'. The Israeli military said it had 'struck weapon storage facilities containing coastal missiles that posed a threat to international and Israeli maritime freedom of navigation, in the Latakia area of Syria'. 'In addition, components of surface-to-air missiles were struck,' it said, adding it would 'continue to operate to maintain freedom of action in the region, in order to carry out its missions and will act to remove any threat to the State of Israel and its citizens'. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights meanwhile reported that jets likely to be Israeli struck military sites on the outskirts of Tartus and Latakia. Syria and Israel have technically been at war since 1948. Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and has carried out hundreds of strikes and several incursions since the overthrow of longtime Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in December. Israel says its strikes aim to stop advanced weapons reaching Syria's new authorities, which it considers jihadists.
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
Israel attacks western Syria despite recent indirect talks to calm tensions
Israel has struck western Syria, the Israeli military and Syrian state media have reported, in the first such aerial attack on the country in almost a month, the day after the United States envoy to Damascus said conflict between the neighbouring countries is 'solvable'. Syrian state media reported late Friday that one person was killed and three others injured by an Israeli air strike around the coastal city of Latakia. 'A strike from Israeli occupation aircraft targeted sites close to the village of Zama in the Jableh countryside south of Latakia,' Syria's Alikhbaria state TV reported. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, meanwhile, reported that jets likely to be Israeli struck military sites on the outskirts of Tartous and Latakia, on the Mediterranean coast. The Israeli strike follows Syria acknowledging indirect talks with Israel earlier this month to calm tensions. The Israeli military claimed responsibility for the strike, saying it had 'struck weapon storage facilities containing coastal missiles that posed a threat to international and Israeli maritime freedom of navigation, in the Latakia area of Syria'. 'In addition, components of surface-to-air missiles were struck in the area of Latakia,' it said, adding that it would 'continue to operate to maintain freedom of action in the region, in order to carry out its missions and will act to remove any threat to the State of Israel and its citizens'. The Israeli strike came a day after US envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack's visit to Damascus aimed at rebuilding ties under Syria's new administration, during which he said the conflict between Israel and Syria is 'solvable' and needed to start with 'dialogue'. 'I'd say we need to start with just a non-aggression agreement, talk about boundaries and borders,' Barrack told journalists on Thursday. The two countries have technically been at war since the first Arab-Israeli war in 1948. A state of heightened tension and deep enmity between Israel and Syria accelerated during the 1967 war, which also drew in Egypt and Jordan, and Israel's subsequent occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights. Israel has carried out frequent attacks in Syria both during the Bashar al-Assad rule and since his ouster. Shortly before the fall of al-Assad's regime, Israel seized more Syrian territory near the border, claiming it was concerned about President Ahmed al-Sharaa's interim administration, which it has dismissed as 'jihadist'. During a meeting between US President Donald Trump and al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, earlier in May, the US leader urged al-Sharaa to normalise relations with Israel. While al-Sharaa has not commented on possible normalisation with Israel, he has stated his support for returning to the terms of a 1974 ceasefire agreement that created a United Nations buffer zone in the Golan Heights.
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.
Arab News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Palestinian faction chiefs quit Damascus amid pressure: faction sources
DAMASCUS: Two Palestinian sources told AFP Friday the leaders of pro-Iran Palestinian factions who were close to former Tehran-backed ruler Bashar Assad have left Syria under pressure from the new authorities. The factions, which enjoyed considerable freedom of movement under Assad, have also handed over their weapons, one of the sources said, amid US demands that Syria's new authorities take steps against Iran-backed Palestinian groups based in the country. A pro-Iran Palestinian factional leader who left after Assad's December ouster said on condition of anonymity that 'most of the Palestinian factional leadership that received support from Tehran has left Damascus,' while another still based there confirmed the development. 'The factions have fully handed over weapons in their headquarters or with their cadres' to the authorities, who also received 'lists of names of faction members possessing individual weapons' and demanded that those arms be handed over, the first added. A third Palestinian source from a small faction in Damascus confirmed the arms handover. Those who have left include Khaled Jibril, son of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) founder Ahmad Jibril, as well as Palestinian Popular Struggle Front secretary-general Khaled Abdel Majid and Fatah Al-Intifada secretary-general Ziad Al-Saghir. Washington, which considers several Palestinian factions to be 'terrorist' organizations, last week announced it was lifting sanctions on Syria after earlier saying Damascus needed to respond to demands including suppressing 'terrorism' and preventing 'Iran and its proxies from exploiting Syrian territory.' According to the White House, during a meeting in Saudi Arabia last week, US President Donald Trump gave new Syrian leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa a list of demands that included deporting 'Palestinian terrorists.' The first Palestinian factional leader said the chiefs joined up with groups from Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen that are also part of the Iran-backed 'Axis of Resistance' against Israel. A number of Iran-backed groups fought alongside Assad's forces after civil war erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. Sharaa's Islamist group led the offensive that ousted Assad, a close ally of Iran, in December. The factions 'did not receive any official request from the authorities to leave Syrian territory' but instead faced restrictions and property confiscations, the first Palestinian factional leader said, noting that some factions 'were de facto prohibited from operating' or their members were arrested. The new authorities have seized property from 'private homes, offices, vehicles and military training camps in the Damascus countryside and other provinces,' he said. The Syrian authorities did not immediately provide comment to AFP when asked about the matter.
