Nations call for stability, end of fighting in Syria

Update Nations call for stability, end of fighting in Syria
People gather at Saadallah Al-Jabiri Square in Aleppo to celebrate the end of Bashar Assad’s 24-year rule on Dec. 8, 2024. (Reuters)
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Updated 08 December 2024
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Nations call for stability, end of fighting in Syria

Nations call for stability, end of fighting in Syria
  • Egypt foreign ministry says it is following the situation with great care
  • Turkiye’s top envoy: International and regional actors should ensure a smooth transition

CAIRO: Nations have called for stability and an end of fighting in Syria after president Bashar Assad fled Damascus and militants took control of the capital, ending his 24-year rule.

Egypt has called on all parties in Syria to preserve the capabilities of the state and national institutions, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Sunday, following the surprise ousting of Assad.

The foreign ministry, in the first comments on the situation in Syria from an Arab government, said it was following the situation with great care, affirming its support for the Syrian people and the country’s sovereignty and unity.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Sunday that international and regional actors should ensure a smooth transition from the Assad government of after Islamist-led militants took Damascus.

“We have to work very hard... with Syrian people, not just Turkiye, but also regional actors, the international actors, to make sure that there is a good and smooth transition period, no more harm to the civilian people,” Fidan said at the Doha Forum in Qatar.

In a press conference, Fidan said the Syrian people were not in a position to rebuild on their own and international actors and regional powers had to act with prudence and preserve the country’s territorial integrity.

Terrorist organizations must not be allowed to take advantage of the situation, he added.

“As of this morning, Syria has reached a stage where Syrian people will shape the future of their own country. Today there is hope,” Fidan said.

“The new (Syrian) administration must be established in an orderly manner, the principle of inclusiveness must never be compromised, there must never be a desire for revenge... It is time to unite and reconstruct the country,” he added.

Asked about the whereabouts of Assad, Fidan said he believed he was out of the country.

Germany’s top diplomat called the fall of Assad “a great relief” for the people of war-torn country, while warning against radicalization.

“The end of Assad represents for millions of people in Syria a great relief,” said Annalena Baerbock, adding, “the country must not now fall into the hands of other radicals, whatever form they take.”

Jordan affirms the importance of preserving the unity and security of Syria in light of the fast-developing recent events, the government said on Sunday.

Jordan added that bolstering the state of security in the region “is being worked on”, according to Petra News Agency. Jordan underscored its dedication to safeguarding Syria’s security, stability, and territorial integrity, and further emphasized the urgency of restoring the functionality of Syria’s national institutions, Petra reported.

France meanwhile welcomed news of the fall of Assad and called for fighting to end and a peaceful political transition in the country.

“Now is the time for unity in Syria,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

“France calls for weapons to fall silent, for the democratic institutions to be preserved, for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria to be respected,” it added. 

“It calls for a peaceful political transition, one that respects the diversity of the Syrian people, and protects civilians and all minorities, in accordance with international law. It calls on all Syrians to unite, to reconcile, and to reject all forms of extremism.

“Steadfast in its position and in its solidarity with the Syrian people since the start of the revolution in 2011, France now invites its partners to do everything in their power to help the Syrians find the path toward reconciliation and reconstruction, through an inclusive political solution, in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254 and with the will of the Syrian people. France will play its full part in this,” it continued.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a statement on Sunday afternoon in which he said Britain welcomed the fall of Assad.

“The developments in Syria in recent hours and days are unprecedented, and we are speaking to our partners in the region and monitoring the situation closely. The Syrian people have suffered under Assad’s barbaric regime for too long and we welcome his departure,” the statement said.

“Our focus is now on ensuring a political solution prevails and peace and stability is restored. We call on all sides to protect civilians and minorities and ensure essential aid can reach the most vulnerable in the coming hours and days,” it added.

Spain will support a peaceful solution for Syria that provides stability for the region, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said following the reported fall of the Assad regime.

Madrid wants “any solution for the future of Syria to be a peaceful one... that benefits the Syrian people and in some way brings new stability to the Middle East and not more instability”, Albares told Spanish public television.

