Latest news with #AlSharaa
National Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- National Post
Terry Glavin: Amidst sectarian violence, Israel should embrace Syrian government
Article content While tensions persist and talks continue, the powerful, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces — the tip of the NATO spear in the war against ISIS — should be expected, especially with American help, to find its place in Al-Sharaa's new Syria. Article content Al-Sharaa's first big test in dealing with Syria's explosive sectarian flashpoints came this week with the results of an investigation Damascus ordered into the massacres of Alawites in March, and it was no whitewash. The transitional government's fact-finding committee reported that 1,426 people died in attacks on security forces and reprisal killings of Alawites. Article content The report found that the violence was almost entirely random and rage-fuelled, sparked by a revolt staged by Alawites connected to Assad's regime and by the killing of more than 200 security forces personnel. The committee concluded that no Syrian commander ordered reprisals, and in fact army commanders gave orders to halt them. The committee identified 298 suspects involved in targeting Alawites, and while their names have not been released their cases have been handed over to the judiciary. Thirty-one people who committed violations have already been arrested. Article content It's no small irony that Al-Sharaa's enemies, primarily Iran's Quds Force and Hezbollah, are also Israel's enemies, and Al-Sharaa has gone out of his way to purge Palestinian officials who grew comfortable in Damascus during the Assad years. He has refused entreaties from Hamas and shuttered the offices, confiscated the guns and vehicles and property belonging to the Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine, the PFLP — General Command, the Palestine Liberation Army, Fatah al-Intifada and the Baath-aligned Al-Sa'iqa movement. Article content Israel has performed miracles in recent months. Hezbollah's military power has been smashed, its chain of command decapitated. Hamas is crawling around in the rubble of Gaza, the Khomeinists have been badly bloodied, and Tehran's 'axis of resistance' in the region is scattered and broken. It would be a tragedy of unforgivable proportions if these victories were squandered by allowing either Al-Sharaa or Netanyahu to make a hash of things in Syria. Article content As the American Syria envoy Tom Barrack put it the other day: 'With this Syrian regime, there is no Plan B. If this Syrian regime fails, somebody is trying to instigate it to fail,' Barrack said. 'For what purpose? There's no successor.' Article content
Morocco World
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Syrian Forces End Bedouin-Druze Fighting in Sweida
Rabat — Syrian government troops have cleared Bedouin fighters from the city of Sweida and declared an end to deadly clashes that killed at least 260 people over the past week. The announcement came Saturday after President Ahmed al-Sharaa ordered a new ceasefire between Bedouin and Druze groups. The US also brokered a separate deal to stop Israeli attacks on Syria. According to converging sources, the violence began when someone kidnapped a Druze truck driver on a public highway. This sparked revenge attacks that drew tribal fighters from across the country to support the Bedouin community in Sweida province. Syrian troops joined the fighting, which soon escalated beyond the initial dispute. Israel then launched heavy airstrikes on Sweida and Damascus on Wednesday, claiming it wanted to protect the Druze minority after some accused government forces of abusing them. The Syrian army withdrew from Sweida on Thursday as the fighting intensified. Syrian health officials report 260 deaths and 1,700 wounded, though other groups estimate more than 900 people died. The fighting displaced over 87,000 people from their homes. Reports of machine gun fire and mortar shelling continued in Sweida city and nearby villages even as officials announced the ceasefire. Syria's Interior Ministry spokesman Nour Al Din Baba said government forces deployed to northern and western areas of Sweida province after 'intensive efforts' to implement the ceasefire. 'The city of Sweida has now been cleared of all tribal fighters, and clashes within the city's neighborhoods have been brought to a halt,' Baba told the official Sana news agency. President Al Sharaa called on all groups to lay down their weapons and help restore peace. 'While we thank the clans for their heroic stance, we call on them to follow the ceasefire and obey state orders,' Al Sharaa said in a televised statement, adding that 'everyone must understand this moment requires unity and full cooperation.' Bedouin factions announced they would pull their fighters from Sweida city after consulting with local clans and tribes. 'We have decided to follow the ceasefire, focus on reason and restraint, and allow state institutions the space to restore security and stability,' the groups said in a statement.
