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Türkiye condemns Israeli attacks on Damascus as ‘sabotage’

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Israeli airstrikes on the Syrian Defense Ministry and the presidential palace within the capital Damascus on Wednesday have been promptly condemned by its neighbor and ally, Türkiye, which known as the assault an act of sabotage.

“Israel’s attacks on Damascus, following its military interventions in the south of Syria, constitute an act of sabotage against Syria’s efforts to secure peace, stability, and security,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated in an announcement.

“The Syrian people now have a historic opportunity to live in peace and integrate with the world,” it stated.

“All stakeholders committed to seizing this opportunity must contribute to the Syrian administration’s efforts to establish calm,” the ministry added.

The Turkish Presidency’s Director of Communications Burhanettin Duran stated, “Israel’s attacks on Syria target not only Syria’s stability and security but also the peace of our entire region.”

In a submit on his social media account relating to Israel’s assaults on Syria, Duran added: “I condemn this assault, which threatens Syria’s sovereignty and unity. As it has until now, Türkiye will continue to support Syria’s territorial integrity.”

The Israeli army on Wednesday carried out airstrikes close to the Syrian Defense Ministry in Damascus, in possible response to Syrian authorities forces’ operations in opposition to armed clashes within the southern metropolis of Suwayda. Israel stated it was stepping up assaults on the Syrian authorities with the declared intention of defending the Druze minority from alleged hurt by nationwide safety forces. It marked the third day in a row that Israel has struck Syria, the place authorities safety forces have clashed with native Druze fighters within the southern metropolis of Suwayda.

Ankara views Syria as a neighbor it intends to face by throughout its reconstruction and reintegration into the worldwide fold.

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Israeli strikes kill dozens more Palestinians across Gaza Strip, including aid seekers

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At least 35 Palestinians have been killed and dozens extra injured early Friday in a sequence of Israeli airstrikes focusing on residential areas and shelters for the displaced individuals throughout the Gaza Strip.

In the newest assault, the Israeli military killed two Palestinians ready for assist south of the Wadi Gaza space within the central Gaza Strip.

The military killed 5 Palestinians and injured others after shelling two civilian gatherings and Amr ibn al-As college sheltering displaced individuals in Gaza City.

In the northern city of Jabalia, 5 Palestinians, together with a toddler, have been killed when an Israeli strike hit a bunch of civilians within the Al-Nazla space.

The assault marked the newest in a sample of strikes on densely populated areas with no prior warning, residents mentioned.

Most of the fatalities passed off in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, the place 17 individuals have been killed in a number of strikes at daybreak.

According to medical sources, 5 individuals, together with three ladies and a toddler, have been killed and over 20 others wounded when Israeli warplanes struck tents sheltering displaced households within the Al-Mawasi space of Khan Younis.

Elsewhere within the metropolis, a girl and her son have been killed and 9 others injured in a drone strike on the Hanawi School in northwest Khan Younis.

A separate Israeli strike hit tents sheltering displaced households within the Al-Mawasi space west of Khan Younis, killing 5 extra individuals, together with a toddler, and injuring a minimum of 15 others.

Five extra civilians have been additionally killed and 10 others wounded when Israeli warplanes bombed a household house within the western camp space of Khan Younis.

The Israeli military additionally continued to demolish houses in jap Khan Younis, whereas finishing up heavy artillery shelling on each the southern and northern edges of the town.

In Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, the Israeli military killed six Palestinians and injured a number of others who have been ready for humanitarian assist close to an assist distribution middle.

Rejecting worldwide requires a ceasefire, the Israeli military has pursued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, killing almost 59,000 Palestinians thus far, most of them ladies and kids. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to meals shortages and a variety of illness.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for warfare crimes and crimes in opposition to humanity in Gaza.

Israel additionally faces a genocide case on the International Court of Justice for its warfare on the enclave.

