Syria’s insurgency leader tours seized city of Aleppo, as fierce battles intensify near Hama

A Syrian Kurdish woman and her child waits with others upon their arrival in Tabqa, on the western outskirts of Raqa, after fleeing fighting north of Aleppo. (AFP)
A Syrian Kurdish woman and her child waits with others upon their arrival in Tabqa, on the western outskirts of Raqa, after fleeing fighting north of Aleppo. (AFP)
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Updated 04 December 2024
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Syria’s insurgency leader tours seized city of Aleppo, as fierce battles intensify near Hama

A Syrian Kurdish woman and her child waits with others upon their arrival in Tabqa, on the western outskirts of Raqa, after flee
  • Abu Mohammed Al-Golani, who heads Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, greeted crowds of supporters near the city’s iconic citadel
  • Syrian state media says insurgents retreat some 20 kilometers from government-held Hama, Syria’s fourth largest city

BEIRUT: The leader of Syria’s most powerful insurgent group Wednesday toured the seized city of Aleppo in a surprise visit, for the first time since the group captured large parts of the city last weekend, as fierce fighting intensifies in the government-led counter-offensive in northern Hama.
Abu Mohammed Al-Golani, who heads jihadi group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, greeted crowds of supporters near the city’s iconic citadel as he smiled and waved in dark green military garb. Surrounded by masked gunmen in flak jackets, men and boys chanted “God is great” as he walked through the heart of Syria’s largest city.
The latest flareup in Syria’s long civil war comes after forces opposed to Syrian President Bashar Assad ousted his troops from Aleppo, the country’s largest, as well as seized towns and villages in southern parts of the northwestern Idlib province.
The offensive is being led by HTS as well as an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. For years, both have entrenched themselves in northwest Idlib province and parts of northern Aleppo, as the battered country reeled from years of political and military stalemates.
The war between Assad and his foreign backers and the array of armed opposition forces seeking his overthrow has killed an estimated half-million people over the past 13 years.
Elsewhere, Syria said its counteroffensive pushed back insurgents attempting to advance to the strategic central city of Hama, while the insurgents said they captured more Syrian troops and Iran-backed militants in fierce battles.
Syrian state media SANA on Wednesday said insurgents retreated some 20 kilometers (12 miles) from government-held Hama, Syria’s fourth largest city, as government troops backed by Russian airpower entrenched themselves in the outskirts. Fierce fighting has raged for days as Damascus fears that the insurgents will make their way into the city as they did over the weekend into Aleppo.
A Syrian photographer working for the German news agency dpa was killed in an airstrike near the city of Hama, the agency said Wednesday. Anas Alkharboutli, 32, has long documented Syria’s civil war, which started after a brutal crackdown on a popular uprising against Assad in 2011. He has worked for dpa since 2017.
The insurgency through its Military Operations Department channel on the Telegram app said they captured five Iran-backed militants, of whom two were from Afghanistan, as well as three Syrian troops from its 25th Special Mission Forces Division in eastern Hama. The claims could not be independently confirmed.
If the insurgents seize Hama city and control the province, it could leave the coastal cities of Tartous and Lattakia isolated from the rest of the country. Lattakia is a key political stronghold for Assad and Syria’s Alawite community and a strategic Russian naval base.
Tens of thousands have been displaced by the fighting, which started last week, Geir Pedersen, the UN special envoy for Syria, said Tuesday.
“If we do not see de-escalation and a rapid move to a serious political process, involving the Syrian parties and the key international players, then I fear we will see a deepening of the crisis,” Pedersen said in an address to the UN Security Council. “Syria will be in grave danger of further division, deterioration, and destruction.”
About three thousand displaced people from the Hama countryside and Aleppo made their way to the city of Homs, with many more on the way. Those who arrived and found shelter in schools told The Associated Press that they spent hours in traffic, many struggling to afford surging prices of petrol.
Nidal Assaf, 38, fled the northern Hama countryside where the insurgency took over several towns and villages. Speaking from a school-turned-shelter in Homs, he said the residents and army couldn’t handle the fighters, and had to flee amid the fighting with his family and tens of relatives.
“We tried to resist both civilians and military, and then people eventually had to flee,” he said. “It was very difficult to reach our destination because of the strikes and the traffic.”
Near Assaf was Youssef Choueib, who fled Aleppo to Homs for the third time since 2011: first when rebels last took the city, and then after a massive earthquake in 2023 rattled northern Syria and Turkiye. Choueib said he has family stuck in Aleppo. “They called me many times, but they said they couldn’t leave,” Choueib told the AP. “They tell me there is no bread. There is no food at all.”
Turkiye, which backs Syria’s opposition, has called on Assad to reconcile with opposition forces and include them in any political solution to end the conflict.
Ankara has been seeking to normalize ties with Syria to address security threats from groups affiliated with Kurdish militants along its southern border and to help ensure the safe return of more than 3 million Syrian refugees. Assad has insisted that Turkiye’s withdrawal of its military forces from northern Syria be a condition for any normalization between the two countries.
Damascus views the insurgents as terrorists, and Assad has vowed to respond to the insurgency with an iron fist.
Turkish and Iranian officials met earlier this week, in a bid to reach a solution to de-escalate the flareup. Arab countries bordering Syria who once backed groups that tried to overthrow Assad, have expressed their concern of the conflict’s regional impacts, and have backed the president.


