Israel's de facto leader says it has 'crossed the line of war' with military operations in Syria
good morning. Welcome to the Middle East Crisis Live Blog. I'm Tom Ambrose. Today we bring you the latest developments across the region.
Let's start with the news Syria's de facto leader claims Israel has 'crossed the line of war' over military operations in the country.
After the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group seized power last week, Israeli forces moved into the country's demilitarized zone to ensure border security for Israelis living in the occupied Golan Heights region. said.
However, HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharah, commonly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, told a Syrian television website:
The Israelis have clearly crossed the line with their involvement in Syria, posing a threat of unwarranted escalation in the region.
After years of civil war and war, Syria is war-weary and cannot tolerate new confrontations.
The priority at this stage is rebuilding and stabilizing, and not getting drawn into conflict that could lead to further destruction.
He added that a diplomatic solution was the only way to ensure security and stability, and that “uncalculated military adventures” were not desired.
Israeli Army Chief of Staff Helj Halevi said:
We do not interfere in what happens inside Syria, and we do not intend to govern Syria.
But we are clearly committed to ensuring the safety of Israeli citizens living in communities behind the Golan Heights.
More news:
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Jordan hosts diplomats from US, EU, Türkiye and Arab countries to discuss developments in Syria24 hours after wide swaths of the nation celebrated the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.
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Israel attacks school sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza Strip, killing at least 7 people and injuring 12 othersGaza City's private emergency services announced on Saturday.
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UN envoy urged foreign powers to work to avoid collapse of Syria's key institutions Saturday.
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The Gaza Health Ministry has reported that 44,930 Palestinians have been killed and 106,624 injured. Israel's attack on Gaza has continued since October 7th.
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Nato member Turkey backed the Syrian rebels who toppled president Bashar al-Assad last weekend, ending a 13-year civil war, Reuters reported. Turkey reopened its embassy in Damascus on Saturday, two days after its intelligence chief visited the Syrian capital.
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“In their first statement, the new administration that toppled Assad announced that it would respect all government institutions, the United Nations and other international organisations,” Guler told reporters in Ankara in comments authorised for publication on Sunday.
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“We think that we need to see what the new administration will do and to give them a chance.”
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When asked whether Turkey was considering military cooperation with the new Syrian government, Guler said Ankara already had military cooperation and training agreements with many countries.
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“[Turkey] We stand ready to provide the necessary support if requested by the new government.”
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Antony Blinken said the US had made “direct contact” with Syria’s victorious Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels as western and Arab states along with Turkey jointly voiced support for a united, peaceful Syria.
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The US secretary of state’s comment is despite Washington having designated the HTS rebels as terrorists in 2018.
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Blinken and other diplomats held talks on Syria in Aqaba, Jordan, on Saturday. “We’ve been in contact with HTS and with other parties,” Blinken said, without specifying how the contact took place.
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Good morning and welcome to the Middle East crisis live blog. I’m Tom Ambrose and I’ll be bringing you all the latest developments throughout the region today.
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We start with news that Syria’s de facto leader claims that Israel has “crossed the lines of engagement” over its military actions inside the country.
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Israeli troops moved into a demilitarised zone inside the country after the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group seized control last week, saying it did so to ensure border security for Israelis living in the occupied Golan Heights area.
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However, HTS leader Ahmad al Sharaa – known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al Jolani – told the Syrian TV website:
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The Israelis have clearly crossed the lines of engagement in Syria, which poses a threat of unwarranted escalation in the region.
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Syria’s war-weary condition, after years of conflict and war, does not allow for new confrontations.
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The priority at this stage is reconstruction and stability, not being drawn into disputes that could lead to further destruction.
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He added that diplomatic solutions were the only way to ensure security and stability and that “uncalculated military adventures” were not wanted.
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The chief of staff for Israel’s military, Herzi Halevi, said:
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We are not interfering in what is happening inside Syria, nor do we intend to govern it.
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However, we are unequivocally involved in ensuring the security of Israeli citizens living in communities behind us in the Golan Heights.
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In other news:
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Jordan is hosting diplomats from the US, EU, and Turkey and Arab nations to discuss the developing situation in Syria, 24 hours after swathes of the nation’s population celebrated the ousting of president Bashar al-Assad.
