BEIRUT: Syrian activists and a first responder group said on Sunday that shelling and rocket fire in the suburbs of Damascus killed 19 civilians a day after medical evacuations were completed to save the lives of 29 others.
Regime forces have advanced against fighters on the edge of the northwestern province of Idlib, the last outside government control, a monitor and the state news agency said.
Regime forces backed by Russian warplanes have been battling fighters in an area straddling the border between Idlib and Hama provinces.
The fighting, which could signal the start of a major offensive to seize Idlib province from militants dominated by a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, escalated on Thursday.
On Saturday, regime troops advanced, seizing several villages and surrounding areas, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor.
State news agency SANA said regime forces had taken control of five villages, areas and “strategic hills” in the northeast of Hama province.
An AFP correspondent said civilians continued to flee areas near the battle zone, heading north toward the provincial capital of Idlib with their belongings piled high on pickup trucks.
“We were the target of strikes more than once — we couldn’t stay,” said Abu Ahmed, a man in his 60s from the southeast of Idlib province, fleeing with his family in a pickup.
“I don’t know how to say how I feel, leaving my land and home at my age. We are leaving without even knowing where we’re headed.”
In the Maaret Al-Numan area, some people have put up tents, pots and pans piled at the entrance flaps.
“We escaped for the sake of the children. They were terrified by air raids and strikes,” said Abu Khaled, a bearded man in his 30s wearing a red and white checkered keffiyeh headscarf.
The father of four, from Hama province, had already fled once with his family — to Idlib, where they lived in a camp for the displaced.
Since Thursday, the clashes have killed dozens of regime soldiers and allied members of paramilitary units, as well as 29 militants from opposition groups or from former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh Al-Sham, the Observatory said.
Assad forces first aim to take control of the southeast of Idlib province, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.
This would allow the regime to have full control of a road that links the capital Damascus to Aleppo.
Russia intervened on the side of Bashar Assad’s regime in 2015, helping it to take back control of swathes of territory including Aleppo.
“After finishing off IS (Daesh), the regime’s forces are concentrating their operations on Idlib’s jihadists,” Abdel Rahman said.
Outside Damascus, Eastern Ghouta has also come under increasing bombardment from Assad’s forces.
Regime airstrikes on Harasta killed eight, while six died in regime shelling of Misraba, Kfar Batna, Nashabiyeh and Outaya.
At least 43 more civilians were wounded.
“The regime intensified its shelling and airstrikes on Saturday after Fateh Al-Sham and Islamic factions attacked its positions near Harasta” on Friday, Abdel Rahman said.
Eastern Ghouta has been under regime siege since 2013, causing severe food and medicine shortages for some 400,000 residents.
The war in Syria has killed more than 340,000 people and displaced millions from their homes since it began in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-Assad protests.
Regime’s shelling kills 19 outside Damascus, say activists
Regime’s shelling kills 19 outside Damascus, say activists
Egyptian president tours Prophet’s biography museum
- El-Sisi explored the various creative pavilions that illustrate aspects of the Prophet Muhammad’s life
RIYADH: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi visited the International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization in Madinah, Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
During his tour on Friday, El-Sisi explored the various creative pavilions that illustrate aspects of the Prophet Muhammad’s life.
He viewed the panorama of the prophet’s chamber, which showcases authentic details of its construction and development through to the modern era.
El-Sisi was also introduced to a simulation of the Prophet’s pulpit, displayed through models and smart interactive screens. The exhibition highlighted the Kingdom’s efforts in serving the Qur’an and the Two Holy Mosques.
Expressing his admiration for the exhibition and museum project, El-Sisi extended his gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their efforts and hospitality.
8 Israeli soldiers killed in southern Gaza
- The deaths will likely fuel calls for a ceasefire and heighten Israeli public anger over ultra-Orthodox exemptions from the military
- In January, 21 Israeli troops were killed in a single attack by Palestinian militants in Gaza
JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said Saturday that eight soldiers were killed in southern Gaza in the deadliest attack on Israeli forces in months.
The troops were killed in an explosion, the army said, without elaborating. The deaths will likely fuel calls for a ceasefire and heighten Israeli public anger over ultra-Orthodox exemptions from the military.
In January, 21 Israeli troops were killed in a single attack by Palestinian militants in Gaza.
Last month, Israel’s Supreme Court ordered an end to government subsidies for many ultra-Orthodox men who don’t serve in the army. A new draft law hasn’t been passed, but the coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week voted in favor of extending exemptions for religious men. Although the vote was only procedural, it caused an uproar by being approved during a war in which hundreds of soldiers have died and many others remain inside Gaza or on the front lines against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
Yoav Gallant, Israel’s Defense Minister and member of the country’s War Cabinet, has insisted that all sectors of Israeli society should contribute equally during its war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s coalition government contains a powerful bloc of ultra-Orthodox parties that have been longtime partners of Netanyahu. If these parties leave the government, the country would be forced into new elections, with Netanyahu trailing significantly in the polls amid the war.
In Tel Aviv, anti-government protests have been ongoing for months, with many demonstrators calling for the immediate return of the hostages, along with Netanyahu’s resignation.
Israel’s bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza have killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health officials, who don’t give the breakdown of civilians and fighters. The war has also driven about 80 percent of the population of 2.3 million from their homes, and Israeli restrictions and ongoing fighting have hindered efforts to bring in humanitarian aid, fueling widespread hunger.
Israel launched its campaign after Hamas and other militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 hostage. More than 100 hostages were released during a weeklong ceasefire last year in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Hamas is believed to be holding around 80 hostages and the remains of another 40.
Months of ceasefire negotiations have failed to find common ground between Israeli and Hamas. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Hamas proposed changes to a US-backed plan, some of which he said were “workable” and some not.