Source: www.anews.com.tr

Syrian govt forces complete Suwayda withdrawal after cease-fire

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Syrian authorities forces have accomplished their withdrawal from the southern Suwayda province after a cease-fire ended days of bloodshed within the Druze-majority province, a struggle monitor and witnesses confirmed Thursday.

The pullout got here after interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa mentioned in a televised deal with that “responsibility” for safety in Suwayda can be handed to non secular elders and a few native factions, “based on the supreme national interest.”

“The Syrian authorities have withdrawn their military forces from the city of Suwayda and the the whole province, and Druze fighters have deployed” of their place, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights head Rami Abdel Rahman instructed AFP.

Government troops who had pulled out of the province instructed AFP that the order to withdraw got here shortly earlier than midnight (9 p.m. GMT Wednesday) they usually accomplished their pullout at daybreak.

“The city of Suwayda seems devoid of any government forces presence,” the editor in chief of the Suwayda24 news web site, Rayan Maarouf, instructed AFP.

Government forces had deployed to the town Tuesday with the acknowledged goal of overseeing a truce, following days of lethal clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes.

Some witnesses alleged that authorities forces joined the Bedouin in attacking Druze fighters and civilians.

Neighbouring Israel intervened with strikes on the Syrian army, together with its headquarters in Damascus, which it warned would intensify till the federal government withdrew its forces from the south.

Israel, dwelling to round 150,000 Druze residents, calims its intention is to defend the Druze of Syria from violence which have damaged out since anti-regime forces now in energy in Damascus toppled longtime dictator Bashar Assad in December.

The Israeli army, which has taken management of the U.N.-monitored demilitarized zone on the Golan Heights and performed lots of of strikes on army targets in Syria, additionally says it won’t permit any Syrian army presence on its border.

Despite having initiated contact, Israel stays extraordinarily cautious of Syria’s new rulers, together with President al-Sharaa.

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Pentagon chief vows probe into Microsoft-China link

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Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth responded swiftly Friday to issues raised by Sen. Tom Cotton about reviews that Microsoft has been utilizing engineers in China to keep up US Department of Defense (DoD) programs.

“Spot on Senator. Agree fully. Our team is already looking into this ASAP,” Hegseth wrote on X.

“Foreign engineers — from any country, including of course China — should NEVER be allowed to maintain or access DoD systems,” he added.

Following media reviews that engineers in China are sustaining DOD laptop programs beneath a contract with Microsoft, the Republican senator formally requested that the Pentagon examine.

“Chinese state-sponsored hacking campaigns have long targeted U.S. officials through Microsoft systems. Now Microsoft is allegedly relying on U.S. citizens serving as ‘digital escorts’ to supervise these Chinese engineers’ activities on DoD systems,” Cotton wrote to Hegseth.

Cotton mentioned the US acknowledges that China’s cyber capabilities pose “one of the most aggressive and dangerous” threats to the nation. “DoD must guard against all potential threats within its supply chain, including those from subcontractors.”

The senator requested Hegseth to supply an inventory of contractors that rent Chinese personnel to supply upkeep or companies on DoD programs.

Source: www.anews.com.tr

Syria pulls back from Druze heartland as bloodbath kills hundreds

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The Syrian authorities has withdrawn its army forces from the southern governorate of Suwayda following days of lethal sectarian clashes and Israeli airstrikes, a transfer Damascus says is geared toward stopping additional escalation amid U.S. and Arab-led mediation.

Province in flames

Suwayda, the heartland of Syria’s Druze minority, descended into chaos after intercommunal violence erupted final Sunday.

Clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes spiraled into full-blown city warfare, with authorities troops and allied militias becoming a member of the fray.

By Thursday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 594 folks had been killed throughout the province.

The metropolis of Suwayda was almost unrecognizable.

Streets have been affected by our bodies, houses and outlets have been burned, and looting was widespread.

“What I saw of the city looked as if it had just emerged from a flood or a natural disaster,” mentioned Hanadi Obeid, a neighborhood doctor.

The United Nations reported that just about 2,000 households have been displaced.

