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Israeli police briefly arrest two French officials in ‘unacceptable’ move, France says

French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot(R) walks away after cancelling his scheduled visit to the Eleona Domain in Jerusalem, on November 7, 2024. (AFP)
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French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot(R) walks away after cancelling his scheduled visit to the Eleona Domain in Jerusalem, on November 7, 2024. (AFP)
Israeli police briefly arrest two French officials in ‘unacceptable’ move, France says
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Updated 07 November 2024
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Israeli police briefly arrest two French officials in ‘unacceptable’ move, France says

French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot(R) walks away after cancelling his visit to the Eleona Domain.
  • “This violation of the integrity of a site under French responsibility risks undermining the ties I had come to nurture with Israel,” Barrot said
Updated 07 November 2024
Reuters
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PARIS: France’s foreign minister refused to enter a holy site under French administration in Jerusalem on Thursday due to the presence of Israeli security forces, who briefly arrested two French officials in the latest rift between the two countries.
The incident, which comes amid strained diplomatic relations over Israel’s military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, occurred when Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot was due to visit the compound of The Church of the Pater Noster on the Mount of Olives.
“During the visit, an argument arose between the Israeli security forces and two French security guards,” the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement, adding they were released immediately after they identified themselves as diplomats.
The Israeli ministry added that every visiting foreign leader is accompanied by its security personnel, a point that had been “clarified in advance in the preparatory dialogue with the French Embassy in Israel.”
The compound, called Eleona in French, also houses a monastery and is under French administration.




Israeli police detain a French gendarme at the Eleona Domain (Church of the Pater Noster) in Jerusalem, on November 7, 2024. (AFP)

“This violation of the integrity of a site under French responsibility risks undermining the ties I had come to nurture with Israel at a time when we all need to move forward the region on the path to peace,” Barrot said.
The Israeli ambassador to Paris will be summoned in the coming days, it said in a statement.
Diplomatic relations between France and Israel have worsened since President Emmanuel Macron called for an end to the supply of offensive weapons, and urged Israel to cease hostilities and focus on diplomacy.
French officials have repeatedly said that Paris is committed to Israel’s security and that its military helped defend Israel amid Iranian missile attacks earlier this year.
It was not the first time that tensions have arisen surrounding France’s historic holdings in the city.
In 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron lost his temper when visiting the Church of St. Anne, another site under French administration, demanding Israeli security personnel leave the Jerusalem basilica.
A similar incident took place in 1996 involving France’s then-president Jacques Chirac, who saw his treatment by Israeli security as a “provocation.”

Topics: War on Gaza Jerusalem French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot

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Israeli PM says won’t stop Gaza war ‘now’

Israeli PM says won’t stop Gaza war ‘now’
Updated 3 sec ago
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Israeli PM says won’t stop Gaza war ‘now’

Israeli PM says won’t stop Gaza war ‘now’
Updated 3 sec ago
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he would not stop the war in Gaza “now,” with renewed efforts toward a ceasefire underway.
Speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem 14 months into the war against Hamas, he said “if we end the war now, Hamas will return, recover, rebuild and attack us again — and that is what we do not want to go back to.”
Netanyahu reiterated that he had set the goal of “the annihilation of Hamas, the elimination of its military and administrative capabilities” to prevent future attacks but said that the objective was not yet complete.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on October 23 that Israel had “managed to dismantle Hamas’s military capacity” and eliminated its senior leadership. With those successes, he said, it was time to “get the hostages home and bring the war to an end with an understanding of what will follow.”
In recent days, there had been signs that months of failed ceasefire and hostage release negotiations might be revived and achieve a breakthrough.
Qatar, a main mediator, said on Saturday there was new “momentum” for negotiations created by the election of Donald Trump in the United States.
A source close to the Hamas delegation said at the same time that Turkiye as well as Egypt and Qatar had been “making commendable efforts to stop the war,” and a new round of talks could begin soon.
On Sunday, the prime minister met with the families of hostages held in Gaza and said that Israel’s wars on Hezbollah and Hamas would facilitate negotiations for their release.
Protesters, including relatives of the hostages, have repeatedly called for a deal to free the captives and accused him of prolonging the war.
The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack which resulted in the deaths of 1,208 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data.
During the attack, militants also kidnapped 251 hostages, 96 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 who the military says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed at least 44,758 people, mostly civilians, according to data from the Hamas-run health ministry that is considered reliable by the UN.

