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Russia asks Israel to avoid air strikes near Syrian base

Russia asks Israel to avoid air strikes near Syrian base
This picture shows a crater caused by an Israeli strike on the road leading to Syria's Jousieh border crossing with Lebanon on October 28, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 13 November 2024
AFP
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Russia asks Israel to avoid air strikes near Syrian base

Russia asks Israel to avoid air strikes near Syrian base
  • Israel has carried out intensive bombing of Syria but rarely targets Latakia
  • Latakia, and in particular its airport, is close to the town of Hmeimim that hosts a Russian air base
Updated 13 November 2024
AFP
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MOSCOW: Russia has asked Israel to avoid launching aerial strikes as part of its war against Lebanon’s Hezbollah near one of Moscow’s bases in Syria, a top official said Wednesday.
Syrian state media in mid-October claimed that Israel had struck the port city of Latakia, a stronghold of President Bashar Assad, who is supported by Russia and in turn backs Hezbollah.
Latakia, and in particular its airport, is close to the town of Hmeimim that hosts a Russian air base.
“Israel actually carried out an air strike in the immediate vicinity of Hmeimim,” Alexander Lavrentiev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy in the Near East, told the RIA Novosti press agency.
“Our military has of course notified Israeli authorities that such acts that put Russian military lives in danger over there are unacceptable,” he added.
“That is why we hope that this incident in October will not be repeated.”
Israel has carried out intensive bombing of Syria but rarely targets Latakia, to the northwest of Damascus.
Israel accuses Hezbollah of transporting weapons through Syria.
The two warring parties have been in open conflict since September after Israel’s year-long Gaza war with Hamas — a Hezbollah ally — escalated to a new front.
Lavrentiev said that Russia’s air base was not being used to supply Hezbollah with weapons.
Israel stepped up strikes on Syria at the same time as targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Since civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes on Syrian government forces and groups supported by its arch-foe Iran, notably Hezbollah troops that have been deployed to assist Assad’s regime.
Israel rarely comments on its strikes but has said it will not allow Iran to extend its presence to Syria.

Topics: Syria Israel Russia

Israel says it will destroy Syria’s heavy strategic weaponry

Israel says it will destroy Syria’s heavy strategic weaponry
Updated 32 sec ago
Reuters
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Israel says it will destroy Syria’s heavy strategic weaponry

Israel says it will destroy Syria’s heavy strategic weaponry
  • Israeli will also keep a ‘limited’ troop presence on the ground, hoping to head off any threat that could emerge
  • The military on Monday published photos of Israeli commandos in the Syrian Mount Hermon area
Updated 32 sec ago
Reuters

JERUSALEM: Israel will step up airstrikes on Syrian stores of advanced weaponry, Israeli officials said on Monday, and keep a ‘limited’ troop presence on the ground, hoping to head off any threat that could emerge in the fallout of President Bashar Assad’s overthrow.

Israel has watched the upheaval in Syria with a mixture of hope and concern as it weighs the consequences of one of the most significant strategic shifts in the Middle East in years.

While Assad’s fall wiped out a bastion from which Israel’s arch-foe Iran had exercised influence in the region, the lightning advance of a disparate group of militant forces with roots in the Islamist ideology of Al-Qaeda poses risks.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military would “destroy heavy strategic weapons throughout Syria, including surface-to-air missiles, air defense systems, surface-to-surface missiles, cruise missiles, long-range rockets, and coastal missiles.”

A senior Israeli official said airstrikes would persist in the coming days, while Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel had no interest in interfering in internal Syrian affairs and was concerned only with defending its citizens.

“That’s why we attack strategic weapons systems like, for example, remaining chemical weapons or long-range missiles and rockets in order that they will not fall into the hands of extremists,” Saar told reporters in Jerusalem.

Still reeling from the Palestinian militant group Hamas’ attack in October 2023, Israel is also looking to head off any future threat from its neighbor.

Israeli forces had already cleared land mines and established new barriers on the frontier between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and a demilitarized strip bordering Syria in October.