Observer
19-07-2025
- Health
- Observer
UN: 80,000 displaced by south Syria violence
Nearly 80,000 people have been displaced by sectarian violence in southern Syria that began last week, the UN's migration agency said on Friday. In a statement, the International Organization for Migration said "79,339 people have been displaced since July 13, including 20,019 on July 17", adding that water, electricity and telecomms services in Sweida had 'collapsed' and fuel shortages had crippled transportation and emergency logistics. Armed tribes supported by Syria's government clashed with Druze fighters in the community's Sweida heartland on Friday, a day after the army withdrew under Israeli bombardment and diplomatic pressure. The United Nations called for an end to the 'bloodshed' and demanded an 'independent' investigation of the violence, which has claimed nearly 600 lives since Sunday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The renewed fighting raised questions over the authority of interim leader Ahmed al Sharaa, whose interim government also has difficult relations with the Kurdish minority in the northeast and the Alawite minority on the Mediterranean coast. It was Al Sharaa who ordered government forces to pull out, saying that mediation by the United States and others had helped avert a "large-scale escalation" with Israel. In the corridors of the Sweida National Hospital, a foul odour emanated from the swollen and disfigured bodies piled up in refrigerated storage units, a correspondent reported. A small number of doctors and nurses at the hospital worked to treat the wounded arriving from the ongoing clashes, some in the hallways. Omar Obeid, a doctor at the government hospital, said that the facility has received "more than 400 bodies since Monday morning". "There is no more room in the morgue, the bodies are in the street" in front of the hospital, added Obeid, president of the Sweida branch of the Order of Physicians. Tribal reinforcements from across Syria gathered in villages around Sweida on Friday to reinforce local Bedouin, whose longstanding enmity towards the Druze erupted into violence last weekend. Anas al Enad, a tribal chief from the central city of Hama, said he and his men had made the journey to the village of Walgha, northwest of Sweida, because "the Bedouin called for our help and we came to support them". The Britain-based Observatory said "the deployment of tribal fighters to Sweida province was facilitated by government forces, because government forces are unable to deploy to Sweida under the terms of the security agreement with Israel". Israel, which bombed the Syrian military in Sweida and Damascus earlier this week to put pressure on the government to withdraw, said on Friday that it was sending aid to the Druze community in Sweida. "In light of the recent attacks targeting the Druze community in Sweida and the severe humanitarian situation in the area, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has ordered the urgent transfer of humanitarian aid to the Druze population in the region", the foreign ministry said. The nearly $600,000 package includes food parcels and medical supplies, the ministry said. A ceasefire was supposed to take effect on Thursday, but Al Sharaa's office accused Druze fighters of violating it. Sweida has been heavily damaged in the fighting and its mainly Druze inhabitants have been deprived of water and electricity, while communication lines have been cut. — AFP
France 24
17-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
"We are eating sand instead of bread," says 12-year-old Palestinian boy amid starvation
01:53 17/07/2025 Syrian leader Al-Sharaa condemns Israeli attacks and says protecting Druze citizens a 'priority' Middle East 17/07/2025 World reacts to Israeli attacks on Syria's Damascus Middle East 17/07/2025 Syria accuses Israel of sowing chaos in Druze-majority Sweida Middle East 17/07/2025 Syrian leader vows justice after deadly clashes in Syria's Druze-majority Sweida Middle East 16/07/2025 'What Israel is doing is a clear signal to Damascus against consolidating power in the south' Middle East 16/07/2025 Another key ally quits Netanyahu's governing coalition in a major blow to Israel's leader Middle East 16/07/2025 Israel launches heavy airstrikes in Damascus, vowing to protect Druze Middle East 16/07/2025 12-year-old Gaza boy who ate sand in viral video talks about the hunger his family faces Middle East 16/07/2025 Netanyahu under mounting political pressure after party quits over military service exemption Middle East
Arab News
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Syria's reintegration highlights deepening intra-Arab ties
