Crossing between a government and opposition-held area in Syria closes after violence
Crossing between a government and opposition-held area in Syria closes after violence/node/2568215/middle-east
Crossing between a government and opposition-held area in Syria closes after violence
Reports of an initial planned reopening in June were met with angry protests by residents of the opposition-controlled area who saw the move as a step toward normalization with the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad. (AP/File)
Crossing between a government and opposition-held area in Syria closes after violence
A local activist and a war monitor said that opposition groups protested the reopening of the Abu Al-Zandin crossing in Aleppo province, which had been closed since 2020
Updated 21 August 2024
AP
IDLIB, Syria: A key crossing inside Syria between an area held by the government and one held by the opposition was closed again on Tuesday after violence followed its brief reopening this week.
A local activist and a war monitor said that opposition groups protested the reopening of the Abu Al-Zandin crossing in Aleppo province, which had been closed since 2020, and that it was twice hit by artillery shelling.
A few trucks on Sunday moved through the crossing in what appeared to be a trial reopening. The move was met by protests and the crossing was hit by artillery shelling from an unknown source on Monday and again on Tuesday.
Reports of an initial planned reopening in June were met with angry protests by residents of the opposition-controlled area who saw the move as a step toward normalization with the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Sunday’s trial reopening was followed again by protests and a sit-in at a tent erected by local activists.
The Britain-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the shelling. It was not clear who fired. The monitor also said that gunmen opposed to the opening of the crossing “forced a number of trucks to return” as they were headed into government-held territory.
An official with the Turkish-backed opposition government confirmed plans to reopen the crossing but denied it represented a step toward normalizing relations with Damascus. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly.
“The opening of crossings, whether commercial or humanitarian ... is not linked to reconciliation,” he said and also gave the example of function crossings in Syria between areas that Ankara controls and areas that are under the control of Syrian Kurdish local authorities.
The official declined to elaborate or comment on the shelling.
The anti-government uprising turned civil war in Syria, now in its 14th year, has killed nearly half a million people, displaced half of its prewar population of 23 million and crippled infrastructure in both government and opposition-held areas.
The conflict today is largely frozen. In June, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Assad both signalled that they are interested in restoring diplomatic ties that have been ruptured for more than a decade. Several previous reconciliation attempts did not succeed.
Could we see a Palestinian state during Mahmoud Abbas’s 20th year in office thanks to the global coalition?
When Abbas assumed the Palestinian Authority presidency on Jan. 15, 2005, he inherited a fractured political landscape
His legacy will be defined by whether he can translate Saudi-led momentum behind Palestinian statehood into tangible results
Updated 8 sec ago
ANAN TELLO & ROBERT EDWARDS
LONDON: As Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas marks 20 years in office, his leadership remains a complex chapter in the Palestinian national story, characterized by division, disillusionment, but also dogged determination.
Having succeeded Yasser Arafat in 2005, Abbas’ lengthy tenure has been shaped by challenges that have profoundly impacted the Palestinian people, the pursuit of statehood, and the prospects for peace with Israel.
“Ever since taking office, President Abbas has focused all his attention on the realization of an independent Palestinian state using diplomatic and political means,” Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning Palestinian journalist and author, told Arab News.
Abbas’s term was originally meant to last four years, meaning elections should have been held in 2009. However, no presidential elections have taken place since, primarily due to political rivalries between the main parties.
This 20-year milestone invites a reflection on Abbas’ legacy, the ongoing divisions within Palestinian politics, and whether his 20th year in power since succeeding Arafat might see tangible progress toward an independent Palestinian state.
When Abbas assumed the presidency on Jan. 15, 2005, he inherited a fractured political landscape. Arafat’s death in November 2004 left a void in Palestinian leadership, particularly given his unique ability to unite diverse factions under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Abbas, known for his more pragmatic and diplomatic approach, was seen as a leader who could gain international credibility and potentially re-ignite peace talks with Israel. However, Arafat’s departure also brought long-simmering divisions among Palestinians to the fore.
“Abbas followed a revolutionary leader in Yasser Arafat and had to confront an Islamic movement that is focused on armed resistance,” said Kuttab, referring to the Palestinian militant group Hamas that controls Gaza.
“He attacked Hamas for their rocket attacks on Israel and has been silently disapproving of the Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border Hamas act that has caused huge loss of life as a result of the brutal Israeli revenge response.”
The Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel left 1,200 people dead, the majority of them civilians, saw some 250 taken hostage, including many foreign nationals, and triggered Israel’s devastating retaliatory war in Gaza.
Fifteen months on, the war has cost the lives of more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Gaza, although a new study published by the Lancet medical journal has placed the death toll at 64,260 as of last June.