From Al-Qaeda militant to Syrian statesman: The changing faces of Abu Mohammed Al-Golani

From Al-Qaeda militant to Syrian statesman: The changing faces of Abu Mohammed Al-Golani
Updated 18 sec ago
TAREK ALI AHMAD
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From Al-Qaeda militant to Syrian statesman: The changing faces of Abu Mohammed Al-Golani

From Al-Qaeda militant to Syrian statesman: The changing faces of Abu Mohammed Al-Golani
  • With the fall of the Assad regime after 13 years of civil war, the HTS chief has emerged as Syria’s kingmaker
  • Despite attempts to reshape his public image, Al-Golani remains a figure surrounded by skepticism
Updated 18 sec ago
TAREK ALI AHMAD



LONDON: In the tumultuous landscape of the Syrian conflict, one figure has remained persistently prominent: Abu Mohammed Al-Golani. Now, with the fall of the Bashar Assad regime after 13 gruelling years of civil war, he has emerged as kingmaker.

As leader of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist group long active in Syria’s northwest, Al-Golani has evolved from a shadowy militant figure with a $10 million bounty on his head into a revolutionary nationalist and widely recognized political actor.

Born Ahmad Hussein Al-Shar’a in 1981 in Idlib, Al-Golani’s journey into militancy began during the 2003 Iraq war, where he joined the insurgency against US forces and fell in with networks associated with Al-Qaeda.

By 2011, as Syria was plunged into civil war, Al-Golani returned to his home country to establish Jabhat Al-Nusra as Syria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate, which quickly gained a reputation for its battlefield prowess and hardline tactics.

A pivotal shift occurred in 2016 when Jabhat Al-Nusra broke ties with Al-Qaeda, rebranding first as Jabhat Fatah Al-Sham and later as HTS. This strategic realignment was designed to more closely integrate the group with the local opposition and distance it from its extremist roots.

“The Syrian opposition has a huge image problem,” Nadim Shehadi, an economist and political adviser who has held positions in academia and think tanks in Europe and the US, told Arab News.

“At one stage it had even lost confidence in itself. It has been described as fundamentalist and associated with Al-Qaeda and Daesh on the one hand and its leadership gave the impression of fragmented and corrupt.

“The regime and its supporters and allies were masters of disinformation and were successful in convincing the world that there was no credible alternative and that after it will come chaos. Russian and Iranian sponsored media played an important role.”

Under Al-Golani’s leadership, HTS aimed to present itself not only as a militant organization but as a legitimate governing entity. In Idlib, which remained under HTS control over the course of the conflict, the group established the Syrian Salvation Government.

This governance structure allowed the group to take on civil administrative roles, providing services and infrastructure repairs, while ensuring some level of order in an area scarred by conflict.

Al-Golani’s public appearances and outreach efforts showcase his ambition to redefine HTS as a nationalist force, engaging with local communities and presenting the group as a viable alternative to both the Assad regime and foreign terrorist organizations.

In 2021, Al-Golani conducted interviews with various media outlets, including Western platforms, aiming to shift perceptions of HTS and express a willingness to engage with broader political processes.

This strategy reflected a calculated attempt to distance his group from operating as a purely extremist entity while emphasizing its commitment to local governance and plurality.

“Al-Golani is trying to change his image with a surprisingly efficient social media campaign focusing on HTS itself as much as on his own personality,” said Shehadi.

“We see them forgiving regime soldiers and releasing prisoners. This is far more effective than one promoting him as a leader or a personality. It would be an emulation of the Assads.

“They are specifically countering rumors about the persecution of minorities. It feels like a professionally run strategic communications campaign. Except for the odd slip here and there.”

Experts view these efforts as indicative of Al-Golani’s understanding that governance and political legitimacy can provide stability and potentially foster reconciliation.

“Al-Golani’s outreach reflects an ambition to redefine HTS as a nationalistic force, seeking to align with local and possibly even regional interests,” said Lina Khatib, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House.

Syria’s neighbors are still unsure what to make of Al-Golani. The perspectives of Arab governments concerning HTS are complex and multifaceted, with the spectrum of opinions ranging from staunch opposition to cautious engagement.

Many Arab countries officially condemn extremist groups, especially those with Islamist roots. However, the geopolitical realities often force these nations to engage pragmatically.

Countries such as Turkiye have interacted with HTS, long recognizing its influence over bordering Idlib and its potential role as a counterbalance to both the Assad regime and the Kurdish forces in control of northeast Syria.

However, many remain wary of the group’s true intentions, fearing the emergence of a regime akin to the Taliban in Afghanistan.

“Is Al-Golani’s pragmatism genuine, and more importantly, is it widely accepted within the ranks of his group?” Ammar Abdulhamid, Syrian-American pro-democracy activist, said in a series of posts on X.

“Can he maintain enough influence to contain radical factions advocating for the imposition of Sharia law or pushing for aggressive campaigns against Israel and Saudi Arabia?”

Israel in particular is acutely aware of the potential threat posed by the collapse of the Assad regime and the emergence of a powerful hostile force on its doorstep.

“With Israel now actively bombing military bases and airports and creating a buffer zone inside Syrian territories, how will Al-Golani respond?” asked Abdulhamid.

