Damascus rally demands news of missing Syrians

Damascus rally demands news of missing Syrians
People hold pictures of missing persons during a demonstration celebrating the fall of Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad at Ummayad Square in the capital Damascus on December 27, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 28 December 2024
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Damascus rally demands news of missing Syrians

Damascus rally demands news of missing Syrians
  • Dozens of somber protesters holding pictures of the disappeared assembled in central Damascus’s Hijaz Square

DAMASCUS: A silent crowd gathered in the Syrian capital Damascus to press the new authorities about the fate of relatives who went missing under Bashar Assad and to demand justice for their loved ones.

The fate of tens of thousands of people who disappeared under Assad — who was ousted on Dec. 8 by a coalition of rebels — is a key question after more than 13 years of devastating civil war that saw upwards of half a million people killed.

Dozens of somber protesters holding pictures of the disappeared assembled in central Damascus’s Hijaz Square, a journalist said.

“It is time for tyrants to be held accountable,” read a black banner unfurled from the balcony of the elegant Ottoman-era train station.

Other placards read: “Revealing the fate of the missing is a right,” and “I don’t want an unmarked grave for my son, I want the truth.”

Such a demonstration would have been unthinkable under Assad’s rule, but it is now possible under the new authorities dominated by the radical group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, which led the offensive that overthrew him.

“Unfortunately for many years we were united in the grief of absence and uncertainty, waiting for our loved ones, one amnesty after another,” said Wafa Mustafa in a speech in the midst of the protesters.

Her father Ali was arrested in 2013.

“We all saw the scenes of prisoners being freed. It was a source of joy, but it was also very difficult because we did not see our own loved ones among them,” she said.

“We are here to say we will not accept anything less than the whole truth, to know what happened to our relatives, who tortured them, and if they were buried, where they are,” she added.

Amani Al-Hallaq, 28, was seeking news about where to find the remains of her cousin, who was kidnapped in 2012 when he was a student dentist.

“I was once one of those who was afraid. This is the first time I am protesting,” the 28-year-old Amani said.

Her cousin was abducted as he came out of the university, said the young woman in a headscarf.

“They pulled out his nails. He died instantly,” she said.

“We want to know where the disappeared are, their bodies, so we can identify them.”


GCC praises Qatari, US efforts in Rwanda, DRC peace deal

GCC praises Qatari, US efforts in Rwanda, DRC peace deal
Updated 29 June 2025
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GCC praises Qatari, US efforts in Rwanda, DRC peace deal

GCC praises Qatari, US efforts in Rwanda, DRC peace deal
  • Fighting since 2021 between armed groups has intensified in the mineral-rich eastern DRC
  • Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said Qatar’s role in driving the agreement signals growing involvement of GCC countries in supporting peaceful solutions

LONDON: Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, praised Qatar and the US for their mediation efforts that led to the signing of the peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Albudaiwi hoped the agreement would reduce tensions and contribute to security and stability, fostering regional prosperity and international peace. Since 2021, fighting between armed groups has intensified in the mineral-rich eastern DRC, which has vast reserves of cobalt, coltan, lithium, tin and gold.

The peace agreement between the two countries raises hopes for an end to the fighting that has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands of others, he said.

Albudaiwi added that Qatar’s role in driving the agreement shows a growing involvement of GCC countries in supporting peaceful solutions and promoting security and stability in various regions worldwide.

The GCC is committed to diplomacy and dialogue to address crises and achieve sustainable development, he said.


Israeli court postpones Netanyahu appearance in graft trial

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement during a visit to the site of the Weizmann Institute of Science.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement during a visit to the site of the Weizmann Institute of Science.
Updated 29 June 2025
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Israeli court postpones Netanyahu appearance in graft trial

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement during a visit to the site of the Weizmann Institute of Science.
  • Trump on Saturday said in a post on his Truth Social platform that the United States was “not going to stand” for the continued prosecution
  • In one of the cases, he and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods

JERUSALEM: An Israeli court on Sunday postponed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s testimony in his corruption trial after he requested a delay, as US President Donald Trump called for the case to be thrown out.
“Following the explanations given... we partially accept the request and cancel at this stage Mr.Netanyahu’s hearings scheduled” for this week, the Jerusalem district court said in its ruling, published online by Netanyahu’s Likud party.
Netanyahu’s lawyers had asked the court to excuse him from testifying over the next two weeks so he could focus on security issues following a ceasefire with Iran and amid ongoing fighting in Gaza where Israeli hostages are held.
They had submitted Netanyahu’s schedule to the court to demonstrate “the national need for the prime minister to devote all his time and energy to the political, national and security issues at hand.”
The court initially rejected the lawyers’ request but said in its ruling on Sunday that it had changed its judgment after hearing arguments from the prime minister, the head of military intelligence and the chief of the Mossad spy agency.
Trump on Saturday said in a post on his Truth Social platform that the United States was “not going to stand” for the continued prosecution, prompting Netanyahu to thank him in a message on X.
Earlier in the week, the US president had described the case against the Israeli premier as a “witch hunt,” saying the trial “should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero.”
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid reacted by saying that Trump “should not interfere in a judicial trial in an independent country.”
Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing in the corruption affair and his supporters have described the long-running trial as politically motivated.
In one of the cases, he and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewelry and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favors.
In two others, Netanyahu is accused of attempting to negotiate more favorable coverage from two Israeli media outlets.
The prime minister has requested multiple postponements to the trial since it began in May 2020.
During his current term, which started in late 2022, Netanyahu’s government has proposed far-reaching judicial reforms that critics say were designed to weaken the courts and prompted massive protests that were only curtailed by the onset of the Gaza war.
In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 that aired on Saturday, former prime minister Naftali Bennett accused Netanyahu of deepening divisions in Israeli society, and said that he “must go.”
Netanyahu “has been in power for 20 years... that’s too much, it’s not healthy,” Bennett said.
The former right-wing premier managed to form a coalition in 2021 that ousted Netanyahu from the premiership after 12 consecutive years, but it collapsed before the end of the following year.
Bennett is rumored to be planning a comeback, with public opinion polls suggesting he may have enough support to oust Netanyahu again. He declined to comment on that prospect in Saturday’s interview.


Egyptian foreign minister urges recognition of Palestine in talks with EU envoy to Middle East

Egyptian foreign minister urges recognition of Palestine in talks with EU envoy to Middle East
Updated 29 June 2025
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Egyptian foreign minister urges recognition of Palestine in talks with EU envoy to Middle East

Egyptian foreign minister urges recognition of Palestine in talks with EU envoy to Middle East
  • Badr Abdelatty met in Cairo with Christophe Bigot, EU special representative for the Middle East peace process
  • Abdelatty’s remarks followed those of French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, who said France is ‘determined to recognize the state of Palestine’

LONDON: Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Sunday emphasized the urgent need to recognize Palestinian statehood on the territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He made his comment during a meeting in Cairo with Christophe Bigot, the EU’s special representative for the Middle East peace process. Abdelatty said that the establishment of a Palestinian state is the only way to achieve lasting peace, security and stability in the region, the Wafa news agency reported.

He hoped for the broader international recognition of the Palestinian state and for the organization of an international conference aimed at resolving the Palestinian issue through peaceful means.

Abdelatty’s remarks followed those of French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, who said on Sunday during an interview with the French LCI news channel that France is “determined to recognize the State of Palestine,” emphasizing the urgent need for international action in light of the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza.

A French-Saudi conference to drum up international support for the recognition of the state of Palestine was due to start in mid-June, but the organizers postponed it because of the Iranian-Israeli conflict and elevated tensions in the region.

“We are committed to recognizing the state of Palestine, and this will happen as part of a joint initiative that encourages all parties to create the necessary conditions for the establishment of that state,” Barrot said.

He called the killing of hundreds of Palestinian aid seekers by Israeli forces in recent weeks in Gaza “a disgrace and an affront to human dignity.”


Syria denies reports of assassination attempt on President Al-Sharaa

Syria denies reports of assassination attempt on President Al-Sharaa
Updated 29 June 2025
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Syria denies reports of assassination attempt on President Al-Sharaa

Syria denies reports of assassination attempt on President Al-Sharaa
  • SANA did not provide further details about the reported incident or its origins

DAMASCUS: Syria’s Ministry of Information on Sunday denied reports that an attempt was made on the life of interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa during a recent visit to the southern city of Daraa, Syrian Arab News Agency reported.

A ministry source, quoted by state news agency SANA on Sunday, dismissed the claims as false, saying: “What was circulated by several media outlets about the Syrian Arab Army and Turkish intelligence foiling an assassination attempt on President Ahmad Al-Sharaa during his visit to Daraa is untrue.”

SANA did not provide further details about the reported incident or its origins.

Al-Sharaa has led the Syrian Arab Republic’s transitional administration since January, following the collapse of the Bashar Assad regime. Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly a quarter of a century, fled to Russia in December.


Israeli security service says 60 Hamas members arrested in West Bank

Israeli security service says 60 Hamas members arrested in West Bank
Updated 29 June 2025
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Israeli security service says 60 Hamas members arrested in West Bank

Israeli security service says 60 Hamas members arrested in West Bank

HEBRON: Israel’s security service said Sunday it had broken up a network of Hamas militants in the occupied West Bank suspected of planning attacks, arresting 60 of the group’s members.
The Shin Bet internal security agency said in a statement that “a significant, complex, and large-scale Hamas infrastructure was exposed” in the West Bank town of Hebron.
It said it broke up 10 militant cells that “operated to carry out attacks in various formats in the immediate time frame.”
Hamas leaders “worked to recruit, arm, and train additional Hamas operatives from the area to carry out shooting and bombing attacks against Israeli targets,” according to the statement.
Shin Bet said the three-month joint operation with the military and police was its biggest investigation in the West Bank “in the past decade.”
It said terrorism charges were being filed against the suspects.
Hamas did not immediately comment on the statement.