Iraqi PM outlines vision for UK relations ahead of official visit

Iraqi PM outlines vision for UK relations ahead of official visit
Updated 8 sec ago
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Iraqi PM outlines vision for UK relations ahead of official visit

Iraqi PM outlines vision for UK relations ahead of official visit
  • Mohammed Al-Sudani will meet with King Charles, PM Keir Starmer
  • Visit ‘reflects my government’s commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership’

LONDON: Iraq’s prime minister has called for bolstering economic, trade and security ties with the UK ahead of an official visit to the country.

Mohammed Al-Sudani will arrive in London on Jan. 13 and will meet with King Charles, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and senior British officials.

Writing in the Telegraph on Sunday, Al-Sudani said the visit “reflects my government’s commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership between Iraq and the UK.”

He warned that it comes amid “unprecedented and escalating events in the Middle East” that threaten the region and the wider world.

Al-Sudani wrote that regional and international solidarity will ensure that the “free will and aspirations of the Syrian people are respected.”

He praised the UK’s support for Iraq’s fight against Daesh, and said the bilateral relationship had significantly transformed in recent decades.

“Today, as our country achieves greater levels of security and stability, the time has come to transition to a new phase of sustainable economic partnership,” he added.

Al-Sudani will aim to attract British investment in Iraqi energy infrastructure during his visit. It is part of a larger plan to establish Iraq as an international trade hub.

“We will continue to encourage more British investments in oil and gas, as well as in renewable energy projects, recognizing the importance of diversifying energy sources and addressing environmental challenges in the long term,” he wrote.

Al-Sudani highlighted banking reform as another area of potential cooperation with the UK, whose financial institutions and expertise can “improve government services and enhance administrative efficiency.”

He added: “We are determined to channel investments into developing education and training to equip young Iraqis with the skills required to meet the demands of the next phase of development.”

Counterterrorism efforts involving the UK could protect both domestic and regional stability, Al-Sudani said, adding that Iraq could benefit from British military industries.

“My upcoming meetings in London carry a clear message: Iraq is committed to building partnerships based on shared interests and forward-looking vision,” he said.

“We seek a global partner with political and economic weight, and the UK is well-positioned to play this vital role as we embark on a new chapter of growth and reconstruction.”

The Iraqi delegation to the UK includes ministers, MPs, Basra’s governor and representatives from the private sector.


UAE sends 35 trucks in 3 convoys to deliver aid to Gaza

UAE sends 35 trucks in 3 convoys to deliver aid to Gaza
Trucks carrying aid from the UAE crossing into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing (WAM)
Updated 6 min 25 sec ago
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UAE sends 35 trucks in 3 convoys to deliver aid to Gaza

UAE sends 35 trucks in 3 convoys to deliver aid to Gaza
  • The latest Emirati delivery of essential supplies includes medical equipment such as dialysis machines and ultrasound devices, plus food and shelter materials
  • The UAE has dispatched 153 humanitarian convoys to Gaza since November 2023, with 2,391 trucks delivering more than 29,274 tonnes of aid

LONDON: Three convoys of trucks carrying aid from the UAE this week crossed into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt.

A total of 35 trucks carried more than 248.9 tonnes of humanitarian supplies, including more than 100 tonnes of medical supplies, the Emirates News Agency reported.

The deliveries are part of an ongoing Emirati humanitarian campaign to help the Palestinian people during the war between Israel and Hamas. Since the launch of “Operation Chivalrous Knight 3” in November 2023, the UAE has sent 153 convoys into the Gaza Strip, with a total of 2,391 trucks delivering more than 29,274 tonnes of aid.

The essential supplies delivered by the latest convoys included medical equipment such as dialysis machines, ultrasound devices, resuscitation sets, wheelchairs and respiratory masks, the news agency added. Other items included food, tents and sacks of flour.

Fadel Al-Shamsi, a spokesperson for the Emirati aid operation, said care was taken to maintain the highest standards of safety and quality during the storage and transportation of the medical supplies to Gaza.


