CAN SYRIA'S DWINDLING CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY SURVIVE UNDER JIHADI REBEL RULE?

 JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)

CAN SYRIA'S DWINDLING CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY SURVIVE UNDER JIHADI REBEL RULE?

DAMASCUS DESTROYED

ISAIAH 17:1,3,13-14
17 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
3 The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the Lord of hosts.
13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
14 And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.

JEREMIAH 49:23-27
23 Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.
24 Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
25 How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the Lord of hosts.
27 And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.

HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)

LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.

MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)(50% OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.(ON EARTH)
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.(ON EARTH)
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)

EU diplomat: Syria sanctions relief not relevant until new leadership proves itself-Kaja Kallas says new leaders will have to ensure rights of minorities and women, disavow religious extremism in order to make good on their assurances of moderation-By Suleiman Al-Khalidi Today, 7:41 pm-DEC 15,24

AMMAN, Jordan (Reuters) — The EU will not lift sanctions on Syria before its new rulers ensure minorities are not persecuted and women’s rights are protected within a unified government that disavows religious extremism, the EU’s top diplomat said on Sunday.An EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Monday, which has Syria on the agenda, would not discuss expanding financial support to the country beyond that already provided by the EU through United Nations agencies, said the European Union’s new foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas.“One of the questions is whether we are able to, in the future, look at the adaptation of the sanctions regime. But this clearly is not the question of today, but rather in the future where we have seen that the steps go in the right direction,” Kallas told Reuters in an interview.While the EU has in place a tough sanctions regime against Syria, the rebel group that led the overthrow of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad — Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — has also been under sanctions for years, complicating matters for the international community.The EU was already the biggest donor of humanitarian aid to Syria, Kallas said.“We need to discuss what more can we do. But as I say, it can’t come as a blank check,” Kallas added.She was speaking after attending a conference in Jordan on Saturday that brought together regional and Western powers to discuss Syria’s post-Assad future. Diplomats agreed that the protection of Syria’s minorities was a major concern.“Syria faces a hopeful but uncertain future,” said Kallas, who is making her first visit to the Middle East in her new post. Syria’s new interim leaders had made “positive signals” but these were not enough, she said.“They are judged by the deeds, not only the words. So the coming weeks and months will show whether their deeds are going to the right direction,” Kallas said.“What everybody is looking at is, of course, the treatment of women and girls also, which shows the society and how it goes, how the institutions are built up, so that there is a government that takes on board everybody,” she added.Human rights bodies say tens of thousands perished under the Assad family’s authoritarian rule, and the ousted president had to be held accountable, Kallas said.“It’s clear that Assad has been responsible for the crimes committed in Syria, so there clearly has to be accountability,” she said, and the International Criminal Court would be expected to look into how he would be prosecuted“Without accountability, there is no justice, and without justice, it’s also very hard to build the country,” she added.

Katz: Despite assurances by rebel leaders, Syria threat requires boost to defense budget-Defense minister says ‘the immediate risks to the country have not disappeared,’ and ‘intensity’ of danger has increased-By ToI Staff Today, 6:35 pm-DEC 15,24

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that the defense budget must be increased “in the face of growing threats,” citing the recent developments in Syria with the ousting of former president Bashar al-Assad by Islamist forces.“Israel must be able to defend itself, on its own, against any threat,” Katz told the Nagel Committee, which examines defense spending and the design of military forces for the future, according to a ministry statement.“The immediate risks to the country have not disappeared and the recent developments in Syria are increasing the intensity of the threat, despite the rebel leaders seeking to present a semblance of moderation,” Katz said.The Nagel Committee is tasked with determining the direction of Israel’s military force design for the next decade, the budgetary implications and the economic impact.Katz said Friday that he had ordered the military to prepare to maintain its presence on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon during the coming winter months as Israel aims to prevent the border region from falling into hostile hands.Last week, for the same reason, Israel launched a major operation to destroy the Syrian military’s strategic military capabilities, including chemical weapons sites, missiles, air defenses, air force and navy targets.Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, said on Saturday that Israel was using false pretexts to justify its attacks on Syria, but that he was not interested in engaging in new conflicts as the country focuses on rebuilding.In a video message to the new regime taking shape in Syria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that the IDF bombed military strategic capabilities left by the Syrian military of the ousted Assad regime “so that they won’t fall into the hands of the jihadists. ”Netanyahu added that Israel was ready to establish relations with the new rulers but wouldn’t hesitate to attack if they threatened the Jewish state or allowed Iran to reestablish itself in Syria.Top diplomats of Turkey and the United States have also met to discuss their joint effort to prevent Islamic State from resurging after Assad’s downfall, amid international efforts to gauge Syria’s new leadership, Hayat Tahrir a-Sham, an Islamist organization that originated in al-Qaeda but has since apparently broken with the jihadi terror group.

IDF says Al Jazeera cameraman killed in Gaza strike was member of Islamic Jihad-Military says Ahmed Al-Louh, previously a PIJ platoon commander, was situated in compound used to plan attacks; TV network accuses Israel of ‘systematic killing of journalists’By Emanuel Fabian-and Agencies Today, 11:35 pm-DEC 15,24

The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday that an Al Jazeera cameraman killed in an airstrike in the central Gaza Strip earlier in the day was a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, as the Qatari-funded network condemned the strike.In a statement, the military said it carried out a drone strike against a group of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror operatives at a command center, based out of the offices of the Gaza civil defense organization in Nuseirat.“The compound was used by the terrorists to plan and execute terror acts against IDF troops in the immediate time frame,” the military said.According to the IDF, several terror operatives were killed in the strike, including Ahmad Al-Louh, an Al Jazeera cameraman whom the military accused of previously serving as a platoon commander in Islamic Jihad’s central Gaza brigade.The IDF said it took steps to mitigate civilian harm in the strike, including by using precision munitions, aerial surveillance and other intelligence.Al Jazeera, meanwhile, said in a statement that it “condemns in the strongest terms the killing of its cameraman, Ahmad Baker Al-Louh, 39, by the Israeli occupation forces,” whom the network said was “brutally killed in an airstrike that targeted a civil defense post in the market area.”Al Jazeera Media Network condemns in the strongest terms the killing of its cameraman, Ahmad Baker Al-Louh, 39, by the Israeli occupation forces. https://t.co/g6wqEG0clU— Al Jazeera PR (@AlJazeera) December 15, 2024-The network added that Louh’s killing came “just days after the targeting of his house” by Israeli forces who “utterly destroyed” it — an accusation to which the IDF did not specifically respond.The network accused Israel of “systematic killing of journalists in cold blood,” as well as “evasion of responsibilities under international humanitarian law.”Meanwhile, the strip’s Hamas-governed civil defense agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal confirmed Louh had been killed in the strike on the Nuseirat camp, which he said also claimed the lives of three members of the rescue agency.In a statement, Hamas called Louh’s killing an “assassination” and a “war crime,” describing it as “part of a systematic targeting of journalists in Gaza, aimed at intimidating them and deterring them.”It was not the first time an Al Jazeera employee has been killed by Israeli forces amid the ongoing war in Gaza, which began when the Hamas terror group attacked Israel on October 7 last year, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.In January, Israel said an Al Jazeera staff journalist as well as a freelancer killed in an airstrike in Gaza were terror operatives.The following month, it accused another journalist with the channel, who was wounded in a separate strike, of being a deputy company commander with Hamas.And in October, the IDF said it had uncovered documents in Gaza that show six active Al Jazeera reporters were operatives in the Hamas and Islamic Jihad.Al Jazeera has fiercely denied Israel’s allegations and accused it of systematically targeting Al Jazeera employees in the Gaza Strip.In April, the Israeli government passed an emergency law to take the network off the air and block its broadcasts for violating national security. Courts have since upheld the legislation, citing confidential information.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Lapid raps move: Way to handle criticism is to stay, not run-Israel to close its embassy in Dublin due to Ireland’s ‘extreme anti-Israel policy’Irish PM calls move ‘deeply regrettable’; FM Sa’ar announces new embassy in Moldova, says Israel ‘giving weight’ to countries that are ‘interested in strengthening ties’By Lazar Berman-and ToI Staff Today, 7:33 pm-DEC 15,24

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced on Sunday that Israel will be shutting its embassy in Ireland, citing the “extreme anti-Israel policy of the Irish government.”“The antisemitic actions and rhetoric that Ireland is taking against Israel are based on delegitimization and demonization of the Jewish state and on double standards,” said Sa’ar in a statement. “Ireland has crossed all red lines in its relationship with Israel.”Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris called the decision “deeply regrettable.”“I utterly reject the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel,” Harris wrote on X following Sa’ar’s announcement. “Ireland is pro-peace, pro-human rights and pro-international law.”“Ireland wants a two-state solution and for Israel and Palestine to live in peace and security. Ireland will always speak up for human rights and international law,” he added.Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said the two countries would maintain diplomatic relations and that there were no plans to close Ireland’s embassy in Israel.Ireland has been one of Israel’s most outspoken critics throughout the war in Gaza, which broke out on October 7, 2023, with Hamas’s unprecedented attack in which  3,000 terrorists murdered some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, mostly civilians.Israel recalled its ambassador in May after Ireland became one of three EU countries that said they would unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state. Ireland has not recalled its envoy to Israel. In November, the Irish parliament passed a nonbinding motion declaring that “genocide is being perpetrated before our eyes by Israel in Gaza.”And last week, Ireland’s cabinet voted to join the case accusing Israel of perpetrating “genocide” during its war with Hamas in Gaza, brought by South Africa at the International Criminal Court in The Hague last year.Aside from the Irish government’s views and actions regarding the war, a report published last month by education monitoring group IMPACT-se exposed profound distortions of the Holocaust, Israel, Judaism and Jewish history in textbooks used in Irish public schools.Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, a former foreign minister, criticized Sa’ar for the move on Sunday, writing in a post on X that it was the wrong approach.“The decision to close Israel’s embassy in Ireland is a victory for antisemitism and anti-Israel organizations. The way to deal with criticism is not to run away but to stay and fight,” Lapid wrote.After Sa’ar responded, telling Lapid to be ashamed of himself for “defining the Irish treatment of Israel as ‘criticism,'” the opposition leader doubled down, saying that “Israel needs to hold embassies precisely in places where there is a strong conflict with the government, and a foreign minister who only gives up and runs away from conflict is not doing his job.”In a statement, Maurice Cohen, the chairman of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland, said the closure of the embassy will prove “particularly distressing for the Jewish community in Ireland, which has grown and diversified significantly in recent years.”For the Irish-Israeli residents of the country, “the closure of the embassy represents not only a symbolic blow but also a practical disadvantage” for those requiring consular service. Cohen called on “both the Irish and Israeli governments to seek pathways to rebuild trust and to ensure that avenues for diplomatic engagement remain open… let us choose engagement over estrangement, dialogue over division, and the pursuit of peace over polarizing actions.”Meanwhile, Sa’ar also announced on Sunday that Israel would open an embassy in Moldova, which already has an embassy in Israel. The opening is expected to occur in the next year, and Israel is beginning the process of finding a site and appointing an ambassador.“There are countries that are interested in strengthening their ties with Israel and do not yet have an Israeli embassy,” said Sa’ar. “We will adjust the Israeli diplomatic structure of our missions while giving weight, among other things, to the approach and actions of the various countries towards Israel in the political arena.”Moldova’s Ambassador to Israel Alex Roitman praised the announcement, writing on X that “it was a natural step to make long ago.”“I’m convinced a full-fledged Israeli diplomatic mission in Chișinău, together with Moldovan mission in Tel Aviv, will contribute to goals of widening the bilateral relation in the fields: political, economic, social, in the sectors: medicine, agriculture, military, cyber, etc,” he wrote.JTA contributed to this report.

Appealing ICC arrest warrants, Israel says court violated its own charter and rulings-Court said in 2021 it would rule first on jurisdiction issues before issuing any warrants against Israelis, but last month asserted Israel had no standing to challenge jurisdiction-By Jeremy Sharon-Today, 5:54 pm-DEC 15,24

Israel filed two appeals on Friday against the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.The appeals, filed by Dr. Gilad Noam from the Attorney General’s Office, focused on what Israel argued were serious procedural deficiencies in the decision by ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan to seek arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.The first appeal addressed Israel’s contention that Khan should have provided new notification of his investigation into the allegations regarding the prosecution of the war in Gaza following Hamas’s October 7 invasion and massacre. He instead relied on notification issued in 2021 of an investigation the court had initiated at the time.The second appeal dealt with Israel’s claim that the ICC lacks jurisdiction over Israelis.The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on November 21 on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the war in Gaza.The allegations related in particular to charges that the two leaders had committed the war crimes of directing attacks against the civilian population of Gaza and of using starvation as a method of warfare by hindering the supply of international aid to Gaza.Khan also alleged that the two committed the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts as a result of the restrictions they allegedly placed on the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.Israel has strongly rejected the substance of the allegations, insisting that it has funneled massive amounts of humanitarian aid through the crossings along the Gaza border, and that any problems with the distribution of that aid to the Palestinian civilian population are a result of inefficient operations by the aid organizations on the ground, difficulties arising from the ongoing conflict in the territory, and the looting of aid by Hamas and other terrorist organizations.Israel has also rejected allegations that it targets civilians, insisting that civilian casualties caused by the operation have resulted in large part due to Hamas’s tactic of embedding its fighters and installations within Gaza’s civilian infrastructure.In its appeal over the issue of notification, Israel noted that the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I — which approved Khan’s request for arrest warrants — noted that the court had “tacitly accepted” that an investigation “could change to such a degree” that new notification would be required.Notification is a crucial component of the Rome Statute under which the ICC operates, since it is designed to give the country under investigation the ability to conduct its own investigations into the charges alleged by the prosecutor and have its own justice system deal with the allegations, a principle known as “complementarity.”Israel alleges that Khan never gave Israel this opportunity and therefore violated this foundational principle of the court designed to restrain its jurisdiction in cases where the country under investigation has an independent legal system and judiciary.In its decision to approve the arrest warrants, the ICC found that the threshold of a change in the investigation had not been met, but Israel in its appeal argued that the allegations under investigation in 2021 and those now under investigation as a result of the current war are significantly different, and that Khan should therefore have issued new notification before deciding to seek arrest warrants.In the second appeal, Israel appealed the court’s ruling that Israel does not have standing to appeal its jurisdiction, and that even if it did it could not do so until after warrants have been issued.“The court’s legitimacy depends, in equal measure, both on the effective discharge of its mandate, and on adherence to its jurisdictional limitations,” Israel insisted in its appeal.Israel argued that the court had ignored the ICC’s earlier decision from 2021 when it admitted “the State of Palestine.” At that time, the court decided that it would rule on “further questions of jurisdiction” only if and when the prosecutor filed requests for arrest warrants against Israelis.Israel argued in its initial challenges against Khan’s request for arrest warrants that the terms of the Oslo Accords signed by Israel and Palestinian representative bodies explicitly deny any Palestinian entity legal jurisdiction over Israeli nationals.Since the ICC works by party members delegating their jurisdiction to the court to prosecute suspected violations of the Rome Statute, the Palestinians never had the necessary jurisdiction to transfer to the ICC in the first place, Israel argued.But the court rejected Israel’s standing to challenge the ICC’s jurisdiction at all.Israel noted in its appeal that the 2021 decision admitting “the State of Palestine” to the court “expressly did not deal with” the arguments surrounding the provisions of the Oslo Accords and stipulated that such questions would be decided if and when arrest warrants would be sought.As a result, the ICC’s decision to reject Israel’s standing to challenge jurisdiction meant that Israel was being “wrongfully deprived of standing for its jurisdiction challenge and also led to the wrongful issuance of arrest warrants against Israel’s prime minister and former defense minister.”

IDF: Dozens of terror operatives killed in overnight raid in north Gaza’s Beit Hanoun-Several more gunmen killed in adjacent town of Beit Lahiya; military says it hit Hamas command center in former clinic in Jabalia, three cells in Gaza City-By Emanuel Fabian-Today, 4:33 pm-DEC 15,24

Dozens of terror operatives were killed in an overnight raid carried out by troops of the Givati Infantry Brigade in northern Gaza’s Beit Hanoun, the Israel Defense Forces said on Sunday.According to the military, the Givati troops raided an area of Beit Hanoun where there was a “concentration of terrorists” following intelligence information on “the presence of terrorists in the area.”During the operation, which also involved airstrikes, dozens of gunmen were killed, and several other terror operatives were detained, the IDF said.In a separate operation in the adjacent town of Beit Lahiya, the IDF added, troops of the Kfir Brigade killed several terror operatives in ground combat and by directing airstrikes. The soldiers also located and destroyed weapons in the area.Meanwhile, earlier Sunday, the IDF said it carried out an airstrike against Hamas operatives at a command center embedded within a building that formerly housed the Abu Shabak medical clinic in Jabalia.“The compound was used by the Hamas terrorists to plan and carry out terror activity against IDF troops and the State of Israel, and many weapons used by the Hamas terrorists were stored there,” the military said.The IDF also said that on Saturday night, fighter jets struck three terror cells in Gaza City, whose members were planning to carry out attacks against troops in the “immediate time frame.”In all of the strikes, the IDF said it took steps to mitigate civilian harm, including by using precision munitions, aerial surveillance and other intelligence. Gaza-based medics said that nine people were killed Sunday in Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and Jabalia. Residents said clusters of houses were bombed and some set ablaze in the three towns.The latest operations came amid a months-long IDF offensive against Hamas in the Strip’s far northern towns of Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, launched in early September.So far, the military estimates that it has killed at least 2,000 operatives during the recent operation, while another 1,500 have been detained, and around 90,000 civilians evacuated from the area. Thirty-four IDF soldiers have been killed so far in the operation.The war in Gaza erupted with Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre, which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border into Israel by land, air and sea, murdering some 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, mostly civilians, amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 386. The toll includes a police officer killed in a hostage rescue mission and a Defense Ministry civilian contractor.The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 44,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says it has killed some 18,000 combatants in battle as of November and another 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7, 2023, or in the following few days.Israel has repeatedly said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.Reuters contributed to this report.

Terror scare shuts down main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway-Police later say terror suspicion was false alarm, after incident brings traffic to standstill; cops detain 13 unauthorized Palestinian workers in connection with suspected vehicle-By ToI Staff Today, 4:10 pm-DEC 15,24

Security forces scrambled to put up checkpoints and conduct searches outside Jerusalem on Sunday as authorities working off an intelligence tip hunted down a suspected terror cell thought to be plotting an attack, in what was ultimately a false alarm.Police said in a statement Sunday evening that a preliminary investigation had ruled out any terrorist activity.The police statement noted that during the investigation, police detained 13 Palestinians who were in Israel without authorization, who were suspected to have arrived in the vehicle being investigated. The Palestinians, along with their employer, were taken for questioning.Traffic on Route 1, the main highway linking Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, was brought to a standstill early Sunday afternoon as security forces attempted to nab suspects who were seemingly trying to reach the Tel Aviv area.One driver was detained near the Latrun interchange outside the central city of Modiin “following an alert received about a suspect vehicle,” police said in an initial statement.The suspect’s vehicle, a silver Toyota Land Cruiser SUV according to reports, was impounded after being checked by a sapper, according to police. The driver was transferred to the Shin Bet security service for questioning, reports said.Footage from various areas along the freeway west of Jerusalem showed large numbers of police officers, including members of a quick response counter-terror squad, gathered on the highway as far as Ben Gurion Airport, or walking between lines of idling cars.Reports in Hebrew-language media claimed that security forces were searching for a second suspect as well, though there was no confirmation.According to Channel 12 news, police were acting on intelligence regarding alleged plans for an attack by two residents of the Wadi al-Hummus area of East Jerusalem.Over Jerusalem, the chop of blades cutting through the air was heard constantly as police helicopters conducted searches from above.Police also set up checkpoints to perform spot checks at various other locations around Jerusalem, and shut traffic at some crossings between the capital and the West Bank.Last week, a Palestinian terrorist opened fire on an Israeli bus traveling in the West Bank just south of Jerusalem, killing a 12-year-old boy and wounding three others. The shooter later turned himself in.Violence has risen sharply in the West Bank since the Gaza war started on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages.Since then, 42 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank.Another six members of the security forces were killed in clashes with operatives in the West Bank amid a major counterterrorism offensive that has been accompanied by sharp restrictions on Palestinian movement.Israeli troops have arrested some 5,250 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank as part of the post-October 7 military operations, including more than 2,050 affiliated with Hamas.According to the Palestinian Authority health ministry, some 800 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in the same span of time. The IDF says the vast majority of them were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops or terrorists carrying out attacks.Times of Israel staff and agencies contributed to this report.

A week after Assad’s fall, Syria begins to come to terms with his brutal legacy-Residents and rebel leaders aim for return to normalcy; pubs and bars reopening, reportedly with blessing of Islamist regime-By AFP and ToI Staff Today, 2:19 pm-DEC 15,24

A week after a lightning offensive toppled longtime leader Bashar al-Assad, Syrians are only beginning to scratch the surface of the atrocities committed under his rule, as the country’s new rulers seek to reassure the international community.UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen arrived in Damascus on Sunday, his spokesperson said, declining to give details of his agenda.Calm is slowly returning to the streets of the capital, with dozens of children streaming back to school on Sunday for the first time since Assad fled.“The school has asked us to send middle and upper pupils back to class,” said mother of three Raghida Ghosn, 56.“The younger ones will go back in two days,” she told AFP.An official at one Damascus school said “no more than 30 percent” were back on Sunday, but that “these numbers will rise gradually.”Assad fled Syria last weekend following an 11-day rebel offensive led by the Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), bringing to a dramatic end more than 50 years of brutal Assad clan rule.His fall comes over 13 years into the civil war sparked by Assad’s violent crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011.The war has killed upwards of 500,000 people and displaced more than half the country’s population.In the week since the rebels took Damascus, each day has seen more light shed on the depths of the despair visited upon Syria’s people over the past five decades.Journalist Mohammed Darwish was one of those held in the so-called Palestine Branch, or Branch 235, a jail that was run by Syria’s feared intelligence services.“I was one of those they interrogated the most,” Darwish told AFP as he returned to the prison years after his ordeal in 2018. He said he was questioned “every day, morning and night” for 120 days.‘Inclusive, representative’On Saturday, US State Secretary Antony Blinken said Washington had “been in contact with HTS and with other parties,” without specifying how this contact occurred.Meanwhile, Western and Arab states along with Turkey — a key backer of anti-Assad rebels — called for a united peaceful Syria following a meeting between Blinken and top diplomats in Jordan.In a joint statement, diplomats from the United States, Turkey, the European Union, and Arab countries called for a Syrian-led transition to “produce an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government formed through a transparent process,” with respect for human rights.A Qatari delegation was due in Syria Sunday to meet transitional government officials for talks on aid and reopening its embassy.Unlike other Arab states, Qatar never restored diplomatic ties with Assad after a rupture in 2011.Sunni Muslim HTS is rooted in Syria’s branch of al-Qaeda and is designated a terrorist organization by many Western governments.Although it has sought to moderate its rhetoric in recent years, its seizure of power has sparked concerns both domestically and internationally over the protection of religious and ethnic minorities.The interim government insists that the rights of all Syrians will be protected, as will the rule of law.On Sunday, Syrian Christians attended their first church service since Assad’s fall.Pubs and stores selling alcohol in Damascus initially closed following the rebel victory, but are now tentatively reopening.Safi, landlord of the Papa bar in the Old City, said the rebels told him: “You have the right to work and live your life as you did before.”Israeli strikes-Assad was propped up by Russia — where he fled — as well as Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group.The rebels began their offensive on November 27, the same day a ceasefire took effect in the Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon, which was initiated by the terror group in October 2023 and in which Assad’s ally suffered staggering losses.Naim Qassem, the leader of the Iran-backed Hezbollah, admitted Saturday that with Assad’s fall, his group could no longer be supplied militarily through Syria.He also said he hoped Syria’s new rulers saw Israel “as an enemy” and would not normalize ties with the country.Both Israel and Turkey have carried out military strikes inside Syria since Assad’s fall.Last week Israel launched a major operation to destroy the Syrian military’s strategic military capabilities, including chemical weapons sites, missiles, air defenses, air force and navy targets, in a bid to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile elements.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Sunday reported fresh Israeli strikes near Damascus, after 60 strikes across Syria on Saturday.The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources in Syria and is of uncertain accuracy, reported strikes on Syrian army tunnels and arms depots in the Damir area near Damascus on Sunday.Israel has also ordered troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone separating Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights, a move the UN said violated a 1974 armistice. Israel has said it will not become involved in the conflict in Syria and that its seizure of the buffer zone established was a defensive move and a temporary one until it can guarantee security along the frontier.HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani, now using his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, said the Israeli move “threatens a new unjustified escalation in the region.”But “the general exhaustion in Syria after years of war and conflict does not allow us to enter new conflicts,” he said in an online statement.

