Latest news with #truce
Al Arabiya
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Hamas accuses US mediators of reneging on Gaza talks positions
A Hamas official on Friday accused US envoy Steve Witkoff of reneging on Washington's positions and distorting reality after he announced the United States' withdrawal from Gaza truce talks and accused the group of blocking a deal. 'The negative statements of the US envoy Witkoff run completely counter to the context in which the last negotiations were held, and he is perfectly aware of this, but they come to serve the Israeli position,' said Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim in an interview with AFP. 'They are part of a logic of support for the Israeli position,' he added. Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire have reached an impasse, more than two weeks after they began. The United States joined Israel on Thursday in pulling its negotiators from the talks, with Witkoff blaming Hamas for the failure to reach a deal and saying Washington would 'consider alternative options.' Mediators in Qatar had been shuttling between Israeli and Hamas delegations in a bid to secure a breakthrough in indirect talks for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages, nearly two years into the war. Witkoff on Thursday acknowledged the failure of the talks, held in Doha under Qatari, US and Egyptian mediation, announcing the recall of the US team for consultations and questioning Hamas's good faith. Naim accused Witkoff of backtracking, saying the US envoy had considered the discussions 'positive' only a few days ago. 'The mediators welcomed Hamas's response very positively, which they considered constructive and likely to lead to an agreement, especially since it is very close to the proposal submitted by the mediators to both parties,' he added. He said the latest discussions focused on details of an Israeli army withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Naim added that an 'agreement in principle' had even been reached on a 'formula' for the exchange of hostages taken in Israel on October 7, 2023, and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. He accused Israel of having no intention of reaching a truce and urged Witkoff to 'put pressure' on the Israeli government.
CBC
6 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
Southern Syria exploded into the worst violence of post-Assad era. What that means for the region's future
Social Sharing Seven months of relative calm in Syria came to a bloody end last week, when what began as local skirmishes escalated into the worst fighting since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December. The fighting took place in Suwayda, a southern Syrian province that has remained outside of government control since forces led by now-President Ahmed al-Sharaa swept into Damascus and took control of the country last year. Suwayda is dominated by the Druze sect, an Abrahamic group whose beliefs include aspects of Christianity, Islam and other religions. It also hosts a sizable population of Bedouins, a Sunni Arab ethnic group who live a semi-nomadic lifestyle as shepherds. Clashes between the two groups have been frequent, but none have escalated to anything near the degree reached last week, which began after a Druze merchant was kidnapped on July 11. By the time a shaky truce was established more than a week later, both Syrian and Israeli government forces were involved, 150,000 people were displaced and the region was left destabilized — primed for further violence. The initial incident led to two days of escalating fighting between Druze and Bedouin militiamen. On July 14, the Syrian government deployed forces into the province to intervene — until then entirely absent from Suwayda. Some government troops were ambushed and killed by Druze fighters affiliated with Hikmet al-Hijri, a controversial Druze spiritual leader who wields significant influence in the region. The unsettled status of the region and Damascus's desire to reassert control over the province contributed to the escalation, according to Charles Lister, director of the Syria program at the Middle East Institute, a non-profit think-tank in Washington, D.C. "There was a kind of tit-for-tat escalation spiral of kidnappings and reprisals, which is very difficult to control unless there's an intensive, localized negotiation process," Lister said. "I think there's an extent to which Damascus allowed events to play out for two or three days this time, in order to make the case, from its perspective, that this chaos is only going to continue so long as [Suwayda] remains outside of government control." Violence against the Druze As large-scale fighting erupted between Druze and Syrian government forces, Damascus's troops then advanced into Suwayda city itself. What happened there showcased the vast gulf that exists among the loosely organized militias that now constitute Syria's new army. Some are more professional fighters, trained under Sharaa for years and reliable enough to obey orders not to harm civilians. Other elements are far more sectarian and extremist — and with a recent history of massacring minorities, as happened against the Alawite sect on the Syrian coast in March. "We were at home when the first [government] fighters arrived," said a Druze resident of Suwayda in her 20s. "At first, they only asked if we had any weapons — there was no problem with them." CBC News is not naming the woman, as she fears reprisal for speaking publicly. "Soon after, we got a call from one of our elderly relatives, people in their 80s," she said. "Other fighters had