Troop withdrawal below strain

Syrian state media confirmed Thursday’s withdrawal, citing an official assertion from the Presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic.

According to the assertion, troops returned to their unique positions “within the framework of the Syrian state’s commitment to avoiding further escalation.”

Damascus mentioned the choice adopted ensures that native forces would chorus from retaliatory violence in opposition to civilians.

However, the presidency accused those self same native fighters of violating the cease-fire and launching “a horrific campaign of violence” that endangered civil peace and will “push the country toward chaos and collapse.”

The authorities emphasised the necessity to reestablish state authority and reaffirmed its dedication to defending all residents, no matter ethnicity or sect.

Israeli airstrikes and warnings

Israel intervened forcefully throughout the federal government’s temporary deployment in Suwayda, launching airstrikes on army targets within the province and the capital Damascus.

According to the Observatory, three folks have been killed within the strikes on the capital.

Syria’s state-run SANA company confirmed that Israeli jets later bombed the outskirts of Suwayda, even after Syrian forces had pulled again.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned Israel’s “powerful action” had led to the cease-fire.

Israeli officers declare their intervention was meant to defend the Druze neighborhood, which additionally exists inside Israel, although analysts counsel it was primarily geared toward preserving Syrian authorities forces away from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Community management and a tense calm

In a televised speech, Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa introduced that area people leaders would now take over safety duties in Suwayda “based on the supreme national interest.”

Al-Sharaa, whose authorities changed Bashar Assad’s regime in December, has had a tense relationship with Syria’s minorities.

He pledged to guard the Druze and maintain accountable anybody accountable for the violence.

“We are keen on holding accountable those who transgressed and abused our Druze people, as they are under the protection and responsibility of the state,” he mentioned.

Al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham motion has struggled to achieve the belief of non-Sunni communities. This week’s occasions could deepen these divides.

International mediation, condemnation

A fragile calm was reportedly brokered late Wednesday following mediation by the U.S., Türkiye and several other Arab international locations.

The U.S. State Department mentioned it didn’t help the Israeli airstrikes however welcomed the settlement to de-escalate.

Foreign ministers from 11 nations, together with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Türkiye, launched a press release condemning the Israeli assaults as violations of Syrian sovereignty and worldwide regulation.

Syria’s presidency additionally warned of continued Israeli interference, saying it fuels chaos and destabilizes the area additional.

The authorities urged the worldwide neighborhood to help its efforts in restoring regulation and order, eradicating uncontrolled weapons and implementing sovereignty throughout Syrian territory.

Families reunited on the border

As the preventing subsided, uncommon scenes of reunion unfolded alongside the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Dozens of Druze households gathered on the frontier, hoping to glimpse or reunite with kin on the Syrian facet. Some even crossed the barbed-wire fence.

“It was like a dream,” mentioned Qamar Abu Saleh, a instructor within the Golan. “People from Syria started crossing here, and some from our side went there too. We still can’t believe it happened.”

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Trump sues Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch over Epstein story

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US President Donald Trump sued Dow Jones, News Corp, two Wall Street Journal reporters and the newspaper’s proprietor Rupert Murdoch on Friday for libel and slander.

The swimsuit comes sooner or later after Trump had threatened to sue the Journal over a narrative it revealed about an alleged raunchy birthday letter he wrote to intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The lawsuit was filed with the Southern District of Florida federal court docket in Miami. A full copy of the criticism was not instantly out there.

Source: www.anews.com.tr

Syria, Israel agree to cease-fire embraced by Türkiye: US ambassador

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Syria and Israel have agreed to a cease-fire backed by Türkiye, Jordan and neighboring nations, U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack mentioned Friday.

“Israeli Prime Minister @Netanyahu and Syrian President @SyPresidency supported by the U.S.A. @SecRubio have agreed to a ceasefire embraced by Türkiye, Jordan and its neighbors,” Barrack mentioned on X.

On Wednesday, Israel launched airstrikes in Damascus, whereas additionally hitting authorities forces within the south, demanding they withdraw and claiming that Israel aimed to guard Syrian Druze.