Israel said worried King Abdullah also at risk of falling-Israelis and Jordanians said to meet secretly amid worries over rebel surge in Syria-Reports say Amman acting as mediator between Israel and HTS as neighbors seek to work out emerging threats from north; Iranian attempts to smuggle arms via Jordan also discussed-By ToI Staff Today, 12:23 pm-DEC 15,24

Senior Israeli officials reportedly held secret talks with Jordanian military brass late last week on the fallout that arose from the ousting of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad from power, as regional powers sought to address worries of rippling instability in the wake of the lightning overthrow of the regime.The meetings held in Jordan on Friday largely revolved around possible threats posed by the jihadist force that pushed Assad out and took over Syria, as well as countering Iranian attempts to smuggle weapons overland to Palestinian terror groups, according to several reports in Hebrew language media Saturday.Shin Bet director Ronen Bar and Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, head of the Israel Defense Force’s Military Intelligence Directorate, represented Israel at the talks, according to the reports. The pair met with Ahmad Husni, who heads Jordan’s General Intelligence Department, and senior Jordanian military commanders, according to the Walla news site.There was no confirmation of the meetings from official sources in Jerusalem or Amman.Western countries and their allies in the region have scrambled to adapt since insurgents led by jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, drove Assad from power and into asylum in Russia a week ago.According to the Walla report, which cited multiple Israeli officials, both the Israelis and the Jordanian officials discussed their own contacts with rebel groups attempting to build a new Syrian government. Amman has acted as a key conduit for Israel to communicate with the insurgents, including HTS, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, the report said.HTS has worked to establish security and start a political transition after seizing Damascus on December 7 and has tried to reassure a public both stunned by Assad’s fall and concerned about extremist jihadis among the rebels. Insurgent leaders say the group has broken with its extremist past, but US officials say they remain skeptical.On Saturday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with counterparts from eight Arab nations and Turkey in Aqaba, Jordan, to discuss Syria and sign off on a set of principles meant to guide the country’s transition to a peaceful, nonsectarian and inclusive government.Blinken on Saturday confirmed that the US had been in touch with HTS, but declined to detail the direct contacts with the group. He said it was important for the US to convey messages to the group about its conduct and how it intends to govern in a transition period.Jordan is widely regarded as a pivotal military and strategic ally for Israel and the US, which have both supported the continued rule of the country’s Hashemite monarchy as a major stabilizing force in the region.The country’s location along Israel’s long eastern border, and sandwiched between Iraq, Syria and the Gulf, also make it a crucial bulwark against attempts to smuggle Iranian weapons to Palestinians in the West Bank or elsewhere. According to Walla, the growing threat of weapons smuggling by Iran via Jordan to Palestinian terror groups in the West Bank was also discussed during the Friday talks.Israeli officials have spoken out with increasing alarm in recent years over what they say is a growing phenomenon of Tehran flooding weapons into the West Bank or Israel proper to be used in terror attacks or criminal activity. The use of the artery could grow with the loss of Syria as a viable conduit for the Islamic Republic’s weapons shipments.The head of Hezbollah, Iran’s most powerful proxy, admitted Saturday that the Lebanese terror group had lost its arms supply route through Syria following the toppling of Assad’s regime.While the rebels’ success has dovetailed neatly with Israel’s own aims of seeking to weaken Iran and its proxies on Israel’s borders, some have expressed concern that instability could spread beyond Syria to other countries where there is popular anger against undemocratic leaders.Some officials in Israel are reportedly worried that extremists opposed to Jordan’s King Abdullah II could seize on the rebels’ gains to launch their own insurgency, undermining security for both Amman and Jerusalem.Citing senior Israeli sources, the Kan public broadcaster reported that discussions over the possibility of the Hashemite Kingdom being toppled as well have been held in the high-level security cabinet, among other forums. According to the Israel Hayom daily, Israeli officials worry that a loss of stability in Jordan could open up the territory to more Iranian smuggling attempts.Israeli officials also fear that there could be a copycat effect in the West Bank, with Palestinian extremists seeking to replicate the rebels’ advances by carrying out terror attacks, Israel Hayom reported.According to the tabloid, the military has decided to beef up security around West Bank settlements over the worries.Recent days have seen the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group battling the Palestinian Authority in Jenin, a northern West Bank city that has become a hotbed for terror groups, many of them allied with Hamas.The fighting was set off by the PA’s arrest of several senior terror suspects from the group earlier this month.Agencies contributed to this report.

Mayor of Gaza’s Deir al-Balah killed in strike; IDF: He was in Hamas’s military wing-Army airs video showing Hamas abusing inmates at Gaza City prison, compares treatment to that by Syria’s Assad regime; rocket fired from central Gaza lands in open area in south-By Emanuel Fabian,ToI Staff and Agencies 15 December 2024, 12:16 am

An Israeli airstrike in the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in the central Gaza Strip on Saturday killed the mayor of Deir al-Balah, who is accused of being a member of the military wing of the Hamas terror group.In a joint statement following the strike, the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet said that Diab Emad Ali Abd al-Rahman al-Jaro had “actively participated in the operations of Hamas’s government in the Deir al-Balah area, maintained continuous contact with officials in Hamas’s military wing, and provided them with combat assistance against IDF troops.”In his role, he was the mayor of Deir al-Balah, the head of the Hamas-run Emergency Committee in central Gaza, and was responsible for Hamas’s political activity in the area, as well as for various government offices, the military said.Al-Jaro was targeted while at the Deir al-Balah municipality building, located within the humanitarian zone. The IDF said that the building was being used by Hamas operatives to plan and carry out attacks against troops in Gaza and against Israel.The IDF said it had taken steps to mitigate harm to civilians in the strike, including using precision munitions and aerial surveillance. Palestinian media reported at least 11 dead in the strike.“Hamas continues to abuse civilian and humanitarian infrastructure for its terrorist activities, in violation of international law,” the military said.Some 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are estimated to be living in the enclave’s humanitarian zone, according to a July assessment by the IDF.The zone is located in the al-Mawasi area on the southern Strip’s coast, the western neighborhoods of Khan Younis and the central Deir al-Balah.Its size has changed multiple times amid evolving IDF operations against Hamas, but as of late August, it was just over 46 square kilometers (17.7 square miles), or nearly 13 percent of the total size of the Gaza Strip.Also on Saturday, the IDF said that it carried out a drone strike against a cell of terror operatives while they were preparing to carry out an attack against troops in Gaza and Israel “in the immediate timeframe.”The military said the operatives were targeted while they were gathered at a former school in Gaza City. It added that it took steps to mitigate harm to civilians in the strike at the Yaffa boys school, which was being used to shelter displaced Palestinians.Emergency services in Gaza reported that at least seven were killed, including a woman and her baby, and 12 were wounded as a result of the airstrike.Rocket sirens were activated inside Israel, meanwhile, after a rocket launched from the central Gaza Strip struck an open area in the south of the country.Sirens sounded in the border communities of Nirim and Ein Hashlosha amid the attack, which did not result in any injuries.The rocket fire was the second such incident in two days, after the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group fired two projectiles toward Ashkelon on Friday.Footage shows Hamas torture of Palestinian prisoners-On Saturday evening, the IDF released new security camera footage that it said was recovered at a Hamas prison in Gaza City’s upscale Rimal neighborhood, in which members of the Palestinian terror group’s internal security forces can be seen abusing prisoners.In the video, the Hamas operatives can be seen escorting a blindfolded prisoner on his knees into the facility, before throwing him down a set of stairs and violently beating him.The clip separately shows a prisoner lying on the ground in a small cell not much larger than his body. The military said that he was being held in a suffocating room while in solitary confinement.Comparing Hamas’s treatment of prisoners to the actions of the regime of toppled Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, the military said in a statement that Hamas “attempts to distance itself from the Assad regime and the atrocities exposed in Syrian prisons, but the footage and previous revelations about Hamas’s torture investigations leave no room for doubt — Hamas is equally ruthless.”“The cruelty of Hamas prison guards exposed in this footage can no longer be hidden or denied. These harrowing videos are a stark reminder of the merciless abuse, oppression, and human rights violations inflicted on Gaza’s residents by the Hamas regime.”The IDF has previously published CCTV footage that it says depicts the torture of Palestinian civilians at the hands of Hamas operatives, and in 2022, both the UN Watch Lobby and Human Rights Watch found that human rights activists, women, LGBTQ people and political opponents in Gaza and the West Bank were regularly subject to brutal punishment.The war in Gaza erupted with Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre, which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border into Israel by land, air and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, mostly civilians, many amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 386. The toll includes a police officer killed in a hostage rescue mission and a Defense Ministry civilian contractor.The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 44,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says it has killed some 18,000 combatants in battle as of November and another 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7, 2023, or in the following few days.

We hope this new power will not normalize' ties with Israel-Hezbollah chief says supply route via Syria cut, hopes rebels won’t have ties with Israel-Naim Qassem expects jihadist leadership that ousted Assad will consider Israel an enemy, allow arms flow to resume-By Agencies and ToI Staff 14 December 2024, 10:39 pm

Hezbollah head Naim Qassem acknowledged Saturday that the Lebanese terror group had lost its arms supply route through Syria following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad’s regime nearly a week ago by a sweeping rebel offensive.Qassem didn’t mention Assad by name in his televised address, and said the group “cannot judge these new forces until they stabilize” and “take clear positions,” but said he hoped that the Lebanese and Syrian people and governments could continue to cooperate.“Yes, Hezbollah has lost the military supply route through Syria at this stage, but this loss is a detail in the resistance’s work,” Qassem said.“A new regime could come and this route could return to normal, and we could look for other ways,” he added.Syria provided a land route for Hezbollah’s patron, Iran, to send convoys of weapons to Lebanon. Such convoys were often targeted by Israeli airstrikes but the terror group was able to heavily arm itself regardless.Hezbollah started intervening in Syria in 2013 to help Assad quash the rebels seeking to topple him at that time. Last week, as rebels approached Damascus, the group sent supervising officers to oversee a withdrawal of its fighters there.More than 50 years of Assad family rule have now been replaced with a transitional caretaker government put in place by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former al-Qaeda affiliate that spearheaded the rebel offensive.The Hezbollah chief also said Syria’s new rulers should not recognize neighboring Israel or establish ties with it.“We hope that this new party in power will see Israel as an enemy and not normalize relations with it,” Qassem said.The Syrian rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who is better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Julani, said Saturday that Israel has “no more excuses” to carry out airstrikes in Syria and that recent IDF attacks on Syrian soil have crossed red lines and threaten an escalation in the region.However, he said his group did not seek further conflict in the region.Hezbollah began launching cross-border attacks on Israel from Lebanon the day after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, firing rockets and drones at border communities and military posts, displacing some 60,000 Israelis from their homes in the country’s north. Qassem’s predecessor Hassan Nasrallah was killed in late September 2024 by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, as Israel escalated its campaign against Hezbollah, eventually launching a ground incursion into southern Lebanon.In late November, the sides agreed to a ceasefire, which has broadly held, despite some airstrikes by Israel against Hezbollah operatives amid alleged violations of the truce.According to IDF data, since October 2023 Israeli forces struck over 12,500 Hezbollah targets, including 1,600 command centers and 1,000 weapons depots.Sources close to Hezbollah say the terror group believes the number of its fighters killed by Israel in the last year could be as high as 4,000, the vast majority of them during the last two months of intensified fighting. The sources cited previously unreported internal estimates.In addition to Nasrallah, the IDF killed most of Hezbollah’s other top leaders and is said to have destroyed some 80% of its military capabilities.Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel since October 2023 resulted in the deaths of 45 civilians. In addition, 80 IDF soldiers and reservists have died in cross-border skirmishes, attacks on Israel, and in the ensuing ground operation launched in southern Lebanon in late September.On the Israeli side, nearly 3,000 homes and buildings in Israel were damaged by Hezbollah attacks, according to an Army Radio report last month, citing official figures.

After Assad’s fall, Russia pulling some, but not all, of its forces out of Syria-Moscow says it will maintain presence at two main Syrian bases; attitude of new regime toward Russian presence is still unclear-By Tuvan Gumrukcu, Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Guy Faulconbridge 14 December 2024, 10:13 pm

TARTUS, Syria (Reuters) — Russia is pulling back its military from the front lines in northern Syria and from posts in the Alawite Mountains but is not leaving its two main bases in the country after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, four Syrian officials told Reuters.The ousting of Assad, who along with his late father, former President Hafez al-Assad, had forged a close alliance with Moscow, has thrown the future of Russia’s bases — the Hmeimim airbase in Latakia and the Tartus naval facility — into question.Satellite footage from Friday showed what appeared to be at least two Antonov AN-124s, among the world’s largest cargo planes, at the Hmeimim base with their nose cones open, apparently preparing to load up.At least one cargo plane flew out on Saturday for Libya, a Syrian security official stationed outside the facility said.Syrian military and security sources in contact with the Russians told Reuters that Moscow was pulling back its forces from the front lines and withdrawing some heavy equipment and senior Syrian officers.But the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said Russia was not pulling out of its two main bases and currently had no intention of doing so.Some equipment is being shipped back to Moscow, as are senior officers from Assad’s military, but the aim at this stage is to regroup and redeploy as dictated by developments on the ground, a senior Syrian army officer in touch with the Russian military told Reuters.A senior rebel official close to the new interim administration told Reuters the issue of the Russian military presence in Syria and past agreements between the Assad government and Moscow were not under discussion.“It is a matter for future talks, and the Syrian people will have the final say,” the official said, adding that Moscow had set up communication channels.“Our forces are also now in close vicinity of the Russian bases in Latakia,” he added without elaborating.The Kremlin has said Russia is in discussions with the new rulers of Syria over the bases. Russia’s defense ministry did not respond to a request for comment on Reuters reporting.A Russian source who spoke on condition of anonymity said discussions with the new rulers of Syria were ongoing and Russia was not withdrawing from its bases.Reuters was unable to immediately ascertain how Syrian rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa — better known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani — saw the long-term future of the Russian bases.Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose 2015 intervention in the Syrian civil war helped prop up Assad when the West was calling for him to be toppled, granted Assad asylum in Russia after Moscow helped him flee on Sunday.Moscow has backed Syria since early in the Cold War and recognized its independence in 1944 as Damascus sought to throw off French colonial rule. The West long regarded Syria as a Soviet satellite.The bases in Syria are an integral part of Russia’s global military presence: the Tartus naval base is Russia’s only Mediterranean repair and resupply hub, with Hmeimim a major staging post for military and mercenary activity in Africa.Russia also has eavesdropping posts in Syria, which were run alongside Syrian signals stations, according to Syrian military and Western intelligence sources.The Tartus facility dates from 1971, and after Russia intervened in the civil war to help Assad, Moscow was in 2017 granted a free-of-charge 49-year lease.Yoruk Isik, a geopolitical analyst based in Istanbul who runs the Bosphorus Observer, said that Russia was probably sending cargo planes out of Syria via the Caucasus and then on to the Al Khadim airbase in Libya.On the highway linking the Hmeimim air base to the base in Tartus, a Russian convoy of infantry fighting vehicles and logistics vehicles could be seen driving toward the air base, a Reuters journalist said.The convoy had stopped due to a malfunction in one of its vehicles, with soldiers standing by the vehicles and working to repair the issue.“Whether it’s Russian, Iranian or the previous government who was oppressing us and denying us our rights… we don’t want any intervention from Russia, Iran or any other foreign intervention,” Ali Halloum, who is from Latakia and lives in Jablah, told Reuters.At Hmeimim, Reuters saw Russian soldiers walking around the base as normal and jets in the hangars.Satellite imagery taken on December 9 by Planet Labs showed at least three vessels in Russia’s Mediterranean fleet — two guided missile frigates and an oiler — moored around 13 kilometers (8 miles) northwest of Tartus.

We were able to end the Iranian presence in Syria'Syrian rebel leader: Israel has ‘no more excuses’ to strike, we don’t seek conflict-In first comment on Jewish state since fall of Assad regime, Sharaa says Syria will seek stability after long civil war, hints at ‘diplomatic solutions’ to avert regional escalation-By Gianluca Pacchiani-14 December 2024, 8:30 pm

The leader of the Syrian Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), who spearheaded the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime, spoke Saturday about Israel for the first time since taking over the country.In an interview with the Syrian TV news channel, Ahmad al-Sharaa, who is better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Julani, said that Israel has “no more excuses” to carry out airstrikes in Syria, and that recent IDF attacks on Syrian soil have crossed red lines and threaten an unjustified escalation in the region.Earlier in the week, Israel launched a major operation to destroy the Syrian military’s strategic military capabilities, including chemical weapons sites, missiles, air defenses, air force and navy targets, in a bid to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile elements.In a move that has drawn some international condemnation, Israel also entered a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights just hours after the rebels, led by HTS, took Damascus. Israel has said it will not become involved in the conflict in Syria and that its seizure of the buffer zone established in 1974 was a defensive move and a temporary one until it can guarantee security along the frontier.The rebel leader called on the international community to assume its responsibility to avoid an escalation and guarantee the respecting of Syrian sovereignty. Without directly mentioning Israel, he further spoke of “diplomatic solutions” as the only way to ensure security and stability and as a preferable option to “ill-considered military adventures.”In a video message to the new regime taking shape in Syria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the IDF bombed military strategic capabilities left by the Syrian military of the ousted Assad regime “so that they won’t fall into the hands of the jihadists.”Netanyahu added that Israel was ready to establish relations with the new rulers but won’t hesitate to attack if they threaten the Jewish state or allow Iran to reestablish itself in Syria.The Assad regime was an ally of the Islamic Republic, and a part of the latter’s so-called Axis of Resistance against Israel.“We have no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of Syria,” the premier said, “but we certainly do intend to do what is necessary to ensure our security.”In his interview on Saturday, the new leader in Damascus appeared to indirectly respond to Israeli concerns and provide reassurance. Sharaa said that Syria is exhausted by years of civil war and that at this stage it will not be dragged into conflicts that may lead to further destruction, with reconstruction and stability the main priorities.The rebel commander added that the Iranian entrenchment in Syria had posed a great danger to Syria itself, to neighboring countries and the Gulf, and said: “We were able to end the Iranian presence in Syria, but we are not enemies of the Iranian people.”Over the course of a wide-ranging interview, Sharaa mentioned some of the issues that his new government will soon need to address in managing post-war Syria. He stressed the importance of abandoning the “revolutionary mentality” that propelled the rebels, and the need to establish modern institutions, guarantee the rule of law and respect the rights of all Syrians.Sharaa delivered a scathing critique of the corrupt Assad regime, saying that it managed Syria like a “farm,” extracting and appropriating its resources to enrich itself. He added that in the upcoming period, documents will be published to prove the extent of the regime’s “enormous theft.”He highlighted that the lightning victory of the rebels over the regime, toppled in just 11 days, proved the effectiveness of their planning and training. The rebels “took control of large cities without anyone being displaced,” he said. However, he did not conceal the fact that relations between the various rebel groups have been marked by internal conflicts, factionalism and foreign meddling.He also mentioned the limited Russian air campaign against the rebels in the days prior to Assad’s overthrow and said it raised fears of a repeat of the Gaza scenario. With regard to future relations with Moscow, he said that the regime change offers an opportunity to re-evaluate ties in a way that serves common interests.IDF chief: Not interfering-Visiting Israeli troops in the Syrian Golan Heights Saturday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi declared: “We are not interfering with what’s happening in Syria. We have no intention of running Syria.”He said Israel, rather, was taking steps to ensure security for Israeli residents. “There was an enemy country here. Its army collapsed,” Halevi said in a video released by the IDF. “There is a threat that terror elements will come here, and we advanced so… extreme terror elements won’t settle close to the border with us.”The previous regime came into power in 1970, when Bashar’s father Hafez al-Assad seized power in a bloodless coup. Bashar al-Assad had been president since his father’s death in 2000.Israel and Syria do not have diplomatic relations and have formally been in a perpetual state of war since Israel declared independence in 1948.Syria was one of a number of Arab countries that attacked the newly born Jewish state, and despite an armistice agreement signed in 1949 that demarcated a border between the two countries, Syria has never formally recognized Israel’s existence.Syria also attacked during the 1967 Six Day War, before the IDF pounded Syrian forces and seized the Golan Heights, which Israel later annexed unilaterally. Syria attacked again in 1973 during the Yom Kippur War and was pushed back after a major advance into the Golan, after which the 1974 disengagement agreement was signed between the states, marking the demilitarized zones on the Israel-Syrian border.While the fall of the Assad regime, which stood for over five decades, could provide a historic opportunity for recognition between Israel and its neighbor, the potential power vacuum in Syria could also lead to further chaos and serve as a breeding ground for a resurgence of terror in the region.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Iran’s atomic organization claims it won’t impede IAEA access to nuclear sites-Statement comes after UN nuclear watchdog warned that Islamic Republic has begun accelerating uranium enrichment-By Reuters 14 December 2024, 6:58 pm

The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said Friday the body will not impede the UN nuclear watchdog’s access and inspection of its sites.According to a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) earlier this week, Iran agreed to tougher monitoring by the agency at its Fordow site after it greatly accelerated uranium enrichment there to near weapons-grade.“We have not created and will not create any obstacles for the agency’s inspections and access,” Atomic Energy Organization head Mohammad Eslami was quoted as saying by Iranian media.“We operate within the framework of safeguards, and the agency also acts according to regulations—no more, no less,” he added.The IAEA censured Iran twice in the past year for its refusal to cooperate with the organization’s inspections.Tehran has also banned certain veteran inspectors from its nuclear sites, apparently for reporting to the IAEA on uranium enrichment advancements at the facilities.While a country is allowed to veto inspectors assigned to visit its nuclear facilities, the IAEA has said Iran went beyond normal practice.Last week, the IAEA reported that Iran had multiplied the pace of its enrichment at Fordow up to 60 percent purity, a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%.According to a statement from the watchdog, Iran had begun feeding two cascades of advanced IR-6 centrifuges with uranium previously enriched up to 20%.Cascades are a group of centrifuges that spin uranium gas together to enrich the uranium more quickly. The IR-6 centrifuges enrich uranium faster than Iran’s baseline IR-1 centrifuges, which have been the workhorse of the country’s atomic program.While Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful, Western officials say there is no credible peaceful application for uranium at the level to which Tehran has enriched it.Officials in the Islamic Republic have increasingly hinted at potentially seeking the bomb and an intercontinental ballistic missile that would allow Tehran to use the weapon against distant foes like the United States. US intelligence agencies and the IAEA say Iran had an organized military nuclear program up until 2003.Iran is committed to Israel’s destruction. Over the past year, it has twice fired massive barrages of missiles at Israel, which has vowed to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report.

IDF says rockets fired at south on Friday were launched from aid warehouse area-Rocket launchers were placed 50 meters from aid sites, army says; terror cell targeted at former Gaza City school, with Palestinian medics reporting 7 dead-By Emanuel Fabian-and Agencies 14 December 2024, 4:58 pm

Rockets fired by Gaza terrorists at southern Israel Friday night were launched from locations near humanitarian aid warehouses, the Israel Defense Forces said Saturday.According to the IDF, the launchers used to fire the two projectiles toward Ashkelon were positioned some 50 meters from depots used by international aid organizations operating in Gaza.The military said air defenses intercepted the two projectiles, which triggered sirens in Ashkelon and surrounding towns near the Gaza border. There were no reports of injuries or damage in the attack.Palestinian Islamic Jihad took responsibility for the rocket fire, which has become a relative rarity after 14 months of war, sparked by the devastating Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel’s aerial and ground operations have greatly depleted the arsenals of Hamas and other Gaza-based terror factions.Overnight, Israeli fighter jets launched airstrikes in the area, targeting weapons depots and terror operatives, the military said.A video released by the IDF on December 14, 2024, shows airstrikes on terror operatives in Gaza near a rocket launching site used in an attack a day prior.The IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area before launching the strikes south of Jabalia, in the Strip’s north.Also on Saturday, the IDF said that it carried out a drone strike against a cell of terror operatives while they were preparing to carry out an attack against troops in Gaza and Israel “in the immediate timeframe.”The military said the operatives were targeted while they were gathered at a former school in Gaza City. It added that it took steps to mitigate harm to civilians in the strike at the Yaffa boys school, which was being used to shelter displaced Palestinians.Emergency services in Gaza reported that at least seven were killed and 12 wounded as a result of the airstrike. The dead include a woman and her baby, according to medics.The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said on Saturday that more than 44,930 people in the Strip have been killed in the war or are presumed dead, as well as 106,624 injured, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters.Israel says it has killed some 18,000 combatants in battle as of November and another 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7.Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.

