ISTANBUL: Turkey has “strongly” condemned Israel’s decision not to renew the mandate of an international monitoring group in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.
“We strongly condemn Israel’s unilateral termination of the mandate of the ‘Temporary International Presence in Hebron’ (TIPH) ... and expect this political decision to be reversed,” the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement late on Friday.
The Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) was established after a massacre of Palestinians in 1994.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he would not extend its mandate, accusing it of bias.
Ankara, however, dismissed the Israeli claim.
“We decisively reject the allegation that the TIPH has been working against Israel, which is presented by Israel as a justification for its decision.”
Turkey has observers in the Norway-led team tasked with promoting security for Palestinians in Hebron, which is holy to both Muslims and Jews and has been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Palestinian and European officials have also expressed concern and regret over the Israeli decision.
Turkey denounces Israel’s decision over Hebron monitoring
Turkey denounces Israel’s decision over Hebron monitoring
- The Temporary International Presence in Hebron was established after a massacre of Palestinians in 1994.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not extend its mandate, accusing it of bias
Syria says detained senior Daesh jihadist in Damascus
- The arrest came less than two weeks after a December 13 attack killed two US soldiers
DAMASCUS: Syrian authorities have arrested a senior Daesh group official in the Damascus region in a joint operation with a US-led international coalition, a security official said on Wednesday.
Taha Al-Zoubi, also known as Abu Omar Tabiya, an Daesh leader in Damascus, was detained with several of his men, General Ahmad Al-Dalati was reported as saying by state news agency SANA.
The arrest came less than two weeks after a December 13 attack killed two US soldiers and a US civilian that Washington said was carried out by a lone Daesh gunman in central Syria’s Palmyra.
“Our specialized units, in cooperation with the General Intelligence Directorate and and International Coalition forces, carried out a precise security operation targeting” an Daesh hideout, Dalati said.
On December 20, a Syria monitor said that five Daesh members were killed in US strikes in retaliation for the December 13 attack.
It was the first such incident since the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar Assad in December last year, and Syrian authorities said the perpetrator was a security forces member who was due to be fired for his “extremist Islamist ideas.”
