Lebanon Druze leader accuses Israel of exploiting minority in Syria
Lebanon Druze leader accuses Israel of exploiting minority in Syria/node/2595063/middle-east
Lebanon Druze leader accuses Israel of exploiting minority in Syria
Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt sits next to a framed An-Nahar newspaper front page covering his father’s assassination in 1977, at his residence in Beirut on March 26, 2025. (AFP)
Lebanon Druze leader accuses Israel of exploiting minority in Syria
Walid Jumblatt: Israel wants ‘to implement the plan it has always had... which is to break up the region into confessional entities and extend the chaos’
Jumblatt: ‘They want to annihilate Gaza, then it will be the West Bank’s turn... they are trying to destabilize Syria, through the Druze but also others’
Updated 27 March 2025
AFP
BEIRUT: Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt has accused Israel of exploiting followers of his minority faith in Syria as part of a broader plan to divide the Middle East along sectarian lines.
Israel wants “to implement the plan it has always had... which is to break up the region into confessional entities and extend the chaos,” said Jumblatt, a key figure in Lebanese politics for more than four decades.
“They want to annihilate Gaza, then it will be the West Bank’s turn... they are trying to destabilize Syria, through the Druze but also others,” he told AFP in an interview Wednesday.
“It’s a dangerous game.”
Israel has been making overtures toward Syria’s Druze community since Islamist-led rebels ousted longtime ruler Bashar Assad in December after more than 13 years of war.
Since then, Israel has sent troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone along the armistice line on the Golan Heights, and war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported regular Israeli incursions deeper into southern Syria.
The Druze faith has followers in Israel, Lebanon and Syria, including the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.
They account for about three percent of Syria’s population and are concentrated in the southern province of Sweida.
This month, Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said 10,000 humanitarian aid packages had been sent to “the Druze community in battle areas of Syria” over the past few weeks.
“Israel has a bold alliance with our Druze brothers and sisters,” he told journalists.
Israel also authorized the first pilgrimage in decades by Syrian Druze clerics to a revered shrine in Israel.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would not allow Syria’s new rulers “to harm the Druze,” following a deadly clash between government-linked forces and Druze fighters in the suburbs of Damascus.
Druze leaders rejected Katz’s warning and declared their loyalty to a united Syria.
Druze representatives have been negotiating with Syria’s new authorities on an agreement that would see their armed groups integrated into the new national army.
The talks had almost reached completion but “Israeli pressure” on some parties prevented the accord from being finalized, a source close to the negotiations told AFP, requesting anonymity as the matter is sensitive.
Jumblatt noted that during the French mandate in the 1920s and 1930s, “Syria was divided into four entities: an Alawite state, a Druze state, the state of Damascus and the state of Aleppo,” the latter two being Sunni Muslim.
“The Druze, with the other Syrian nationalists, were able to prevent the division of Syria” by launching a revolt and the plan later collapsed, he said.
He expressed hope that any new division of Syria could be avoided, appealing to Arab leaders to support interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa.
Jumblatt in December was the first Lebanese official to meet Sharaa after his Islamist group spearheaded the offensive that ousted Assad.
Sharaa told Jumblatt that Syria would no longer exert “negative interference” in Lebanon, after Assad’s dynasty was accused of destabilising Lebanon for years and assassinating numerous Lebanese officials, including Jumblatt’s father.
Kamal Jumblatt, who founded the Progressive Socialist Party and opposed Assad’s father Hafez over his troops’ intervention in the Lebanese civil war, was killed near the Syrian border in 1977.
This month, Syrian security forces arrested former intelligence officer Ibrahim Huweija, suspected of numerous killings including that of Jumblatt’s father.
“He’s a big criminal, he also committed crimes against the Syrian people and should be tried in Syria,” Jumblatt said.
Lebanon’s new authorities have been under pressure since a devastating war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, an Assad ally, Jumblatt said.
“The Americans want Lebanon to normalize ties with Israel,” he said.
Under a November ceasefire, Hezbollah was to withdraw fighters from the border area and dismantle its military infrastructure there.
The Israeli army was also to withdraw but troops are still deployed in five positions inside Lebanon that it deems strategic.
What will happen to the survivors of camp massacres in Sudan’s North Darfur?
