Activist ship Handala set to sail for Gaza from Gallipoli port
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The National
3 hours ago
- The National
Hamas agrees to a 60-day truce in partial response to latest Gaza proposals
Hamas has given mediators a partial and initial response to proposals for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal but was expected to shortly hand them a final reply, sources told The National on Wednesday. They said Hamas has unconditionally agreed to a 60-day truce during which sufficient humanitarian assistance will enter Gaza, chiefly through the Rafah crossing with Egypt in the south of the war-battered enclave. Hamas has also agreed in principle to most of the maps Israel presented for the redeployment of its troops in Gaza, but wants them to pull out from Deir Al Balah in central Gaza – the theatre of a major continuing military operation by Israel – as well as Khan Younis in the south, the sources said. 'Hamas is reviewing the maps with other resistance factions in Gaza,' said one of the sources. 'We expect Hamas's final and full response within hours, but that can change.' The sources spoke as President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was expected to arrive in Europe on Thursday and Qatar on Friday, a sign that in the past has been interpreted to mean a deal was within reach. However, optimism that mediators from Qatar, Egypt and the US were on the cusp of getting Israel and Hamas to agree to a deal has previously proved premature because of the intransigence of both Israel and Hamas. Israel's President Isaac Herzog struck an upbeat note on Wednesday during a visit to Gaza, telling soldiers there were 'intensive negotiations' about returning the hostages held there. He said he hoped the soldiers will soon 'hear good news', according to a statement from the President's spokesperson. Hamas, however, is yet to provide a final list of the names of the hundreds of Palestinians it wants released from Israeli prisons as part of the deal, they said. The list is likely to include high-profile Palestinians serving long jail terms whom Hamas wants freed but Israel insists on keeping them incarcerated, they said. They include Marwan Barghouti, a senior leader of the mainstream Fatah faction who is widely tipped to be a possible successor to President Mahmoud Abbas. Hamas was also expected to provide mediators with its final timeline for the release of 10 Israeli hostages and the remains of 18 others who died in captivity, according to the sources. Hamas has previously proposed the release of the hostages in batches throughout the 60-day truce to ensure Israel's compliance with the terms of the agreement, but it appears that Israel has rejected that timeline and suggested an alternative, which Hamas is reviewing. Hamas is believed to be holding around 50 hostages, of whom 20 are thought by the Israeli military to be alive. Beside the truce and flow of relief aid into Gaza, where starvation is claiming more and more lives, the key provisions of the latest proposals include discussions on a long-term ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. Hamas had wanted US guarantees that these talks would continue until an agreement is reached, but the sources said Hamas appears to have dropped that condition. Israel, moreover, insists the war in Gaza will not end until Hamas's military and governing capabilities have been fully dismantled and all the hostages released. It's also demanding that Hamas lays down its arms and its leaders leave the territory to live in exile with their families. Hamas has rejected Israel's demand that it surrenders its arms. Instead it suggested it was open to discussions on laying down its arms and storing them under international supervision when a long-term ceasefire is in place. It has agreed to the departure into exile of its leaders provided that they and their families are not targeted by Israel. The Gaza war was triggered when Hamas and its allies attacked southern Israeli communities, killing 1,200 and taking another 250 hostage. Israel's response has been a devastating military campaign that has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians and injured more than twice that many, according to Gaza's health ministry. Nearly all the coastal enclave's 2.3 million residents have been displaced, more than once in many cases, and large swathes of built-up areas reduced to rubble.