“We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity,” Barrack mentioned in a put up on X.

Veteran Lebanese Druze chief Walid Jumblatt on Thursday criticized Israel for fueling unrest in southern Syria by manipulating members of the Druze group below the pretext of safety, warning that the transfer poses a risk to regional safety.

The United States didn’t again Israel’s latest airstrikes in Syria, the State Department mentioned Thursday, stressing that Washington expressed its displeasure and moved swiftly to assist de-escalate tensions.

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Israel kills Palestinian child, block medics from reaching victim in West Bank

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A 13-year-old Palestinian baby was shot and killed Friday by Israeli forces within the occupied West Bank city of Ya’bad in southern Jenin, in accordance with sources.

The Palestinian news company, Wafa, recognized the victims as Amro Ali Khaled Qabha and mentioned he was shot by Israeli troopers as he was standing on a avenue in his hometown.

Wafa and witnesses reported that Israeli troops prevented ambulances from reaching the kid. The Palestinian Red Crescent confirmed that paramedics have been blocked by the military from offering medical help.

The boy’s father was additionally reportedly crushed and detained by Israel as he tried to succeed in his son.

Since the beginning of Israel’s genocidal conflict on Gaza, practically 1,000 Palestinians have been killed and greater than 7,000 injured within the occupied West Bank by Israel and unlawful settlers, in accordance with the Palestinian Health Ministry.

In a landmark opinion final July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory unlawful and referred to as for the evacuation of all settlements within the West Bank and East Jerusalem

Source: www.anews.com.tr

Damascus urges calm, vows to send forces as violence flares in S. Syria

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The Syrian presidency on Friday urged calm as violence escalated within the southern Suwayda area, asserting plans to deploy specialised models to assist restore stability and order.

The presidency stated in an announcement that it adopted with deep concern and profound sorrow the violent occasions which have occurred and proceed to unfold in southern Syria.

“These events resulted from the expansion of illegal armed groups that have used weapons as a means to impose their will, directly endangering the lives of civilians, including children, women, and the elderly,” it added.

In mild of those developments, the assertion harassed that the nation “calls on all parties to exercise self-restraint and prioritize reason.”

The competent authorities are working to ship a specialised power to finish the battle, alongside political and safety measures aimed toward stabilizing the state of affairs and making certain a return to calm within the governorate as quickly as doable, in accordance with the assertion.

​​​​​​​Clashes are nonetheless ongoing within the western and northern elements of the province between Bedouin tribal forces and native armed Druze teams.

The preventing started on Sunday as restricted skirmishes between each side, prompting Syrian regime forces to intervene. Dozens of troopers had been later killed in retaliatory assaults by armed Druze factions.

After the escalation between regime forces and Druze teams, a cease-fire was brokered however shortly collapsed.

Israel, below the pretext of defending Druze communities, intensified its assaults throughout Syria, launching airstrikes on 4 provinces, together with strikes on the General Staff headquarters and presidential palace in Damascus on Wednesday.

The authorities forces had withdrawn from Suwayda province following a cease-fire settlement introduced Wednesday that halted a lot of the violence that plagued the realm earlier within the week, however which in the end didn’t cease the preventing.

Officials had been negotiating with Druze factions on an settlement to re-enter the realm to impose stability and shield state establishments, in accordance with two Syrian officers who spoke Friday on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t approved to talk publicly. They stated an settlement was reached, however later stated the deployment was delayed, with out giving a proof.

Tens of hundreds of individuals remained displaced by the violence and the United Nations has been unable to usher in much-needed humanitarian and medical assist due to ongoing clashes.

Israel launched dozens of airstrikes on convoys of presidency fighters and even struck the Syrian Defense Ministry headquarters in central Damascus. The Druze type a considerable neighborhood in Israel, the place they’re seen as a loyal minority and infrequently serve within the Israeli army.