Armed groups attacked Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps on April 11, killing at least 100 people in one day
More than 120,000 survivors fled to Tawila, where water, food, and medical supplies are critically scarce
Updated 23 April 2025
ROBERT BOCIAGA
LONDON: Under the searing desert sun, where the wind kicks up sand and the silence is broken by the murmurs of hunger, tens of thousands of people have gathered in makeshift camps with nothing but bundles of belongings, tired donkeys and empty water containers.
These are the lucky ones, the survivors of an assault on the Zamzam and Abu Shouk displacement camps in Sudan’s North Darfur on April 11 by armed groups reportedly affiliated with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
At least 100 people were reported killed during that single day of violence at the camps and the nearby city of Al-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. Among the dead were at least 20 children and nine humanitarian aid workers.
Thousands more fled, carrying what little they could manage: bundles of clothing, jerry cans, and the names of family members they could not find amid the mayhem.
The RSF said the camps in question were being used as bases by what it called “mercenary factions.” It also denied targeting civilians and accused its rivals of orchestrating a media campaign, using actors and staged scenes within the camp to falsely incriminate it.
This handout image courtesy of Maxar Technologies taken on April 16, 2025 shows weapon-mounted technical vehicles on the eastern border of Zamzam camp near the besieged Darfur city of El-Fasher. (Maxar Technologies via AFP)
One of the few doctors still working in Al-Fasher, Dr. Yasser Mohammed, witnessed the horrors from inside.
“The attack began from three directions,” he told Arab News. “The casualties were mostly civilians. I saw children, elders, students of Quranic schools, and even our medical staff shot. The numbers are too many. I can’t count.”
Many of the survivors have gathered in Tawila, a locality 70 kilometers away that was already struggling with limited resources. More than 120,000 people have arrived there in a matter of days. Local leaders say the area is suffering from acute shortages of drinking water and medicine. Several displaced people have died of heatstroke or thirst.
IN NUMBERS
• 13.6 million People forcibly displaced by the Sudan war, which began on April 15, 2023.
• 700,000 Displaced people living in Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps in North Darfur.
A video shared by local humanitarian volunteers showed a woman fainting after going three days without food or water. Many people arrived already malnourished, having lived in famine-like conditions for nearly eight months, with a siege crippling food supplies and basic services.
The crisis is only the latest chapter in a war that has torn Sudan apart since April 2023, when a power struggle between rival military commanders plunged the country into a brutal internal conflict.
Fighting has devastated major cities and destroyed vital infrastructure, displacing more than 13.6 million people — the largest displacement crisis on the planet.
This picture shows the burnt and heavily damaged facilities of the Jaili Oil Refinery, Sudan's largest, north of the capital Khartoum on March 18, 2025. (AFP)
The recent recapture by the Sudanese Armed Forces of the capital, Khartoum, from the RSF has intensified violence in other regions, especially Darfur, where civilians have long been targeted.
Al-Fasher is a city in a state of crisis. “Water is nearly gone. Fuel is nearly gone. And the desert heat is relentless,” Ramadan Djabir Nahar Awadallah, an aid worker based in Dabbah, told Arab News.
“Nearly half a million people are now living in one neighborhood, Hayy Al-Jami’a, near the airport.”
Al-Fasher, like much of North Darfur, has been functionally cut off for months. Aid workers say what little water makes it through on trucks is shared among hundreds of families.
This picture taken on September 1, 2023 shows a view of destruction in a livestock market area in al-Fasher, the capital of Sudan's North Darfur state. (AFP/File)
“We try to provide water,” said Awadallah. “But it is limited and may run out soon. Al-Fasher has become a city of shadows; people move but they are not really living; they are surviving.”
The burden is visible in photos taken on the ground: families squatting in open fields under the sun; boys herding donkeys between heaps of kindling; girls clutching empty pots. No proper tents, no sanitation, no roads. Just earth, exhaustion and silence.
“This is yet another disaster for families in Sudan who have faced two years of conflict that have caused the world’s largest displacement crisis,” said Francesco Lanino, deputy country director for Save the Children Sudan.
“There is dire need for urgent food distributions, including ready-to-eat meals and nutritional support to curb malnutrition. Provision of shelter and other non-food items is paramount for the new arrivals who are sheltering in schools in open spaces.
“Additionally, there is an urgent need to support or establish mobile health clinics and ensure the availability of essential medicines, first aid supplies, and basic maternal and child health services.
