Israel

Syria says Local Factions to Secure Violence-Hit Sweida

The Syrian government announced Thursday that local leaders would assume control over security in the city of Sweida in an attempt to end violence that has claimed hundreds of lives and prompted Israel's military intervention in support of the Druze minority. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and eyewitnesses  told AFP on Thursday ...

Syrian Forces Begin Withdrawal from Sweida Following Ceasefire

The Syrian army began withdrawing from the Druze-majority city of Sweida on Wednesday, the Ministry of Defense announced, following the conclusion of a ceasefire aimed at ending deadly intercommunal violence. "The army forces have started to withdraw from the city of Sweida in implementation of the terms of the agreement, following the ...

International Community Reacts to Israeli Strikes in Syria

The United States' special envoy for Syria on Wednesday called on all parties to step back and engage in dialogue for a lasting ceasefire in Syria following clashes with Druze factions in the south and Israeli strikes in Damascus. "We unequivocally condemn violence against civilians in Sweida... All parties must step back and engage in ...

Israel Strikes Near Syrian Army HQ: State TV

An Israeli strike on Wednesday hit near the Syrian army and defense ministry headquarters in Damascus, the state-run Alekhbariya channel reported on Telegram, after Israel's military said it had struck there. AFP correspondents heard a loud explosion echoing throughout much of the capital shortly after a first air strike had targeted the same ...

Syria: Israeli Strikes Hit Presidential Palace and Syrian Army HQ in Damascus

Israel bombed the Syrian army's headquarters in Damascus on Wednesday after warning the Islamist-led government to leave the country's Druze minority alone, as authorities announced a ceasefire in the community's southern heartland after deadly sectarian clashes. Syrian government forces entered the majority-Druze city of Sweida on ...

Sweida Caught Between Damascus and Israel

The majority-Druze city of Sweida in southern Syria has been thrust into an unprecedented spiral of violence since Sunday, as fierce clashes between the Syrian army, backed by Bedouin militias, and local Druze armed groups have escalated dramatically. The fighting has been marked by intense combat, summary executions, a deepening humanitarian ...

Lebanese Officials Condemn Israeli Strikes on Damascus

Israeli strikes on Damascus and escalating sectarian violence in Sweida on Wednesday drew sharp reactions from top Lebanese officials, who voiced strong condemnation and urged de-escalation. President Joseph Aoun condemned Israel’s strikes as "a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of a sister Arab state" and warned that continued aggression ...

The Endless Countdown: Lebanon’s Ceasefire Deadlock and the Impossible Disarmament

Sixty days—no more! That was the confident, oft-repeated promise declared at the signing of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel in November 2024. This now-mythic deadline was then heralded as the decisive countdown to peace in Lebanon. What followed? Everything but peace: extensions, postponements, shifting timelines and a ...

Khamenei Says Israel War Meant to 'Overthrow System' in Iran

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that Israel's attacks during last month's 12-day war were intended to weaken the Islamic republic's system and spark unrest to topple it. "The calculation and plan of the aggressors was to weaken the system by targeting certain figures and sensitive centres in ...

Renewed Violence in Sweida Raises Concerns for Druze Civilians

In southern Syria, the city of Sweida has descended into chaos. An NGO accuses government forces of executing Druze civilians following their deployment in the region. Fighting broke out after intercommunal violence that left over 200 people dead. Israel responded with airstrikes on Syrian forces, claiming to protect the Druze population. Despite ...

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Says 20 Dead at Aid Point

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said 20 people died at an aid point in Khan Yunis, in the south of the Palestinian territory on Wednesday, blaming armed "agitators" in the crowd. "Our current understanding is that 19 of the victims were trampled and one was stabbed amid a chaotic and dangerous surge," the US- and Israel-backed organisation said ...