New Israeli strikes said to target Syrian military sites, underground missile bunkers-No immediate confirmation from Israel, which is trying to stop Assad’s strategic weapons from falling into hostile hands; Syria protests to UN against IDF presence in buffer zone-By Agencies and ToI Staff 14 December 2024, 11:33 am

Israel launched a series of strikes early Saturday targeting military sites in Damascus and its countryside, including rocket depots buried deep under a mountain, a Syrian war monitor said, in the latest such raids since rebels brought down Bashar al-Assad almost a week ago.Earlier in the week Israel launched a major operation to destroy the Syrian military’s strategic military capabilities, including chemical weapons sites, missiles, air defenses, air force and navy targets, in a bid to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile elements.The early Saturday strikes appeared to be aimed at completing the effort.There was no immediate comment from the IDF, though earlier in the week it said it had so far destroyed some 80% of Syrian capabilities and would continue to act.“Israeli strikes destroyed a scientific institute” and other related military facilities in Barzeh, in northern Damascus, and targeted a “military airport” in the capital’s countryside, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.Strikes also targeted “Scud ballistic missile warehouses” and launchers in the Qalamun area, as well as “rockets, depots and tunnels under the mountain,” according to the Britain-based Observatory, which has a network of sources inside Syria.According to Syrian sources, Israeli occupation aircraft launched airstrikes last night targeting military barracks near the town of Kafra, north of Aleppo, Syria. pic.twitter.com/FhmcBEvR9f — Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 14, 2024-The Observatory said several rounds of strikes targeted “military sites of the former regime forces, as part of destroying what is left of the future Syrian army’s capabilities.”SOHR, run by a single person, has regularly been accused by Syrian war analysts of false reporting and inflating casualty numbers as well as inventing them wholesale.Israeli airstrikes on Friday targeted “a missile base at the top of Damascus’s Mount Qasioun,” the group said, as well as an airport in southern Sweida province and “defense and research labs in Masyaf,” in Hama province.The Assad regime, which fell on Sunday after a lightning offensive by rebel forces, was an ally of the Iranian regime, and a part of its so-called Axis of Resistance against Israel.For many years, Syria was used as a throughway for Iranian weapons, en route to terror groups including Hezbollah in Lebanon, with which Israel entered a shaky ceasefire last month.Israel feared that following the collapse of the Assad regime, the former Syrian army’s weapons could fall into the hands of hostile forces in the country, as well as the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.In a message to the new regime taking shape in Syria under the rebel groups, many of which were originally associated with al-Qaeda and other jihadist groups, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel would seek to establish relations, but wouldn’t hesitate to attack if it threatens the Jewish state.In a move that has drawn some international condemnation, Israel also moved into a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights just hours after the rebels, led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, took Damascus.Israel has said it will not become involved in the conflict in Syria and that its seizure of the buffer zone established in 1974 was a defensive move.Israel said its airstrikes would carry on for days, but told the UN Security Council that it was not intervening in Syria’s conflict. It said it had taken “limited and temporary measures” solely to protect its security.On Thursday, UN chief Antonio Guterres expressed concern over “extensive violations” of Syrian sovereignty and the Israeli strikes in the country, his spokesman said.Meanwhile, Syria’s representative at the UN called on the Security Council to take action to compel Israel to immediately stop its attacks on Syrian territory and withdraw from the buffer zone.In identical letters to the council and Guterres obtained Friday by The Associated Press, Syria’s UN Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak said he was acting “on instructions from my government” in making the demands.It appeared to be the first letter to the UN from Syria’s new interim government. However, Aldahhak represented Assad and the letters were filed with the symbol of the former regime.The letters were dated December 9, days after rebels ousted president Assad and ended his family’s more than 50-year authoritarian rule of Syria.“At a time when the Syrian Arab Republic is witnessing a new phase in its history in which its people aspire to establish a state of freedom, equality and the rule of law and to achieve their hopes for prosperity and stability, the Israeli occupation army has penetrated additional areas of Syrian territory in Mount Hermon and Quneitra Governorate,” ambassador Aldahhak wrote.Israel controls and annexed the Golan Heights that it captured from Syria during the 1967 Six Day War. The Disengagement Agreement of 1974 between Israel and Syria established a demilitarized buffer zone between the two countries, monitored by a UN peacekeeping force known as UNDOF.In a letter to the Security Council circulated Friday which was also written on December 9, Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said his country had taken “limited and temporary measures,” deploying troops temporarily in the separation area “to prevent armed groups from threatening Israeli territory.”

Analysis-A diminished Hezbollah is made even weaker by the toppling of Assad in Syria-Developments could have major impact in Lebanon, where the Shiite movement has been the dominant player, and for Iran, which built the group into its main terror proxy-By AP and ToI Staff 14 December 2024, 10:03 am

A severely hobbled Hezbollah was in no position to help defend former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a longtime ally, from the lightning-fast insurgency that toppled him. With Assad gone, the Iran-backed terror group based in Lebanon is even weaker.Hezbollah was dealt a major blow during 14 months of war with Israel, which began when the terror group started launching rockets and drones at Israel, unprovoked, a day after Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023.The toppling of Assad, who had strong ties to Iran, has now crippled its ability to bounce back by cutting off a vital weapons-smuggling route through Syria.Hezbollah officials — whose organization, like Hamas in Gaza and the Islamic Republic of Iran, is openly committed to destroying Israel — are deeply concerned but defiant.“What is happening in Syria is a major, dangerous and new change, and to know why this happened needs evaluation,” Hassan Fadlallah, a Lebanese lawmaker who represents Hezbollah’s political wing, said during a speech at a funeral for operatives killed by Israel. “Whatever is happening in Syria, despite its dangers, will not weaken us.”Analysts say the diminishment of Hezbollah will have big consequences for Lebanon, where for decades it has been a major political player — and for Iran, which has relied on the group as one of several proxy forces projecting power across the Middle East. It is also a game-changer for Israel, whose nemesis on its northern border is now at its most vulnerable point in decades.Ties to Syria influenced the rise and fall of Hezbollah’s power-The Assad dynasty, which ruled Syria for half a century with an iron fist, played a crucial role in empowering Hezbollah, which was founded in the early 1980s by Iranian advisers who came through Syria. In addition to being a conduit for Iranian weapons, Syria also was a place where Hezbollah trained fighters and manufactured its own weapons.As Hezbollah grew more powerful, it became a force Assad could rely on for protection in times of crisis. Hezbollah sent thousands of fighters to bolster Assad’s forces when a civil war broke out in 2011.As insurgents swept across Syria in early December and took the city of Homs — a stone’s throw from a Syrian border town where Hezbollah had a presence — many expected the militants to put up a fierce fight. After all, they did just that in 2013, preventing Assad’s opponents from advancing into Damascus.This time, Hezbollah was in disarray. Many of its top officials, including longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, were killed in Israeli airstrikes when Israel stepped up its response in recent weeks to a year of Hezbollah rocket fire. And months of Israeli strikes destroyed much of its military infrastructure. With Syria’s key international allies, Russia and Iran, on the sidelines, Hezbollah withdrew, and Assad was ousted quickly.“The fall of the regime marks the end of Iran’s arms in Syria and Lebanon,” said Lt. Col. Fares al-Bayoush, a Syrian army defector who fought in the civil war against Assad’s forces and Hezbollah until 2017, when he moved to Turkey.Lebanon begins to grapple with Hezbollah’s ‘new reality’In Lebanon, the sapping of Hezbollah’s strength has given the army the opportunity to reassert control it had ceded, especially along its southern border. A US-brokered ceasefire between the terror group and Israel states that Hezbollah should have no armed presence along that border and it has led to growing calls within Lebanon for the group’s disarmament.“To Hezbollah, it’s game over,” Samir Geagea, who leads the Christian Lebanese Forces Party, said in a statement on Sunday, hours after insurgents took Damascus. “Sit with the Lebanese military to end your status as an armed group, and transform yourselves into a political party.”But Hezbollah’s longtime sway in the political arena in Lebanon also faces a major challenge.Many in Lebanon are angry with the group. Critics say Hezbollah violated its promise to use its weapons only to defend Lebanon when it began firing rockets into Israel unprovoked last year, the day after Hamas — another Iranian-backed terror group — attacked Israel, killing over 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, sparking the war in Gaza.Fearing a similar Hezbollah onslaught, Israel evacuated residents of border towns. Hezbollah’s persistent rocket fire prevented some 60,000 displaced northerners from returning home.In a bid to stop the rocket fire, Israel stepped up operations against Hezbollah in late September, decimating the terror group’s leadership, and launched a ground operation into southern Lebanon.Nearly 4,000 people were killed in Lebanon during the war with Israel, according to the country’s health ministry. The IDF estimates that around 3,500 of those killed were Hezbollah operatives.Entire towns and villages where Hezbollah fighters and their supporters lived have been flattened. More than 1 million people have been displaced, and the country’s economy — which was in dire shape before the war — is in a deep hole.“With the (Syrian) regime gone, Hezbollah in Lebanon faces an entirely new reality,” said Firas Maksad, of the Middle East Institute.Maksad said many Lebanese leaders have yet to grasp the magnitude of the change that has taken place. Even some onetime allies of Hezbollah in parliament have begun distancing themselves from the group.Gebran Bassil, a lawmaker who represents the Free Patriotic Movement, Lebanon’s other major Christian party, said Hezbollah’s loss of a weapons pipeline from Iran could help Lebanon extract itself from regional conflict.“Hezbollah should focus on internal affairs and not the wider region,” Bassil, a former ally of Hezbollah, said.It may have no choice but to narrow its ambitions. With the fall of Assad, Iran has lost control of a corridor of land that stretched through Iraq and Syria all the way to the Mediterranean, and which gave it an unimpeded route to supply Hezbollah.“They can maybe fly in some things and smuggle some things, but that’s not gonna be on the same scale, not even close,” said Aron Lund, a Syria expert with Century International, a New York-based think tankFor Israel, breaking Iran’s regional network has been a major goal, though it is wary over Islamists among the insurgents who toppled Assad. Israel on Sunday moved troops into a demilitarized buffer zone with Syria in the Golan Heights in what it called a temporary security measure.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Assad’s fall a “historic day,” saying it was “the direct result of our forceful action against Hezbollah and Iran, Assad’s main supporters.”

Analysis-Christians make up about 2% of the current Syrian population-Can Syria’s dwindling Christian community survive under jihadi rebel rule? Once loyal to the regime, Syrian Christians have ostensibly joined the national celebration after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. But can they trust the new Islamist rulers’ pledges? BY Gianluca Pacchiani-14 December 2024, 7:58 am

The lightning power grab by the Sunni jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria has raised concerns about the fate of the Christian minority in the country.Numbering 1.5 million before the outbreak of the civil war in 2011, Christians made up about 10 percent of the Syrian population. Within the span of a decade, their numbers dwindled dramatically, and in 2022, there were only 300,000 left, or about 2% of the current population of Syria, according to a report by the US-based NGO “Aid to Church in Need.”Traditionally wealthier and more educated than the average Syrian population, Christians emigrated en masse to escape persecution by ISIS, but also to flee Syria’s spiraling economic situation.The new HTS leaders have repeatedly reassured Syrians and the international community that it will protect all minorities – which also include Shiites, Alawites, Druze, Kurds and others – and the new Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir has urged millions of Syrian refugees abroad to return home, vowing “the rights of all people and all sects in Syria” will be guaranteed.However, it remains to be seen whether the country will once again become a tolerant, pluralistic place as its new leaders claim. Concern for the fate of Syria’s millennia-long Christian presence has been recently expressed by the Washington DC-based NGO In Defense of Christians.In a statement issued after the rebels’ capture of Aleppo two weeks ago, IDC quoted sources in Aleppo saying that Christians were “living in fear” and had been the “target of widespread crime and vandalism.”However, Christian residents of Aleppo were recently interviewed by the Center for Peace Communications, a New York nonprofit, on the occasion of the Festival of Saint Barbara, a celebration observed by Middle East Christians. They said that they were afraid for the first two or three days after the HTS takeover, but now feel they do not have any reason to be concerned, and churches are operating normally.How are the Christians of Aleppo faring as Syria's Assad regime falls to a coalition of rebel forces? On St. Barbara's Day (Dec. 4), we asked them directly.Watch:@JusoorNews pic.twitter.com/tGgVWnMUwq— Center for Peace Communications (@PeaceComCenter) December 8, 2024-During the 13 years of the civil war, Christians largely remained loyal to the Assad regime, which portrayed itself as a secular defender of religious minorities. Christians didn’t actively take action to support the regime, such as organizing armed militias to defend it, said Syrian analyst Hazem Alghabra, a former Senior Advisor to the US Department of State who runs a Washington DC-based Middle East security consultancy.“For the most part, [Christians] were afraid. They were concerned about the Islamist elements of the Syrian uprising – and that is hard to ignore. But also, they repeated the regime messaging that anybody who stood up against the regime was an Islamist terrorist,” Damascus-born Alghabra told The Times of Israel. He noted that describing them as regime supporters today, after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, would “amount to an insult.”Rebels return confiscated Christian property-Like most other Syrians, Christians appeared elated at the fall of the brutal dictatorship. Bahjat Karakach, a Franciscan friar who serves as Aleppo’s Latin-rite parish priest, told Vatican News this week that Christians had been “completely exhausted by living under the regime” due to the economic hardships.The cleric also noted that over the past years, rebels had shown increased tolerance to Christians, and returned confiscated property. In the Idlib area, controlled by HTS for the past decade, Christians had reportedly been allowed to continue practicing their faith.Archbishop Hanna Jallouf, Apostolic Vicar of Aleppo, told Vatican News that he had met with HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who had given him “assurances that Christians and their possessions will not be touched, and that [the militants] will meet all our legitimate requests.”However, in 2015, al-Sharaa, back then known only by his nom de guerre Abu Muhammad al-Julani, said in a prescient interview with Al Jazeera that once the group took control of all of Syria, it would impose shari’a law over the country.Christians, as “people of the book,” would enjoy a privileged status and be allowed to practice their faith, the jihadi leader said, but per Islamic law, they would be obligated to pay the per capita jizya tax – even though HTS at the time was not imposing it in the areas it controlled.At the time, al-Julani said that a different fate awaited other religious minorities in Syria, such as Alawites and Druze, whose doctrines originated from Islam centuries ago but then departed from Muslim Orthodoxy. Those two groups would have to “correct their doctrinal mistakes and embrace Islam,” Julani said.In 2013, two years prior to the interview, the Nusra Front, Al Qaeda’s Syrian branch that al-Julani led at the time, abducted 13 nuns amid fighting with regime forces. They were freed three months later after Qatar agreed to pay the kidnappers $16 million.Today, al-Julani appears to eschew those fundamentalist positions. He renounced ties to al-Qaeda in 2016 and now depicts himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance.In recent days, the insurgency leader dropped his nom de guerre and began referring to him by his real name, Ahmad al-Sharaa. He shed his garb as a hardline Islamist guerrilla and put on suits for press interviews, talking of building state institutions and decentralizing power to reflect Syria’s diversity.Salvation in the eye of the beholder? The transitional government appointed on Tuesday only includes members from the HTS administration of Idlib, known as the “Salvation Government,” and no representatives from secular rebel factions or religious groups other than Sunni Muslims.“The concerns are not exclusive to Christians. They are also shared by the average moderate Sunni population,” Alghabra told The Times of Israel. “If we end up with a Taliban-style governance in Syria, then Christians will be targeted first, but down the line, moderate Sunnis will be targeted as well.”HTS’s experience ruling the Idlib area over the past years could provide an indicator for its future behavior governing the country.Aaron Zelin, Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said in a recent interview with France 24 that HTS’s rule in Idlib was “an authoritarian governance model, not quite as bad as the totalitarianism of the Assad regime. It wasn’t a liberal democracy by any stretch of the imagination.” But the Islamist group had apparently abandoned any aspirations for “global jihad,” Zelin noted.In a recent article, Zelin said that Christians in those areas were treated as second-class citizens, as they were not represented in the local government, the General Shura Council, and their interests were dealt with by a “Directorate of Minority Affairs.”France24 journalist Wassim Nasr visited Idlib in 2023 and reported that the few hundred Christians who remained in the region were allowed to hold masses, but not to display crosses or ring church bells.Syrian analyst Alghabra remained optimistic that once HTS becomes the internationally recognized government of Syria, it will have to make compromises and show more openness.“In Idlib, HTS did not have to deal with the concerns of the international community,” Alghabra said. “It will need technical support, aid, fuel, a lot of things. So the international community’s approach will need to be transactional. HTS will have to allow every religious group to practice unobstructedly in order to get outside help.”

Study slams outlets that portray all fatalities as civilian-UK think tank: Gaza death toll inflated to defame Israel for targeting civilians-Hamas figures appear to include thousands who died of natural causes, Henry Jackson Society finds, accusing international media of being too quick to accept terror group’s numbers-By ToI Staff Today, 9:50 am-DEC 15,24

The Palestinian death toll for the Gaza war appears to include thousands of people who died of natural causes as well as incorrect figures — partly in an effort to inflate the toll of women and children — according to a report by a British think tank released Saturday.International media outlets are too quick to accept the figures from terror group Hamas that are being manipulated for propaganda needs, The Henry Jackson Society said.The Gaza health ministry, under Hamas, “has systematically inflated the death toll by failing to distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths, over-reporting fatalities among women and children and even including individuals who died before the conflict began,” the report said.“This has led to a narrative where the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are portrayed as disproportionately targeting civilians, while the actual numbers suggest a significant proportion of the dead are combatants,” it said.The research was carried out by the volunteer-based Fifty Global Research Group, supported by the Israeli advocacy group, the International Institute of Social and Legal Studies.The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 44,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far — a toll that cannot be verified and that does not differentiate between civilians and fighters.Israel says it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.Some 5,000 Palestinians listed by Hamas as war dead in fact died of natural causes, including cancer patients who later appeared on a list of those still receiving medical care, the HJS found.In addition, most of the reported fatalities were men between the ages of 15 and 45, with many of their ages lowered by a year when compared to the Palestinian Population Register, in an apparent effort to make it seem that more minors are being killed.Research report author Andrew Fox wrote, “This misclassification contributes to the narrative that civilian populations, particularly women and children, bear the brunt of the conflict, potentially influencing sentiment and media coverage.”The age demographic “aligns closely with the expected profile of combatants, further supported by spikes in deaths of men reported by family sources rather than hospitals,” he said.The think tank said the toll also includes Gazans killed by terrorists’ errant rocket or while food aid is being distributed, including in the case of a 17-year-old who was reportedly shot dead by Hamas last December while waiting to get food for his family.It said other problems have included adults recorded as children and several men listed as women, though the system was later rectified, leading to a “significant improvement in terms of corrected data.”Two examples were given were an individual aged 22 who was listed as a four-year-old and a 31-year-old who was listed as an infant.The study found “the methodology of data collection by the Ministry of Health is not scientifically valid, and that its reports from previous conflicts have also concealed combatant deaths.”Skewed narrative portrays all casualties as civilian-HJS noted that Israeli and US military intelligence estimate that of the total casualties, 17,000 were Hamas fighters, but that the statistic is often missing from international media reports.“The omission creates a skewed narrative portraying all casualties as civilian, shaping public opinion and international policy based on incomplete or manipulated data,” the HJS said.It listed a number of outlets it faulted on the issue, including the BBC, The New York Times, and CNN.While 98 percent of media outlets reviewed used the Hamas casualty figures, only 5% cited figures from Israeli authorities, it found.HJS also found that less than one in every 50 articles noted that Gaza health ministry figures were unverifiable or controversial. On the other hand, Israeli statistics “had their credibility questioned in half of the few articles that incorporated them.”Ambassador Husam Zomlot, the head of the Palestine Mission to the United Kingdom, rejected the findings, telling the UK’s Telegraph newspaper that “numerous international organizations and UN agencies, including the WHO,” have confirmed the numbers, while also warning that many more could still be buried under rubble.A spokesman for the BBC told the Guardian: “It is challenging to report accurately on the death toll in Gaza, as Israel does not allow independent access to international journalists. BBC News is clear and transparent in sourcing the figures which are available and attributing them to the Hamas-run health authority.”In September, researchers in Britain released a report claiming the BBC breached its own editorial guidelines 1,533 times in its early coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.The war erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas led a massive cross-border attack on Israel in which terrorists killed 1,200 people and abducted 251 people as hostages to Gaza.Israel’s military campaign is aimed at destroying Hamas and saving the hostages, of whom 97 remain in captivity.

Blinken: US officials have directly communicated with Syria’s blacklisted new rulers-In Jordan to meet regional counterparts, US top diplomat doesn’t go into detail about contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebel group that ousted Assad-By Matthew Lee Today, 5:11 am-DEC 15,24

AQABA, Jordan (AP) — American officials have been in direct contact with the terrorist-designated rebel group that led the overthrow of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday.Blinken, speaking at a news conference in Jordan, was the first US official to publicly confirm contacts between the Biden administration and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which led a coalition of armed opposition groups that drove Assad from power and into asylum in Russia earlier this month.Along with counterparts from eight Arab nations and Turkey as well as senior officials from the European Union and United Nations, Blinken signed off on a set of principles meant to guide Syria’s transition to a peaceful, nonsectarian and inclusive country.Blinken would not discuss details of the direct contacts with HTS but said it was important for the US to convey messages to the group about its conduct and how it intends to govern in a transition period.“Yes, we have been in contact with HTS and with other parties,” Blinken said in the port city of Aqaba. He added that “our message to the Syrian people is this: We want them to succeed and we’re prepared to help them do so.”HTS, once an affiliate of al-Qaida, has been designed as a foreign terrorist organization by the US State Department since 2018. That designation carries severe sanctions, including a ban on the provision of any “material support” to the group or its members.The sanctions do not, however, legally bar US officials from communicating with designated groups.In an interview Saturday on Syrian television, the group’s leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, did not address any direct contact with the United States, but said the new authorities in Damascus are in touch with Western embassies.He also said that “we don’t intend to enter any conflict because there is general exhaustion in Syria.”HTS has worked to establish security and start a political transition after seizing Damascus and has tried to reassure a public both stunned by Assad’s fall and concerned about extremist jihadis among the rebels. Insurgent leaders claim the group has broken with its extremist past.Blinken also stressed that “the success that we’ve had in ending the territorial caliphate” of the Islamic State terror group (ISIS) remains “a critical mission.” And citing the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, the Kurdish fighters who in recent years drove ISIS out of large areas of Syria, he called it ”very important at this moment that they continue that role because this is a moment of instability” in which ISIS “will seek to regroup and take advantage of.”A joint statement after the meeting of foreign ministers urged all parties to cease hostilities in Syria and expressed support for a locally led transitional political process. It called for preventing the reemergence of extremist groups and ensuring the security and safe destruction of chemical weapons stockpiles.“We don’t want Syria to fall into chaos,” Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, told journalists.A separate statement by Arab foreign ministers called for UN-supervised elections based on a new constitution approved by Syrians.Their statement condemned Israel’s incursion into the buffer zone with Syria and adjacent sites over the past week as a “heinous occupation” and demanded the withdrawal of Israeli forces. Israel says the move was necessary to ensure no jihadist fighters enter the buffer zone and threaten Israeli territory from it, adding that armed fighters were nearing and attacked UN forces stationed near the border.US officials say al-Sharaa has been making welcomed comments about protecting minority and women’s rights but they remain skeptical that he will follow through on them in the long run.On Friday, the rebels and Syria’s unarmed opposition worked to safely turn over to US officials an American man who had been imprisoned by Assad.US officials are continuing their search for Austin Tice, an American journalist who disappeared 12 years ago near Damascus. “We have impressed upon everyone we’ve been in contact with the importance of helping find Austin Tice and bringing him home,” Blinken said.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Iran currency slips to new lows amid tensions with West-Rial drops to 756,000 against US dollar amid standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program and fears Trump will reimpose sanctions when he enters White House-By Reuters and ToI Staff 15 December 2024, 3:59 am

DUBAI — The Iranian currency extended its fall on Saturday, hitting a new all-time low against the US dollar amid uncertainties about Donald Trump’s imminent arrival in the White House and tensions with the West over Tehran’s nuclear program.The rial plunged to 756,000 to the dollar on the unofficial market on Saturday, compared to 741,500 rials on Friday, according to Bonbast.com, which reports exchange rates. The bazar360.com website said the dollar was being sold for about 755,000 rials.Facing an official inflation rate of about 35 percent, Iranians seeking safe havens for their savings have been buying dollars, other hard currencies, gold or cryptocurrencies, suggesting further headwinds for the rial.The dollar has been gaining against the rial since trading around 690,000 rials in early November amid concerns that once inaugurated in January, Trump would reimpose his “maximum pressure” policy against Iran with tougher sanctions and empower Israel to strike Iranian nuclear sites.Iran’s currency again declined after the board of governors of the UN nuclear agency IAEA passed a European-proposed resolution against Tehran — increasing the risk of new sanctions — and following the downfall of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, a long-time ally of the Islamic Republic.Trump in 2018 reneged on a nuclear deal struck by his predecessor Barack Obama in 2015 and reimposed US economic sanctions on Iran that had been relaxed. The deal had limited Iran’s ability to enrich uranium, a process that can yield fissile material for nuclear weapons.Iran is currently enriching uranium to near-weapons-grade levels that have no civilian use. Tehran’s leaders have for years been threatening to annihilate Israel.Iran’s rial has lost more than 90% of its value since the US sanctions were reimposed in 2018.