come to their house and told them that they had better leave if they wanted to live. They were still lucky. We soon learned that some of our other relatives had been executed, right in their homes." Reports of atrocities against the Druze population of Suwayda flooded social media. One of the worst acts reportedly occurred in the city's main hospital, visited by the BBC in the days following the fighting. Doctors there said Syrian government fighters had killed "scores of patients, from the very young to the very old." Israeli involvement It was at this point that a new actor entered the fray: Israel, which had repeatedly warned the Syrian government that it would intervene forcefully if it moved its forces into the south of the country. The two sides met on July 12, though Lister says there may have been a misunderstanding about whether Syria had the green light to assert control in Suwayda. On July 15, Israel carried out airstrikes on Syrian government forces in Suwayda and elsewhere in southern Syria, hitting tanks and killing dozens of soldiers. Tel Aviv upped the ante a day later, striking the Syrian Defence Ministry building in downtown Damascus in broad daylight — a clear warning to Sharaa and the Syrian leadership. "Israel wanted to challenge the new state's authority and maintain its own ability to exert influence over Syria by sustaining the chaos in the south, allowing them to keep leverage over Damascus," Lister said. Israel is also home to a large and politically significant Druze minority, whose calls on the government to intervene in favour of their compatriots in Syria added domestic rationale to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's calculations, Lister added. In the wake of the airstrikes, the Syrian government caved to Israeli and Druze demands, withdrawing its forces from Suwayda late on July 16. As they withdrew, Druze militias surged forward, taking their revenge on their initial opponents in the conflict: the Bedouin. WATCH | New government has failed to contain atrocities in southern Syria, research fellow says: New government has failed to contain atrocities in southern Syria, research fellow says 8 days ago Deadly clashes in Syria's southern province of Suwayda show the new regime is incapable of protecting all Syrians, including its minorities, says Samy Akil, a non-resident fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. Dozens have died after Syrian government officials tried to intervene following attacks between local Bedouin fighters and militias linked to the Druze minority over the last week, prompting Israeli airstrikes on Damascus Wednesday. Druze retaliation and ceasefire Jamel Abo Sakhr, a local Bedouin man, told CBC News that Druze militias had burned houses and killed civilians. "They shelled us for days, trapping us in our villages, but it got worse after the [Syrian] army left," Abo Sakhr said. "The Druze militia of Hikmet al-Hijri was the most savage. His men came through our villages on a rampage, looting, burning houses, killing whoever they wanted." Abo Sakhr himself is now one of nearly 150,000 people displaced from Suwayda as a result of the recent fighting, according to figures from the UN humanitarian agency OCHA. Not all of his family managed to escape, he said. "Two of my cousins, Mahdi and Omran, were grazing their sheep," Abo Sakhr said. "They were not armed. Hijri's men shot them dead anyway, and then took their livestock. May God curse them." The Druze retaliation nearly caused the situation to spiral fully out of control, as Bedouin tribal fighters numbering 50,000 or more mobilized across Syria and headed to Suwayda to support their brethren. A ceasefire brokered on July 20 finally took hold last weekend, ending clashes with the withdrawal of both Bedouin and government forces from Suwayda. Implications for the region As the dust settles on the latest round of fighting, the scale of the sectarian killings on each side and Israel's role have given the incident implications for the future of Syria itself. "Israel's intervention unquestionably created this kind of zero-sum mentality on all sides," said Lister. The air campaign, and the ensuing mobilizations, led both the Druze and Bedouin to see the fighting in "existential" terms, Lister added. Among the Druze, one figure has emerged from the carnage above all others: Hikmat al-Hijri, the Israel-backed sheikh who has been the most hardline opponent of any reintegration of Suwayda into the central Syrian state. "Hijri is not just a national hero [for the Druze], he is practically a god here now," said the Druze woman who spoke to the CBC, referencing the sheikh's popular perception in Suwayda. "No one can question him now." For her and other Druze, it will be very hard to accept anything Damascus offers after what they have experienced. "We all had hopes for this government," the woman said. "We thought that what happened on the coast, the killings of Alawites, was just because Assad was an Alawite," she said, referencing the incidents in March where gunmen loyal to the new government carried out revenge killings against Assad's minority Alawite sect. "But now, after they have come here and massacred us, we see we are not safe from them, either." With Israeli airpower in the equation, it seems clear Suwayda will remain outside of government control for the foreseeable future. "Suwayda is likely to remain in this kind of semi-independent status for some time," Lister said. "But the current situation is unsustainable. Without long negotiations to figure out an acceptable solution, this will only lead to another uptick in fighting at some point."
