WASHINGTON: The White House said on Thursday Israel’s building of new settlements or expansion of existing ones in occupied territories may not be helpful to achieving peace with Palestinians.
“While we don’t believe the existence of settlements is an impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal,” the White House said in a statement.
It said the Trump administration “has not taken an official position on settlement activity” and looks forward to discussions when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with President Donald Trump later this month.
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White House says Israeli settlement construction may not be helpful to peace
White House says Israeli settlement construction may not be helpful to peace
Syrian government, Kurdish-led SDF exchange prisoners in Hasakah
- 100 detainees released by each side under new peace deal
LONDON: The Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces exchanged prisoners as part of an agreement to end their conflict and integrate the Kurdish-led group into state institutions in Damascus.
The operation resulted in the release of 100 detainees from prisons operated by the government and 100 from SDF-run prisons in Hasakah, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported.
The prisoners released by the SDF were met at the Panorama roundabout in Hasakah by a presidential team and members of the Internal Security Forces.
Brig. Gen. Ziad al-Ayesh is the presidential envoy overseeing the implementation of the Jan. 29 agreement with the SDF, which stipulates the Syrian government’s control over the northeastern region, including Hasakah and Qamishli.
The agreement helped bring an end to the conflict between the two sides and established a phased process to integrate the SDF’s military and administrative capabilities into central government institutions, with civilian and security affairs controlled from Damascus.
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