Palestinian refugees return to uncertain future in Yarmouk under new Syrian regime-Residents of civil war-ruined district hope they can rebuild their homes, but do not know if rebels who ousted hostile Assad government are friends or foes-By AP and ToI Staff Today, 10:52 am-DEC 15,24

The Yarmouk refugee camp outside Damascus was considered the capital of the Palestinian diaspora before the civil war in Syria reduced it to row after row of blasted-out buildings where there were once falafel stands, pharmacies, and mosques.Taken over by a series of militant groups and then bombarded by government planes, the camp has been all but abandoned since 2018. The buildings that were not destroyed by bombs were demolished by the government or stripped by thieves. Those who wanted to return to rebuild their homes were stymied by Kafkaesque bureaucratic and security requirements.But bit by bit, the camp’s former occupants have trickled back. After the December 8 fall of former Syrian president Bashar Assad in a lightning offensive by opposition forces, many more hope they will be able to do so.At the same time, Syria’s Palestinian refugees — a population of about 450,000 — are unsure of their place in the new order.“The new Syrian leadership, how will it deal with the Palestinian issue?” said Palestinian ambassador to Syria Samir al-Rifai. “We have no information because we have had no contact with each other so far.”Days after Assad’s government collapsed, women walked in groups through the streets of Yarmouk while children played in the rubble. Motorcycles, bicycles, and the occasional car passed between bombed-out buildings. In one of the less heavily damaged areas, a fruit and vegetable market was doing brisk business.Some people were coming back for the first time in years to check on their homes. Others had been back before but only now were thinking about rebuilding and returning for good.Ahmad al-Hussein left the camp in 2011, soon after the beginning of the anti-government uprising-turned-civil-war. A few months ago, driven by rising rents elsewhere, he came back to live with relatives in a part of the camp that was relatively untouched.He is now hoping to rebuild his home in a building that was reduced to a hollowed-out shell and marked for demolition.Under Assad’s rule, getting permission from security agencies to enter the camp “wasn’t easy,” al-Hussein said. “You would have to sit at a table and answer who’s your mother, who’s your father, and who in your family was arrested and who was with the rebels. … Twenty thousand questions to get the approval.”He said people who had been reluctant now want to return, among them his son, who fled to Germany.Taghrid Halawi came with two other women on Thursday to check on their houses. They spoke wistfully of the days when the streets of the camp used to buzz with life until 3 or 4 a.m.“You really feel that your Palestine is here, even though you are far from Palestine,” Halawi said. “Even with all this destruction, I feel like it’s like heaven. I hope that everyone returns, all the ones who left the country or are living in other areas.”Yarmouk was built in 1957 as a Palestinian refugee camp but grew into a vibrant suburb where many working-class Syrians settled. Before the war, some 1.2 million people lived in Yarmouk, including 160,000 Palestinians, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. Today, it houses some 8,160 Palestinian refugees who remained or have returned.Palestinian refugees in Syria are not given citizenship, ostensibly to preserve their right to go back to the homes they fled or were forced from during the 1948 War of Independence that brought about the State of Israel and where they are currently banned from returning.But in contrast to neighboring Lebanon, where Palestinians are banned from owning property or working in many professions, in Syria, Palestinians historically had all the rights of citizens except the right to vote and run for office — a negligible matter given that the outcome of Syrian elections was largely predetermined.At the same time, Palestinian factions have had a complicated relationship with Syrian authorities. Former Syrian president Hafez Assad and Palestinian Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat were bitter adversaries. Many Palestinians were imprisoned for belonging to Arafat’s Fatah movement.Mahmoud Dakhnous, a retired teacher who returned to Yarmouk to check on his demolished house, said he used to be frequently called in for questioning by the Syrian intelligence services.“Despite their claims that they are with the (Palestinian) resistance, in the media they were, but on the ground, the reality was something else,” he said of the Assad dynasty.In recent years, the Syrian government began to roll back the right of Palestinians to own and inherit property.As for the country’s new rulers, “we need more time to judge” their stance toward Syria’s Palestinians, Dahknous said.“But the signs so far in this week, the positions and proposals that are being put forward by the new government are good for the people and the citizens,” he said.Yarmouk’s Palestinian factions tried to remain neutral when Syria’s civil war broke out, but by late 2012, the camp was pulled into the conflict and different factions took opposing sides.Since the fall of Assad, the factions have been angling to solidify their relationship with the new government. A group of Palestinian factions said in a statement Wednesday that they had formed a body, headed by the Palestinian ambassador, to manage relations with Syria’s new authorities.The new leadership — headed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamic group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, and some other countries — has not officially commented on the status of Palestinian refugees or regarding its stance toward Israel, which the previous Syrian government never recognized.The Syrian interim government on Friday sent a complaint to the UN Security Council denouncing the incursion by Israeli forces into a buffer zone in Syrian territory on the Golan Heights and their bombardment of multiple military sites in Syria.Last week, Israel launched a major operation to destroy the Syrian military’s strategic military capabilities, including chemical weapons sites, missiles, air defenses, air force, and navy targets, in a bid to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile elements.But HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, has said the new administration does not seek conflict with Israel.Al-Rifai said the new government’s security forces had entered the offices of three Palestinian factions and removed the weapons that were there, but that it was unclear whether there had been an official decision to disarm Palestinian groups.“We are fully aware that the new leadership has issues that are more important” than the issue of Palestinian refugees, he said, including “the issue of stability first.”For now, he said, Palestinians are hoping for the best. “We expect the relationship between us to be a better relationship.”

Mystery drone sightings over New Jersey show gaps in US security, says Trump adviser-Mike Waltz, whom Trump has tapped to be national security adviser, urges ‘Iron Dome for America,’ as White House plays down reports of unexplained UAVs, to some Democrats’ chagrin-By Phil Stewart, Kanishka Singh and Sarah N. Lynch Today, 11:12 pm-DEC 15,24

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — A raft of drone sightings in New Jersey and other US states has underscored gaps in American airspace security that need to be closed, US President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Mike Waltz, said Sunday.US President Joe Biden’s outgoing administration has played down concerns about a growing number of reported drone sightings, saying most of them involve manned aircraft and stressing that there is no evidence of any national security threat.But US lawmakers, including some of Biden’s fellow Democrats, have expressed frustration the government is not being more transparent and more aggressive in addressing public concerns.Waltz said Americans were growing frustrated with the failure of Biden’s administration to clarify what information they have on the drone reports.“What the drone issue points out are kind of gaps in our agencies, gaps in our authorities between the Department of Homeland Security, local law enforcement, the Defense Department,” Waltz told CBS News’s Face the Nation.“President Trump has talked about an Iron Dome for America,” Waltz said, referring to Israel’s missile defense system. “That needs to include drones as well, not just adversarial actions like hypersonic missiles.”Developed with US backing, Israel’s Iron Dome is a mobile air defense system designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery shells that endanger populated areas.The spate of reported drone sightings began in New Jersey in mid-November but has spread in recent days to include Maryland, Massachusetts and other US states. The sightings have garnered media attention and prompted creation of a Facebook page called “New Jersey Mystery Drones — let’s solve it” with nearly 70,000 online members.Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended the US response, saying his agency had deployed personnel and technology.“If there is any reason for concern, if we identify any foreign involvement or criminal activity, we will communicate with the American public accordingly. Right now we are not aware of any,” Mayorkas told ABC News.Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, played down concerns that America’s enemies would send drones over US cities when they can use satellites to safely and easily surveil the US.He said the Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates civilian airspace, should do more to allay public concerns.“When people are anxious, when they’re nervous… people will fill a vacuum with their fears and anxieties,” Himes said.Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar urged the Biden administration to hold a briefing for senators to explain “what’s going on here.”“We need more transparency,” Klobuchar said. She also called for a look at regulation: “Because this just can’t be: ‘No one knows why this huge drone is right over their house.'”

PM discusses hostages with Trump as Israeli officials say deal could be clinched in daysAs cabinet meets, reports say sticking point in talks is number of captives to be freed; Netanyahu says phone call with president-elect stressed need to ‘complete Israel’s victory’By Lazar Berman-and ToI Staff Today, 10:28 pm-DEC 15,24

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that he discussed with US President-elect Donald Trump ongoing efforts to bring back the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, as Israeli officials indicate that a deal could be reached in less than two weeks despite sticking points in negotiations.The prime minister said he and Trump spoke “at length about the efforts we are making to free our hostages,” but declined to go into specifics. “We are working all the time, without rest, to bring our hostages home, the living and the fallen together,” he said, but added, “the less we talk about it, the better — that way, with God’s help, we will succeed.”An unnamed Israeli official told the Israel Hayom daily on Sunday that a ceasefire-hostage deal will likely be completed by Hanukkah, which begins this year on the evening of December 25.For now, however, talks are hung up over the number of hostages to be released in a partial deal, according to Channel 13. Hamas insists on releasing far fewer than Israel demands, and Israel is not willing to budge, the report said.Channel 12 news reported Sunday evening that during the Netanyahu-Trump conversation, the prime minister told the president-elect that the US must pressure negotiators to agree to a much higher number of hostages being released, and that Hamas is currently offering “an unacceptable number” to be freed within the “humanitarian” category.Also Sunday night, Netanyahu convened the national security cabinet in the IDF Central Command headquarters in Jerusalem. IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara joined the meeting as well.There, the heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet security services told ministers that there is a new willingness among Hamas to reach a deal, according to Ynet, which cited a senior Israeli official. “The estimation is that we will be able to reach an agreement within weeks,” the official said.Ministers also discussed the security situation in the West Bank, the site also reported, where recent clashes between Palestinian Authority security forces and local terror groups have added to already soaring violence, which Israeli officials are concerned could spill over into Israel proper.Meanwhile, Trump’s pick for US special envoy on hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, will quietly visit Israel this week, according to a Ynet report. Though he is coming as a private citizen, he is expected to meet with Israeli officials about the Gaza hostages, the news site said.The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Hamas had given in to an Israeli demand that the IDF remain in Gaza temporarily under a potential ceasefire-hostage deal, after having previously refused to release any more hostages unless Israel agrees to a full withdrawal from the enclave and an end to the war, which the government has refused.Israel believes that 96 of the 251 hostages kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7 remain in the Strip, a figure which includes the bodies of at least 34 captives confirmed dead by the IDF.In a video message released Sunday, Netanyahu said that his conversation with Trump was “very friendly, very warm and very important,” and centered on the need to “complete Israel’s victory” — a week after the sudden fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria and several weeks into a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon.Netanyahu also said Israel is “changing the Middle East,” saying he vowed a year ago that the country would do so in its military campaign, and it has. “Syria is not the same Syria, Lebanon is not the same Lebanon, Gaza is not the same Gaza, and the leader of the axis — Iran — is not the same Iran,” the premier said.“We are committed to preventing Hezbollah from rearming,” Netanyahu said. “This is an ongoing test for Israel, we must meet it — and we will meet it. I say to Hezbollah and Iran in no uncertain terms — to prevent you from harming us, we will continue to act against you as much as necessary, in every arena and at all times.”Israel and Hezbollah entered a shaky ceasefire last month that has broadly held, following more than a year of daily rocket and drone attacks against Israel by the Iranian-backed, Lebanese terror group. Israel has struck several Hezbollah operatives and sites, however, in response to alleged violations of the ceasefire, according to which Hezbollah will not operate in southern Lebanon at all.Waves of Israeli airstrikes this week also destroyed an estimated 80% of the fallen Assad regime’s military assets in Syria, amid concern that the dictator’s weapons could fall into hostile hands amid the country’s chaotic takeover by jihadist-led rebel forces.In his video, Netanyahu reiterated that the strikes in Syria were carried out to ensure that the weapons would not be used against Israel in the future. Israel also hit arms supply routes to Hezbollah, he said, and cited a statement by the terror group’s chief, Naim Qassem, that “Hezbollah has lost the military supply route through Syria at this stage.”“We have no interest in a conflict with Syria,” Netanyahu underscored. “We will determine Israel’s policy toward Syria according to the emerging reality on the ground,” noting that the regional reality right now is “dynamic — it changes quickly.”

Top US, Mideast envoys hold meetings on Gaza deal efforts and Syria’s future-Biden aides discuss hostage deal with Egypt’s Sissi, as Israel said to refuse to free terror convict Marwan Barghouti; Blinken says region wants inclusive government in Damascus-By Agencies and ToI Staff 14 December 2024, 6:58 pm

Top Middle Eastern and US diplomats held a series of meetings on Saturday focusing on efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza while also discussing the challenges of the post-Assad era in Syria.Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi discussed the ceasefire efforts with visiting US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk, his office said.The statement came as Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper Al-Akhbar quoted an unnamed Egyptian official as saying that Israel has objected to some of the names of Palestinian security prisoners Hamas seeks to release in exchange for hostages kidnapped on October 7, 2023, including popular Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti.Barghouti is serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison for his part in planning three terror attacks that killed five Israelis during the Second Intifada.“Israel has a vision of alternative lists of Palestinian prisoners, including people who were recently arrested, which could delay the drafting of the agreement,” the Egyptian source was quoted as saying.The source added that Israel has requested that some of the Palestinian security prisoners be sent abroad instead of the West Bank or Gaza, “which may be accepted by the mediators as a compromise to end this new obstacle.”On Friday night, Sullivan told Channel 12 news that regional developments, including the shock collapse of the Assad regime, the ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel’s killing of Hamas leaders, presented an opportunity for a deal to free the 100 captives held in Gaza.Echoing Sullivan’s remarks on the possibility of reaching a deal, an unnamed senior Israeli official quoted by Channel 12 news concurred with the US assessment that it was possible to secure an agreement before the end of the year.Meanwhile, Kan news reported Friday that Palestinian sources familiar with the negotiations had for the first time expressed cautious optimism regarding Hamas’s willingness to reach a deal. The sources credited the simultaneous pressure that has been placed on the terror group by Qatar, Egypt and Turkey.Earlier this week, an Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel there have been indications that Israel and Hamas are willing to compromise regarding the terms of Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. However, the diplomat stressed that the main obstacle to the talks — whether the ceasefire will be permanent as demanded by Hamas, or temporary as demanded by Israel — remains unresolved.It is believed that 96 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 38 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors.Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.An inclusive government for Syria-Meanwhile, top diplomats from the United States, the Arab League, and Turkey met in Jordan to discuss how to assist Syria’s transition after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government a week ago.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken joined foreign ministers and senior officials from the European Union and United Nations in Jordan to try to find consensus on the matter, although no Syrian representatives were set to attend.Blinken said a broad consensus exists among regional partners that Syria’s new government must be inclusive, must respect women and minority rights, reject terrorism and secure and destroy suspected Assad-era chemical weapons stockpiles.Blinken is wrapping up a three-country regional tour in Aqaba after visiting Iraq, Turkey and Jordan.Earlier Saturday, in a meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pederson, Blinken said he expected to talk about the challenges ahead for Syria and “our determination to work together to support a Syrian-led transition where the United Nations plays a critical role, particularly when it comes to the provision of assistance, to the protection of minorities.”Pederson agreed, saying: “What is so critical in Syria is that we see a credible and inclusive political process that brings together all communities in Syria. And the second point is that we need to make sure that state institutions do not collapse, and that we get in humanitarian assistance as quickly as possible. And if we can achieve that, perhaps there is a new opportunity for the Syrian people.”In a final statement after talks in the Jordanian Red Sea port of Aqaba, foreign ministers from Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar said they had agreed to “support a peaceful transition process” in Syria, “in which all political and social forces are represented.”Anti-Assad forces, led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), toppled the longtime ruler on December 8 following a lightning offensive.HTS is rooted in al-Qaeda’s Syria branch and is designated as a terrorist organization by many Western governments, but has sought to moderate its rhetoric.A transitional government installed by the rebel forces has insisted the rights of all Syrians will be protected, as will the rule of law.The foreign ministers, meeting in Aqaba in the presence of Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said the political process in Syria should be supported by “the United Nations and the Arab League, in accordance with the principles of Security Council Resolution 2254” of 2015, which set out a roadmap for a negotiated settlement.The Arab diplomats also declared their backing for a transitional rule agreed upon by Syrians, which would enable “a political system that corresponds to the aspirations of all parts of the Syrian people, through free and fair elections overseen by the United Nations.”They also warned against “any ethnic, sectarian or religious discrimination” and called for “justice and equality for all citizens.”In their statement, the ministers said state institutions must be preserved to stop Syria from “slipping into chaos,” also calling to boost joint “efforts to combat terrorism… as it poses a threat to Syria and to the security of the region and the world.”They condemned “Israel’s incursion into the buffer zone with Syria,” demanding “the withdrawal of Israeli forces” from Syrian territory.Israel has said it will not become involved in the conflict in Syria and that its seizure of the buffer zone established in 1974 was a defensive and temporary move.The Arab foreign ministers also denounced Israeli airstrikes on Syria, which have massively targeted key military assets, including chemical weapons sites, missiles, air defenses, air force, and navy targets across the country in recent days.Israel said it launched the major operation in a bid to prevent the strategic assets from falling into the hands of hostile elements.

Do in the West Bank 'what we have done in the Gaza Strip' Settler leaders call for moving Palestinian population in West Bank to combat terrorism-Letter from senior settler leaders to security cabinet calls for destruction of ‘every incriminated building’ in West Bank ‘terror centers,’ and restriction on freedom of movement-By Jeremy Sharon-Today, 8:51 pm-DEC 15,24

Senior settlement leaders called on the security cabinet on Sunday to evacuate residents of Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank and what they describe as other centers of Palestinian terrorism, in order to tackle Palestinian armed groups “exactly as we have done in the Gaza Strip,” including through widespread demolition of structures in such places.In a letter to the security cabinet, Yisrael Ganz, head of the Yesha Council umbrella settlement organization, and 14 mayors of settlement authorities and regional councils also call for restricting Palestinian freedom of movement on main roads in the West Bank for security purposes.Their call to evacuate Palestinian population centers in the West Bank comes after Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF to bolster preparations for the protection of West Bank settlements and traffic arteries against possible attack from “extremist Islamic terror agents” who may be inspired by the success of rebels in Syria in toppling the Assad regime.In August, when Katz was serving as foreign minister, he called for “temporarily relocating Palestinians” in the West Bank as part of a major anti-terror raid in the northern part of the territory.Israel has been accused of the forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza due to the massive destruction of civilian infrastructure and refusal thus far to allow the overwhelming majority of evacuated Gazans to return to their homes.Far-right Israeli politicians, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who are strongly aligned with the West Bank settlement movements, have also called for implementing policies designed to “encourage” Palestinian emigration from Gaza.In their letter on Sunday, the settlement leaders alleged that as a result of Iranian efforts, lethal terror attacks in the West Bank have spiked, and recommended that tough action be taken to counter the phenomenon.“The population living in zones identified with terrorism, with a focus on ‘refugee’ camps and known terror complexes, should be moved,” the setter leaders wrote. “After moving the population, the terrorism infrastructure should be dismantled exactly as we have done in the Gaza Strip, meaning: any incriminated building to be destroyed, every terrorist to be taken out.”They added: “The form of battle, from the incursion to the ground operation, will exert effective pressure and extract a significant price from the terrorist organizations.”The brief letter did not detail where Palestinians from evacuated population centers might be moved during the proposed military incursions or what would happen after combat operations are concluded.Ganz, who also heads the Benjamin Regional Council settlement authority, and the other leaders alleged that the deteriorating security situation in the West Bank was a result of the Oslo Accords signed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in 1993.“This is the time to abandon a defensive posture and go forward to a posture of efficient and effective lethal offensive in Judea and Samaria,” they concluded, referring to the West Bank by its biblical name, saying the “spirit of victory” in the campaigns in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria should be brought to the West Bank.

EU diplomat: Syria sanctions relief not relevant until new leadership proves itself-Kaja Kallas says new leaders will have to ensure rights of minorities and women, disavow religious extremism in order to make good on their assurances of moderation-By Suleiman Al-Khalidi Today, 7:41 pm-DEC 15,24

AMMAN, Jordan (Reuters) — The EU will not lift sanctions on Syria before its new rulers ensure minorities are not persecuted and women’s rights are protected within a unified government that disavows religious extremism, the EU’s top diplomat said on Sunday.An EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Monday, which has Syria on the agenda, would not discuss expanding financial support to the country beyond that already provided by the EU through United Nations agencies, said the European Union’s new foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas.“One of the questions is whether we are able to, in the future, look at the adaptation of the sanctions regime. But this clearly is not the question of today, but rather in the future where we have seen that the steps go in the right direction,” Kallas told Reuters in an interview.While the EU has in place a tough sanctions regime against Syria, the rebel group that led the overthrow of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad — Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — has also been under sanctions for years, complicating matters for the international community.The EU was already the biggest donor of humanitarian aid to Syria, Kallas said.“We need to discuss what more can we do. But as I say, it can’t come as a blank check,” Kallas added.She was speaking after attending a conference in Jordan on Saturday that brought together regional and Western powers to discuss Syria’s post-Assad future. Diplomats agreed that the protection of Syria’s minorities was a major concern.“Syria faces a hopeful but uncertain future,” said Kallas, who is making her first visit to the Middle East in her new post. Syria’s new interim leaders had made “positive signals” but these were not enough, she said.“They are judged by the deeds, not only the words. So the coming weeks and months will show whether their deeds are going to the right direction,” Kallas said.“What everybody is looking at is, of course, the treatment of women and girls also, which shows the society and how it goes, how the institutions are built up, so that there is a government that takes on board everybody,” she added.Human rights bodies say tens of thousands perished under the Assad family’s authoritarian rule, and the ousted president had to be held accountable, Kallas said.“It’s clear that Assad has been responsible for the crimes committed in Syria, so there clearly has to be accountability,” she said, and the International Criminal Court would be expected to look into how he would be prosecuted“Without accountability, there is no justice, and without justice, it’s also very hard to build the country,” she added.

Katz: Despite assurances by rebel leaders, Syria threat requires boost to defense budget-Defense minister says ‘the immediate risks to the country have not disappeared,’ and ‘intensity’ of danger has increased-By ToI Staff Today, 6:35 pm-DEC 15,24

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that the defense budget must be increased “in the face of growing threats,” citing the recent developments in Syria with the ousting of former president Bashar al-Assad by Islamist forces.“Israel must be able to defend itself, on its own, against any threat,” Katz told the Nagel Committee, which examines defense spending and the design of military forces for the future, according to a ministry statement.“The immediate risks to the country have not disappeared and the recent developments in Syria are increasing the intensity of the threat, despite the rebel leaders seeking to present a semblance of moderation,” Katz said.The Nagel Committee is tasked with determining the direction of Israel’s military force design for the next decade, the budgetary implications and the economic impact.Katz said Friday that he had ordered the military to prepare to maintain its presence on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon during the coming winter months as Israel aims to prevent the border region from falling into hostile hands.Last week, for the same reason, Israel launched a major operation to destroy the Syrian military’s strategic military capabilities, including chemical weapons sites, missiles, air defenses, air force and navy targets.Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, said on Saturday that Israel was using false pretexts to justify its attacks on Syria, but that he was not interested in engaging in new conflicts as the country focuses on rebuilding.In a video message to the new regime taking shape in Syria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that the IDF bombed military strategic capabilities left by the Syrian military of the ousted Assad regime “so that they won’t fall into the hands of the jihadists.”Netanyahu added that Israel was ready to establish relations with the new rulers but wouldn’t hesitate to attack if they threatened the Jewish state or allowed Iran to reestablish itself in Syria.Top diplomats of Turkey and the United States have also met to discuss their joint effort to prevent Islamic State from resurging after Assad’s downfall, amid international efforts to gauge Syria’s new leadership, Hayat Tahrir a-Sham, an Islamist organization that originated in al-Qaeda but has since apparently broken with the jihadi terror group.