Palestinian president meets British FM in Ramallah

Palestinian president meets British FM in Ramallah
Updated 13 January 2025
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Palestinian president meets British FM in Ramallah

Palestinian president meets British FM in Ramallah
  • Mahmoud Abbas briefed David Lammy on Israeli aggression in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem

LONDON: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas received British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Monday at the Palestinian Authority’s headquarters in Ramallah.

Abbas discussed with Lammy the need to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2735, which calls for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the coastal enclave.

He highlighted the UK’s backing for the efforts to gain international recognition of the State of Palestine and its full membership in the UN, as part of the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He briefed Lammy on the latest Israeli aggressions in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, the WAFA news agency reported.


Lebanon president, US general discuss Hezbollah-Israel truce

Lebanon’s new President Joseph Aoun (L) receives Lt. Gen. Michael Kurilla (2nd-R), commander of the US Central Command.
Lebanon’s new President Joseph Aoun (L) receives Lt. Gen. Michael Kurilla (2nd-R), commander of the US Central Command.
Updated 13 January 2025
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Lebanon president, US general discuss Hezbollah-Israel truce

Lebanon’s new President Joseph Aoun (L) receives Lt. Gen. Michael Kurilla (2nd-R), commander of the US Central Command.
  • Kurilla and Aoun spoke about “the situation in the south and the stages of implementing the Israeli withdrawal from the south,” the presidency said

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s president and a top US general discussed on Monday the implementation of a fragile truce between Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Israel in the south of the country, the presidency said.
President Joseph Aoun and the head of US Central Command, General Michael Kurilla, met as a January 26 deadline to fully implement the terms of the ceasefire approached.
Kurilla and Aoun spoke about “the situation in the south and the stages of implementing the Israeli withdrawal from the south,” the presidency said.
Under the November 27 ceasefire accord, the Lebanese army has 60 days to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers in the south of Lebanon as the Israeli army withdraws.
At the same time, Hezbollah is required to pull its forces north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure it has in the country’s south.
A committee composed of Israeli, Lebanese, French and US delegates, alongside a representative from the UN peacekeeping force, has been tasked with monitoring the implementation of the deal.
Former army chief Aoun was elected head of state on Thursday by lawmakers — a vote that followed the weakening of Hamas in the war — ending a more than two-year deadlock during which the position was vacant.
Aoun and Kurilla also discussed “ways to activate cooperation between the Lebanese and American armies,” the presidency said.
The United States has been a key financial backer of the Lebanese armed forces, especially since the country’s economy collapsed in 2019.
Meanwhile, Israel carried out air strikes in east and south Lebanon on Sunday, with the Israeli military saying it struck Hezbollah targets including smuggling routes along the border with Syria.
Israeli strikes in south Lebanon on Friday killed five people, according to the Lebanese health ministry, with the Israeli military saying it targeted a Hezbollah weapons truck.


Angry hostage families harangue Israeli hard-liner Smotrich

Supporters of hostages kidnapped during the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas protest during a Finance Committee meeting.
Supporters of hostages kidnapped during the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas protest during a Finance Committee meeting.
Updated 13 January 2025
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Angry hostage families harangue Israeli hard-liner Smotrich

Supporters of hostages kidnapped during the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas protest during a Finance Committee meeting.
  • Smotrich described the deal taking shape as “a catastrophe” for Israel’s security
  • He said Israel should keep up its campaign in Gaza until the complete surrender of Hamas

JERUSALEM: Angry members of some of the families of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza harangued Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Monday over his opposition to a deal being negotiated in Qatar to halt the fighting and bring their relatives home.
Smotrich described the deal taking shape as “a catastrophe” for Israel’s security and said Israel should keep up its campaign in Gaza until the complete surrender of Hamas, the militant group that ran the enclave before the war.
Dozens of members of the hostage families, many carrying photographs of the missing, squeezed into a committee room in the Israeli parliament where a meeting of the finance committee was held to examine the 2025 budget.
Some furious, some crying and pleading, they attacked Smotrich in an emotionally charged encounter that lasted for more than an hour, accusing him of abandoning the 98 Israeli and foreign hostages still left in Gaza.
“These kidnapped people can be returned,” Ofir Angrest, whose brother Matan was taken hostage during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“The conditions are ripe, it’s time for a deal, the Prime Minister said it. How can you, the Minister of Finance, oppose the return of all these abductees?“
Smotrich, leader of one of the hard-line nationalist religious parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition, has been among the loudest opponents of a deal which he described as a “surrender” to Hamas.
Qatar, which is brokering the talks alongside Egypt and the United States, said it had given a draft agreement to both Israel and Hamas following a “breakthrough” overnight.
Yechiel Yehud, whose daughter Arbel was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz and whose son Dolev was killed, reminded Smotrich that he had visited their home in the kibbutz.
“I know your heart is in the right place, but you are required to do more than that,” he said.