The rivalry between Abbas’ Fatah and Hamas escalated into a full-blown schism in 2007. Following a short conflict, Hamas seized control of Gaza, leaving Abbas’ Fatah-dominated PA governing only parts of the West Bank.
This division has not only weakened the Palestinian cause but has also complicated efforts to present a unified front in negotiations with Israel.
Abbas began his presidency with optimism. His platform emphasized nonviolent resistance, institution-building, and a commitment to achieving a two-state solution through negotiations.
His efforts gained initial support from the international community, particularly the US and the EU. The 2005 Israeli withdrawal from Gaza was seen as a potential breakthrough, despite being unilateral and limited.
However, hopes for progress soon faded. The victory of Hamas in the 2006 legislative elections, coupled with the failure to reach a consensus on governance, exacerbated divisions.
Meanwhile, peace talks with Israel stalled repeatedly over issues such as settlement expansion, security arrangements, and the status of Jerusalem.
The situation worsened after the 2008-09 Gaza war, further entrenching the divide between Hamas and Fatah. For many Palestinians, Abbas’ commitment to negotiations began to appear futile, especially as Israel’s settlement activity in the West Bank continued unabated.
Critics accused Abbas of presiding over a corrupt and ineffective administration, eroding public trust in the PA.
The split between the West Bank and Gaza remains one of the defining challenges of Abbas’ presidency. Efforts at reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas have repeatedly faltered, with each side blaming the other for the impasse.
The Oct. 7 attack and the war in Gaza have done little to heal the rift. On Saturday, Fatah issued a rare statement criticizing Hamas for sacrificing Palestinian interests for Iran and causing destruction in Gaza.
The statement supports Fatah’s recent security crackdown in the Jenin refugee camp targeting Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other armed groups, accusing Tehran of funding these factions.
Fatah also condemned the Oct. 7 attack, rejecting Hamas’ strategy of armed conflict, and accused it of seeking to incite chaos in the West Bank.
Talks in December between Fatah and Hamas about a nonpartisan Gaza administration have seen no clear progress. Meanwhile, the future governance of Gaza remains uncertain as Israeli leaders debate involving the PA following the defeat of Hamas.
Despite his long absence from the Palestinian Territories in the UAE, Mohammed Dahlan, a former Gaza security chief who was blamed by some within Fatah for the loss of Gaza, has since been tipped as a potential leader of the enclave — if Hamas were removed from power.
The Fatah Central Committee voted to expel Dahlan from the party in June 2011 after Abbas accused him of corruption and of plotting against him. Dahlan denied the allegations and accused Abbas of targeting him for his criticism of Abbas’ handling of the peace process.
In spite of this history of division among the Palestinians, Abbas’ administration has achieved some notable successes on the international stage, including securing Palestine’s recognition as a non-member observer state at the UN in 2012.
This diplomatic victory underscored Abbas’ commitment to pursuing Palestinian statehood through nonviolent means and international legitimacy.
However, Abbas’ prolonged tenure has not been without controversy. Now aged 89, he has faced growing criticism for failing to hold elections since 2006, effectively extending his rule far beyond his original mandate.
Many Palestinians view the PA as increasingly authoritarian, accusing it of suppressing dissent and prioritizing security coordination with Israel over the needs of its people. The PA’s reliance on international aid has also raised questions about its sustainability.
Economic dependency on donor funding has left the PA vulnerable to political pressure, particularly from the US and Israel. This dependency has fueled perceptions that the PA is complicit in managing the occupation rather than resisting it.
Meanwhile, Abbas has faced internal challenges from younger Fatah leaders and other political factions who view his leadership as out of touch. Calls for generational change have grown louder, with many Palestinians demanding a more inclusive and dynamic approach.
Despite these challenges, Abbas’ 20th year in office arrives at a moment of renewed international focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) meeting with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in Riyadh on August 27, 2024. (PPO/AFP)
Saudi Arabia’s emergence as a regional power broker has brought fresh hope for advancing the two-state solution. Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Kingdom has taken a proactive role in mediating conflicts and fostering dialogue, including between Israel and the Arab world.
In October 2024, Saudi Arabia announced the formation of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. The coalition includes key players such as the US, the EU, and Arab states, with a mandate to address core issues including borders, settlements, refugees, and the status of Jerusalem.
Riyadh’s initiative has been bolstered by an ongoing Arab dialogue with Israel, which includes conditions tied to advancing Palestinian statehood in line with the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.
“No doubt Saudi Arabia is playing a leading role in this coalition, leveraging its regional and international influence as well as its longstanding support for the Palestinian cause,” Hani Nasira, an Egyptian writer and political expert, told Arab News.
“The Kingdom has consistently emphasized that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state is essential for peace and stability in the region and that any steps toward normalization with Israel must first secure Palestinian rights.”