Morocco and Syria in May announced they would reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen their respective embassies in Damascus and Rabat — a symbolic but powerful signal of Syria's reintegration into the Arab world. The move, which comes ahead of a potential visit to Morocco by Syrian leader Ahmad Al-Sharaa, represents a key step forward in Arab unity after years of fragmentation. Damascus' isolation started with the outbreak of civil war in 2011 and was further deepened by Syria's alignment with Tehran. These developments left the country diplomatically estranged from much of the Arab world. The Assad regime's actions resulted in Syria's exclusion from the Arab League, making it a regional outlier for years. That started to change with Syria's readmission to the Arab League in 2023, an important, albeit largely symbolic, first step. The real shift came with the fall of Bashar Assad, which paved the way for a new era under Al-Sharaa's leadership. Since taking power, Al-Sharaa has adopted a clear diplomatic strategy to restore Syria's standing in the Arab region. This direction is not new for Syria, a country long regarded as a key champion of pan-Arabism. Arab nationalism and pan-Arabist ideology were born in Syria during the late Ottoman Empire, with influential figures such as Rashid Rida and Michel Aflaq, among many others, playing a foundational role in promoting Arab unity and independence from both Ottoman and European colonial power. Today, that legacy continues under Al-Sharaa's leadership. He has embraced a nationalist narrative built on unity and trust. 'Syria will not be used to attack or destabilize any Arab or Gulf country,' he declared, calling on regional partners to help rebuild the country 'as part of the Arab world.' Al-Sharaa's first priority was clear: reestablish Syria's legitimacy on the Arab stage. In February, he made his first official foreign visit to Riyadh, meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The agenda included the lifting of economic sanctions, the return of refugees and counterterrorism coordination. This was a strategic move, as Saudi Arabia's engagement signaled to the other Gulf states that Syria was serious about distancing itself from past alliances and forging a new, Arab-centric direction. Since taking power, Al-Sharaa has adopted a clear diplomatic strategy to restore Syria's standing in the Arab region. Zaid M. Belbagi Al-Sharaa's diplomacy extended quickly to Qatar and the UAE, where talks centered on reconstruction and long-term regional cooperation. The following month, Syria presented its reform agenda. In Jordan, agreements and talks focused on enhancing border security and joint efforts to combat the illicit captagon trade, which is a growing concern for both Amman and Riyadh. Syria also regained membership of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Kuwait announced the imminent reopening of its embassy in Damascus. Beyond high-level visits and embassies reopening, deeper forms of collaboration are also emerging, particularly in reconstruction and infrastructure. In May, Syria and Jordan agreed to form a Higher Coordination Council, marking a significant new phase in their bilateral relations. The deal includes plans to review the 1987 Yarmouk River agreement, reinvigorate joint water committees and explore regional energy integration. Jordan and Syria are also reviving electricity grid links and Qatar has confirmed the supply of 2 million cubic meters of natural gas per day through Jordan, boosting Syrian power generation by 400 megawatts with the aim of doubling its electricity supply. Added to this is the deal of the year for Damascus: a $7 billion agreement with a consortium of companies from the US, Qatar and Turkiye that aims to overhaul Syria's shattered energy and electricity sector. Renewed cooperation and deepening engagement with countries across the region is producing tangible outcomes for Syria. Zaid M. Belbagi The economic impact is already visible. In the first quarter of 2025, 88 contracts were signed for the Syrian-Jordanian free zone at Jaber-Nasib, with more than 800 investors awaiting approval. Daily truck traffic at the border has tripled and Syria's exports to Jordan hit $23.7 million in February alone, a notable increase from just $5.4 million the year before. The growing number of diplomatic visits and expanding trade relations between Syria and countries in the region reflect a broader consensus among Arab states: the time has come to reengage Syria. Al-Sharaa's openness to strengthening ties with the Gulf states, particularly in terms of trade and energy, signals a shift toward deeper integration between the Levant and the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as more broadly across the Middle East. What began as cautious diplomatic overtures are now materializing into concrete outcomes, paving the way for a better future for Syria. The lifting of American and European sanctions has already enabled the financing of new projects, which are vital to enable the success of the country's reconstruction plan. Besides, with the active support of key Arab states, international organizations are returning to Syria. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have stepped in to repay Syria's $15.5 million debt to the World Bank and to help cover part of the salaries of Syrian civil servants. This renewed cooperation and deepening engagement with countries across the region is producing tangible outcomes for Syria. Al-Sharaa's government is not only reopening embassies and conducting diplomatic visits, but also actively reopening Syria to the region, driven by shared interests in stability, trade and reconstruction. As such, Syria's reintegration stands as a clear indicator of a deepening Arab rapprochement, one that is expected to result in more concrete returns, shaping promising geopolitical alignments and reinforcing ties among Arab states.