IDF says Al Jazeera cameraman killed in Gaza strike was member of Islamic Jihad-Military says Ahmed Al-Louh, previously a PIJ platoon commander, was situated in compound used to plan attacks; TV network accuses Israel of ‘systematic killing of journalists’By Emanuel Fabian-and Agencies Today, 11:35 pm-DEC 15,24

The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday that an Al Jazeera cameraman killed in an airstrike in the central Gaza Strip earlier in the day was a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, as the Qatari-funded network condemned the strike.In a statement, the military said it carried out a drone strike against a group of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror operatives at a command center, based out of the offices of the Gaza civil defense organization in Nuseirat.“The compound was used by the terrorists to plan and execute terror acts against IDF troops in the immediate time frame,” the military said.According to the IDF, several terror operatives were killed in the strike, including Ahmad Al-Louh, an Al Jazeera cameraman whom the military accused of previously serving as a platoon commander in Islamic Jihad’s central Gaza brigade.The IDF said it took steps to mitigate civilian harm in the strike, including by using precision munitions, aerial surveillance and other intelligence.Al Jazeera, meanwhile, said in a statement that it “condemns in the strongest terms the killing of its cameraman, Ahmad Baker Al-Louh, 39, by the Israeli occupation forces,” whom the network said was “brutally killed in an airstrike that targeted a civil defense post in the market area.”Al Jazeera Media Network condemns in the strongest terms the killing of its cameraman, Ahmad Baker Al-Louh, 39, by the Israeli occupation forces. https://t.co/g6wqEG0clU— Al Jazeera PR (@AlJazeera) December 15, 2024-The network added that Louh’s killing came “just days after the targeting of his house” by Israeli forces who “utterly destroyed” it — an accusation to which the IDF did not specifically respond.The network accused Israel of “systematic killing of journalists in cold blood,” as well as “evasion of responsibilities under international humanitarian law.”Meanwhile, the strip’s Hamas-governed civil defense agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal confirmed Louh had been killed in the strike on the Nuseirat camp, which he said also claimed the lives of three members of the rescue agency.In a statement, Hamas called Louh’s killing an “assassination” and a “war crime,” describing it as “part of a systematic targeting of journalists in Gaza, aimed at intimidating them and deterring them.”It was not the first time an Al Jazeera employee has been killed by Israeli forces amid the ongoing war in Gaza, which began when the Hamas terror group attacked Israel on October 7 last year, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.In January, Israel said an Al Jazeera staff journalist as well as a freelancer killed in an airstrike in Gaza were terror operatives.The following month, it accused another journalist with the channel, who was wounded in a separate strike, of being a deputy company commander with Hamas.And in October, the IDF said it had uncovered documents in Gaza that show six active Al Jazeera reporters were operatives in the Hamas and Islamic Jihad.Al Jazeera has fiercely denied Israel’s allegations and accused it of systematically targeting Al Jazeera employees in the Gaza Strip.In April, the Israeli government passed an emergency law to take the network off the air and block its broadcasts for violating national security. Courts have since upheld the legislation, citing confidential information.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Lapid raps move: Way to handle criticism is to stay, not run-Israel to close its embassy in Dublin due to Ireland’s ‘extreme anti-Israel policy’Irish PM calls move ‘deeply regrettable’; FM Sa’ar announces new embassy in Moldova, says Israel ‘giving weight’ to countries that are ‘interested in strengthening ties’By Lazar Berman-and ToI Staff Today, 7:33 pm-DEC 15,24

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced on Sunday that Israel will be shutting its embassy in Ireland, citing the “extreme anti-Israel policy of the Irish government.”“The antisemitic actions and rhetoric that Ireland is taking against Israel are based on delegitimization and demonization of the Jewish state and on double standards,” said Sa’ar in a statement. “Ireland has crossed all red lines in its relationship with Israel.”Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris called the decision “deeply regrettable.”“I utterly reject the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel,” Harris wrote on X following Sa’ar’s announcement. “Ireland is pro-peace, pro-human rights and pro-international law.”“Ireland wants a two-state solution and for Israel and Palestine to live in peace and security. Ireland will always speak up for human rights and international law,” he added.Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said the two countries would maintain diplomatic relations and that there were no plans to close Ireland’s embassy in Israel.Ireland has been one of Israel’s most outspoken critics throughout the war in Gaza, which broke out on October 7, 2023, with Hamas’s unprecedented attack in which  3,000 terrorists murdered some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, mostly civilians.Israel recalled its ambassador in May after Ireland became one of three EU countries that said they would unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state. Ireland has not recalled its envoy to Israel. In November, the Irish parliament passed a nonbinding motion declaring that “genocide is being perpetrated before our eyes by Israel in Gaza.”And last week, Ireland’s cabinet voted to join the case accusing Israel of perpetrating “genocide” during its war with Hamas in Gaza, brought by South Africa at the International Criminal Court in The Hague last year.Aside from the Irish government’s views and actions regarding the war, a report published last month by education monitoring group IMPACT-se exposed profound distortions of the Holocaust, Israel, Judaism and Jewish history in textbooks used in Irish public schools.Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, a former foreign minister, criticized Sa’ar for the move on Sunday, writing in a post on X that it was the wrong approach.“The decision to close Israel’s embassy in Ireland is a victory for antisemitism and anti-Israel organizations. The way to deal with criticism is not to run away but to stay and fight,” Lapid wrote.After Sa’ar responded, telling Lapid to be ashamed of himself for “defining the Irish treatment of Israel as ‘criticism,'” the opposition leader doubled down, saying that “Israel needs to hold embassies precisely in places where there is a strong conflict with the government, and a foreign minister who only gives up and runs away from conflict is not doing his job.”In a statement, Maurice Cohen, the chairman of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland, said the closure of the embassy will prove “particularly distressing for the Jewish community in Ireland, which has grown and diversified significantly in recent years.”For the Irish-Israeli residents of the country, “the closure of the embassy represents not only a symbolic blow but also a practical disadvantage” for those requiring consular service. Cohen called on “both the Irish and Israeli governments to seek pathways to rebuild trust and to ensure that avenues for diplomatic engagement remain open… let us choose engagement over estrangement, dialogue over division, and the pursuit of peace over polarizing actions.”Meanwhile, Sa’ar also announced on Sunday that Israel would open an embassy in Moldova, which already has an embassy in Israel. The opening is expected to occur in the next year, and Israel is beginning the process of finding a site and appointing an ambassador.“There are countries that are interested in strengthening their ties with Israel and do not yet have an Israeli embassy,” said Sa’ar. “We will adjust the Israeli diplomatic structure of our missions while giving weight, among other things, to the approach and actions of the various countries towards Israel in the political arena.”Moldova’s Ambassador to Israel Alex Roitman praised the announcement, writing on X that “it was a natural step to make long ago.”“I’m convinced a full-fledged Israeli diplomatic mission in Chișinău, together with Moldovan mission in Tel Aviv, will contribute to goals of widening the bilateral relation in the fields: political, economic, social, in the sectors: medicine, agriculture, military, cyber, etc,” he wrote.JTA contributed to this report.

Appealing ICC arrest warrants, Israel says court violated its own charter and rulings-Court said in 2021 it would rule first on jurisdiction issues before issuing any warrants against Israelis, but last month asserted Israel had no standing to challenge jurisdiction-By Jeremy Sharon-Today, 5:54 pm-DEC 15,24

Israel filed two appeals on Friday against the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.The appeals, filed by Dr. Gilad Noam from the Attorney General’s Office, focused on what Israel argued were serious procedural deficiencies in the decision by ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan to seek arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.The first appeal addressed Israel’s contention that Khan should have provided new notification of his investigation into the allegations regarding the prosecution of the war in Gaza following Hamas’s October 7 invasion and massacre. He instead relied on notification issued in 2021 of an investigation the court had initiated at the time.The second appeal dealt with Israel’s claim that the ICC lacks jurisdiction over Israelis.The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on November 21 on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the war in Gaza.The allegations related in particular to charges that the two leaders had committed the war crimes of directing attacks against the civilian population of Gaza and of using starvation as a method of warfare by hindering the supply of international aid to Gaza.Khan also alleged that the two committed the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts as a result of the restrictions they allegedly placed on the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.Israel has strongly rejected the substance of the allegations, insisting that it has funneled massive amounts of humanitarian aid through the crossings along the Gaza border, and that any problems with the distribution of that aid to the Palestinian civilian population are a result of inefficient operations by the aid organizations on the ground, difficulties arising from the ongoing conflict in the territory, and the looting of aid by Hamas and other terrorist organizations.Israel has also rejected allegations that it targets civilians, insisting that civilian casualties caused by the operation have resulted in large part due to Hamas’s tactic of embedding its fighters and installations within Gaza’s civilian infrastructure.In its appeal over the issue of notification, Israel noted that the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I — which approved Khan’s request for arrest warrants — noted that the court had “tacitly accepted” that an investigation “could change to such a degree” that new notification would be required.Notification is a crucial component of the Rome Statute under which the ICC operates, since it is designed to give the country under investigation the ability to conduct its own investigations into the charges alleged by the prosecutor and have its own justice system deal with the allegations, a principle known as “complementarity.”Israel alleges that Khan never gave Israel this opportunity and therefore violated this foundational principle of the court designed to restrain its jurisdiction in cases where the country under investigation has an independent legal system and judiciary.In its decision to approve the arrest warrants, the ICC found that the threshold of a change in the investigation had not been met, but Israel in its appeal argued that the allegations under investigation in 2021 and those now under investigation as a result of the current war are significantly different, and that Khan should therefore have issued new notification before deciding to seek arrest warrants.In the second appeal, Israel appealed the court’s ruling that Israel does not have standing to appeal its jurisdiction, and that even if it did it could not do so until after warrants have been issued.“The court’s legitimacy depends, in equal measure, both on the effective discharge of its mandate, and on adherence to its jurisdictional limitations,” Israel insisted in its appeal.Israel argued that the court had ignored the ICC’s earlier decision from 2021 when it admitted “the State of Palestine.” At that time, the court decided that it would rule on “further questions of jurisdiction” only if and when the prosecutor filed requests for arrest warrants against Israelis.Israel argued in its initial challenges against Khan’s request for arrest warrants that the terms of the Oslo Accords signed by Israel and Palestinian representative bodies explicitly deny any Palestinian entity legal jurisdiction over Israeli nationals.Since the ICC works by party members delegating their jurisdiction to the court to prosecute suspected violations of the Rome Statute, the Palestinians never had the necessary jurisdiction to transfer to the ICC in the first place, Israel argued.But the court rejected Israel’s standing to challenge the ICC’s jurisdiction at all.Israel noted in its appeal that the 2021 decision admitting “the State of Palestine” to the court “expressly did not deal with” the arguments surrounding the provisions of the Oslo Accords and stipulated that such questions would be decided if and when arrest warrants would be sought.As a result, the ICC’s decision to reject Israel’s standing to challenge jurisdiction meant that Israel was being “wrongfully deprived of standing for its jurisdiction challenge and also led to the wrongful issuance of arrest warrants against Israel’s prime minister and former defense minister.”

IDF: Dozens of terror operatives killed in overnight raid in north Gaza’s Beit Hanoun-Several more gunmen killed in adjacent town of Beit Lahiya; military says it hit Hamas command center in former clinic in Jabalia, three cells in Gaza City-By Emanuel Fabian-Today, 4:33 pm-DEC 15,24

Dozens of terror operatives were killed in an overnight raid carried out by troops of the Givati Infantry Brigade in northern Gaza’s Beit Hanoun, the Israel Defense Forces said on Sunday.According to the military, the Givati troops raided an area of Beit Hanoun where there was a “concentration of terrorists” following intelligence information on “the presence of terrorists in the area.”During the operation, which also involved airstrikes, dozens of gunmen were killed, and several other terror operatives were detained, the IDF said.In a separate operation in the adjacent town of Beit Lahiya, the IDF added, troops of the Kfir Brigade killed several terror operatives in ground combat and by directing airstrikes. The soldiers also located and destroyed weapons in the area.Meanwhile, earlier Sunday, the IDF said it carried out an airstrike against Hamas operatives at a command center embedded within a building that formerly housed the Abu Shabak medical clinic in Jabalia.“The compound was used by the Hamas terrorists to plan and carry out terror activity against IDF troops and the State of Israel, and many weapons used by the Hamas terrorists were stored there,” the military said.The IDF also said that on Saturday night, fighter jets struck three terror cells in Gaza City, whose members were planning to carry out attacks against troops in the “immediate time frame.”In all of the strikes, the IDF said it took steps to mitigate civilian harm, including by using precision munitions, aerial surveillance and other intelligence. Gaza-based medics said that nine people were killed Sunday in Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and Jabalia. Residents said clusters of houses were bombed and some set ablaze in the three towns.The latest operations came amid a months-long IDF offensive against Hamas in the Strip’s far northern towns of Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, launched in early September.So far, the military estimates that it has killed at least 2,000 operatives during the recent operation, while another 1,500 have been detained, and around 90,000 civilians evacuated from the area. Thirty-four IDF soldiers have been killed so far in the operation.The war in Gaza erupted with Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre, which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border into Israel by land, air and sea, murdering some 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, mostly civilians, amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 386. The toll includes a police officer killed in a hostage rescue mission and a Defense Ministry civilian contractor.The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 44,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says it has killed some 18,000 combatants in battle as of November and another 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7, 2023, or in the following few days.Israel has repeatedly said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.Reuters contributed to this report.

Terror scare shuts down main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway-Police later say terror suspicion was false alarm, after incident brings traffic to standstill; cops detain 13 unauthorized Palestinian workers in connection with suspected vehicle-By ToI Staff Today, 4:10 pm-DEC 15,24

Security forces scrambled to put up checkpoints and conduct searches outside Jerusalem on Sunday as authorities working off an intelligence tip hunted down a suspected terror cell thought to be plotting an attack, in what was ultimately a false alarm.Police said in a statement Sunday evening that a preliminary investigation had ruled out any terrorist activity.The police statement noted that during the investigation, police detained 13 Palestinians who were in Israel without authorization, who were suspected to have arrived in the vehicle being investigated. The Palestinians, along with their employer, were taken for questioning.Traffic on Route 1, the main highway linking Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, was brought to a standstill early Sunday afternoon as security forces attempted to nab suspects who were seemingly trying to reach the Tel Aviv area.One driver was detained near the Latrun interchange outside the central city of Modiin “following an alert received about a suspect vehicle,” police said in an initial statement.The suspect’s vehicle, a silver Toyota Land Cruiser SUV according to reports, was impounded after being checked by a sapper, according to police. The driver was transferred to the Shin Bet security service for questioning, reports said.Footage from various areas along the freeway west of Jerusalem showed large numbers of police officers, including members of a quick response counter-terror squad, gathered on the highway as far as Ben Gurion Airport, or walking between lines of idling cars.Reports in Hebrew-language media claimed that security forces were searching for a second suspect as well, though there was no confirmation.According to Channel 12 news, police were acting on intelligence regarding alleged plans for an attack by two residents of the Wadi al-Hummus area of East Jerusalem.Over Jerusalem, the chop of blades cutting through the air was heard constantly as police helicopters conducted searches from above.Police also set up checkpoints to perform spot checks at various other locations around Jerusalem, and shut traffic at some crossings between the capital and the West Bank.Last week, a Palestinian terrorist opened fire on an Israeli bus traveling in the West Bank just south of Jerusalem, killing a 12-year-old boy and wounding three others. The shooter later turned himself in.Violence has risen sharply in the West Bank since the Gaza war started on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages.Since then, 42 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank.Another six members of the security forces were killed in clashes with operatives in the West Bank amid a major counterterrorism offensive that has been accompanied by sharp restrictions on Palestinian movement.Israeli troops have arrested some 5,250 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank as part of the post-October 7 military operations, including more than 2,050 affiliated with Hamas.According to the Palestinian Authority health ministry, some 800 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in the same span of time. The IDF says the vast majority of them were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops or terrorists carrying out attacks.Times of Israel staff and agencies contributed to this report.

A week after Assad’s fall, Syria begins to come to terms with his brutal legacy-Residents and rebel leaders aim for return to normalcy; pubs and bars reopening, reportedly with blessing of Islamist regime-By AFP and ToI Staff Today, 2:19 pm-DEC 15,24

A week after a lightning offensive toppled longtime leader Bashar al-Assad, Syrians are only beginning to scratch the surface of the atrocities committed under his rule, as the country’s new rulers seek to reassure the international community.UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen arrived in Damascus on Sunday, his spokesperson said, declining to give details of his agenda.Calm is slowly returning to the streets of the capital, with dozens of children streaming back to school on Sunday for the first time since Assad fled.“The school has asked us to send middle and upper pupils back to class,” said mother of three Raghida Ghosn, 56.“The younger ones will go back in two days,” she told AFP.An official at one Damascus school said “no more than 30 percent” were back on Sunday, but that “these numbers will rise gradually.”Assad fled Syria last weekend following an 11-day rebel offensive led by the Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), bringing to a dramatic end more than 50 years of brutal Assad clan rule.His fall comes over 13 years into the civil war sparked by Assad’s violent crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011.The war has killed upwards of 500,000 people and displaced more than half the country’s population.In the week since the rebels took Damascus, each day has seen more light shed on the depths of the despair visited upon Syria’s people over the past five decades.Journalist Mohammed Darwish was one of those held in the so-called Palestine Branch, or Branch 235, a jail that was run by Syria’s feared intelligence services.“I was one of those they interrogated the most,” Darwish told AFP as he returned to the prison years after his ordeal in 2018. He said he was questioned “every day, morning and night” for 120 days.‘Inclusive, representative’On Saturday, US State Secretary Antony Blinken said Washington had “been in contact with HTS and with other parties,” without specifying how this contact occurred.Meanwhile, Western and Arab states along with Turkey — a key backer of anti-Assad rebels — called for a united peaceful Syria following a meeting between Blinken and top diplomats in Jordan.In a joint statement, diplomats from the United States, Turkey, the European Union, and Arab countries called for a Syrian-led transition to “produce an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government formed through a transparent process,” with respect for human rights.A Qatari delegation was due in Syria Sunday to meet transitional government officials for talks on aid and reopening its embassy.Unlike other Arab states, Qatar never restored diplomatic ties with Assad after a rupture in 2011.Sunni Muslim HTS is rooted in Syria’s branch of al-Qaeda and is designated a terrorist organization by many Western governments.Although it has sought to moderate its rhetoric in recent years, its seizure of power has sparked concerns both domestically and internationally over the protection of religious and ethnic minorities.The interim government insists that the rights of all Syrians will be protected, as will the rule of law.On Sunday, Syrian Christians attended their first church service since Assad’s fall.Pubs and stores selling alcohol in Damascus initially closed following the rebel victory, but are now tentatively reopening.Safi, landlord of the Papa bar in the Old City, said the rebels told him: “You have the right to work and live your life as you did before.”Israeli strikes-Assad was propped up by Russia — where he fled — as well as Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group.The rebels began their offensive on November 27, the same day a ceasefire took effect in the Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon, which was initiated by the terror group in October 2023 and in which Assad’s ally suffered staggering losses.Naim Qassem, the leader of the Iran-backed Hezbollah, admitted Saturday that with Assad’s fall, his group could no longer be supplied militarily through Syria.He also said he hoped Syria’s new rulers saw Israel “as an enemy” and would not normalize ties with the country.Both Israel and Turkey have carried out military strikes inside Syria since Assad’s fall.Last week Israel launched a major operation to destroy the Syrian military’s strategic military capabilities, including chemical weapons sites, missiles, air defenses, air force and navy targets, in a bid to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile elements.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Sunday reported fresh Israeli strikes near Damascus, after 60 strikes across Syria on Saturday.The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources in Syria and is of uncertain accuracy, reported strikes on Syrian army tunnels and arms depots in the Damir area near Damascus on Sunday.Israel has also ordered troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone separating Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights, a move the UN said violated a 1974 armistice. Israel has said it will not become involved in the conflict in Syria and that its seizure of the buffer zone established was a defensive move and a temporary one until it can guarantee security along the frontier.HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani, now using his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, said the Israeli move “threatens a new unjustified escalation in the region.”But “the general exhaustion in Syria after years of war and conflict does not allow us to enter new conflicts,” he said in an online statement.

Israel said worried King Abdullah also at risk of falling-Israelis and Jordanians said to meet secretly amid worries over rebel surge in Syria-Reports say Amman acting as mediator between Israel and HTS as neighbors seek to work out emerging threats from north; Iranian attempts to smuggle arms via Jordan also discussed-By ToI Staff Today, 12:23 pm-DEC 15,24

Senior Israeli officials reportedly held secret talks with Jordanian military brass late last week on the fallout that arose from the ousting of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad from power, as regional powers sought to address worries of rippling instability in the wake of the lightning overthrow of the regime.The meetings held in Jordan on Friday largely revolved around possible threats posed by the jihadist force that pushed Assad out and took over Syria, as well as countering Iranian attempts to smuggle weapons overland to Palestinian terror groups, according to several reports in Hebrew language media Saturday.Shin Bet director Ronen Bar and Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, head of the Israel Defense Force’s Military Intelligence Directorate, represented Israel at the talks, according to the reports. The pair met with Ahmad Husni, who heads Jordan’s General Intelligence Department, and senior Jordanian military commanders, according to the Walla news site.There was no confirmation of the meetings from official sources in Jerusalem or Amman.Western countries and their allies in the region have scrambled to adapt since insurgents led by jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, drove Assad from power and into asylum in Russia a week ago.According to the Walla report, which cited multiple Israeli officials, both the Israelis and the Jordanian officials discussed their own contacts with rebel groups attempting to build a new Syrian government. Amman has acted as a key conduit for Israel to communicate with the insurgents, including HTS, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, the report said.HTS has worked to establish security and start a political transition after seizing Damascus on December 7 and has tried to reassure a public both stunned by Assad’s fall and concerned about extremist jihadis among the rebels. Insurgent leaders say the group has broken with its extremist past, but US officials say they remain skeptical.On Saturday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with counterparts from eight Arab nations and Turkey in Aqaba, Jordan, to discuss Syria and sign off on a set of principles meant to guide the country’s transition to a peaceful, nonsectarian and inclusive government.Blinken on Saturday confirmed that the US had been in touch with HTS, but declined to detail the direct contacts with the group. He said it was important for the US to convey messages to the group about its conduct and how it intends to govern in a transition period.Jordan is widely regarded as a pivotal military and strategic ally for Israel and the US, which have both supported the continued rule of the country’s Hashemite monarchy as a major stabilizing force in the region.The country’s location along Israel’s long eastern border, and sandwiched between Iraq, Syria and the Gulf, also make it a crucial bulwark against attempts to smuggle Iranian weapons to Palestinians in the West Bank or elsewhere. According to Walla, the growing threat of weapons smuggling by Iran via Jordan to Palestinian terror groups in the West Bank was also discussed during the Friday talks.Israeli officials have spoken out with increasing alarm in recent years over what they say is a growing phenomenon of Tehran flooding weapons into the West Bank or Israel proper to be used in terror attacks or criminal activity. The use of the artery could grow with the loss of Syria as a viable conduit for the Islamic Republic’s weapons shipments.The head of Hezbollah, Iran’s most powerful proxy, admitted Saturday that the Lebanese terror group had lost its arms supply route through Syria following the toppling of Assad’s regime.While the rebels’ success has dovetailed neatly with Israel’s own aims of seeking to weaken Iran and its proxies on Israel’s borders, some have expressed concern that instability could spread beyond Syria to other countries where there is popular anger against undemocratic leaders.Some officials in Israel are reportedly worried that extremists opposed to Jordan’s King Abdullah II could seize on the rebels’ gains to launch their own insurgency, undermining security for both Amman and Jerusalem.Citing senior Israeli sources, the Kan public broadcaster reported that discussions over the possibility of the Hashemite Kingdom being toppled as well have been held in the high-level security cabinet, among other forums. According to the Israel Hayom daily, Israeli officials worry that a loss of stability in Jordan could open up the territory to more Iranian smuggling attempts.Israeli officials also fear that there could be a copycat effect in the West Bank, with Palestinian extremists seeking to replicate the rebels’ advances by carrying out terror attacks, Israel Hayom reported.According to the tabloid, the military has decided to beef up security around West Bank settlements over the worries.Recent days have seen the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group battling the Palestinian Authority in Jenin, a northern West Bank city that has become a hotbed for terror groups, many of them allied with Hamas.The fighting was set off by the PA’s arrest of several senior terror suspects from the group earlier this month.Agencies contributed to this report.