People who fled the Zamzam camp for the internally displaced after it fell under RSF control, queue for food rations in a makeshift encampment in an open field near the town of Tawila in war-torn Sudan's western Darfur region on April 13, 2025. (AFP)
“With such rapid displacement comes the real risk of waterborne diseases and therefore the need to install additional water sources or rehabilitate existing ones, and construct emergency latrines so as to keep waterborne diseases at bay,” Lanino continued.
“Hygiene kits containing soap, sanitary materials and other essentials are needed to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks.
“We also need to be able to provide mental health and psychosocial support, particularly for children and caregivers, who have witnessed traumatic events such as killing and maiming of their family members.”
As these events unfolded, global officials gathered in London to discuss the crisis in Sudan. Yet, in the eyes of many Sudanese and humanitarian observers, something was missing.
“There was not a single reference to the camps under siege or the civilians fleeing,” Shayna Lewis, a Sudan specialist with the US-based non-profit organization PAEMA, told Arab News.
Shayna Lewis. (Supplied)
“It is absolutely beyond belief that the conference statement didn’t once mention what’s happening in Darfur right now.”
The omission of civilian protection from the final statement drew widespread concern.
“That silence isn’t just an oversight,” said Lewis. “It’s a devastating betrayal by those who could help but choose not to.”
Avaaz, a global advocacy organization, shared a stark summary: “There is a massive gap between the urgency on the ground and the pace of international action. While statements were read and funding was pledged, people were fleeing on foot, without food, without water, without help.”
Inside the camps, trauma is etched into every face.
“The psychological state of survivors is very bad,” said Dr. Mohammed. “Children and women are living without shelter. Some are still in shock. There are many injuries and we have almost no supplies left to treat them.”
Displaced Sudanese women and children gather at a camp near the town of Tawila in North Darfur on February 11, 2025, amid the ongoing war between the army and paramilitary forces. (AFP)
Medical needs go unmet, food is scarce and temperatures are rising, with no reprieve in sight.
Relief organizations have warned that North Darfur is already at risk of famine. In a recent update, the UN’s World Food Programme estimated that more than 18 million people across Sudan face acute food insecurity, one of the world’s worst hunger crises.
As the rainy season approaches, access to many of the worst-affected areas might be further limited. Roads will wash away, disease will spread and the people who survived the shelling might face a slower, quieter death, from thirst, hunger or despair.
In the midst of such devastation, voices from Darfur are still calling out, pleading for assistance.
Displaced Sudanese children gather at a camp near the town of Tawila in North Darfur on February 11, 2025, amid the ongoing war between the army and paramilitary forces. (AFP)
“Help us,” said Dr. Mohammed. “Send water, food, medicine. Listen to us.”
Eva Khair, director of the Sudan Transnational Consortium, echoed the urgency of this plea.
“The message we are hearing from inside Sudan is clear,” she said. “People want to survive. They want dignity. But they cannot do this alone.”
Kate Ferguson, of the organization Protection Approaches, described this moment as one of grave responsibility for the international community.
People who fled the Zamzam camp for the internally displaced after it fell under RSF control, rest in a makeshift encampment in an open field near the town of Tawila in war-torn Sudan's western Darfur region on April 13, 2025. (AFP)
“The risk now is that this failure becomes precedent, that inaction becomes the norm,” she said. “But it doesn’t have to. There is still time to act. There is still a chance to protect life.”
As night falls over Tawila, the sands grow cool and the stars shine down on families who have not eaten in days. Some of them will sleep. Some will keep walking. Some will stay where they are, hoping for a relief truck, a food parcel, a medic — anything.
They have escaped one form of violence. Now they face another: indifference.
Iran slams ‘hostile’ US sanctions ahead of new talks
Iran said the sanctions are a ‘clear contradiction with the United States’ demand for dialogue and negotiation and indicates America’s lack of goodwill and seriousness in this regard’
Updated 23 April 2025
AFP
TEHRAN: Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday condemned new US sanctions targeting its oil network, calling the move a sign of Washington’s “hostile approach” ahead of a third round of nuclear talks.
In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Washington’s policy of imposing sanctions on the Iranian people was a “clear contradiction with the United States’ demand for dialogue and negotiation and indicates America’s lack of goodwill and seriousness in this regard.”
On Tuesday, the US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on an Iranian shipping network and an individual named Asadoollah Emamjomeh, who Washington says is the network’s owner.
It said in a statement the network was “collectively responsible for shipping hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian LPG and crude oil to foreign markets.”