Early on Sunday, the military said it had sent ground forces into the demilitarized zone, a 400-square-kilometer buffer created by a 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement and overseen by the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).

The military on Monday published photos of Israeli commandos in the Syrian Mount Hermon area.

Saar said the troop presence was strictly limited. “It’s basically near our borders, sometimes a few hundred meters, sometimes one mile or two miles,” he said. “It is a very limited and temporary step we took for security reasons.”

Topics: Fall of Assad Israel Golan Heights Syria Bashar Assad

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UN rights chief sees ‘huge chance’ for inclusive dialogue in Syria transition

UN rights chief sees ‘huge chance’ for inclusive dialogue in Syria transition
Updated 23 min 16 sec ago
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UN rights chief sees ‘huge chance’ for inclusive dialogue in Syria transition

UN rights chief sees ‘huge chance’ for inclusive dialogue in Syria transition
  • ‘I hope that within this current environment that obviously there will be this inclusive, very inclusive dialogue’
Updated 23 min 16 sec ago
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GENEVA: The UN human rights chief on Monday said there was a “huge chance” for inclusive dialogue on the political transition in Syria’s new era after the ousting of President Bashar Assad.
“I hope that within this current environment that obviously there will be this inclusive, very inclusive dialogue,” United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk told a Geneva press briefing. “There is a huge chance for this to happen. And what we have seen initially is indeed cooperation,” he added.
He also called for accountability for past crimes in Syria and the meticulous preservation of evidence.

Topics: Fall of Assad Syria UN Volker Turk Bashar Assad

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Explosion in central Israel ‘likely’ drone launched from Yemen: army

Explosion in central Israel ‘likely’ drone launched from Yemen: army
Updated 27 min 49 sec ago
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Explosion in central Israel ‘likely’ drone launched from Yemen: army

Explosion in central Israel ‘likely’ drone launched from Yemen: army
  • Houthi rebels in Yemen, supported by Iran, have launched several attacks against Israel
Updated 27 min 49 sec ago
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Jerusalem: A drone, likely launched from Yemen, exploded on the top floor of a residential building in the central Israeli city of Yavne on Monday, causing no injuries, the Israeli army and emergency services said.
“Following the initial report, a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) that likely originated in Yemen impacted in the area of Yavne,” the army said.
A spokesperson for Israeli emergency service MDA said reports were received of “an explosion on the 15th floor balcony” of the building in Yavne, and that after a search, no injuries were reported.
Houthi rebels in Yemen, supported by Iran, have launched several attacks against Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has been at war with militant group Hamas for over a year.
In July, a Houthi drone attack in Tel Aviv killed an Israeli civilian, prompting retaliatory strikes on the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.
The Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, also regularly target ships linked to Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, despite strikes by the US and British militaries aimed at securing the vital trade route.
The Gaza war was triggered by Hamas’s unprecedented large-scale attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,208 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official data.
During the attack, militants also kidnapped 251 hostages, 96 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 who have been declared dead by the army.
The Israeli retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed at least 44,708 people, mostly civilians, according to data from the Hamas-run health ministry that is considered reliable by the UN.

Topics: Israel War on Gaza Yemen

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Syria’s stability is crucial for Jordan and the region - Jordan PM

Syria’s stability is crucial for Jordan and the region - Jordan PM
Updated 24 min 4 sec ago
Arab News
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Syria’s stability is crucial for Jordan and the region - Jordan PM

Syria’s stability is crucial for Jordan and the region - Jordan PM
  • Jordan’s prime minister vows ‘to stand by the Syrian people’
Updated 24 min 4 sec ago
Arab News

DUABI: Jordanian Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan said that a stable and secure Syria is of strategic importance, not only for its people but also for Jordan and the broader Arab region.

Speaking at the House of Representatives on Monday, Hassan highlighted Jordan’s stance on supporting Syria’s sovereignty and fostering stability in the region.

“A stable and secure Syria is a strategic interest for Jordan and the entire Arab region,” Hassan said.

He said that Jordan has consistently called for a political resolution to the Syrian crisis, which has lasted more than 13 years, advocating for an end to the suffering of the Syrian people and the preservation of Syria’s unity and sovereignty.