“He will likely face pressure from radical groups to take action or at least issue a defiant statement. However, even rhetorical escalation risks inviting further strikes and dragging Syria into a broader conflict it cannot afford.”

He added: “Will Al-Golani eventually pursue peace with Israel, if not now, then at some point in the future?”

There is also the question of how he will handle ongoing crises within Syria itself, such as that playing out between Turkiye and Turkish-backed opposition groups and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which control the Kurdish-majority Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.

“How does he plan to handle the Kurdish issue, knowing that Turkish-backed factions are dedicated to fighting the Kurds?” said Abdulhamid. “With battles ongoing and the potential for further escalation, navigating this remains a critical and delicate challenge.”

He added: “These challenges will test Al-Golani’s leadership, his pragmatism, and his ability to balance internal and external pressures.

“They will also shape his vision for Syria’s future. The Syrian people, as well as regional neighbors and the international community, will need clear reassurances on all these fronts.”

Although it is officially classified as a terrorist organization by several nations, HTS will now play a crucial role in the dynamics of the region, complicating the response of Arab states eager to restore some measure of stability to Syria.

“Abu Muhammad Al-Golani remains a figure surrounded by skepticism, even as he attempts to reshape his public image,” Faisal Ibrahim Al-Shammari, a political analyst and commentator, told Arab News.

“While his rhetoric and actions in recent years signal a departure from his extremist beginnings, it is difficult to fully separate his current persona from his well-documented past.

“The skepticism stems from his history with Al-Qaeda and his role in creating Al-Nusra Front, which terrorized Syria during its affiliation with the global terror network. Rebranding as HTS might appear as a strategic pivot, but is it a genuine ideological transformation or simply an act of convenience to appeal to international observers?

“Yet, hope cannot be entirely discounted. Leaders evolve under pressure, and contexts change. If Al-Golani is sincere in his stated commitment to a more inclusive and democratic Syria, this shift would be a remarkable turn. But history warns us against naivety. True change must be proven by sustained action, not just rebranding or tactical concessions.

“The question of trust lingers. Can someone with a history of extremism and violence truly reform? The optimist would say yes, given the right circumstances. The realist, however, must insist on vigilance, demanding not just words but concrete actions that demonstrate a commitment to peace, justice, and inclusion.

“Until then, hope must be tempered with caution, as the stakes for Syria and the region are far too high to afford misplaced trust.”

Abu Mohammad Al-Golani’s journey from militant to political actor illustrates the adaptability required in the complex Syrian context. His efforts to maintain relevance amid a chaotic landscape have hinged on navigating both local dynamics and regional geopolitical interests.

His future, and that of his organization, will depend on the broader regional approach to Syria’s enduring crisis, marked by shifting allegiances, and intricate political calculations.

His legacy will ultimately be shaped by these complex interplays, as regional stakeholders grapple with the implications of HTS’s evolving role in national and regional affairs.

Topics: Fall of Assad

Israeli airstrike kills two Palestinians in West Bank

Israeli airstrike kills two Palestinians in West Bank
Updated 9 min 4 sec ago
AFP
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Israeli airstrike kills two Palestinians in West Bank

Israeli airstrike kills two Palestinians in West Bank
Updated 9 min 4 sec ago
AFP

RAMALLAH: An Israeli airstrike in the occupied West Bank city of Tubas killed two Palestinians on Monday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, while the Israeli army confirmed it hit “armed individuals.”

In a statement, the Palestinian Health Ministry said that two men aged 26 and 32 were killed “by Israeli shelling in Tubas” in the northern West Bank.

The Israeli military said one of its aircraft struck and killed “several armed individuals” during an operation in the city.

It said the operation aimed “to apprehend a wanted suspect and to thwart terrorist infrastructure sites” and that it had confiscated several weapons in a post-strike raid on the targeted area.

The strike came a week after the Palestinian Health Ministry said the Israeli army besieged the Tubas Hospital before breaking into it, shooting inside, “assaulting staff and patients and arresting a number of them.”

The army said its soldiers were deployed around the hospital to collect the bodies of militants struck earlier but that “they did not enter the hospital.”

Topics: War on Gaza

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Lebanese General Security curbs influx of Syrian refugees

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Updated 33 min 28 sec ago
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  • Second imprisoned Lebanese citizen returns to family with action urged on issue of missing people in Syrian jails
  • Israel suffers first casualties since start of ceasefire with Hezbollah nearly two weeks ago
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BEIRUT: The Lebanese General Security said on Monday that there had been a surge of Syrians attempting to cross into Lebanon, facilitated by the absence of Syrian authorities at the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing.

In a statement, the Lebanese General Security said that some Syrians had tried to bypass legal entry requirements and make their way into Lebanon at the Masnaa border crossing in eastern Lebanon.