Since the global alliance for the two-state solution was launched amid the Gaza war, the push for Palestinian statehood championed by Mahmoud Abbas has gained momentum. (Anadolu)
This diplomatic strategy reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to balancing regional stability with the aspirations of the Palestinian people.
The question remains whether Abbas’ final years in power will witness the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Much depends on the success of Saudi Arabia’s initiative and the willingness of all parties to engage in meaningful negotiations.
“Observers believe that the chances of establishing a Palestinian state under President Mahmoud Abbas remain viable, though significant challenges persist,” said Nasira.
“These obstacles require internal Palestinian unity and robust Arab and international support — something Saudi Arabia is actively seeking to provide.
“Additionally, many countries and international organizations continue to support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders under the current Palestinian leadership.
“This includes the EU and most Islamic nations, as President Abbas seeks backing for a peace initiative rooted in the two-state solution and international resolutions.
“It is therefore clear that the Global Alliance reflects Saudi Arabia’s steadfast commitment to supporting the Palestinian cause and its relentless pursuit of a just and comprehensive peace in the region.
“This initiative aims to guarantee Palestinian rights and establish normalized relations among all countries in the region.”
For Abbas, the stakes are high. His legacy will ultimately be defined by whether he can translate decades of advocacy for Palestinian statehood into tangible results.
The PA has expressed cautious optimism about the Saudi-led coalition, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive approach that addresses historic injustices and ensures Palestinian sovereignty.
However, significant obstacles persist. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shown little appetite for concessions, particularly on settlements and security issues, and has even dismissed the two-state solution out of hand.
As Abbas marks two decades in office, the Palestinians find themselves at a crossroads. While statehood remains elusive, renewed international focus on the conflict offers a glimmer of hope.
Abbas’ presidency has been a tale of resilience, missed opportunities, and unfulfilled aspirations. While his commitment to a two-state solution has earned him international respect, the lack of progress on the ground has left many Palestinians disillusioned.
“The Palestinian president remained focused on his peaceful mythology but failed to gain enough support in terms of electoral legitimization of his efforts,” Kuttab told Arab News.
“While Abbas’ direction directly reflected the recommendations of all of Palestine’s allies, they failed to engage or reward him for his rejection of violence and insistence of a politically negotiated solution to the Palestinian conflict.
“Nevertheless, President Abbas’ quest — that is, the national aspiration of Palestinians — remains to be the most logical step forward. Palestinian statehood is the best way to bring peace to the entire Middle East.”
“I was injured by shrapnel, and because I am diabetic, things got worse for me, and we had to amputate my leg,” Saidani said
The prosthetic “is tiring and has several downsides, but I’m able to move and walk,” he said
Updated 6 min ago
AFP
DEIR EL-BALAH: Palestinian paediatrician Khaled Al-Saidani moves through his Gaza hospital with determination, using a prosthetic leg and an aluminum walker as he cares for children also injured in the war.
With a stethoscope draped over his shoulders, he carefully examines his patients at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, offering warm smiles and handshakes to the children as he moves from one to the next.
He knows all too well the devastating impact of wounds sustained during war, having lost his right leg after an Israeli air strike on his house last year.
“I was injured by shrapnel, and because I am diabetic, things got worse for me, and we had to amputate my leg,” Saidani told AFP at the hospital in central Gaza.
The prosthetic “is tiring and has several downsides, but I’m able to move and walk,” he said as he examined a patient.
A child with bandaged fingers and an IV tube watched as Saidani conducted an examination.
Al-Aqsa Hospital, particularly its general ward, is crowded with patients and their relatives, many receiving treatment for injuries from Israeli bombardment.
The medical facility is located in Deir el-Balah, where Israeli forces have frequently clashed with Hamas militants.
Vast areas around Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital have seen heavy fighting since the war began.
In recent months, this has intensified as the military expanded its offensive, which was initially focused on the northern parts of the Palestinian territory.
The war in Gaza has taken a devastating toll on health care workers as well as medical facilities since it broke out on October 7, 2023 following a devastating attack on Israel by Hamas militants.
A recent report by UN experts, quoting figures provided by the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry, said at least 1,057 Palestinian health and medical professionals have been killed in Gaza since the war began.
And on Wednesday, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies lamented the “continuing attacks on health facilities across the Gaza Strip,” which it said meant people were unable to access the treatment they need.
The Israeli military, which has repeatedly carried out deadly assaults on and around Gaza’s hospitals, claims that the facilities are being used by Hamas for operations against Israeli forces.
Most of the 36 hospitals in the besieged Gaza Strip have been rendered inoperative.
The territory’s largest, Al-Shifa Hospital, sustained heavy damage in an Israeli military raid, and now only has its emergency ward open.