Mayor of Gaza’s Deir al-Balah killed in strike; IDF: He was in Hamas’s military wing-Army airs video showing Hamas abusing inmates at Gaza City prison, compares treatment to that by Syria’s Assad regime; rocket fired from central Gaza lands in open area in south-By Emanuel Fabian,ToI Staff and Agencies 15 December 2024, 12:16 am

An Israeli airstrike in the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in the central Gaza Strip on Saturday killed the mayor of Deir al-Balah, who is accused of being a member of the military wing of the Hamas terror group.In a joint statement following the strike, the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet said that Diab Emad Ali Abd al-Rahman al-Jaro had “actively participated in the operations of Hamas’s government in the Deir al-Balah area, maintained continuous contact with officials in Hamas’s military wing, and provided them with combat assistance against IDF troops.”In his role, he was the mayor of Deir al-Balah, the head of the Hamas-run Emergency Committee in central Gaza, and was responsible for Hamas’s political activity in the area, as well as for various government offices, the military said.Al-Jaro was targeted while at the Deir al-Balah municipality building, located within the humanitarian zone. The IDF said that the building was being used by Hamas operatives to plan and carry out attacks against troops in Gaza and against Israel.The IDF said it had taken steps to mitigate harm to civilians in the strike, including using precision munitions and aerial surveillance. Palestinian media reported at least 11 dead in the strike.“Hamas continues to abuse civilian and humanitarian infrastructure for its terrorist activities, in violation of international law,” the military said.Some 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are estimated to be living in the enclave’s humanitarian zone, according to a July assessment by the IDF.The zone is located in the al-Mawasi area on the southern Strip’s coast, the western neighborhoods of Khan Younis and the central Deir al-Balah.Its size has changed multiple times amid evolving IDF operations against Hamas, but as of late August, it was just over 46 square kilometers (17.7 square miles), or nearly 13 percent of the total size of the Gaza Strip.Also on Saturday, the IDF said that it carried out a drone strike against a cell of terror operatives while they were preparing to carry out an attack against troops in Gaza and Israel “in the immediate timeframe.”The military said the operatives were targeted while they were gathered at a former school in Gaza City. It added that it took steps to mitigate harm to civilians in the strike at the Yaffa boys school, which was being used to shelter displaced Palestinians.Emergency services in Gaza reported that at least seven were killed, including a woman and her baby, and 12 were wounded as a result of the airstrike.Rocket sirens were activated inside Israel, meanwhile, after a rocket launched from the central Gaza Strip struck an open area in the south of the country.Sirens sounded in the border communities of Nirim and Ein Hashlosha amid the attack, which did not result in any injuries.The rocket fire was the second such incident in two days, after the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group fired two projectiles toward Ashkelon on Friday.Footage shows Hamas torture of Palestinian prisoners-On Saturday evening, the IDF released new security camera footage that it said was recovered at a Hamas prison in Gaza City’s upscale Rimal neighborhood, in which members of the Palestinian terror group’s internal security forces can be seen abusing prisoners.In the video, the Hamas operatives can be seen escorting a blindfolded prisoner on his knees into the facility, before throwing him down a set of stairs and violently beating him.The clip separately shows a prisoner lying on the ground in a small cell not much larger than his body. The military said that he was being held in a suffocating room while in solitary confinement.Comparing Hamas’s treatment of prisoners to the actions of the regime of toppled Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, the military said in a statement that Hamas “attempts to distance itself from the Assad regime and the atrocities exposed in Syrian prisons, but the footage and previous revelations about Hamas’s torture investigations leave no room for doubt — Hamas is equally ruthless.”“The cruelty of Hamas prison guards exposed in this footage can no longer be hidden or denied. These harrowing videos are a stark reminder of the merciless abuse, oppression, and human rights violations inflicted on Gaza’s residents by the Hamas regime.”The IDF has previously published CCTV footage that it says depicts the torture of Palestinian civilians at the hands of Hamas operatives, and in 2022, both the UN Watch Lobby and Human Rights Watch found that human rights activists, women, LGBTQ people and political opponents in Gaza and the West Bank were regularly subject to brutal punishment.The war in Gaza erupted with Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre, which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border into Israel by land, air and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, mostly civilians, many amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 386. The toll includes a police officer killed in a hostage rescue mission and a Defense Ministry civilian contractor.The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 44,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel says it has killed some 18,000 combatants in battle as of November and another 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7, 2023, or in the following few days.

We hope this new power will not normalize' ties with Israel-Hezbollah chief says supply route via Syria cut, hopes rebels won’t have ties with Israel-Naim Qassem expects jihadist leadership that ousted Assad will consider Israel an enemy, allow arms flow to resume-By Agencies and ToI Staff 14 December 2024, 10:39 pm

Hezbollah head Naim Qassem acknowledged Saturday that the Lebanese terror group had lost its arms supply route through Syria following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad’s regime nearly a week ago by a sweeping rebel offensive.Qassem didn’t mention Assad by name in his televised address, and said the group “cannot judge these new forces until they stabilize” and “take clear positions,” but said he hoped that the Lebanese and Syrian people and governments could continue to cooperate.“Yes, Hezbollah has lost the military supply route through Syria at this stage, but this loss is a detail in the resistance’s work,” Qassem said.“A new regime could come and this route could return to normal, and we could look for other ways,” he added.Syria provided a land route for Hezbollah’s patron, Iran, to send convoys of weapons to Lebanon. Such convoys were often targeted by Israeli airstrikes but the terror group was able to heavily arm itself regardless.Hezbollah started intervening in Syria in 2013 to help Assad quash the rebels seeking to topple him at that time. Last week, as rebels approached Damascus, the group sent supervising officers to oversee a withdrawal of its fighters there.More than 50 years of Assad family rule have now been replaced with a transitional caretaker government put in place by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former al-Qaeda affiliate that spearheaded the rebel offensive.The Hezbollah chief also said Syria’s new rulers should not recognize neighboring Israel or establish ties with it.“We hope that this new party in power will see Israel as an enemy and not normalize relations with it,” Qassem said.The Syrian rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who is better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Julani, said Saturday that Israel has “no more excuses” to carry out airstrikes in Syria and that recent IDF attacks on Syrian soil have crossed red lines and threaten an escalation in the region.However, he said his group did not seek further conflict in the region.Hezbollah began launching cross-border attacks on Israel from Lebanon the day after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, firing rockets and drones at border communities and military posts, displacing some 60,000 Israelis from their homes in the country’s north. Qassem’s predecessor Hassan Nasrallah was killed in late September 2024 by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, as Israel escalated its campaign against Hezbollah, eventually launching a ground incursion into southern Lebanon.In late November, the sides agreed to a ceasefire, which has broadly held, despite some airstrikes by Israel against Hezbollah operatives amid alleged violations of the truce.According to IDF data, since October 2023 Israeli forces struck over 12,500 Hezbollah targets, including 1,600 command centers and 1,000 weapons depots.Sources close to Hezbollah say the terror group believes the number of its fighters killed by Israel in the last year could be as high as 4,000, the vast majority of them during the last two months of intensified fighting. The sources cited previously unreported internal estimates.In addition to Nasrallah, the IDF killed most of Hezbollah’s other top leaders and is said to have destroyed some 80% of its military capabilities.Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel since October 2023 resulted in the deaths of 45 civilians. In addition, 80 IDF soldiers and reservists have died in cross-border skirmishes, attacks on Israel, and in the ensuing ground operation launched in southern Lebanon in late September.On the Israeli side, nearly 3,000 homes and buildings in Israel were damaged by Hezbollah attacks, according to an Army Radio report last month, citing official figures.

After Assad’s fall, Russia pulling some, but not all, of its forces out of Syria-Moscow says it will maintain presence at two main Syrian bases; attitude of new regime toward Russian presence is still unclear-By Tuvan Gumrukcu, Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Guy Faulconbridge 14 December 2024, 10:13 pm

TARTUS, Syria (Reuters) — Russia is pulling back its military from the front lines in northern Syria and from posts in the Alawite Mountains but is not leaving its two main bases in the country after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, four Syrian officials told Reuters.The ousting of Assad, who along with his late father, former President Hafez al-Assad, had forged a close alliance with Moscow, has thrown the future of Russia’s bases — the Hmeimim airbase in Latakia and the Tartus naval facility — into question.Satellite footage from Friday showed what appeared to be at least two Antonov AN-124s, among the world’s largest cargo planes, at the Hmeimim base with their nose cones open, apparently preparing to load up.At least one cargo plane flew out on Saturday for Libya, a Syrian security official stationed outside the facility said.Syrian military and security sources in contact with the Russians told Reuters that Moscow was pulling back its forces from the front lines and withdrawing some heavy equipment and senior Syrian officers.But the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said Russia was not pulling out of its two main bases and currently had no intention of doing so.Some equipment is being shipped back to Moscow, as are senior officers from Assad’s military, but the aim at this stage is to regroup and redeploy as dictated by developments on the ground, a senior Syrian army officer in touch with the Russian military told Reuters.A senior rebel official close to the new interim administration told Reuters the issue of the Russian military presence in Syria and past agreements between the Assad government and Moscow were not under discussion.“It is a matter for future talks, and the Syrian people will have the final say,” the official said, adding that Moscow had set up communication channels.“Our forces are also now in close vicinity of the Russian bases in Latakia,” he added without elaborating.The Kremlin has said Russia is in discussions with the new rulers of Syria over the bases. Russia’s defense ministry did not respond to a request for comment on Reuters reporting.A Russian source who spoke on condition of anonymity said discussions with the new rulers of Syria were ongoing and Russia was not withdrawing from its bases.Reuters was unable to immediately ascertain how Syrian rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa — better known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani — saw the long-term future of the Russian bases.Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose 2015 intervention in the Syrian civil war helped prop up Assad when the West was calling for him to be toppled, granted Assad asylum in Russia after Moscow helped him flee on Sunday.Moscow has backed Syria since early in the Cold War and recognized its independence in 1944 as Damascus sought to throw off French colonial rule. The West long regarded Syria as a Soviet satellite.The bases in Syria are an integral part of Russia’s global military presence: the Tartus naval base is Russia’s only Mediterranean repair and resupply hub, with Hmeimim a major staging post for military and mercenary activity in Africa.Russia also has eavesdropping posts in Syria, which were run alongside Syrian signals stations, according to Syrian military and Western intelligence sources.The Tartus facility dates from 1971, and after Russia intervened in the civil war to help Assad, Moscow was in 2017 granted a free-of-charge 49-year lease.Yoruk Isik, a geopolitical analyst based in Istanbul who runs the Bosphorus Observer, said that Russia was probably sending cargo planes out of Syria via the Caucasus and then on to the Al Khadim airbase in Libya.On the highway linking the Hmeimim air base to the base in Tartus, a Russian convoy of infantry fighting vehicles and logistics vehicles could be seen driving toward the air base, a Reuters journalist said.The convoy had stopped due to a malfunction in one of its vehicles, with soldiers standing by the vehicles and working to repair the issue.“Whether it’s Russian, Iranian or the previous government who was oppressing us and denying us our rights… we don’t want any intervention from Russia, Iran or any other foreign intervention,” Ali Halloum, who is from Latakia and lives in Jablah, told Reuters.At Hmeimim, Reuters saw Russian soldiers walking around the base as normal and jets in the hangars.Satellite imagery taken on December 9 by Planet Labs showed at least three vessels in Russia’s Mediterranean fleet — two guided missile frigates and an oiler — moored around 13 kilometers (8 miles) northwest of Tartus.

We were able to end the Iranian presence in Syria'Syrian rebel leader: Israel has ‘no more excuses’ to strike, we don’t seek conflict-In first comment on Jewish state since fall of Assad regime, Sharaa says Syria will seek stability after long civil war, hints at ‘diplomatic solutions’ to avert regional escalation-By Gianluca Pacchiani-14 December 2024, 8:30 pm

The leader of the Syrian Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), who spearheaded the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime, spoke Saturday about Israel for the first time since taking over the country.In an interview with the Syrian TV news channel, Ahmad al-Sharaa, who is better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Julani, said that Israel has “no more excuses” to carry out airstrikes in Syria, and that recent IDF attacks on Syrian soil have crossed red lines and threaten an unjustified escalation in the region.Earlier in the week, Israel launched a major operation to destroy the Syrian military’s strategic military capabilities, including chemical weapons sites, missiles, air defenses, air force and navy targets, in a bid to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile elements.In a move that has drawn some international condemnation, Israel also entered a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights just hours after the rebels, led by HTS, took Damascus. Israel has said it will not become involved in the conflict in Syria and that its seizure of the buffer zone established in 1974 was a defensive move and a temporary one until it can guarantee security along the frontier.The rebel leader called on the international community to assume its responsibility to avoid an escalation and guarantee the respecting of Syrian sovereignty. Without directly mentioning Israel, he further spoke of “diplomatic solutions” as the only way to ensure security and stability and as a preferable option to “ill-considered military adventures.”In a video message to the new regime taking shape in Syria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the IDF bombed military strategic capabilities left by the Syrian military of the ousted Assad regime “so that they won’t fall into the hands of the jihadists.”Netanyahu added that Israel was ready to establish relations with the new rulers but won’t hesitate to attack if they threaten the Jewish state or allow Iran to reestablish itself in Syria.The Assad regime was an ally of the Islamic Republic, and a part of the latter’s so-called Axis of Resistance against Israel.“We have no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of Syria,” the premier said, “but we certainly do intend to do what is necessary to ensure our security.”In his interview on Saturday, the new leader in Damascus appeared to indirectly respond to Israeli concerns and provide reassurance. Sharaa said that Syria is exhausted by years of civil war and that at this stage it will not be dragged into conflicts that may lead to further destruction, with reconstruction and stability the main priorities.The rebel commander added that the Iranian entrenchment in Syria had posed a great danger to Syria itself, to neighboring countries and the Gulf, and said: “We were able to end the Iranian presence in Syria, but we are not enemies of the Iranian people.”Over the course of a wide-ranging interview, Sharaa mentioned some of the issues that his new government will soon need to address in managing post-war Syria. He stressed the importance of abandoning the “revolutionary mentality” that propelled the rebels, and the need to establish modern institutions, guarantee the rule of law and respect the rights of all Syrians.Sharaa delivered a scathing critique of the corrupt Assad regime, saying that it managed Syria like a “farm,” extracting and appropriating its resources to enrich itself. He added that in the upcoming period, documents will be published to prove the extent of the regime’s “enormous theft.”He highlighted that the lightning victory of the rebels over the regime, toppled in just 11 days, proved the effectiveness of their planning and training. The rebels “took control of large cities without anyone being displaced,” he said. However, he did not conceal the fact that relations between the various rebel groups have been marked by internal conflicts, factionalism and foreign meddling.He also mentioned the limited Russian air campaign against the rebels in the days prior to Assad’s overthrow and said it raised fears of a repeat of the Gaza scenario. With regard to future relations with Moscow, he said that the regime change offers an opportunity to re-evaluate ties in a way that serves common interests.IDF chief: Not interfering-Visiting Israeli troops in the Syrian Golan Heights Saturday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi declared: “We are not interfering with what’s happening in Syria. We have no intention of running Syria.”He said Israel, rather, was taking steps to ensure security for Israeli residents. “There was an enemy country here. Its army collapsed,” Halevi said in a video released by the IDF. “There is a threat that terror elements will come here, and we advanced so… extreme terror elements won’t settle close to the border with us.”The previous regime came into power in 1970, when Bashar’s father Hafez al-Assad seized power in a bloodless coup. Bashar al-Assad had been president since his father’s death in 2000.Israel and Syria do not have diplomatic relations and have formally been in a perpetual state of war since Israel declared independence in 1948.Syria was one of a number of Arab countries that attacked the newly born Jewish state, and despite an armistice agreement signed in 1949 that demarcated a border between the two countries, Syria has never formally recognized Israel’s existence.Syria also attacked during the 1967 Six Day War, before the IDF pounded Syrian forces and seized the Golan Heights, which Israel later annexed unilaterally. Syria attacked again in 1973 during the Yom Kippur War and was pushed back after a major advance into the Golan, after which the 1974 disengagement agreement was signed between the states, marking the demilitarized zones on the Israel-Syrian border.While the fall of the Assad regime, which stood for over five decades, could provide a historic opportunity for recognition between Israel and its neighbor, the potential power vacuum in Syria could also lead to further chaos and serve as a breeding ground for a resurgence of terror in the region.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Iran’s atomic organization claims it won’t impede IAEA access to nuclear sites-Statement comes after UN nuclear watchdog warned that Islamic Republic has begun accelerating uranium enrichment-By Reuters 14 December 2024, 6:58 pm

The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said Friday the body will not impede the UN nuclear watchdog’s access and inspection of its sites.According to a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) earlier this week, Iran agreed to tougher monitoring by the agency at its Fordow site after it greatly accelerated uranium enrichment there to near weapons-grade.“We have not created and will not create any obstacles for the agency’s inspections and access,” Atomic Energy Organization head Mohammad Eslami was quoted as saying by Iranian media.“We operate within the framework of safeguards, and the agency also acts according to regulations—no more, no less,” he added.The IAEA censured Iran twice in the past year for its refusal to cooperate with the organization’s inspections.Tehran has also banned certain veteran inspectors from its nuclear sites, apparently for reporting to the IAEA on uranium enrichment advancements at the facilities.While a country is allowed to veto inspectors assigned to visit its nuclear facilities, the IAEA has said Iran went beyond normal practice.Last week, the IAEA reported that Iran had multiplied the pace of its enrichment at Fordow up to 60 percent purity, a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%.According to a statement from the watchdog, Iran had begun feeding two cascades of advanced IR-6 centrifuges with uranium previously enriched up to 20%.Cascades are a group of centrifuges that spin uranium gas together to enrich the uranium more quickly. The IR-6 centrifuges enrich uranium faster than Iran’s baseline IR-1 centrifuges, which have been the workhorse of the country’s atomic program.While Iran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful, Western officials say there is no credible peaceful application for uranium at the level to which Tehran has enriched it.Officials in the Islamic Republic have increasingly hinted at potentially seeking the bomb and an intercontinental ballistic missile that would allow Tehran to use the weapon against distant foes like the United States. US intelligence agencies and the IAEA say Iran had an organized military nuclear program up until 2003.Iran is committed to Israel’s destruction. Over the past year, it has twice fired massive barrages of missiles at Israel, which has vowed to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report.

IDF says rockets fired at south on Friday were launched from aid warehouse area-Rocket launchers were placed 50 meters from aid sites, army says; terror cell targeted at former Gaza City school, with Palestinian medics reporting 7 dead-By Emanuel Fabian-and Agencies 14 December 2024, 4:58 pm

Rockets fired by Gaza terrorists at southern Israel Friday night were launched from locations near humanitarian aid warehouses, the Israel Defense Forces said Saturday.According to the IDF, the launchers used to fire the two projectiles toward Ashkelon were positioned some 50 meters from depots used by international aid organizations operating in Gaza.The military said air defenses intercepted the two projectiles, which triggered sirens in Ashkelon and surrounding towns near the Gaza border. There were no reports of injuries or damage in the attack.Palestinian Islamic Jihad took responsibility for the rocket fire, which has become a relative rarity after 14 months of war, sparked by the devastating Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel’s aerial and ground operations have greatly depleted the arsenals of Hamas and other Gaza-based terror factions.Overnight, Israeli fighter jets launched airstrikes in the area, targeting weapons depots and terror operatives, the military said.A video released by the IDF on December 14, 2024, shows airstrikes on terror operatives in Gaza near a rocket launching site used in an attack a day prior.The IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area before launching the strikes south of Jabalia, in the Strip’s north.Also on Saturday, the IDF said that it carried out a drone strike against a cell of terror operatives while they were preparing to carry out an attack against troops in Gaza and Israel “in the immediate timeframe.”The military said the operatives were targeted while they were gathered at a former school in Gaza City. It added that it took steps to mitigate harm to civilians in the strike at the Yaffa boys school, which was being used to shelter displaced Palestinians.Emergency services in Gaza reported that at least seven were killed and 12 wounded as a result of the airstrike. The dead include a woman and her baby, according to medics.The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said on Saturday that more than 44,930 people in the Strip have been killed in the war or are presumed dead, as well as 106,624 injured, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters.Israel says it has killed some 18,000 combatants in battle as of November and another 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7.Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.

New Israeli strikes said to target Syrian military sites, underground missile bunkers-No immediate confirmation from Israel, which is trying to stop Assad’s strategic weapons from falling into hostile hands; Syria protests to UN against IDF presence in buffer zone-By Agencies and ToI Staff 14 December 2024, 11:33 am

Israel launched a series of strikes early Saturday targeting military sites in Damascus and its countryside, including rocket depots buried deep under a mountain, a Syrian war monitor said, in the latest such raids since rebels brought down Bashar al-Assad almost a week ago.Earlier in the week Israel launched a major operation to destroy the Syrian military’s strategic military capabilities, including chemical weapons sites, missiles, air defenses, air force and navy targets, in a bid to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile elements.The early Saturday strikes appeared to be aimed at completing the effort.There was no immediate comment from the IDF, though earlier in the week it said it had so far destroyed some 80% of Syrian capabilities and would continue to act.“Israeli strikes destroyed a scientific institute” and other related military facilities in Barzeh, in northern Damascus, and targeted a “military airport” in the capital’s countryside, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.Strikes also targeted “Scud ballistic missile warehouses” and launchers in the Qalamun area, as well as “rockets, depots and tunnels under the mountain,” according to the Britain-based Observatory, which has a network of sources inside Syria.According to Syrian sources, Israeli occupation aircraft launched airstrikes last night targeting military barracks near the town of Kafra, north of Aleppo, Syria. pic.twitter.com/FhmcBEvR9f — Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 14, 2024-The Observatory said several rounds of strikes targeted “military sites of the former regime forces, as part of destroying what is left of the future Syrian army’s capabilities.”SOHR, run by a single person, has regularly been accused by Syrian war analysts of false reporting and inflating casualty numbers as well as inventing them wholesale.Israeli airstrikes on Friday targeted “a missile base at the top of Damascus’s Mount Qasioun,” the group said, as well as an airport in southern Sweida province and “defense and research labs in Masyaf,” in Hama province.The Assad regime, which fell on Sunday after a lightning offensive by rebel forces, was an ally of the Iranian regime, and a part of its so-called Axis of Resistance against Israel.For many years, Syria was used as a throughway for Iranian weapons, en route to terror groups including Hezbollah in Lebanon, with which Israel entered a shaky ceasefire last month.Israel feared that following the collapse of the Assad regime, the former Syrian army’s weapons could fall into the hands of hostile forces in the country, as well as the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.In a message to the new regime taking shape in Syria under the rebel groups, many of which were originally associated with al-Qaeda and other jihadist groups, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel would seek to establish relations, but wouldn’t hesitate to attack if it threatens the Jewish state.In a move that has drawn some international condemnation, Israel also moved into a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights just hours after the rebels, led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, took Damascus.Israel has said it will not become involved in the conflict in Syria and that its seizure of the buffer zone established in 1974 was a defensive move.Israel said its airstrikes would carry on for days, but told the UN Security Council that it was not intervening in Syria’s conflict. It said it had taken “limited and temporary measures” solely to protect its security.On Thursday, UN chief Antonio Guterres expressed concern over “extensive violations” of Syrian sovereignty and the Israeli strikes in the country, his spokesman said.Meanwhile, Syria’s representative at the UN called on the Security Council to take action to compel Israel to immediately stop its attacks on Syrian territory and withdraw from the buffer zone.In identical letters to the council and Guterres obtained Friday by The Associated Press, Syria’s UN Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak said he was acting “on instructions from my government” in making the demands.It appeared to be the first letter to the UN from Syria’s new interim government. However, Aldahhak represented Assad and the letters were filed with the symbol of the former regime.The letters were dated December 9, days after rebels ousted president Assad and ended his family’s more than 50-year authoritarian rule of Syria.“At a time when the Syrian Arab Republic is witnessing a new phase in its history in which its people aspire to establish a state of freedom, equality and the rule of law and to achieve their hopes for prosperity and stability, the Israeli occupation army has penetrated additional areas of Syrian territory in Mount Hermon and Quneitra Governorate,” ambassador Aldahhak wrote.Israel controls and annexed the Golan Heights that it captured from Syria during the 1967 Six Day War. The Disengagement Agreement of 1974 between Israel and Syria established a demilitarized buffer zone between the two countries, monitored by a UN peacekeeping force known as UNDOF.In a letter to the Security Council circulated Friday which was also written on December 9, Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said his country had taken “limited and temporary measures,” deploying troops temporarily in the separation area “to prevent armed groups from threatening Israeli territory.”