A truce mediated by the U.S., Türkiye and Arab nations was introduced Wednesday. Under the accord, Druze factions and clerics had been to take care of the inner safety in Sweida as authorities forces pulled out, Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa stated Thursday.

By late Thursday, clashes had been flaring once more between the Druze and Bedouin teams in elements of Sweida province. State media reported Druze militias carried out revenge assaults towards Bedouin communities, resulting in a brand new wave of displacement.

The governor of neighboring Daraa province stated in an announcement that greater than 1,000 households had been displaced to the realm from Suwayda because of “attacks on Bedouin tribes by outlaw groups.”

The volunteer group Syrian Civil Defense stated Friday that the top of its middle in Suwayda metropolis had been kidnapped by gunmen two days earlier whereas on his technique to evacuate a U.N. workforce.

The official, Hamza al-Amarin, was driving a van with the insignia of the group, often known as the White Helmets, when he was stopped by militants, the assertion stated. An individual who answered his telephone on Thursday stated he was protected, it added, however they’ve been unable to succeed in him.

The United Nations’ migration company stated Friday that almost 80,000 individuals had been displaced altogether since clashes began on Sunday.

It additionally famous that important companies, together with water and electrical energy, have collapsed in Sweida, telecommunications techniques are broadly disrupted, and well being amenities in Sweida and Daraa are below extreme pressure.

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Palestinian factions in Gaza ready for ‘long war of attrition’ against Israel: Al-Qassam

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Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, mentioned on Friday that Palestinian factions are prepared to have interaction in a “long war of attrition” in opposition to Israel.

In a recorded speech, his first since March 6, Abu Obaida, Al-Qassam spokesperson, mentioned: “Our fighters have tried in recent weeks to carry out several kidnapping operations targeting Zionist soldiers, some of which almost succeeded… due to the enemy’s use of mass killing tactics against soldiers suspected of being kidnapped.”

The Israeli military makes use of the “Hannibal protocol” to forestall Palestinian factions from capturing its troopers in Gaza.

The Hannibal protocol permits the usage of heavy weapons when an Israeli soldier is captured to forestall the captors from leaving the scene, even when this poses a hazard to the captive.

He continued: “Over these months, hundreds of enemy soldiers have been killed and wounded, alongside thousands suffering psychological illnesses and trauma, at a time when the number of soldiers committing suicide is increasing due to the horror of the bloody acts they commit and the severity of the resistance they face.”

Abu Obaida affirmed that Al-Qassam fighters “surprise the enemy with new and diverse tactics and methods, after learning lessons from the longest confrontation in our people’s history.”

“After 21 months since Al-Aqsa Flood Operation and the Zionist-Nazi war on our people, we confirm that our fighters and their brothers in resistance factions are fully ready to continue a long war of attrition against the occupation, regardless of the forms of its aggression.”

He identified that Israel “would not have committed this genocide in your hearing and sight unless it had secured impunity, ensured silence, and bought betrayal. We do not exempt anyone from responsibility for this bleeding blood, nor do we exclude anyone who has the ability to act, each according to their capacity and influence.”

– Gaza ceasefire negotiations

Regarding Gaza ceasefire negotiations, he mentioned: “We strongly support the position of the Palestinian resistance negotiation delegation in the indirect talks with the enemy.”

He mentioned: “The Netanyahu criminal government is not concerned with the (Israeli) prisoners because they are soldiers, and their file is not a priority.”

Abu Obaida prolonged greetings to the Houthi group in Yemen for its help of Gaza and for an “effective front” in opposition to Israel, affirming that this “has dealt a decisive blow to the idlers and submissive among the Arab and Islamic regimes, forces, and parties, some of which have unfortunately become facades for oppression and tranquilizers for the peoples and their free youth.”

Rejecting worldwide requires a ceasefire, the Israeli military has pursued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, killing almost 59,000 Palestinians thus far, most of them ladies and kids.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for battle crimes and crimes in opposition to humanity in Gaza.
Israel additionally faces a genocide case on the International Court of Justice for its battle on the enclave.

Source: www.anews.com.tr