Hassan pointed to the direct effects of Syria’s instability on Jordan, including challenges such as terrorism, drug trafficking, and smuggling. He praised Jordan’s armed forces and security services for their decisive actions in addressing these threats.

The prime minister also expressed hope for a new chapter in Syria’s history, one in which the country can recover from years of violence and turmoil.

“Our priority is protecting Syria’s security and the well-being of its citizens,” he said, adding that collective regional efforts are essential to prevent chaos and restore stability.

Hassan reaffirmed Jordan’s readiness to support a comprehensive political process in Syria and provide humanitarian aid under the directives of King Abdullah. He urged the international community to step up its assistance to address Syria’s pressing needs.

Addressing Jordanians currently in Syria, Hassan assured them that the ministry of foreign affairs and other relevant agencies are working to ensure their safety and facilitate their return.

“Jordan’s commitment to Syria remains unwavering,” Hassan said. “We will continue to stand by the Syrian people in their pursuit of peace and a brighter future.”

Topics: Fall of Assad Jordan Syria

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Turkiye calls for ‘inclusive’ new government in Syria: FM

Turkiye calls for ‘inclusive’ new government in Syria: FM
Updated 15 min 4 sec ago
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Turkiye calls for ‘inclusive’ new government in Syria: FM

Turkiye calls for ‘inclusive’ new government in Syria: FM
  • Turkiye expressed support for the various forces that ended up ousting Assad and has said it hopes his removal will allow millions of Syrian refugees to return home
  • Turkiye to work for Syrian migrants to return home safely
Updated 15 min 4 sec ago
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Ankara: Turkiye’s top diplomat called on Monday for an “inclusive” new government in Syria after Islamist-led rebels toppled longtime ruler Bashar Assad following a lightning advance.
“We expect international actors, especially the United Nations, to reach out to the Syrian people and support the establishment of an inclusive administration,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in a speech to ambassadors in the Turkish capital.
“We desire a Syria in which different ethnic and religious groups live in peace... a new Syria that will have good relations with its neighbors and will bring peace and stability to its region.
“We are ready to give the necessary support for this,” he said.
Although not directly involved in the rebel push, Turkiye expressed support for the various forces that ended up ousting Assad and has said it hopes his removal will allow millions of Syrian refugees to return home.

Syrian migrants to return home safely

Turkiye will work for the safe and voluntary return home of the Syrian migrants it hosts and will help in the reconstruction of Syria after President Bashar Assad’s sudden ouster by rebels, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday.
In one of the biggest turning points for the Middle East in generations, rebels seized the Syrian capital Damascus and Assad fled to Russia, following 13 years of civil war and more than 50 years of his family’s brutal rule.
Turkiye, which said it gave no support and had no involvement in the offensive by the Syrian opposition forces it has backed for years against Assad, said on Sunday it wanted the new Syrian administration to be inclusive and for Syrians to determine their own future.
In an address to the Turkish Ambassadors’ Conference in Ankara, Fidan said Turkiye was ready to provide support for Syria’s rebuilding and that it was coordinating with all “regional actors and parties.”
“In the coming period, we want a Syria where different ethnic and religious groups live in an inclusive understanding of governance and in peace. We want to see a new Syria that has ties with its neighbors, that adds peace and stability to its region,” he said.
“We will continue our work to ensure the safe and voluntary return of Syrians and for the country’s reconstruction,” Fidan said.
He added that Ankara would stand with Syrians in this “new phase” in Damascus but groups like Islamic State and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) that Ankara regards as terrorist organizations must not benefit from the situation.
NATO member Turkiye hosts some 3 million Syrian migrants and refugees, making it the biggest host of Syrians who have fled the civil war. It also controls swathes of land in northern Syria after several cross-border incursions against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which Ankara sees as an extension of the PKK.
Shares in Turkish construction and cement companies surged on Monday, buoyed by expectations that they will benefit from rebuilding in Syria

Topics: Fall of Assad Syria Turkiye

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