Analysis-A diminished Hezbollah is made even weaker by the toppling of Assad in Syria-Developments could have major impact in Lebanon, where the Shiite movement has been the dominant player, and for Iran, which built the group into its main terror proxy-By AP and ToI Staff 14 December 2024, 10:03 am

A severely hobbled Hezbollah was in no position to help defend former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a longtime ally, from the lightning-fast insurgency that toppled him. With Assad gone, the Iran-backed terror group based in Lebanon is even weaker.Hezbollah was dealt a major blow during 14 months of war with Israel, which began when the terror group started launching rockets and drones at Israel, unprovoked, a day after Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023.The toppling of Assad, who had strong ties to Iran, has now crippled its ability to bounce back by cutting off a vital weapons-smuggling route through Syria.Hezbollah officials — whose organization, like Hamas in Gaza and the Islamic Republic of Iran, is openly committed to destroying Israel — are deeply concerned but defiant.“What is happening in Syria is a major, dangerous and new change, and to know why this happened needs evaluation,” Hassan Fadlallah, a Lebanese lawmaker who represents Hezbollah’s political wing, said during a speech at a funeral for operatives killed by Israel. “Whatever is happening in Syria, despite its dangers, will not weaken us.”Analysts say the diminishment of Hezbollah will have big consequences for Lebanon, where for decades it has been a major political player — and for Iran, which has relied on the group as one of several proxy forces projecting power across the Middle East. It is also a game-changer for Israel, whose nemesis on its northern border is now at its most vulnerable point in decades.Ties to Syria influenced the rise and fall of Hezbollah’s power-The Assad dynasty, which ruled Syria for half a century with an iron fist, played a crucial role in empowering Hezbollah, which was founded in the early 1980s by Iranian advisers who came through Syria. In addition to being a conduit for Iranian weapons, Syria also was a place where Hezbollah trained fighters and manufactured its own weapons.As Hezbollah grew more powerful, it became a force Assad could rely on for protection in times of crisis. Hezbollah sent thousands of fighters to bolster Assad’s forces when a civil war broke out in 2011.As insurgents swept across Syria in early December and took the city of Homs — a stone’s throw from a Syrian border town where Hezbollah had a presence — many expected the militants to put up a fierce fight. After all, they did just that in 2013, preventing Assad’s opponents from advancing into Damascus.This time, Hezbollah was in disarray. Many of its top officials, including longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, were killed in Israeli airstrikes when Israel stepped up its response in recent weeks to a year of Hezbollah rocket fire. And months of Israeli strikes destroyed much of its military infrastructure. With Syria’s key international allies, Russia and Iran, on the sidelines, Hezbollah withdrew, and Assad was ousted quickly.“The fall of the regime marks the end of Iran’s arms in Syria and Lebanon,” said Lt. Col. Fares al-Bayoush, a Syrian army defector who fought in the civil war against Assad’s forces and Hezbollah until 2017, when he moved to Turkey.Lebanon begins to grapple with Hezbollah’s ‘new reality’In Lebanon, the sapping of Hezbollah’s strength has given the army the opportunity to reassert control it had ceded, especially along its southern border. A US-brokered ceasefire between the terror group and Israel states that Hezbollah should have no armed presence along that border and it has led to growing calls within Lebanon for the group’s disarmament.“To Hezbollah, it’s game over,” Samir Geagea, who leads the Christian Lebanese Forces Party, said in a statement on Sunday, hours after insurgents took Damascus. “Sit with the Lebanese military to end your status as an armed group, and transform yourselves into a political party.”But Hezbollah’s longtime sway in the political arena in Lebanon also faces a major challenge.Many in Lebanon are angry with the group. Critics say Hezbollah violated its promise to use its weapons only to defend Lebanon when it began firing rockets into Israel unprovoked last year, the day after Hamas — another Iranian-backed terror group — attacked Israel, killing over 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, sparking the war in Gaza.Fearing a similar Hezbollah onslaught, Israel evacuated residents of border towns. Hezbollah’s persistent rocket fire prevented some 60,000 displaced northerners from returning home.In a bid to stop the rocket fire, Israel stepped up operations against Hezbollah in late September, decimating the terror group’s leadership, and launched a ground operation into southern Lebanon.Nearly 4,000 people were killed in Lebanon during the war with Israel, according to the country’s health ministry. The IDF estimates that around 3,500 of those killed were Hezbollah operatives.Entire towns and villages where Hezbollah fighters and their supporters lived have been flattened. More than 1 million people have been displaced, and the country’s economy — which was in dire shape before the war — is in a deep hole.“With the (Syrian) regime gone, Hezbollah in Lebanon faces an entirely new reality,” said Firas Maksad, of the Middle East Institute.Maksad said many Lebanese leaders have yet to grasp the magnitude of the change that has taken place. Even some onetime allies of Hezbollah in parliament have begun distancing themselves from the group.Gebran Bassil, a lawmaker who represents the Free Patriotic Movement, Lebanon’s other major Christian party, said Hezbollah’s loss of a weapons pipeline from Iran could help Lebanon extract itself from regional conflict.“Hezbollah should focus on internal affairs and not the wider region,” Bassil, a former ally of Hezbollah, said.It may have no choice but to narrow its ambitions. With the fall of Assad, Iran has lost control of a corridor of land that stretched through Iraq and Syria all the way to the Mediterranean, and which gave it an unimpeded route to supply Hezbollah.“They can maybe fly in some things and smuggle some things, but that’s not gonna be on the same scale, not even close,” said Aron Lund, a Syria expert with Century International, a New York-based think tankFor Israel, breaking Iran’s regional network has been a major goal, though it is wary over Islamists among the insurgents who toppled Assad. Israel on Sunday moved troops into a demilitarized buffer zone with Syria in the Golan Heights in what it called a temporary security measure.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Assad’s fall a “historic day,” saying it was “the direct result of our forceful action against Hezbollah and Iran, Assad’s main supporters.”

Analysis-Christians make up about 2% of the current Syrian population-Can Syria’s dwindling Christian community survive under jihadi rebel rule? Once loyal to the regime, Syrian Christians have ostensibly joined the national celebration after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. But can they trust the new Islamist rulers’ pledges? BY Gianluca Pacchiani-14 December 2024, 7:58 am

The lightning power grab by the Sunni jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria has raised concerns about the fate of the Christian minority in the country.Numbering 1.5 million before the outbreak of the civil war in 2011, Christians made up about 10 percent of the Syrian population. Within the span of a decade, their numbers dwindled dramatically, and in 2022, there were only 300,000 left, or about 2% of the current population of Syria, according to a report by the US-based NGO “Aid to Church in Need.”Traditionally wealthier and more educated than the average Syrian population, Christians emigrated en masse to escape persecution by ISIS, but also to flee Syria’s spiraling economic situation.The new HTS leaders have repeatedly reassured Syrians and the international community that it will protect all minorities – which also include Shiites, Alawites, Druze, Kurds and others – and the new Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir has urged millions of Syrian refugees abroad to return home, vowing “the rights of all people and all sects in Syria” will be guaranteed.However, it remains to be seen whether the country will once again become a tolerant, pluralistic place as its new leaders claim. Concern for the fate of Syria’s millennia-long Christian presence has been recently expressed by the Washington DC-based NGO In Defense of Christians.In a statement issued after the rebels’ capture of Aleppo two weeks ago, IDC quoted sources in Aleppo saying that Christians were “living in fear” and had been the “target of widespread crime and vandalism.”However, Christian residents of Aleppo were recently interviewed by the Center for Peace Communications, a New York nonprofit, on the occasion of the Festival of Saint Barbara, a celebration observed by Middle East Christians. They said that they were afraid for the first two or three days after the HTS takeover, but now feel they do not have any reason to be concerned, and churches are operating normally.How are the Christians of Aleppo faring as Syria's Assad regime falls to a coalition of rebel forces? On St. Barbara's Day (Dec. 4), we asked them directly.Watch:@JusoorNews pic.twitter.com/tGgVWnMUwq— Center for Peace Communications (@PeaceComCenter) December 8, 2024-During the 13 years of the civil war, Christians largely remained loyal to the Assad regime, which portrayed itself as a secular defender of religious minorities. Christians didn’t actively take action to support the regime, such as organizing armed militias to defend it, said Syrian analyst Hazem Alghabra, a former Senior Advisor to the US Department of State who runs a Washington DC-based Middle East security consultancy.“For the most part, [Christians] were afraid. They were concerned about the Islamist elements of the Syrian uprising – and that is hard to ignore. But also, they repeated the regime messaging that anybody who stood up against the regime was an Islamist terrorist,” Damascus-born Alghabra told The Times of Israel. He noted that describing them as regime supporters today, after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, would “amount to an insult.”Rebels return confiscated Christian property-Like most other Syrians, Christians appeared elated at the fall of the brutal dictatorship. Bahjat Karakach, a Franciscan friar who serves as Aleppo’s Latin-rite parish priest, told Vatican News this week that Christians had been “completely exhausted by living under the regime” due to the economic hardships.The cleric also noted that over the past years, rebels had shown increased tolerance to Christians, and returned confiscated property. In the Idlib area, controlled by HTS for the past decade, Christians had reportedly been allowed to continue practicing their faith.Archbishop Hanna Jallouf, Apostolic Vicar of Aleppo, told Vatican News that he had met with HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who had given him “assurances that Christians and their possessions will not be touched, and that [the militants] will meet all our legitimate requests.”However, in 2015, al-Sharaa, back then known only by his nom de guerre Abu Muhammad al-Julani, said in a prescient interview with Al Jazeera that once the group took control of all of Syria, it would impose shari’a law over the country.Christians, as “people of the book,” would enjoy a privileged status and be allowed to practice their faith, the jihadi leader said, but per Islamic law, they would be obligated to pay the per capita jizya tax – even though HTS at the time was not imposing it in the areas it controlled.At the time, al-Julani said that a different fate awaited other religious minorities in Syria, such as Alawites and Druze, whose doctrines originated from Islam centuries ago but then departed from Muslim Orthodoxy. Those two groups would have to “correct their doctrinal mistakes and embrace Islam,” Julani said.In 2013, two years prior to the interview, the Nusra Front, Al Qaeda’s Syrian branch that al-Julani led at the time, abducted 13 nuns amid fighting with regime forces. They were freed three months later after Qatar agreed to pay the kidnappers $16 million.Today, al-Julani appears to eschew those fundamentalist positions. He renounced ties to al-Qaeda in 2016 and now depicts himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance.In recent days, the insurgency leader dropped his nom de guerre and began referring to him by his real name, Ahmad al-Sharaa. He shed his garb as a hardline Islamist guerrilla and put on suits for press interviews, talking of building state institutions and decentralizing power to reflect Syria’s diversity.Salvation in the eye of the beholder? The transitional government appointed on Tuesday only includes members from the HTS administration of Idlib, known as the “Salvation Government,” and no representatives from secular rebel factions or religious groups other than Sunni Muslims.“The concerns are not exclusive to Christians. They are also shared by the average moderate Sunni population,” Alghabra told The Times of Israel. “If we end up with a Taliban-style governance in Syria, then Christians will be targeted first, but down the line, moderate Sunnis will be targeted as well.”HTS’s experience ruling the Idlib area over the past years could provide an indicator for its future behavior governing the country.Aaron Zelin, Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said in a recent interview with France 24 that HTS’s rule in Idlib was “an authoritarian governance model, not quite as bad as the totalitarianism of the Assad regime. It wasn’t a liberal democracy by any stretch of the imagination.” But the Islamist group had apparently abandoned any aspirations for “global jihad,” Zelin noted.In a recent article, Zelin said that Christians in those areas were treated as second-class citizens, as they were not represented in the local government, the General Shura Council, and their interests were dealt with by a “Directorate of Minority Affairs.”France24 journalist Wassim Nasr visited Idlib in 2023 and reported that the few hundred Christians who remained in the region were allowed to hold masses, but not to display crosses or ring church bells.Syrian analyst Alghabra remained optimistic that once HTS becomes the internationally recognized government of Syria, it will have to make compromises and show more openness.“In Idlib, HTS did not have to deal with the concerns of the international community,” Alghabra said. “It will need technical support, aid, fuel, a lot of things. So the international community’s approach will need to be transactional. HTS will have to allow every religious group to practice unobstructedly in order to get outside help.”

Study slams outlets that portray all fatalities as civilian-UK think tank: Gaza death toll inflated to defame Israel for targeting civilians-Hamas figures appear to include thousands who died of natural causes, Henry Jackson Society finds, accusing international media of being too quick to accept terror group’s numbers-By ToI Staff Today, 9:50 am-DEC 15,24

The Palestinian death toll for the Gaza war appears to include thousands of people who died of natural causes as well as incorrect figures — partly in an effort to inflate the toll of women and children — according to a report by a British think tank released Saturday.International media outlets are too quick to accept the figures from terror group Hamas that are being manipulated for propaganda needs, The Henry Jackson Society said.The Gaza health ministry, under Hamas, “has systematically inflated the death toll by failing to distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths, over-reporting fatalities among women and children and even including individuals who died before the conflict began,” the report said.“This has led to a narrative where the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are portrayed as disproportionately targeting civilians, while the actual numbers suggest a significant proportion of the dead are combatants,” it said.The research was carried out by the volunteer-based Fifty Global Research Group, supported by the Israeli advocacy group, the International Institute of Social and Legal Studies.The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 44,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far — a toll that cannot be verified and that does not differentiate between civilians and fighters.Israel says it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.Some 5,000 Palestinians listed by Hamas as war dead in fact died of natural causes, including cancer patients who later appeared on a list of those still receiving medical care, the HJS found.In addition, most of the reported fatalities were men between the ages of 15 and 45, with many of their ages lowered by a year when compared to the Palestinian Population Register, in an apparent effort to make it seem that more minors are being killed.Research report author Andrew Fox wrote, “This misclassification contributes to the narrative that civilian populations, particularly women and children, bear the brunt of the conflict, potentially influencing sentiment and media coverage.”The age demographic “aligns closely with the expected profile of combatants, further supported by spikes in deaths of men reported by family sources rather than hospitals,” he said.The think tank said the toll also includes Gazans killed by terrorists’ errant rocket or while food aid is being distributed, including in the case of a 17-year-old who was reportedly shot dead by Hamas last December while waiting to get food for his family.It said other problems have included adults recorded as children and several men listed as women, though the system was later rectified, leading to a “significant improvement in terms of corrected data.”Two examples were given were an individual aged 22 who was listed as a four-year-old and a 31-year-old who was listed as an infant.The study found “the methodology of data collection by the Ministry of Health is not scientifically valid, and that its reports from previous conflicts have also concealed combatant deaths.”Skewed narrative portrays all casualties as civilian-HJS noted that Israeli and US military intelligence estimate that of the total casualties, 17,000 were Hamas fighters, but that the statistic is often missing from international media reports.“The omission creates a skewed narrative portraying all casualties as civilian, shaping public opinion and international policy based on incomplete or manipulated data,” the HJS said.It listed a number of outlets it faulted on the issue, including the BBC, The New York Times, and CNN.While 98 percent of media outlets reviewed used the Hamas casualty figures, only 5% cited figures from Israeli authorities, it found.HJS also found that less than one in every 50 articles noted that Gaza health ministry figures were unverifiable or controversial. On the other hand, Israeli statistics “had their credibility questioned in half of the few articles that incorporated them.”Ambassador Husam Zomlot, the head of the Palestine Mission to the United Kingdom, rejected the findings, telling the UK’s Telegraph newspaper that “numerous international organizations and UN agencies, including the WHO,” have confirmed the numbers, while also warning that many more could still be buried under rubble.A spokesman for the BBC told the Guardian: “It is challenging to report accurately on the death toll in Gaza, as Israel does not allow independent access to international journalists. BBC News is clear and transparent in sourcing the figures which are available and attributing them to the Hamas-run health authority.”In September, researchers in Britain released a report claiming the BBC breached its own editorial guidelines 1,533 times in its early coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.The war erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas led a massive cross-border attack on Israel in which terrorists killed 1,200 people and abducted 251 people as hostages to Gaza.Israel’s military campaign is aimed at destroying Hamas and saving the hostages, of whom 97 remain in captivity.

Blinken: US officials have directly communicated with Syria’s blacklisted new rulers-In Jordan to meet regional counterparts, US top diplomat doesn’t go into detail about contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebel group that ousted Assad-By Matthew Lee Today, 5:11 am-DEC 15,24

AQABA, Jordan (AP) — American officials have been in direct contact with the terrorist-designated rebel group that led the overthrow of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday.Blinken, speaking at a news conference in Jordan, was the first US official to publicly confirm contacts between the Biden administration and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which led a coalition of armed opposition groups that drove Assad from power and into asylum in Russia earlier this month.Along with counterparts from eight Arab nations and Turkey as well as senior officials from the European Union and United Nations, Blinken signed off on a set of principles meant to guide Syria’s transition to a peaceful, nonsectarian and inclusive country.Blinken would not discuss details of the direct contacts with HTS but said it was important for the US to convey messages to the group about its conduct and how it intends to govern in a transition period.“Yes, we have been in contact with HTS and with other parties,” Blinken said in the port city of Aqaba. He added that “our message to the Syrian people is this: We want them to succeed and we’re prepared to help them do so.”HTS, once an affiliate of al-Qaida, has been designed as a foreign terrorist organization by the US State Department since 2018. That designation carries severe sanctions, including a ban on the provision of any “material support” to the group or its members.The sanctions do not, however, legally bar US officials from communicating with designated groups.In an interview Saturday on Syrian television, the group’s leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, did not address any direct contact with the United States, but said the new authorities in Damascus are in touch with Western embassies.He also said that “we don’t intend to enter any conflict because there is general exhaustion in Syria.”HTS has worked to establish security and start a political transition after seizing Damascus and has tried to reassure a public both stunned by Assad’s fall and concerned about extremist jihadis among the rebels. Insurgent leaders claim the group has broken with its extremist past.Blinken also stressed that “the success that we’ve had in ending the territorial caliphate” of the Islamic State terror group (ISIS) remains “a critical mission.” And citing the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, the Kurdish fighters who in recent years drove ISIS out of large areas of Syria, he called it ”very important at this moment that they continue that role because this is a moment of instability” in which ISIS “will seek to regroup and take advantage of.”A joint statement after the meeting of foreign ministers urged all parties to cease hostilities in Syria and expressed support for a locally led transitional political process. It called for preventing the reemergence of extremist groups and ensuring the security and safe destruction of chemical weapons stockpiles.“We don’t want Syria to fall into chaos,” Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, told journalists.A separate statement by Arab foreign ministers called for UN-supervised elections based on a new constitution approved by Syrians.Their statement condemned Israel’s incursion into the buffer zone with Syria and adjacent sites over the past week as a “heinous occupation” and demanded the withdrawal of Israeli forces. Israel says the move was necessary to ensure no jihadist fighters enter the buffer zone and threaten Israeli territory from it, adding that armed fighters were nearing and attacked UN forces stationed near the border.US officials say al-Sharaa has been making welcomed comments about protecting minority and women’s rights but they remain skeptical that he will follow through on them in the long run.On Friday, the rebels and Syria’s unarmed opposition worked to safely turn over to US officials an American man who had been imprisoned by Assad.US officials are continuing their search for Austin Tice, an American journalist who disappeared 12 years ago near Damascus. “We have impressed upon everyone we’ve been in contact with the importance of helping find Austin Tice and bringing him home,” Blinken said.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Iran currency slips to new lows amid tensions with West-Rial drops to 756,000 against US dollar amid standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program and fears Trump will reimpose sanctions when he enters White House-By Reuters and ToI Staff 15 December 2024, 3:59 am

DUBAI — The Iranian currency extended its fall on Saturday, hitting a new all-time low against the US dollar amid uncertainties about Donald Trump’s imminent arrival in the White House and tensions with the West over Tehran’s nuclear program.The rial plunged to 756,000 to the dollar on the unofficial market on Saturday, compared to 741,500 rials on Friday, according to Bonbast.com, which reports exchange rates. The bazar360.com website said the dollar was being sold for about 755,000 rials.Facing an official inflation rate of about 35 percent, Iranians seeking safe havens for their savings have been buying dollars, other hard currencies, gold or cryptocurrencies, suggesting further headwinds for the rial.The dollar has been gaining against the rial since trading around 690,000 rials in early November amid concerns that once inaugurated in January, Trump would reimpose his “maximum pressure” policy against Iran with tougher sanctions and empower Israel to strike Iranian nuclear sites.Iran’s currency again declined after the board of governors of the UN nuclear agency IAEA passed a European-proposed resolution against Tehran — increasing the risk of new sanctions — and following the downfall of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, a long-time ally of the Islamic Republic.Trump in 2018 reneged on a nuclear deal struck by his predecessor Barack Obama in 2015 and reimposed US economic sanctions on Iran that had been relaxed. The deal had limited Iran’s ability to enrich uranium, a process that can yield fissile material for nuclear weapons.Iran is currently enriching uranium to near-weapons-grade levels that have no civilian use. Tehran’s leaders have for years been threatening to annihilate Israel.Iran’s rial has lost more than 90% of its value since the US sanctions were reimposed in 2018.

