Iran attacks US airbase in Qatar, and church bombing in Syria
On today's episode of Trending Middle East:
Damascus church bombing threatens political gains of both Christians and new Syrian state
This episode features Thomas Helm, Jerusalem Correspondent; Nada Atallah, Beirut Correspondent; and Hamza Hendawi, Cairo Correspondent.
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The National
26 minutes ago
- The National
Syria announces 'halt' to Sweida offensive after Israel bombs Damascus
Syria has announced an 'immediate and complete halt' to its offensive against the Druze minority, after Israel attacked key symbols of power in Damascus. The Syrian government said it had agreed to the ceasefire with some but not all representatives of the Druze community, after Israeli strikes were launched to protect the religious sect. A previous truce failed to hold during days of brutal urban warfare in the Druze heartland of Sweida. Israel widened its aerial campaign in Syria with a series of strikes on the main military compounds in Damascus on Wednesday. A Syrian military official told The National that the Army General Command and Defence Ministry, both adjacent to the city's Ummayad Square, "took several strikes and were badly damaged". Israel, which says it is acting to defend Syria's Druze minority following clashes with Bedouin tribes that prompted Syrian government intervention, also said it attacked "a military target in the area of the Syrian regime's presidential palace". Three people was reported killed and 34 injured, as Israel said its army would be "reinforced with additional troops" near Syria's border. Gulf countries called for calm after days of unrest, some of the worst since Syria's President Ahmad Al Shara came to power in a rebel offensive last year. The UAE condemned the "dangerous escalation" and Israeli attacks, rejecting any breach of Syria's sovereignty or threats to its security and stability. An aide to Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat Al Hijri, who has led the resistance to government forces in Sweida, said he was not part of the ceasefire deal but will speak after the city is 'liberated'. Israel strikes Damascus - in pictures The ceasefire deal was reached with the House of the Druze Unifiers, not specifically with the Druze triumvirate headed by Sheikh Al Hijri. But it stipulates that 'all parties will cease military escalation" and provides for an "immediate and complete halt" to government military operations. The agreement also signalled that Syrian security forces deployed in Sweida province will from now be drawn only from its residents, a main Druze demand. 'Painful blows' Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said "painful blows have begun", as he posted footage of a Syrian TV anchor in panic at an explosion behind her while reading a report on air. An Israeli statement said its army is monitoring the "regime's actions against Druze civilians in southern Syria" and is striking in the area, and "remains prepared for various scenarios". Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said "murder and pogroms" were taking place against minorities in Syria. Sources in Jordan said Israel struck the Syrian army in Keswa on the outskirts of Damascus and in the southern governorate of Deraa, killing three security commanders. The Israeli attacks could undermine a US push to end hostilities between Syria and Israel, with the new authorities in Damascus having reportedly engaged in talks with Israel, although the contents of the talks have not been disclosed. Residents of Sweida contacted by The National said they were afraid for their lives, not just from shelling but also from government snipers and the storming of houses by regular troops and militias allied with Damascus. "My neighbour was shot dead by a sniper, right there in the street. He had just stepped outside," said one resident. The man had been trying to escape Sweida to a village on the outskirts before he was shot, they added. Widening offensive The Israeli attacks came as Syrian troops and their militia allies widened an offensive against the mostly Druze governorate of Sweida, deploying snipers and firing rockets on residential areas, witnesses said. However, they were facing resistance as Israel mounted its raids in support of the sect. Tom Barrack, the US envoy to Syria, said Washington "condemns violence against civilians in Sweida", without assigning blame. "All parties must step back and engage in meaningful dialogue," he said. The Syrian government offensive, in its fourth day, aims to spread government control over the province, where many Druze have resisted the post- Bashar Al Assad order, which is led by former members of Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a splinter group from Al Qaeda. Sheikh Hikmat Al Hijri, the Druze spiritual leader, has criticised the HTS government as extremist and anti-democratic. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implored Druze in Israeli-controlled areas near south Syria not to cross into Syria to support their co-religionists. 'You are risking your lives; you can be murdered, you can be kidnapped, and you are harming the efforts of the Israeli Defence Forces," Mr Netanyahu said. Syrian militias forcibly shave men's moustaches in Druze heartland A Druze politician close to Mr Al Hijri told The National that the 82nd Division of the Syrian army entered Sweida city overnight in an attempt to secure the area, the epicentre of the government attacks. 