“We have to take steps to ensure that it’s the Syrian people who decide how they are governed and by whom in future and, of course, that Syria’s territorial integrity is maintained,” he said.

China’s foreign ministry said Sunday it hopes Syria “returns to stability as soon as possible.”

Beijing “is closely following the development of the situation in Syria and hopes that Syria returns to stability as soon as possible”, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The UAE diplomatic advisor to the president said that non-state actors should not be allowed the opportunity to exploit political vacuums, shortly after Syrian opposition fighters declared the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in Damascus.

 

“Unfolding events in Syria are also a clear indication of political failure and the destructive nature of conflict and chaos,” Anwar Gargash told the Manama Dialogue security forum in the Bahraini capital in the first official comments from the UAE on the matter.

Gargash also urged Syrians to collaborate to avert tumult: “We hope that the Syrians will work together, that we don’t just see another episode of impending chaos.”

The UN Secretary-General emphasized the “historic opportunity for Syrians to build a stable and peaceful future” following nearly 14 years of war and the fall of Assad, adding: “The future of Syria is a matter for the Syrians to determine.” He urged calm and the protection of all Syrians’ rights during the transition period.

Highlighting the need for international support, he called for an inclusive and comprehensive political transition that respected Syria’s "sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity,” Antonio Guterres said.

The UN remained committed to helping Syrians create a future rooted in “reconciliation, justice, freedom, and prosperity,” honoring the memory of those who suffered throughout the conflict.

UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen underscored the clear desire expressed by millions of Syrians that stable and inclusive transitional arrangements are put in place, according to a statement published on Sunday.

The diplomat urged all Syrians to prioritize dialogue, unity, and respect for international humanitarian law and human rights as they seek to rebuild their society, adding he stands ready to support the Syrian people in their journey toward a stable and inclusive future.

with wires


Daughter of one of the oldest Israeli hostages hopes for answers in ceasefire deal

Daughter of one of the oldest Israeli hostages hopes for answers in ceasefire deal
Updated 11 sec ago
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Daughter of one of the oldest Israeli hostages hopes for answers in ceasefire deal

Daughter of one of the oldest Israeli hostages hopes for answers in ceasefire deal
  • Israel has killed more than 46,000 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry

LONDON: Sharone Lifschitz is well aware that the odds are against her 84-year-old father. As one of the oldest hostages taken by Hamas, Oded Lifshitz would be among the first to be released under a ceasefire deal expected to begin Sunday.
But after 469 days of captivity in Gaza, she can only hope he survived.
“We have learned so much about trauma, about losing loved ones,’’ the London-based artist said. “I have to say that we are prepared.’’
About 100 hostages remain unaccounted for in Gaza, including 62 who are believed to be alive. Family and friends are still waiting to learn who survived and about their conditions.
Lifschitz’s ordeal began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants stormed kibbutz Nir Oz, a place where her parents had created their own little kingdom, complete with a cactus garden that was her father’s pride. The militants took a quarter of the community’s 400 residents hostage that day, including her parents.
“My father was shot in the hand and was lying at the edge of his kingdom,’’ said Lifschitz, 53. “That’s when my mom saw him last, and she was taken over on a motorbike and then the terrorists burned the house down. They put gas into the house, and it burned and it burned and it burned until everything they ever owned, everything, was ashes.’’
Oded Lifshitz, who spells his name slightly differently than his daughter, wasn’t spared, even though he spent his life fighting for Arab rights.
Throughout a long career in journalism, Oded campaigned for the recognition of Palestinian rights and peace between Arabs and Jews. In retirement, he drove to the Erez border crossing on the northern edge of the Gaza Strip once a week to ferry Palestinians to medical appointments in Israel as part of a group called On the Way to Recovery.
Oded is most proud of his work on behalf of the traditionally nomadic Bedouin people of the Negev Desert, his daughter said, describing a case that went to Israel’s High Court and resulted in the return of some of their land.
That deep-seated hope for co-existence was evident when the militants released Lifschitz’s mother, Yocheved, on Oct. 23, 2023. Just before leaving Gaza, Yocheved turned to her captors and said “shalom,’’ the Hebrew word for peace.
Yocheved later described her experience as hell, saying she was beaten with sticks and held in a spider’s web of tunnels with as many as 25 other hostages. But she also said her guards provided medicine to those who needed it and gave the hostages pita bread with cheese and cucumber to eat.
Lifschitz said she wonders every day about her father’s treatment and how he is faring.
“I am the last one to put words into his mouth, but I can tell you that he spent a lifetime believing that another alternative is possible for Zionism, for socialism,” she said.
Hamas militants killed about 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages during the Oct. 7 attack. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched air and ground attacks on Gaza that have killed more than 46,000 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The ceasefire proposal calls for 33 hostages to be released over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. The remainder, including the bodies of the dead, are to be released in a second phase that is still under negotiation. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
The contours of the agreement are strikingly similar to those negotiated by the administration of outgoing US President Joe Biden in May. But Israel rejected that deal.
That outraged the families of many of the captives, especially after hostages continued to die.
The families have pushed hard for their loved ones’ release, leading a series of protests to force the Israeli government to live up to its promise to bring the hostages home. They have also crisscrossed the globe, meeting with presidents, prime ministers and even the pope to keep the hostages at the center of negotiations.
“So many people were killed that should have been alive if they did not sabotage this deal,” Lifschitz said. “I hope that they know they will have to live with that for the rest of their life, and we will remind them. We will remind them of ... the suffering of both sides their action brought about.”
But even as she describes the anguish of the past 15 months, Lifschitz says she hopes the pain experienced by people on both sides of the conflict will breed compassion among both Israelis and Palestinians.
“We are about to receive our loved ones after so long where we were unable to love and care for them.’’ She said. “There’s so much trauma. I think people have to have a little softness toward it all, just feel it a bit in their hearts.
“I think feeling the pain of others is the start of building something better.’’
And if her father doesn’t come back? Then what?
“We will know,’’ she said. “We will know.’’

 


Israel prepares for hostages’ return with scant knowledge of their condition

Israel prepares for hostages’ return with scant knowledge of their condition
Updated 42 min 43 sec ago
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Israel prepares for hostages’ return with scant knowledge of their condition

Israel prepares for hostages’ return with scant knowledge of their condition
  • The war that followed the attack has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say women and children make up more than half of those killed