Middle East Eye
3 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Islamic State may be responsible for atrocities against Druze, not Syrian forces, Barrack says
US envoy Tom Barrack suggested that Syrian government forces were not responsible for atrocities committed against Druze in southern Syria, and that the armed fighters who carried out the attacks may have been Islamic State militants disguised in government uniforms. Barrack, who is President Donald Trump's envoy to Syria as well as ambassador to Turkey, made the comments in an interview with Reuters in Beirut on Tuesday. Syria's southern province of Sweida was the site of sectarian violence between the majority Druze community and Sunni Bedouins. The conflict was internationalised after Israel intervened, bombing Syrian government forces. Israel cast the bombings as an effort to protect Druze. Israel is home to around 150,000 Druze. Around 1,000 people were killed in the clashes in southern Syria. Barrack also cast doubt on video footage that circulated widely on social media alleged to be of Syrian government forces committing atrocities, saying it could have been easily altered. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "The Syrian troops haven't gone into the city. These atrocities that are happening are not happening by the Syrian regime troops. They're not even in the city because they agreed with Israel that they would not go in," he told Reuters. Israel's intervention in the fighting "upset" the Trump administration and Saudi Arabia, as Middle East Eye was the first to report. On Monday, the White House said Trump was "caught off guard" by Israel's bombing. Barrack is spearheading the lifting of US sanctions on Syria. He has been a vocal supporter of efforts by Gulf states to invest in the war-torn country. He has generally walked a tightrope between concerns for minorities in Syria and calls for the central government in Damascus to assert its authority. Barrack is trying to push the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to integrate into the Syrian army as the US looks to continue reducing its military presence in northeast Syria. Barrack has been well received in Turkey. US support for the SDF has been a long-running sore point in the Nato allies ties. Barrack's messaging on Sharaa In a press conference in Beirut on Monday Barrack was asked about Israeli intervention, which he said 'came at a very bad time' and created 'another very confusing chapter' for Syria. Current and former Arab, Israeli and US officials told MEE that Israel's strikes and efforts to position itself as a defender of the Druze suggested it was bent on carving out a zone of influence in Syria that conflicts directly with the vision of a unitary post-war Syria put forward by Barrack. Barrack has repeatedly stressed that the US was not dictating Syria's form of government. He has cast his diplomacy as a test case for Trump's pledge in May to stop western 'nation builders' and 'interventionists' from working in the Middle East and instead empower locals allies such as the Gulf states and Turkey. Saudi Arabia told US that Syrian forces should deploy to Sweida despite Israeli objections, source says Read More » But Barrack said Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa should assess the fallout of the Sweida conflict, saying Sharaa should reflect: "I'm going to adapt quickly, because if I don't adapt quickly, I'm going to lose the energy of the universe that was behind me." Barrack added that Sharaa's 'theme … isn't working so well', and told Reuters he advised Sharaa to reduce the influence of Islamists in the military and cooperate on security with regional states. Sharaa was the leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, a former US-designated terrorist organisation that toppled Bashar al-Assad last December. Before that he ran al-Qaeda's Syrian branch. Syria has been seen bouts of sectarian violence since Sharaa came to power. In March, Syrian security forces killed hundreds of Alawites - the sect to which Assad belonged - along the Mediterranean coast. In June, at least 25 people were killed in a bombing at Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church. Sharaa was criticised for his handling of the fallout. He has promised to protect minorities. Barrack said that Sharaa had to address those concerns. "If they end up with a federalist government, that's their determination. And the answer to the question is: everybody may now need to adapt."
The National
5 hours ago
- The National
Syrian tribal fighters circle Sweida on mission to disarm Druze 'gang'
On the convoy fleeing Sweida, the devastated city in southern Syria, mothers clutched their children tightly on their laps, while elderly passengers stared blankly through the windows, their tired eyes devoid of expression. The convoy moved under heavy security, accompanied by civil defence units and UN operatives. Dispatched on Tuesday night by Syrian authorities, the dozens of buses were part of a fragile ceasefire deal reached on Saturday between Druze militias and Bedouin fighters, allowing humanitarian convoys to exit the city. Security forces stationed in Busra Al Harir, a village on the outskirts of Sweida where a checkpoint has been set up, said the convoy was carrying mostly Christian families. Druze families were also among them, the women identifiable by their traditional white veils. The buses were packed with exhausted families who have barely survived days of relentless gunfire and indiscriminate shelling. For the families being evacuated, it was supposed to be the end of a harrowing ordeal that began more than a week ago as a local dispute between Bedouin and Druze fighters. The clashes spiralled into indiscriminate bloodshed, prompting Syrian government forces to intervene. The Syrian forces were accused of siding with the Bedouin, amid widespread reports of violations against Druze civilians. After a ceasefire that followed strikes by Israel, the Druze were accused of rekindling the fighting with new attacks. Fighters gather Before the convoy departed, dozens of armed Bedouin fighters and members of other clans had gathered near the Busra Al Harir checkpoint, determined to re-enter the area. The fighters blamed the violence on Druze factions loyal to Sheikh Hikmat Al Hijri, one of the community's spiritual leaders. 