News24
7 hours ago
- Politics
- News24
DR Congo: Little hope for robust truce with M23 rebel group
The US, UN and the African Union (AU) were among the first to welcome the 19 July truce between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 rebel group which had been championed by the US and Qatar. The Doha Declaration of Principles, building on a peace deal Congo and Rwanda signed in Washington on 27 June, was meant to serve as another 'meaningful step toward advancing lasting peace and stability in the Great Lakes region', according to the US Department of State. Rwanda's willingness to sign, and its passive observation of, the Doha agreement was seen as tacit admittance to its role in the long-standing conflict, although Kigali continues to deny its support of the M23. Is the DRC a no-go zone? Just one day after the signing in Doha, the US updated its security advisory for the DRC and especially its capital, Kinshasa, advising US nationals in the country to 'exercise increased awareness, avoid large gatherings, and monitor local news and security updates'. READ | Peace deal with Rwanda opens way to 'new era', says DR Congo president The list of recommended actions include the provision of 'enough food and water should you need to stay home for several days' and having 'essential items (clothing, medications, travel documents) packed in a bag that you can carry'. Amani Alimasi/AFP The advisory resembles the kind of advice US authorities issue residents to prepare for major natural disasters. Reagan Miviri, a conflict analyst and lawyer working with the Congo Research Group in Kinshasa - an independent, nonprofit research project - understands the importance of the US State Department's latest travel advisory. 'The crisis in eastern Congo is also visible in Kinshasa in some ways,' she told DW. 'Actors in the US [who] are worried about what could happen in Kinshasa … probably know much more than we do, so perhaps they have other information we don't have.' According to Lidewyde Berckmoes, an associate professor and senior researcher at the African Studies Centre Leiden in the Netherlands, many parts of the DRC still actively remain under the control of the M23, which is unlikely to change despite this deal. Camille Laffont/AFP 'This region has seen many violent rebel movements, who have been there since the 1990s. There are many places where there's a lot of tension, and where authority is contested,' Berckmoes, whose work is focused on Africa's Great Lakes region, told DW. M23 expansion course continues On the ground, the reality of a state of war effectively continues to dictate daily lives in various parts of the country - especially eastern DRC's North and South Kivu provinces. Mere days after the DRC-M23 truce was signed, fresh reports of M23 rebels seizing new ground surfaced. According to UN-backed Radio Okapi in the DRC, at least 19 civilians were killed by M23 fighters as part of that expansion, in particular around the village of Bukera. This latest escalation is in clear breach of the Doha ceasefire deal, which calls on all sides in the conflict to stop efforts to expand their territorial gains - among various other stipulations. A truce with an ambiguous message Human rights activist Philemon Ruzinge believes the Doha deal will ultimately be of little consequence, despite whatever concessions Kinshasa may make to keep the peace. 'The agreement of principles is supposed to be … so important toward a lasting peace agreement,' he told DW, adding that the ongoing actions of M23 rebels leave little hope for it to work in the long run. HughAccording to Ruzinge, M23 leaders feel they can continue to enjoy free reign over northeastern DRC on account of the text of the agreement 'containing no withdrawal clause' and deliberately being worded in an ambiguous manner. This view was only further solidified by the M23 itself, whose delegation leader at the signing in Doha, Benjamin Mbonimpa, reiterated that the group 'will not retreat, not even by one metre'. 'We will stay where we are,' Mbonimpa said. Rebels trying to leverage political control Researcher Berckmoes believes Mbonimpa's attitude is indicative of the overall M23 position. 'I don't think M23 will let themselves be sidelined. Rather, I expect that they are looking for ways to have an important say as part of the government.' Conflict analyst Miviri agrees, pointing out that 'M23 are saying that they are not leaving.' She added that this should be taken at face value. M23 will do whatever it pleases. Reagan Miviri That view is also shared by people in North Kivu province. Complaints by civil society groups about a lack of government intervention are mounting. In the province's beleaguered capital, Goma, democracy activist Justin Murutsi told DW: 'The state has a security mandate for the population. But when there are killings like this and no word from the state, it shows that there's a serious institutional vacuum.' 'The signing of the Declaration of Principles gives us a little hope, because it clearly shows that the government has accepted the rebels' demands and conditions,' said Julien, a resident of the city who believes M23 will remain in control of large parts of the region. Scepticism seems to outweigh hope Political scientist Christian Moleka in Kinshasa wonders whether the parties the conflict are interested in peace. 'Do the various parties even have the will to achieve lasting peace?' he told DW. 'Are the follow-up mechanisms really going to work better than in the past, to support the full implementation of these various provisions?' Berckmoes had similar reservations, stressing there has been 'series of agreements in the past, which have not been upheld'. HughShe added that for a sustainable peace plan to succeed, various parties and factions all have to be included in all negotiations - not just M23 but 'all 160 groups' vying for control. To that end, Berckmoes believes 'there's still a long way to go.' Miviri took an even more sober stance: 'Before speaking of a lasting peace agreement, it just has to first happen. And I'm not seeing it happen, even now.' Amid scepticism, criticism and the surge in violence since the Doha signing, there have also been a few hopeful voices - among them, the US senior adviser for Africa, Massad Boulos. According to Congolese Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani, significant progress has been made in recent weeks. He said he was convinced that, despite the ongoing volatile nature of the conflict, 'we are close to peace.' In the same statement, however, he stressed that 'peace is a choice,' which 'requires work'.