TEL AVIV, Israel: Israel is preparing for the return of the hostages from Gaza with the expectation that many are likely to have severe, life-threatening complications after more than a year in captivity in Gaza.
While it’s impossible to know the exact conditions in which hostages have been held, the Health Ministry and the Hostages Family Forum, which represents families of the hostages, are preparing for several different scenarios based on information gathered from hostages previously released or rescued.
Hamas militants kidnapped about 250 people during a cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that also left 1,200 people dead. About 100 hostages are still being held, though Israel believes a third of them are no longer alive.
The war that followed the attack has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say women and children make up more than half of those killed.
Hagai Levine, who heads the health team at the Hostages Families Forum, said he expects the hostages to return with cardiovascular and respiratory issues due to lack of ventilation in the tunnels. Among multiple other afflictions Levine expects are vitamin deficiencies, starvation, dramatic weight loss, vision problems due to a lack of sunlight, broken bones, cognitive impairment and mental health trauma.
As a result, doctors are expecting the hostages will require longer and more complex medical and mental health interventions than did those who returned after the last ceasefire in November 2023, said Dr. Einat Yehene, a psychologist at the Hostages Families Forum who oversees the captives’ rehabilitation.
Complex medical challenges
Doctors are keenly aware of the challenges they face in treating the surviving hostages. One of them is “refeeding syndrome,” when exposure to certain foods or too much food can lead to profound health complications and even death in those with prolonged vitamin and nutritional deficiencies, said Dr. Hagar Mizrahi, head of the Ministry of Health’s medical directorate.
The Red Cross team that will transfer the hostages from Gaza to Egypt and the small Israeli military medical team that will meet the hostages at the border as they cross into Israel have strict guidelines for what the hostages can eat in their first few hours, Mizrahi said.
Six hospitals are preparing to receive hostages, including two in the south, closer to Gaza, that will treat those with acute medical issues, health ministry officials said.
Yehene said the public should not expect joyful reunions like those seen following the last ceasefire, when released hostages ran through hospital halls into the ecstatic embraces of their loved ones.
“Given the physical and emotional conditions, we expect emotional withdrawal symptoms, such as maybe exhaustion, fatigue — and some will probably need assistance with their mobility,” she said.
Medical officials are also prepared for the possibility that returning hostages will need speech therapy, especially if they have been kept in isolation, Yehene noted. She said some might be so traumatized or in shock from the transfer to Israel that they will be unable to speak at all.
To minimize the hostages’ trauma and allow them to acclimate to their new reality, officials will try to limit the number of people who interact with them and have made accommodations to lessen their sensory stimulation, such as stripping down the hospital rooms and changing the lighting.
Israel’s Ministry of Social Welfare has also planned temporary housing solutions if hostages feel unable to return directly from the hospital to their home.
“The hostages don’t owe you anything”
Experts are pleading with the news media and the public to give the hostages and their families privacy, despite intense interest in their plight.
“The first days back are really holy, when a person finally gets to meet with their family, and everyone else needs to take a step back,” said Ofrit Shapira, a psychoanalyst who heads a group of health professionals treating freed hostages, their families, and survivors of the Oct. 7 attack. Hospital wings housing the hostages are expected to be “sterilized,” closed to all but direct family and doctors, to keep the public and news outlets away, medical officials have said.
“It doesn’t matter how much we care about them; they’re their own people, they’re not ‘ours,’” Shapira added. She noted that asking the hostages direct questions about their experiences can force them to relive their trauma. She said it’s best to allow them to release information at their own pace.
“Our curiosity is really not important compared with what the hostages need,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how much you volunteered or were active in this fight; they don’t owe you anything.”
Support for the families
Some of the previously freed hostages and their families have volunteered to help counsel those now going through the same process, Levine said. He noted the strength of the bonds created between the relatives of the hostages, and between the released hostages, who have become like “psychological families” helping each other adapt and heal, he said.
Many released hostages are neglecting their own rehabilitation because they are so wrapped up in the fight to bring the others home, Levine said.
A big priority is also to provide support for the families of hostages who did not survive.
Israel has confirmed the deaths of at least a third of the approximately 90 remaining captives. But Hamas has not confirmed the status of the 33 who are expected to be freed in the first stage of the ceasefire. Some might no longer be alive.
“This moment of the releases is an emotional and psychological trigger for something they were supposed to experience, and they never will experience, because this deal took too long,” Yehene said.

 


Morocco denies links to alleged spy arrested in Germany

The police patrol streets in Casablanca, Morocco. (AP file photo)
The police patrol streets in Casablanca, Morocco. (AP file photo)
Updated 18 January 2025
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Morocco denies links to alleged spy arrested in Germany

The police patrol streets in Casablanca, Morocco. (AP file photo)
  • German prosecutors said he had acted along with another Moroccan identified as Mohamed A, who was found guilty of espionage in 2023 and handed a suspended sentence of one year and nine months