The sanctions came after Tehran and Washington held two rounds of indirect nuclear talks on consecutive Saturdays in Muscat and Rome, starting on April 12.
Since returning to office in January, US President Donald Trump has reimposed sweeping sanctions under his policy of “maximum pressure” against Tehran.
In March, he sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling for talks but also warning of possible military action if they failed to produce a deal.
Oman said the third round of talks, set for Saturday, April 26, would again be held in Muscat.
On Tuesday, Iran announced that a technical expert-level nuclear meeting between the two countries will also be held on Saturday.
“The expert and high-level indirect talks in Oman will not be held simultaneously,” state TV reported on Wednesday.
“Iranian and American experts will first hold their indirect talks and convey the results of the talks to the high-level officials, who will then start their discussions,” the report said.
Hamas video shows Israeli hostage marking his birthday
In the nearly three-minute clip, the hostage — who identifies himself as Omri Miran — addresses the camera in Hebrew
Updated 23 April 2025
AFP
GAZA CITY: Hamas’s armed wing released a video on Wednesday showing an Israeli Hungarian hostage walking through a tunnel in Gaza and lighting a candle to mark his birthday.
In the nearly three-minute clip, the hostage — who identifies himself as Omri Miran — addresses the camera in Hebrew.
His family confirmed his identity, while requesting that the media refrain from publishing the footage. Miran said he was marking his 48th birthday, which fell on April 11.
He is initially shown walking through a tunnel, then seated on a mattress in a confined space, acknowledging protesters in Israel who have been demonstrating against the government and demanding the hostages’ release.
He states that hostages are living in constant fear of bombings and urges a deal be reached as soon as possible to secure their release, adding that he missed his wife and daughters.
Emirati FM holds talks with Nepal’s president and prime minister in Kathmandu
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan emphasizes commitment of the UAE to the enhancement of bilateral relations
Areas identified for improved collaborations include the economic, commercial, investment and developmental sectors, as well as trade
Updated 23 April 2025
Arab News
LONDON: Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAE’s foreign minister, met the president and prime minister of Nepal in Kathmandu on Wednesday as part of a diplomatic visit to the country.
President Ram Chandra Paudel expressed his country’s desire to strengthen and enhance relations with the UAE, as he and Sheikh Abdullah discussed ways in which collaboration might be improved in several areas, including the economic, commercial, investment and developmental sectors, the Emirates News Agency reported.
In a separate meeting, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli also talked with the foreign minister about how to boost bilateral relations. They focused in particular on enhancement of economic and trade cooperation, and explored sectors that could help support sustainable development in both countries.
Sheikh Abdullah said his country is committed to the strengthening of relations with Nepal and investment in available opportunities, and he praised the ongoing development of cooperation in various sectors.
Other officials present at the meetings included Ahmed bin Ali Al-Sayegh, an Emirati minister of state; Saeed Mubarak Al-Hajeri, assistant minister for economic and trade affairs; Abdulla Balalaa, assistant minister of foreign affairs for energy and sustainability affairs; and Abdullah Al-Shamsi, the UAE’s ambassador to Nepal.
Israel police evacuate towns as bushfires spread near Jerusalem
Towns located about 20 kilometers west of Jerusalem were evacuated
“We do not know how this fire will develop,” Netanyahu said
Updated 23 April 2025
AFP
BET SHEMESH, Israel: Israeli police evacuated several towns near Jerusalem on Wednesday as rapidly spreading bushfires tore through the area, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to consider appealing to Greece for emergency assistance.
Towns located about 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Jerusalem were evacuated, police and Israeli media said, while firefighting teams scrambled to contain the advancing blaze.
Speaking from the national fire service headquarters, Netanyahu directed his staff to initiate contact with Greece, and potentially other nations, to request support should international reinforcements become necessary.
“We do not know how this fire will develop,” Netanyahu said, calling for increased measures to douse the flames.
“It simply cannot reach” Jerusalem, he added.
“Of course, defend the communities in range” of the city, he went on, saying he “would prepare reserves from other countries such as Greece.”
Greece battled a spate of deadly wildfires last year, including a massive blaze that forced thousands to flee their homes and reached the suburbs of Athens before it was brought under control.
The fire near Jerusalem ignited Wednesday morning in wooded areas amid an intense heatwave and quickly escalated.
Footage captured by AFP showed emergency aircraft dousing the area with water and fire retardants in an effort to halt the spread.
Wildfires are a recurrent threat in Israel during periods of extreme heat.