Meanwhile, doctors like Saidani continue to provide what treatment they can to the relentless stream of patients flooding into barely functioning facilities like Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
“Despite the prosthetic limb that makes me tired, I’m happy and comfortable doing my job, which is why I decided to return to work,” Saidani said.
Relatives of patients are also happy that he is back around.
“My daughter suffers from kidney disease,” said a woman whose child, Mira Hamid, is being treated at the hospital.
“Despite the amputation of his leg, Doctor Khaled Al-Saidani follows up with his patients and provides his services. May God bless his hard work.”
Biden spoke with Netanyahu, source says; Sullivan says hostage deal very close
Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN’s “State of the Union” program earlier on Sunday that the parties were “very, very close” to reaching a deal
Updated 12 January 2025
Reuters
WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden spoke on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a source familiar with the matter said, as US officials race to reach a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal before Biden leaves office on Jan. 20.
Biden and Netanyahu discussed efforts under way to reach a deal to halt the fighting in the Palestinian enclave and free the remaining 98 hostages held there, the source said.
Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN’s “State of the Union” program earlier on Sunday that the parties were “very, very close” to reaching a deal, but still had to get it across the finish line.
He said Biden was getting daily updates on the talks in Doha, where Israeli and Palestinian officials have said since Thursday that some progress has been made in the indirect talks between Israel and militant group Hamas.
“We are still determined to use every day we have in office to get this done,” Sullivan said, “and we are not, by any stretch of imagination, setting this aside.”
He said there was still a chance to reach an agreement before Biden leaves office, but that it was also possible “Hamas, in particular, remains intransigent.”
Israel launched its assault in Gaza after Hamas fighters stormed across its borders in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, more than 46,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials, with much of the enclave laid to waste and gripped by a humanitarian crisis, and most of its population displaced.
Vice President-elect JD Vance told the “Fox News Sunday” program in an interview taped on Saturday that he expects a deal for the release of US hostages in the Middle East to be announced in the final days of the Biden administration, maybe in the last day or two.
President-elect Donald Trump, a staunch supporter of Israel, has strongly backed Netanyahu’s goal of destroying Hamas. He has promised to bring peace to the Middle East, but has not said how he would accomplish that.
Israel to use withheld Palestinian tax income to pay debt to state-run electric company
Israel withheld Palestinian Authority's sums earmarked for administration expenses in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023
Updated 12 January 2025
Reuters
JERUSALEM: Israel plans to use tax revenue it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority to pay the PA’s nearly 2 billion shekel ($544 million) debt to state-run Israel Electric Co. (IEC), the far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Sunday.
Israel collects tax on goods that pass through Israel into the occupied West Bank on behalf of the PA and transfers the revenue to Ramallah under a longstanding arrangement between the two sides.
Since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Smotrich has withheld sums earmarked for administration expenses in the Gaza Strip.
Those frozen funds are held in Norway and, he said at Sunday’s cabinet meeting, would instead be used to pay debt owed to the IEC of 1.9 billion shekels.
“The procedure was implemented after several anti-Israeli actions and included Norway’s unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state,” Smotrich told cabinet ministers.
“The PA’s debt to IEC resulted in high loans and interest rates, as well as damage to IEC’s credit, which were ultimately rolled over to the citizens of Israel.”
The ultranationalist Smotrich has been opposed to sending funds to the PA, which uses the money to pay public sector wages.
Israel also deducts funds equal to the total amount of so-called martyr payments, which the PA pays to families of militants and civilians killed or imprisoned by Israeli authorities.
UAE ship delivers 3,000 tonnes of relief supplies to Lebanon
Items include food, essentials for women and children, winter necessities
Updated 12 January 2025
Arab News
LONDON: The second aid ship from the UAE arrived at Beirut port on Sunday, carrying 3,000 tonnes of relief supplies as part of the UAE Stands with Lebanon campaign.
The UAE launched its campaign to support Lebanon last October as Israel’s war with the Iran-backed Hezbollah escalated in the south of the country.
Nasser Yassin, Lebanon’s environment minister and head of the government’s emergency committee, and Brig. Gen. Bassem Nabulsi, the chairman of the Supreme Relief Authority, received the ship at Beirut port.
Supplies included food, essentials for women and children, winter necessities, and shelter equipment, the Emirates News Agency reported.
Sultan Mohammed Al-Shamsi, the vice chairman of the UAE Aid Agency, said that the UAE’s moral obligation to support the Lebanese people “stems from the humanitarian legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, who dedicated himself to helping nations in need.”
The UAE announced its plan to reopen the embassy in Beirut following a phone call between the newly elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and the UAE’s President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, on Saturday.
The leadership in Saudi Arabia welcomed the election of Aoun after a two-year political void in Lebanon. Riyadh has dedicated efforts to help the Lebanese people cope with the devastation caused by the Israeli war and has dispatched several aid planes since 2024.