RABAT: Moroccan authorities denied on Friday that they had any connection with a national detained in Germany on suspicion of spying on supporters of a protest group, an official told AFP.
The man, identified as Youssef El A., was arrested at Frankfurt airport on Wednesday and faces charges of “having worked for a Moroccan secret service” by spying on members of Al-Hirak Al-Shaabi (the Popular Movement) in Germany.
A Moroccan security source speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP he was a “radical activist” with a “hostile stance against the kingdom.”
The man “has no ties to Moroccan intelligence services and has never collected information for them,” the source said.
Instead, the source described him as “one of the most radical Hirak activists operating in Europe,” with links to a separatist group in the Rif region of northern Morocco.
German prosecutors said he had acted along with another Moroccan identified as Mohamed A, who was found guilty of espionage in 2023 and handed a suspended sentence of one year and nine months.
Mohamed A. reportedly received airline tickets for personal travel in exchange for information collected for Moroccan intelligence on supporters of the protest movement.
Youssef El A. had been detained in Spain on December 1, 2024 in response to an EU arrest warrant and was later extradited to Germany.
A judge ordered him remanded in custody on Thursday.
The Hirak movement emerged in the Rif region in 2016 following anger over the death of a fishmonger crushed by a bin lorry as he tried to recover swordfish seized by police.
It sparked protests demanding development projects for the long-marginalized region, which led to dozens of arrests.

 


Lebanese boy chokes to death at school attempting viral TikTok ‘one-bite challenge’

Lebanese boy chokes to death at school attempting viral TikTok ‘one-bite challenge’
Updated 18 January 2025
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Lebanese boy chokes to death at school attempting viral TikTok ‘one-bite challenge’

Lebanese boy chokes to death at school attempting viral TikTok ‘one-bite challenge’
  • 12-year old dies trying to eat croissant in a single bite, inspired by online videos of people eating various types of food in one go
  • He attempted the challenge at Jannat Al-Atfal School

BEIRUT: A Lebanese schoolboy choked to death at school while attempting a food challenge that has gone viral on video-hosting platform TikTok.
Lebanese media reported on Friday that 12-year-old Joe Skaff died as he tried to eat a croissant in a single bite. He was said to have been inspired by the online “one-bite challenge” in which people post videos of themselves cramming various foods into their mouths to eat them in one go.
He attempted the challenge at Jannat Al-Atfal School in Keserwan, north of Beirut but began to choke on the pastry and was unable to breathe.
The school said: “With hearts filled with grief and sorrow, we mourn the death of our dear son and sixth-grader Joe Skaff. Today, during the first break, Joe was exposed to a sudden tragic accident where he suffocated while eating.”
Teachers and a licensed school nurse tried to help the youngster and clear the blockage before an ambulance arrived to take him to hospital but “attempts to save him were unsuccessful.”
The school added: “Joe was a special child with a bright personality and great kindness, and he was loved by his peers and all members of our school community.”


Aid agencies: Will take $80bn and 40 years to rebuild Gaza Strip

Aid agencies: Will take $80bn and 40 years to rebuild Gaza Strip
Updated 17 January 2025
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Aid agencies: Will take $80bn and 40 years to rebuild Gaza Strip

Aid agencies: Will take $80bn and 40 years to rebuild Gaza Strip

Rebuilding homes and infrastructure after Israel’s 15-month war on Gaza could take 40 years and cost more than $80 billion, aid agencies said on Friday.

The war has transformed the enclave into a rubble-strewn wasteland with blackened shells of buildings and mounds of debris. Major roads have been plowed up. Critical water and electricity infrastructure is in ruins. Most hospitals no longer function.
The full extent of the damage will be known only when the fighting ends on Sunday and inspectors have full access. The most heavily destroyed part of Gaza, in the north, has been sealed off and largely depopulated by Israeli forces in an operation that began last October.
Using satellite data, the UN estimates that 70 percent of structures in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, including over 245,000 homes.

Before anything can be rebuilt, the rubble must be removed — a staggering task in itself.
The war has littered Gaza with over 50 million tonnes of rubble, about 12 times the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza. With over 100 trucks working full time, it would take 15 years to clear.

“I can’t think of any parallel, in terms of the severity of damage, for an enclave or a country or a people,” said Corey Scher of the Shelter Cluster, an international coalition of aid providers led by the Norwegian Refugee Council.

The first target for aid is the health sector, with more than 80 percent of Gaza’s health facilities damaged or destroyed.

The World Health Organization said on Friday it would start by bringing prefabricated hospitals into the enclave and medically evacuating over 12,000 patients, a third of them children.