Palestinian refugees return to uncertain future in Yarmouk under new Syrian regime-Residents of civil war-ruined district hope they can rebuild their homes, but do not know if rebels who ousted hostile Assad government are friends or foes-By AP and ToI Staff Today, 10:52 am-DEC 15,24

The Yarmouk refugee camp outside Damascus was considered the capital of the Palestinian diaspora before the civil war in Syria reduced it to row after row of blasted-out buildings where there were once falafel stands, pharmacies, and mosques.Taken over by a series of militant groups and then bombarded by government planes, the camp has been all but abandoned since 2018. The buildings that were not destroyed by bombs were demolished by the government or stripped by thieves. Those who wanted to return to rebuild their homes were stymied by Kafkaesque bureaucratic and security requirements.But bit by bit, the camp’s former occupants have trickled back. After the December 8 fall of former Syrian president Bashar Assad in a lightning offensive by opposition forces, many more hope they will be able to do so.At the same time, Syria’s Palestinian refugees — a population of about 450,000 — are unsure of their place in the new order.“The new Syrian leadership, how will it deal with the Palestinian issue?” said Palestinian ambassador to Syria Samir al-Rifai. “We have no information because we have had no contact with each other so far.”Days after Assad’s government collapsed, women walked in groups through the streets of Yarmouk while children played in the rubble. Motorcycles, bicycles, and the occasional car passed between bombed-out buildings. In one of the less heavily damaged areas, a fruit and vegetable market was doing brisk business.Some people were coming back for the first time in years to check on their homes. Others had been back before but only now were thinking about rebuilding and returning for good.Ahmad al-Hussein left the camp in 2011, soon after the beginning of the anti-government uprising-turned-civil-war. A few months ago, driven by rising rents elsewhere, he came back to live with relatives in a part of the camp that was relatively untouched.He is now hoping to rebuild his home in a building that was reduced to a hollowed-out shell and marked for demolition.Under Assad’s rule, getting permission from security agencies to enter the camp “wasn’t easy,” al-Hussein said. “You would have to sit at a table and answer who’s your mother, who’s your father, and who in your family was arrested and who was with the rebels. … Twenty thousand questions to get the approval.”He said people who had been reluctant now want to return, among them his son, who fled to Germany.Taghrid Halawi came with two other women on Thursday to check on their houses. They spoke wistfully of the days when the streets of the camp used to buzz with life until 3 or 4 a.m.“You really feel that your Palestine is here, even though you are far from Palestine,” Halawi said. “Even with all this destruction, I feel like it’s like heaven. I hope that everyone returns, all the ones who left the country or are living in other areas.”Yarmouk was built in 1957 as a Palestinian refugee camp but grew into a vibrant suburb where many working-class Syrians settled. Before the war, some 1.2 million people lived in Yarmouk, including 160,000 Palestinians, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. Today, it houses some 8,160 Palestinian refugees who remained or have returned.Palestinian refugees in Syria are not given citizenship, ostensibly to preserve their right to go back to the homes they fled or were forced from during the 1948 War of Independence that brought about the State of Israel and where they are currently banned from returning.But in contrast to neighboring Lebanon, where Palestinians are banned from owning property or working in many professions, in Syria, Palestinians historically had all the rights of citizens except the right to vote and run for office — a negligible matter given that the outcome of Syrian elections was largely predetermined.At the same time, Palestinian factions have had a complicated relationship with Syrian authorities. Former Syrian president Hafez Assad and Palestinian Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat were bitter adversaries. Many Palestinians were imprisoned for belonging to Arafat’s Fatah movement.Mahmoud Dakhnous, a retired teacher who returned to Yarmouk to check on his demolished house, said he used to be frequently called in for questioning by the Syrian intelligence services.“Despite their claims that they are with the (Palestinian) resistance, in the media they were, but on the ground, the reality was something else,” he said of the Assad dynasty.In recent years, the Syrian government began to roll back the right of Palestinians to own and inherit property.As for the country’s new rulers, “we need more time to judge” their stance toward Syria’s Palestinians, Dahknous said.“But the signs so far in this week, the positions and proposals that are being put forward by the new government are good for the people and the citizens,” he said.Yarmouk’s Palestinian factions tried to remain neutral when Syria’s civil war broke out, but by late 2012, the camp was pulled into the conflict and different factions took opposing sides.Since the fall of Assad, the factions have been angling to solidify their relationship with the new government. A group of Palestinian factions said in a statement Wednesday that they had formed a body, headed by the Palestinian ambassador, to manage relations with Syria’s new authorities.The new leadership — headed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamic group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, and some other countries — has not officially commented on the status of Palestinian refugees or regarding its stance toward Israel, which the previous Syrian government never recognized.The Syrian interim government on Friday sent a complaint to the UN Security Council denouncing the incursion by Israeli forces into a buffer zone in Syrian territory on the Golan Heights and their bombardment of multiple military sites in Syria.Last week, Israel launched a major operation to destroy the Syrian military’s strategic military capabilities, including chemical weapons sites, missiles, air defenses, air force, and navy targets, in a bid to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile elements.But HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, has said the new administration does not seek conflict with Israel.Al-Rifai said the new government’s security forces had entered the offices of three Palestinian factions and removed the weapons that were there, but that it was unclear whether there had been an official decision to disarm Palestinian groups.“We are fully aware that the new leadership has issues that are more important” than the issue of Palestinian refugees, he said, including “the issue of stability first.”For now, he said, Palestinians are hoping for the best. “We expect the relationship between us to be a better relationship.”

Mystery drone sightings over New Jersey show gaps in US security, says Trump adviser-Mike Waltz, whom Trump has tapped to be national security adviser, urges ‘Iron Dome for America,’ as White House plays down reports of unexplained UAVs, to some Democrats’ chagrin-By Phil Stewart, Kanishka Singh and Sarah N. Lynch Today, 11:12 pm-DEC 15,24

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — A raft of drone sightings in New Jersey and other US states has underscored gaps in American airspace security that need to be closed, US President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Mike Waltz, said Sunday.US President Joe Biden’s outgoing administration has played down concerns about a growing number of reported drone sightings, saying most of them involve manned aircraft and stressing that there is no evidence of any national security threat.But US lawmakers, including some of Biden’s fellow Democrats, have expressed frustration the government is not being more transparent and more aggressive in addressing public concerns.Waltz said Americans were growing frustrated with the failure of Biden’s administration to clarify what information they have on the drone reports.“What the drone issue points out are kind of gaps in our agencies, gaps in our authorities between the Department of Homeland Security, local law enforcement, the Defense Department,” Waltz told CBS News’s Face the Nation.“President Trump has talked about an Iron Dome for America,” Waltz said, referring to Israel’s missile defense system. “That needs to include drones as well, not just adversarial actions like hypersonic missiles.”Developed with US backing, Israel’s Iron Dome is a mobile air defense system designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery shells that endanger populated areas.The spate of reported drone sightings began in New Jersey in mid-November but has spread in recent days to include Maryland, Massachusetts and other US states. The sightings have garnered media attention and prompted creation of a Facebook page called “New Jersey Mystery Drones — let’s solve it” with nearly 70,000 online members.Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended the US response, saying his agency had deployed personnel and technology.“If there is any reason for concern, if we identify any foreign involvement or criminal activity, we will communicate with the American public accordingly. Right now we are not aware of any,” Mayorkas told ABC News.Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, played down concerns that America’s enemies would send drones over US cities when they can use satellites to safely and easily surveil the US.He said the Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates civilian airspace, should do more to allay public concerns.“When people are anxious, when they’re nervous… people will fill a vacuum with their fears and anxieties,” Himes said.Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar urged the Biden administration to hold a briefing for senators to explain “what’s going on here.”“We need more transparency,” Klobuchar said. She also called for a look at regulation: “Because this just can’t be: ‘No one knows why this huge drone is right over their house.'”

WEEK OF DANIEL 9:27 WE KNOW ITS 7 YRS

The King of Jerusalem[1] was the supreme ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Crusader state founded by Christian princes in 1099 when the First Crusade took the city.Godfrey of Bouillon, the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, himself refused the title of king, and instead chose the title "Defender of the Holy Sepulchre". Thus, the title of king was only introduced for his successor, King Baldwin I in 1100. The city of Jerusalem was lost in 1187, but the Kingdom of Jerusalem survived (also known as the "Second Kingdom of Jerusalem"), moving its capital to Acre in 1191. The city of Jerusalem was re-captured in the Sixth Crusade, during 1229–39 and 1241–44. The Kingdom of Jerusalem was finally dissolved with the fall of Acre and the end of the Crusades in the Holy Land in 1291.After the Crusader States ceased to exist, the title of King of Jerusalem was claimed by a number of European noble houses descended from the kings of Cyprus or the kings of Naples. The (purely ceremonial) title of King of Jerusalem is currently used by Felipe VI of Spain. It was claimed by Otto von Habsburg as Habsburg pretender, and by the kings of Italy until 1946.

Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week:(7 YEARS) and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.

JEREMIAH 6:14
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
JEREMIAH 8:11
11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

 1 THESSALONIANS 5:3
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
 
ISAIAH 33:8
8  The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant,(7 YR TREATY) he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.(THE WORLD LEADER-WAR MONGER CALLS HIMSELF GOD)

JERUSALEM DIVIDED
GENESIS 25:20-26
20  And Isaac was forty years old (A BIBLE GENERATION NUMBER=1967 + 40=2007+) when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21  And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22  And the children (2 NATIONS IN HER-ISRAEL-ARABS) struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went
toenquire of the LORD.
23  And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;(ISRAEL AND THE ARABS) and the one people shall be stronger than the other people;(ISRAEL STRONGER THAN ARABS) and the elder shall serve the younger.(LITERALLY ISRAEL THE YOUNGER RULES (ISSAC)(JACOB-LATER NAME CHANGED TO ISRAEL) OVER THE OLDER ARABS (ISHMAEL)(ESAU)
24  And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25  And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.(THE OLDER AN ARAB)
26  And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob:(THE YOUNGER-ISRAELI) and Isaac was threescore (60) years old when she bare them.(1967 + 60=2027)(COULD BE THE LAST GENERATION WHEN JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AMOUNG THE 2 TWINS)(THE 2 TWINS WANT JERUSALEM-THE DIVISION OF JERUSALEM TODAY)(AND WHOS IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM TODAY-THE YOUNGER ISSAC-JACOB-ISRAEL)(AND WHO WANTS JERUSALEM DIVIDED-THE OLDER,ESAU-ISHMAEL (THE ARABS)

ISAIAH 28:14-19 (THIS IS THE 7 YR TREATY COVENANT OF DANIEL 9:27)
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.

DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.DANIEL 11:36-40
36 And the king shall do according to his will;(EU PRESIDENT) and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS A EUROPEAN JEW) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(HES A MILITARY GINIUS) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds (CONTROL HEZBOLLAH,AL-QUAIDA MURDERERS ETC) with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south(EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR PROTECTING ISRAELS SECURITY) and the king of the north(RUSSIA) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)

MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)(50% OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

DR SAMUEL DOCTORIANS VISION - SECOND ANGEL: MIDDLE EAST
Then I saw that the second angel had a sickle in his hand, such as is used in harvesting.The second angel said: "Harvest time has come in Israel and the countries all the way to Iran."I saw those countries in a few split seconds."All of Turkey and those [inaudible] countries that have refused me and refused my message of love shall hate each other and kill one another."I saw the angel raise the sickle and come down on all the Middle East countries. I saw Iran, Persia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, all of Georgia - Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, all of Asia Minor - full of blood. I saw blood all over these countries. And I saw fire; Nuclear weapons used in many of those countries. Smoke rising from everywhere. Sudden destruction – men destroying one another. I heard these words:"Israel, Oh Israel, the great judgment has come." The angel said, "The chosen, the church, the remnant, shall be purified. The Spirit of God shall prepare the children of God."I saw fires rising to heaven.The angel said: "This is the final judgment. My church shall be purified, protected and ready for the final day. Men will die from thirst. Water shall be scarce all over the Middle East. Rivers shall dry up, and men will fight for water in those countries."The angel showed me that the United Nations shall be broken in pieces because of the crisis in the Middle East. There shall be no more United Nations. The angel with the sickle shall reap the harvest.

DANIEL CHAPTER 9:24-27 EXPLAINED.
24 Seventy weeks (70X7=490 YEARS) are determined upon thy people (ISRAEL) and upon thy holy city,(JERUSALEM) to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.(JESUS ANNOINTED WITH HOLY OIL AS KING OF JERUSALEM FOREVER).
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, (7X7=49 YEARS) and threescore and two weeks:(62X7=434 YEARS) the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.(490-49-434=7 YR PERIOD WERE GOD DEALS WITH ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM (NOT THE CHURCH-THE TRUE CHURCH IS IS IN HEAVEN WITH JESUS FOR THAT LAST 7 YEAR PERIOD.)(DANIEL 9:26-27 IS IN THE FUTURE WHEN GOD DEALS ON EARTH WITH ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM FOR THAT FINAL 7 TEAR PERIOD. WHEN ALL OF ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED BY MESSIAH JESUS.)(AT THE END OF IT)
26 And after threescore and two weeks (69X7=483 YEARS)(ONE 7 YEAR PERIOD UNTIL PROPHECY IS FULFILLED) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince (ROMANS) that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(2ND TEMPLE AND JERUSALEM) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(NOW THE FINAL ISRAEL-JERUSALEM COUNTDOWN FOR MESSIAH JESUS RETURN THE LAST 7 YEARS)
27 And he (HE WHO? HE HERE IS THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE LEADER THAT MAKES THE FINAL 7 YR CONTRACT WITH ISRAEL AND MANY MUSLIM COUNTRIES FOR A 7 YR PERIOD, AND THE EU WILL GUARENTEE ISRAELS SECURITY FOR THIS LAST PERIOD) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: (7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week (3 1/2 YEARS IN) he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, (THIS FALSE MESSIAH OR ROMAN LEADER STOPS THE ANIMAL SACRIFICES IN THE 3RD TEMPLE AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE 7 YR DEAL. A JEW MURDERS HIM WITH A SWORD WOUND AND HE HAS A FALSE RESSURECTION-SATAN INCARNATES IN HIS BODY. AND BRINGS HIM BACK TO LIFE.AND HE THEN SITS IN THE 3RD TEMPLE CALLING HIMSELF GOD AS THE WORLD SAYS HES JESUS REINCARNATED. AND BY THIS FALSE RESURRECTION GOD SENDS THIS STRONG DELUTION ON THE EARTH THAT ALL THE LOST WILL WORSHIP THIS ROMAN LEADER AS GOD AND ACCEPT HIS NAME, NUMBER OR NUMBER OF HIS NAME IN THEIR MICROCHIP IMPLANT. THAT THEY MIGHT BE DOOMED, DAMNED TO THE LAKE OF FIRE FOREVER. WHO WORSHIPS THIS ROMAN LEADER AS GOD.) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.(WARS NON STOP DURING THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR PERIOD. HAMAS DEATH CULT HOSTAGE RELEASE.

PM discusses hostages with Trump as Israeli officials say deal could be clinched in daysAs cabinet meets, reports say sticking point in talks is number of captives to be freed; Netanyahu says phone call with president-elect stressed need to ‘complete Israel’s victory’By Lazar Berman-and ToI Staff Today, 10:28 pm-DEC 15,24

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that he discussed with US President-elect Donald Trump ongoing efforts to bring back the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, as Israeli officials indicate that a deal could be reached in less than two weeks despite sticking points in negotiations.The prime minister said he and Trump spoke “at length about the efforts we are making to free our hostages,” but declined to go into specifics. “We are working all the time, without rest, to bring our hostages home, the living and the fallen together,” he said, but added, “the less we talk about it, the better — that way, with God’s help, we will succeed.”An unnamed Israeli official told the Israel Hayom daily on Sunday that a ceasefire-hostage deal will likely be completed by Hanukkah, which begins this year on the evening of December 25.For now, however, talks are hung up over the number of hostages to be released in a partial deal, according to Channel 13. Hamas insists on releasing far fewer than Israel demands, and Israel is not willing to budge, the report said.Channel 12 news reported Sunday evening that during the Netanyahu-Trump conversation, the prime minister told the president-elect that the US must pressure negotiators to agree to a much higher number of hostages being released, and that Hamas is currently offering “an unacceptable number” to be freed within the “humanitarian” category.Also Sunday night, Netanyahu convened the national security cabinet in the IDF Central Command headquarters in Jerusalem. IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara joined the meeting as well.There, the heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet security services told ministers that there is a new willingness among Hamas to reach a deal, according to Ynet, which cited a senior Israeli official. “The estimation is that we will be able to reach an agreement within weeks,” the official said.Ministers also discussed the security situation in the West Bank, the site also reported, where recent clashes between Palestinian Authority security forces and local terror groups have added to already soaring violence, which Israeli officials are concerned could spill over into Israel proper.Meanwhile, Trump’s pick for US special envoy on hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, will quietly visit Israel this week, according to a Ynet report. Though he is coming as a private citizen, he is expected to meet with Israeli officials about the Gaza hostages, the news site said.The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Hamas had given in to an Israeli demand that the IDF remain in Gaza temporarily under a potential ceasefire-hostage deal, after having previously refused to release any more hostages unless Israel agrees to a full withdrawal from the enclave and an end to the war, which the government has refused.Israel believes that 96 of the 251 hostages kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7 remain in the Strip, a figure which includes the bodies of at least 34 captives confirmed dead by the IDF.In a video message released Sunday, Netanyahu said that his conversation with Trump was “very friendly, very warm and very important,” and centered on the need to “complete Israel’s victory” — a week after the sudden fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria and several weeks into a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon.Netanyahu also said Israel is “changing the Middle East,” saying he vowed a year ago that the country would do so in its military campaign, and it has. “Syria is not the same Syria, Lebanon is not the same Lebanon, Gaza is not the same Gaza, and the leader of the axis — Iran — is not the same Iran,” the premier said.“We are committed to preventing Hezbollah from rearming,” Netanyahu said. “This is an ongoing test for Israel, we must meet it — and we will meet it. I say to Hezbollah and Iran in no uncertain terms — to prevent you from harming us, we will continue to act against you as much as necessary, in every arena and at all times.”Israel and Hezbollah entered a shaky ceasefire last month that has broadly held, following more than a year of daily rocket and drone attacks against Israel by the Iranian-backed, Lebanese terror group. Israel has struck several Hezbollah operatives and sites, however, in response to alleged violations of the ceasefire, according to which Hezbollah will not operate in southern Lebanon at all.Waves of Israeli airstrikes this week also destroyed an estimated 80% of the fallen Assad regime’s military assets in Syria, amid concern that the dictator’s weapons could fall into hostile hands amid the country’s chaotic takeover by jihadist-led rebel forces.In his video, Netanyahu reiterated that the strikes in Syria were carried out to ensure that the weapons would not be used against Israel in the future. Israel also hit arms supply routes to Hezbollah, he said, and cited a statement by the terror group’s chief, Naim Qassem, that “Hezbollah has lost the military supply route through Syria at this stage.”“We have no interest in a conflict with Syria,” Netanyahu underscored. “We will determine Israel’s policy toward Syria according to the emerging reality on the ground,” noting that the regional reality right now is “dynamic — it changes quickly.”

Top US, Mideast envoys hold meetings on Gaza deal efforts and Syria’s future-Biden aides discuss hostage deal with Egypt’s Sissi, as Israel said to refuse to free terror convict Marwan Barghouti; Blinken says region wants inclusive government in Damascus-By Agencies and ToI Staff 14 December 2024, 6:58 pm

Top Middle Eastern and US diplomats held a series of meetings on Saturday focusing on efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza while also discussing the challenges of the post-Assad era in Syria.Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi discussed the ceasefire efforts with visiting US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk, his office said.The statement came as Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper Al-Akhbar quoted an unnamed Egyptian official as saying that Israel has objected to some of the names of Palestinian security prisoners Hamas seeks to release in exchange for hostages kidnapped on October 7, 2023, including popular Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti.Barghouti is serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison for his part in planning three terror attacks that killed five Israelis during the Second Intifada.“Israel has a vision of alternative lists of Palestinian prisoners, including people who were recently arrested, which could delay the drafting of the agreement,” the Egyptian source was quoted as saying.The source added that Israel has requested that some of the Palestinian security prisoners be sent abroad instead of the West Bank or Gaza, “which may be accepted by the mediators as a compromise to end this new obstacle.”On Friday night, Sullivan told Channel 12 news that regional developments, including the shock collapse of the Assad regime, the ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel’s killing of Hamas leaders, presented an opportunity for a deal to free the 100 captives held in Gaza.Echoing Sullivan’s remarks on the possibility of reaching a deal, an unnamed senior Israeli official quoted by Channel 12 news concurred with the US assessment that it was possible to secure an agreement before the end of the year.Meanwhile, Kan news reported Friday that Palestinian sources familiar with the negotiations had for the first time expressed cautious optimism regarding Hamas’s willingness to reach a deal. The sources credited the simultaneous pressure that has been placed on the terror group by Qatar, Egypt and Turkey.Earlier this week, an Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel there have been indications that Israel and Hamas are willing to compromise regarding the terms of Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. However, the diplomat stressed that the main obstacle to the talks — whether the ceasefire will be permanent as demanded by Hamas, or temporary as demanded by Israel — remains unresolved.It is believed that 96 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.Hamas released 105 civilians during a weeklong truce in late November, and four hostages were released before that. Eight hostages have been rescued by troops alive, and the bodies of 38 hostages have also been recovered, including three mistakenly killed by the military as they tried to escape their captors.Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.An inclusive government for Syria-Meanwhile, top diplomats from the United States, the Arab League, and Turkey met in Jordan to discuss how to assist Syria’s transition after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government a week ago.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken joined foreign ministers and senior officials from the European Union and United Nations in Jordan to try to find consensus on the matter, although no Syrian representatives were set to attend.Blinken said a broad consensus exists among regional partners that Syria’s new government must be inclusive, must respect women and minority rights, reject terrorism and secure and destroy suspected Assad-era chemical weapons stockpiles.Blinken is wrapping up a three-country regional tour in Aqaba after visiting Iraq, Turkey and Jordan.Earlier Saturday, in a meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pederson, Blinken said he expected to talk about the challenges ahead for Syria and “our determination to work together to support a Syrian-led transition where the United Nations plays a critical role, particularly when it comes to the provision of assistance, to the protection of minorities.”Pederson agreed, saying: “What is so critical in Syria is that we see a credible and inclusive political process that brings together all communities in Syria. And the second point is that we need to make sure that state institutions do not collapse, and that we get in humanitarian assistance as quickly as possible. And if we can achieve that, perhaps there is a new opportunity for the Syrian people.”In a final statement after talks in the Jordanian Red Sea port of Aqaba, foreign ministers from Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar said they had agreed to “support a peaceful transition process” in Syria, “in which all political and social forces are represented.”Anti-Assad forces, led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), toppled the longtime ruler on December 8 following a lightning offensive.HTS is rooted in al-Qaeda’s Syria branch and is designated as a terrorist organization by many Western governments, but has sought to moderate its rhetoric.A transitional government installed by the rebel forces has insisted the rights of all Syrians will be protected, as will the rule of law.The foreign ministers, meeting in Aqaba in the presence of Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said the political process in Syria should be supported by “the United Nations and the Arab League, in accordance with the principles of Security Council Resolution 2254” of 2015, which set out a roadmap for a negotiated settlement.The Arab diplomats also declared their backing for a transitional rule agreed upon by Syrians, which would enable “a political system that corresponds to the aspirations of all parts of the Syrian people, through free and fair elections overseen by the United Nations.”They also warned against “any ethnic, sectarian or religious discrimination” and called for “justice and equality for all citizens.”In their statement, the ministers said state institutions must be preserved to stop Syria from “slipping into chaos,” also calling to boost joint “efforts to combat terrorism… as it poses a threat to Syria and to the security of the region and the world.”They condemned “Israel’s incursion into the buffer zone with Syria,” demanding “the withdrawal of Israeli forces” from Syrian territory.Israel has said it will not become involved in the conflict in Syria and that its seizure of the buffer zone established in 1974 was a defensive and temporary move.The Arab foreign ministers also denounced Israeli airstrikes on Syria, which have massively targeted key military assets, including chemical weapons sites, missiles, air defenses, air force, and navy targets across the country in recent days.Israel said it launched the major operation in a bid to prevent the strategic assets from falling into the hands of hostile elements.

Do in the West Bank 'what we have done in the Gaza Strip' Settler leaders call for moving Palestinian population in West Bank to combat terrorism-Letter from senior settler leaders to security cabinet calls for destruction of ‘every incriminated building’ in West Bank ‘terror centers,’ and restriction on freedom of movement-By Jeremy Sharon-Today, 8:51 pm-DEC 15,24

Senior settlement leaders called on the security cabinet on Sunday to evacuate residents of Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank and what they describe as other centers of Palestinian terrorism, in order to tackle Palestinian armed groups “exactly as we have done in the Gaza Strip,” including through widespread demolition of structures in such places.In a letter to the security cabinet, Yisrael Ganz, head of the Yesha Council umbrella settlement organization, and 14 mayors of settlement authorities and regional councils also call for restricting Palestinian freedom of movement on main roads in the West Bank for security purposes.Their call to evacuate Palestinian population centers in the West Bank comes after Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF to bolster preparations for the protection of West Bank settlements and traffic arteries against possible attack from “extremist Islamic terror agents” who may be inspired by the success of rebels in Syria in toppling the Assad regime.In August, when Katz was serving as foreign minister, he called for “temporarily relocating Palestinians” in the West Bank as part of a major anti-terror raid in the northern part of the territory.Israel has been accused of the forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza due to the massive destruction of civilian infrastructure and refusal thus far to allow the overwhelming majority of evacuated Gazans to return to their homes.Far-right Israeli politicians, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who are strongly aligned with the West Bank settlement movements, have also called for implementing policies designed to “encourage” Palestinian emigration from Gaza.In their letter on Sunday, the settlement leaders alleged that as a result of Iranian efforts, lethal terror attacks in the West Bank have spiked, and recommended that tough action be taken to counter the phenomenon.“The population living in zones identified with terrorism, with a focus on ‘refugee’ camps and known terror complexes, should be moved,” the setter leaders wrote. “After moving the population, the terrorism infrastructure should be dismantled exactly as we have done in the Gaza Strip, meaning: any incriminated building to be destroyed, every terrorist to be taken out.”They added: “The form of battle, from the incursion to the ground operation, will exert effective pressure and extract a significant price from the terrorist organizations.”The brief letter did not detail where Palestinians from evacuated population centers might be moved during the proposed military incursions or what would happen after combat operations are concluded.Ganz, who also heads the Benjamin Regional Council settlement authority, and the other leaders alleged that the deteriorating security situation in the West Bank was a result of the Oslo Accords signed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in 1993.“This is the time to abandon a defensive posture and go forward to a posture of efficient and effective lethal offensive in Judea and Samaria,” they concluded, referring to the West Bank by its biblical name, saying the “spirit of victory” in the campaigns in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria should be brought to the West Bank.