“In cooperation with the army and internal security forces, the General Security regulated the situation and returned (Syrians) to Syrian territory, allowing only those meeting legal entry criteria to proceed,” the statement added.

The Army Command deployed personnel to address people heading toward Lebanon.

An estimated 150 Syrian families are reportedly waiting at the Masnaa crossing, seeking refuge in Lebanon, according to a security source in the border area.

The Land Border Regiment, Army Intelligence, and Intervention Regiment detained 340 Syrians who entered through smuggling routes between Masnaa and Wadi Anjar on the Lebanese-Syrian border.

This mountainous and rugged area features complex overlapping terrains navigable only by experienced smugglers familiar with the region.

On Monday, Lebanese prisoner Souhail Hamawi — who had spent 33 years in Syrian prisons — returned to his hometown of Chekka following the opening of regime jails after the fall of President Bashar Assad.

A large crowd welcomed Hamawi with ululations and the scattering of rice, led by parish priest Fr. Ibrahim Chahine and local MP Adib Abdel Massih.
Hamawi is the second Lebanese detainee to return to Lebanon since the collapse of the Assad regime.

These developments have sparked hope for the return of other missing people and detainees, whose numbers are estimated to be in the hundreds.

For years, it was believed that they had either been killed or that the regime denied having any knowledge of their whereabouts.
Caretaker Justice Minister Henry Khoury convened a meeting with members of a committee looking into the cases of detainees in Syrian prisons, chaired by Judge Ziad Abu Haidar. 

It was decided that the committee should reach out to the security forces to ascertain whether they possess any information that could be useful for the Syrian prison detainee file and to verify the names of individuals released from various jails over the past two days.

On the southern border of Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike targeted a vehicle on the road to the city of Bint Jbeil, near a Lebanese Army checkpoint, resulting, according to a statement from the Army Command, in “the death of a civilian and injuries to four military personnel with moderate wounds.”

The towns of Zabqin and Majdel Zoun in the Tyre district were subjected to artillery shelling, resulting in damage to two houses.

A Lebanese citizen received a phone call from the Israeli side requesting the evacuation of shops in a commercial center located in Jdeideh Marjayoun, near the Lebanese Army barracks.

Consequently, the commercial center and nearby homes and shops were evacuated, and stringent security measures were implemented.
Israeli forces released brothers Samer and Samir Sinan, who were detained on Sunday while tending to their livestock in the village of Ghajar.

The operation to return the captives was conducted in coordination with the Lebanese Armed Forces and UNIFIL through the occupied section of the village of Ghajar. 

In other developments, the Israeli military said on Monday that four soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon, the first deaths announced in the area since the start of a ceasefire with Hezbollah nearly two weeks ago.

The four reservists, all from the same battalion, “fell in combat” on Sunday, the military said. 

Israeli forces had fired machine guns at dawn toward the outskirts of Naqoura and Ras Al-Naqoura.

On Sunday, they entered a minefield in the area, triggering an explosion.

The Israeli military also prohibited “Lebanese residents from moving south to a line of villages, including Shebaa, Habariyeh, Marjayoun, Arnoun, Yohmor, Qantara, Shaqra, Braashit, Yater, and Al-Mansouri, until further notice.”

Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire after nearly a year of war. As part of the deal, Israeli troops will remain in southern Lebanon for 60 days while the Lebanese Army deploys to the area.

Topics: Fall of Assad Lebanon Masnaa

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US seeks to stop Daesh resurgence, Syria fragmentation: Blinken

US seeks to stop Daesh resurgence, Syria fragmentation: Blinken
Updated 43 min 59 sec ago
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US seeks to stop Daesh resurgence, Syria fragmentation: Blinken

US seeks to stop Daesh resurgence, Syria fragmentation: Blinken
  • Antony Blinken: ‘Daesh will try to use this period to reestablish its capabilities, to create safe havens’
  • Blinken: ‘We have a clear interest in doing what we can to avoid the fragmentation of Syria’
Updated 43 min 59 sec ago
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WASHINGTON: The United States is determined to prevent the Daesh group from reestablishing safe havens in Syria, as well as the fragmentation of the country, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday.
“Daesh will try to use this period to reestablish its capabilities, to create safe havens. As our precision strikes over the weekend demonstrate, we are determined not to let that happen,” Blinken said at an event at the State Department.
In a tacit differentiation with President-elect Donald Trump, who has insisted that the United States has little at stake in the long-troubled nation, Blinken said that Washington had a series of interests in Syria — including keeping it together.
“We have a clear interest in doing what we can to avoid the fragmentation of Syria, mass migrations from Syria and, of course, the export of terrorism and extremism,” he said.
Blinken said that the United States also has a “clear interest in ensuring that whatever weapons of mass destruction or components are left in Syria do not fall into the wrong hands.”

Topics: Fall of Assad United States of America (USA) Antony Blinken

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