'About half of Sweida has fallen,' he said, adding that snipers from the 82nd Division had been deployed on Qanawat Road, a commercial thoroughfare. Pitched battles were continuing in many neighbourhoods, he said, including in the centre of city. A witness in Sweida said government forces fired Grad rockets on the city on Wednesday, in addition to pounding it with artillery rounds since Sunday. 'We have not left our houses. We do not feel secure because the shelling is random,' said the witness, who is a member of Sweida's Christian clergy. The city of 140,000 is overwhelmingly Druze but has a minority of Christian and Sunni inhabitants. Sources in Jordan say that government forces and allied militias have killed more than 150 Druze, including civilians, since Sunday. Among them are at least a dozen men who were executed after the loyalist forces stormed buildings in Sweida. The Syrian authorities said 26 of its troops were killed. Sweida is home to most of Syria's registered 800,000 Druze. But many have emigrated, particularly during the country's 13-year civil war, with an estimated 270,000 Druze remaining in the province. Rima Fleihan, a Druze civil figure who was a leading peaceful opponent of the Assad regime, said that the government's siege is endangering Sweida's hospitals, and that at least one doctor was killed by government snipers. 'The military forces are indiscriminately shelling civilian neighbourhoods,' Ms Fleihan said, adding that 'numerous individuals' affiliated with the government have 'carried out field executions of civilians, and have detained others in clear violation of international humanitarian law'. The Druze follow an offshoot of Islam and are also present in Jordan, Lebanon and Israel. Israel intervened militarily in April to halt attacks by government militias on the sect in which dozens of Druze were killed in Damascus and Sweida.
Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Khaleej Times
Syria's Druze reach new ceasefire deal with government in Sweida
Syria's Druze have reached a ceasefire agreement with the Syrian government in Sweida that will take immediate effect, Druze religious leader Sheikh Yousef Jarbou said in a video broadcast by state media on Wednesday. An earlier ceasefire announced on Tuesday night collapsed after only a few hours. There was still fire from government forces in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida after the announcement was made, according to a Reuters witness.
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Regional and world powers urge restraint in Syria after clashes and Israeli strikes
Regional and world powers called for restraint in Syria on Wednesday after Israel launched air strikes on the heart of Damascus in response to an escalating Syrian government offensive in the southern city of Sweida. Clashes have raged for days in Sweida between government forces and armed groups from the Druze minority. Israel says its air strikes are in support of the Druze and has vowed to escalate its involvement. On Wednesday it struck the Syrian Defence Ministry headquarters and other targets in the capital. One person was killed and 18 wounded in the attacks, Syria's Health Ministry said. US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said on X "we unequivocally condemn violence against civilians in Sweida". "All parties must step back and engage in meaningful dialogue that leads to a lasting ceasefire," he added. "Perpetrators need to be held accountable." The EU said it was alarmed by the clashes in Sweida, calling on all sides to implement a ceasefire and protect civilians. But it also urged "all external actors" to "fully respect Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity", after Israel carried out its strikes. Israeli Druze break through border fence and march into Syria France called for an end to "abuses targeting civilians". It said there must be an "immediate cessation of clashes" and urged all sides to bring about a truce. Syrian government forces entered Sweida on Tuesday with the stated aim of overseeing a ceasefire agreed with Druze community leaders after clashes with Bedouin tribes left dozens dead. But some witnesses said government forces had joined the Bedouin in attacking Druze fighters and civilians. "France supports the efforts of the Syrian transitional authorities and the leaders of the Sweida region to restore dialogue, and hopes for a lasting agreement to strengthen the unity, stability and sovereignty of Syria, as well as the safety of all Syrians," Paris said. Turkey meanwhile condemned Israel's intervention, saying it aimed to sabotage Syria's efforts to establish peace and security. The Foreign Ministry said Syria had a historic opportunity to live in peace and integrate into the world after the toppling of former president Bashar Al Assad last year. The Gulf Co-operation Council also criticised Israel's attacks, saying they "constitute a flagrant violation" of Syria's sovereignty. Secretary General Jassim Mohammed Al Budaiwi said the air strikes were a "breach of international laws and norms, and a serious threat to regional security and stability". "Continuation of these repeated and ongoing attacks by the Israeli occupation forces constitutes an irresponsible escalation," the GCC said. Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun called the Israeli operations a "blatant violation" of state sovereignty, international law and the UN Charter. He condemned the strikes in "the strongest possible terms" and called on the international community to exert pressure on Israel. But Israel vowed further intervention. "The signals to Damascus are over – now come the painful blows," said Defence Minister Israel Katz, promising the Israeli military would "operate forcefully" in Sweida "to eliminate the forces that attacked the Druze until their full withdrawal".