Hamas has continually called for a permanent ceasefire and complete Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza as part of any deal that would see the hostages released. While the proposal announced by US President Joe Biden includes these two provisions, Hamas has expressed concern about whether Israel will commit to them.
Violence has flared in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war erupted. On Saturday, a 16-year-old Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli forces near the northern city of Nablus, the Ramallah-based Health Ministry said. The Israeli army didn’t immediately respond to request for comment about the shooting.
UNICEF says Israel denied entry to aid convoy for Gaza
- UNICEF spokesman James Elder said such denials are “consistent and relentless,” with hundreds of similar incidents documented
LONDON: UNICEF has reported that one of its aid convoys was denied entry to northern Gaza this week, despite possessing all the necessary documents, in what the organization’s spokesman described as a common occurrence.
In an interview with the BBC’s “Today” program, UNICEF spokesman James Elder, who was in one of the aid lorries attempting to travel from southern to northern Gaza on Wednesday, said that despite having all the required paperwork it took the convoy 13 hours to travel approximately 40 kilometers (30 miles). After spending eight hours at checkpoints, they were ultimately denied entry to northern Gaza, he said, “so 10,000 children who were going to benefit from nutritional supplies, medical supplies, did not.”
Elder said the reasons behind the decision were unclear, but noted that such denials are “consistent and relentless,” with hundreds of similar incidents documented.
The Israeli army responded by claiming that the documentation for the UNICEF vehicle in the convoy was incorrectly filled out and accused Elder of presenting a “partial picture.”
While waiting at one of the checkpoints, Elder said he witnessed a group of around eight men attempting to catch fish with a single net. “Suddenly we heard a tank coming down, we heard... automatic fire,” he said. “We saw two fishermen fleeing, one was shot in the back, one in the neck.”
The UN spokesman added that the WHO, which had paramedics in the convoy, requested permission from the Israeli Defense Forces to provide medical support to the injured men, but this request was denied. He later saw the fishermen’s wounds when their colleagues were allowed to retrieve their bodies.
Elder, who had last been in Gaza six weeks previously, said the situation is far worse now. “It’s the first time I’ve seen a real level of despondency,” he said. “They’re so despairing, they’re so broken, they’ve lost so many family members. They have nothing left.
“It’s very unsettling to see a child when their parent can’t protect them, it’s heartbreaking when a parent can’t protect their child,” he continued. “Increasingly I’m hearing people say, ‘I just want this over, I’m happy if there’s an airstrike on me tonight.’”
UNRWA slams Israeli allegations in Google Ads dispute
- Israeli government’s claims appear as “sponsored links” at the top of Google search results for UNRWA
LONDON: The UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees has rejected claims made against it in Israeli advertisements on Google as “unrealistic.”
The Israeli government’s claims appear as “sponsored links” at the top of Google search results for UNRWA, Anadolu Agency reported.
These advertisements from the Tel Aviv administration’s website contain unsubstantiated allegations, including accusations of UNRWA employees’ involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks and that the agency has been infiltrated by Hamas and other groups.
UNRWA spokesman, Jonathan Fowler, said that the allegations of infiltration were baseless. Fowler noted that the agency had conducted repeated investigations and taken corrective actions when allegations of neutrality violations had arisen, both during and before the war in Gaza.
He stressed that there was no evidence linking any of the agency’s employees to the Oct. 7 operation on settlements adjacent to Gaza.
Earlier in April, an independent review headed by the French former foreign minister, Catherine Colonna, found that Israeli authorities had yet to provide any evidence to back up their allegations that a dozen people worked for UNRWA.
The wide-ranging 48-page report, seen by Arab News, also found that Israel had not previously expressed concerns about any individuals named on the agency staffing lists that it had been receiving since 2011.
UN experts say Sudan paramilitaries recruiting in Central Africa
- “The spillover effect of the conflict in the Sudan has significantly affected the situation in the Central African Republic,” said the expert committee
- This “continues to constitute a security threat to civilians and an impediment to humanitarian activities in the area“
UNITED NATIONS: Sudanese paramilitary forces are using the Central African Republic as a “supply chain,” including for recruitment of fighters, according to a report published Friday by UN experts, who are concerned about a “spillover effect.”
Sudan descended into war in April 2023 when the generals in charge of the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took up arms against each other in a fight for control, rejecting a plan to integrate.
“The spillover effect of the conflict in the Sudan has significantly affected the situation in the Central African Republic,” said the expert committee, formed by the UN Security Council to monitor sanctions on Central Africa.
They highlighted in particular the humanitarian situation, as the country sees an influx of millions of Sudanese refugees, as well as incursions by the two warring Sudanese parties — plus air raids by the Sudanese army in and around the Umm Dafog border post, where the RSF is present.
This “continues to constitute a security threat to civilians and an impediment to humanitarian activities in the area,” the experts said.
They insist the paramilitaries are also using the Am Dafok area in the Central African Republic on the border “as a key logistical hub.”
Because the RSF can “move between the two countries easily through a long-standing network” they have been able to recruit “from among armed groups in the Central African Republic.”
“Opposition armed groups from the Central African Republic have been reported to have actively recruited for, and sent members of their own groups to fight in, the Sudan under RSF,” the experts said.
They noted in particular fighters in Sudan since as early as August 2023 from the Central African rebel group Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central Africa (FPRC).
The experts said they are aware that this armed group and others “are still able to cross between the Sudan and the Central African Republic at will and use Sudanese territory to launch attacks.”
The experts thus called on Central African authorities to “counteract the surge in arms trafficking from neighboring countries, particularly given the current conflict situation in the Sudan.”
They also asked the leaders to combat “the infiltration of foreign fighters into the Central African Republic, which poses a significant long-term threat to the region.”