'We are not sectarian people. We completely reject sectarianism. Our issue is only with Al Hijri and his gang,' Sheikh Samer Al Hamoud, a member of one of the clans out in force that day, told The National. Hours later, the humanitarian convoy came under fire. The crackling of gunfire joined the wail of sirens, as dozens of armed tribesmen shot at the last bus in the convoy, reportedly angry that it was not carrying members of their community. The bus eventually broke through the hostile crowd, escorted by security forces as gunfire sounded overhead. One civilian was wounded. The National could not verify which group opened fire. Clashes inside Sweida have stopped, but sporadic violence continues on the outskirts, where government forces have redeployed and sealed off access. Armed tribesmen also remain deployed on the outskirts of Sweida. Thousands had responded last week to a call to arms against Druze factions entrenched in the southern Syrian city. They say they come from across the country, from Aleppo, Homs and even Deir Ezzor. In Busra Al Harir, weapons are everywhere. Armed men wander in the streets, their rifles casually swinging over their shoulders. Their ammunition belts hang on their chest like necklaces. 'All the tribes are here, without exception. Every Syrian tribe and clan is now present around Sweida,' Mr Al Hamoud said. Interim President Ahmad Al Shara, viewed as more sympathetic to the Bedouin, called on them to withdraw from the city, saying they 'cannot take the place of the state in managing national affairs and restoring security'. He vowed to protect the Druze minority. 'We thank the Bedouin for their heroic stances but demand they fully commit to the ceasefire and comply with the state's orders,' he said on Saturday. But tribesmen said they were determined to remain until Mr Al Hijri's group is fully disarmed, while insisting they would not surrender their own weapons. He has rejected the ceasefire and accused government forces and tribal fighters of looting and carrying out massacres. He has also refused to allow authorities to re-enter the city, despite the truce agreed between Damascus and Druze leaders. 'It is very clear: either Al Hijri and his group surrender their weapons and the institutions to the state, or the tribal forces will remain,' said Mr Al Hamoud. 'We're civilians' Mr Al Hamoud is a member of the Akidat, the largest tribe from Deir Ezzor, which has been involved in fighting against the Kurdish-led administration in north-eastern Syria. They were also part of the offensive that led to the fall of the Assad regime in December, he said, while stressing that they have not joined the Syrian military. 'You see us, we're all tribes, all of us are civilians,' he said, pointing to a young man in military fatigues carrying a rifle. While Mr Al Shara has pledged to integrate all former factions into its security forces, many armed groups are still operating independently, outside state control. Syria expert Mouayad Albonni said tensions between Druze and Bedouin communities have historic roots that deepened during Syria's civil war, taking on sectarian and political dimensions. He said the refusal of many fighters to withdraw despite calls to do so 'exposes serious cracks in President Al Shara's authority", which he described as worrying. 'One of the main reasons Al Shara was brought in was to prevent chaos, and he has shown he is unwilling or unable to contain it or impose authority even on the factions most closely aligned with him," he said. Mr Al Hamoud said the tribes seek peace, not war, and denied any violations had been committed against Druze civilians. But just a few kilometres away, beyond the newly established security perimeter, Druze-majority villages lie in ruins. In Mazraa, most buildings have been torched and looted, while the streets are lined with charred vehicles. Graffiti on the walls read 'Druze pigs' and 'Down with the collaborators'. The Druze, a religious minority whose beliefs derive from a branch of Islam, also have communities in Lebanon and Israel. Israel has portrayed itself as a protector of the Druze and has intervened in the current conflict, targeting Syrian government forces it accused of attacking the Druze. In Sweida, witnesses have shared harrowing testimonies of violations against Druze civilians. Residents are now trapped inside the city, with limited access to water and food. Asked about widespread reports of violations against Druze civilians, Interior Ministry spokesman Noureedin al Baba said that there are reports of violations against the Bedouin that are far 'worse than what happened to Druze civilians'. 'The government of the Syrian Arab Republic views all civilians equally and is responsible for holding accountable anyone who commits wrongdoing or abuses,' he added. The Hijri militia has also been accused of violence and retaliatory attacks against Bedouin communities. Displacement centres are sheltering Bedouin civilians who fled threats from Druze militiamen. Many said they left in a hurry and are forced to sleep in the open, surviving without any assistance. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said at least 1,120 people have been killed since July 13, including civilians from both sides, as well as fighters from Bedouin groups, Druze militias and government forces. The National could not independently verify the death toll. While Mr Al Hamoud chose his words carefully, avoiding sectarian rhetoric, the line often blurred among fighters interviewed. One of the tribesmen gathered in Busra Al Harir said he believes all Druze civilians to be aligned with Mr Al Hijri.