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An Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza killed at least seven and wounded 12 others, the civil emergency service in Gaza City said on Saturday.
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The UN’s special envoy urged foreign powers to work to avoid a collapse of vital Syrian institutions on Saturday.
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Gaza’s health ministry is reporting that 44,930 Palestinians have now been killed and 106,624 injured in Israel’s Gaza offensive since 7 October.
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main events
Turkey is ready to provide military training to Syria at the request of new government, minister says
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Güler said Syria's new regime should receive a constructive message and be given a chance to govern, adding that Turkey is ready to provide military training if such support is requested. He said there is.
NATO member Turkey last weekend backed Syrian rebels who overthrew President Bashar al-Assad and ended a 13-year civil war, Reuters reported. Turkey reopened its embassy in Damascus on Saturday, two days after its intelligence chief visited the Syrian capital.
“The new government that overthrew Assad announced in its first statement that it would respect all government institutions, the United Nations and other international organizations,” Güler told reporters in Ankara in comments authorized to be published on Sunday. .
“I think we need to see what the new administration does and give them a chance.”
Asked if Turkey was considering military cooperation with Syria's new government, Güler said the Turkish government already has military cooperation and training agreements with a number of countries.
“[Turkey] We stand ready to provide the necessary support if requested by the new government.”
Turkey reopens its embassy in Damascus about a week after Islamist-led rebels overthrew Bashar al-Assad's government and 12 years after the Turkish diplomatic mission was shut down early in Syria's civil war. announced that it had reopened.
Turkey is a major party to the Syrian conflict, has significant influence in the north-west, funds Syrian militant groups, and maintains a partnership with HTS, which spearheaded the offensive to topple Assad.
In a joint statement after talks in Jordan, diplomats from the United States, Turkey, the European Union and Arab countries said: “We are committed to helping the Syrian people build a more hopeful, secure and peaceful future at this critical moment in their history. We have confirmed our full support.”
They called for a Syrian-led transition that would respect human rights and “create an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government formed through a transparent process.”
“Syria finally has the opportunity to end decades of isolation,” the group said.
Antony Blinken confirms US is in 'direct' contact with Syrian rebel ruler HTS
Antony Blinken said the United States would have “direct contact” with the victorious Syrian Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels as Western and Arab countries jointly expressed support for a united and peaceful Syria with Turkey. ” he said.
The US Secretary of State's comments come despite Washington designating HTS rebels as terrorists in 2018.
Blinken and other diplomats held talks on Syria in Aqaba, Jordan, on Saturday. “We have been in contact with HTS and other parties,” Blinken said, without specifying the circumstances of the contact.
Israel's de facto leader says it has 'crossed the line of war' with military operations in Syria
good morning. Welcome to the Middle East Crisis Live Blog. I'm Tom Ambrose. Today we bring you the latest developments across the region.
Let's start with the news Syria's de facto leader claims Israel has 'crossed the line of war' over military operations in the country.
After the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group seized power last week, Israeli forces moved into the country's demilitarized zone to ensure border security for Israelis living in the occupied Golan Heights region. said.
However, HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharah, commonly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, told a Syrian television website:
The Israelis have clearly crossed the line with their involvement in Syria, posing a threat of unwarranted escalation in the region.
After years of civil war and war, Syria is war-weary and cannot tolerate new confrontations.
The priority at this stage is rebuilding and stabilizing, and not getting drawn into conflict that could lead to further destruction.
He added that a diplomatic solution was the only way to ensure security and stability, and that “uncalculated military adventures” were not desired.
Israeli Army Chief of Staff Helj Halevi said:
We do not interfere in what happens inside Syria, and we do not intend to govern Syria.
But we are clearly committed to ensuring the safety of Israeli citizens living in communities behind the Golan Heights.
More news:
-
Jordan hosts diplomats from US, EU, Türkiye and Arab countries to discuss developments in Syria24 hours after wide swaths of the nation celebrated the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.
-
Israel attacks school sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza Strip, killing at least 7 people and injuring 12 othersGaza City's private emergency services announced on Saturday.
-
UN envoy urged foreign powers to work to avoid collapse of Syria's key institutions Saturday.
-
The Gaza Health Ministry has reported that 44,930 Palestinians have been killed and 106,624 injured. Israel's attack on Gaza has continued since October 7th.