LBCI
a day ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Israel recalls Gaza truce negotiators for consultations after Hamas response: PM office
Israel said on Thursday it was recalling its Gaza ceasefire negotiators from Doha for consultations following a response from Palestinian militant group Hamas to the latest proposal for a 60-day truce. "In light of the response Hamas provided this morning, it has been decided to return the negotiating team to continue consultations in Israel. We appreciate the efforts of mediators Qatar and Egypt and the efforts of (U.S.) envoy (Steve) Witkoff to bring about a breakthrough in the talks," read a statement from the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
CNA
a day ago
- Health
- CNA
Israel brings delegation home from Gaza ceasefire talks to discuss Hamas response
JERUSALEM: Israel brought its delegation home from Gaza ceasefire talks for consultations on Thursday (Jul 24) after Hamas delivered a new response to a proposal for a truce and hostages deal. The Israeli Prime Minister's office thanked mediators for their efforts and said the negotiators were returning home for "further consultations". Earlier it said Israel was reviewing the response from Hamas. Two sources familiar with the negotiations in Qatar said Israel's decision to bring its delegation back home did not necessarily indicate a crisis in the talks. A senior Hamas source told Reuters that there was still a chance of reaching a Gaza ceasefire agreement but it would take a few days because of what he called Israeli stalling. The source said Hamas' response included requesting a clause that would prevent Israel from resuming the war if an agreement was not reached within the 60-day truce period. Both sides are facing huge pressure at home and abroad to reach a deal, with the humanitarian conditions inside Gaza deteriorating sharply amidst widespread, acute hunger that has shocked the world. A senior Israeli official was quoted by local media as saying the new text was something Israel could work with. However, Israel's Channel 12 said a rapid deal was not within reach, with gaps remaining between the two sides, including over where the Israeli military should withdraw to during any truce. A Palestinian official close to the talks told Reuters the latest Hamas position was "flexible, positive and took into consideration the growing suffering in Gaza and the need to stop the starvation". Dozens of people have starved to death in Gaza the last few weeks as a wave of hunger crashes on the Palestinian enclave, according to local health authorities. The World Health Organization said on Wednesday 21 children under the age of five were among those who died of malnutrition so far this year. Later on Thursday, the Gaza health ministry said two more people had died of malnutrition. The head of Shifa Hospital in Gaza City said the two were patients suffering from other illnesses who died after going without food for several days. Israel, which cut off all supplies to Gaza from the start of March and reopened it with new restrictions in May, says it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent it from being diverted by militants. It says it has let in enough food for Gaza's 2.2 million people over the course of the war, and blames the United Nations for being slow to deliver it; the UN says it is operating as effectively as possible under conditions imposed by Israel. AIRSTRIKES The war between Israel and Hamas has been raging for nearly two years since Hamas killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages from southern Israel in the deadliest single attack in Israel's history. Israel has since killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza, decimated Hamas as a military force, reduced most of the territory to ruins and forced nearly the entire population to flee their homes multiple times. Israeli forces on Thursday hit the central Gaza towns of Nuseirat, Deir Al-Balah and Bureij. Health officials at Al-Awda Hospital said three people were killed in an airstrike on a house in Nuseirat, three more died from tank shelling in Deir Al-Balah, and separate airstrikes in Bureij killed a man and a woman and wounded several others. Nasser Hospital said three people were killed by Israeli gunfire while seeking aid in southern Gaza near the so-called Morag axis between Khan Younis and Rafah. The Israeli military said Palestinian militants had fired a projectile overnight from Khan Younis toward an aid distribution site near Morag. Washington has been pushing the warring sides towards a deal for a 60-day ceasefire that would free some of the remaining 50 hostages held in Gaza in return for prisoners jailed in Israel, and allow in aid. US Middle East peace envoy Steve Witkoff travelled to Europe this week for meetings on the Gaza war and a range of other issues. An Israeli official said Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer would meet Witkoff on Friday if gaps between Israel and Hamas over ceasefire terms had narrowed sufficiently. Mediators say Hamas is seeking a withdrawal of Israeli troops to positions held before Mar 2, when Israel ended a previous ceasefire, and the delivery of aid under UN supervision.
