Gaza Ceasefire Deal Within Reach if Israel Stops Setting New Conditions: Hamas

Tuesday, 17 December 2024 5:22 PM

Press TV

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has described ongoing ceasefire talks in Qatar as “serious and positive,” saying that an exchange of captives for prisoners is within reach if the Israeli occupation stops raising new conditions.

This position was announced in a statement released on Tuesday, a day after an Israeli delegation arrived in Doha to meet with mediators.

The meetings follow a trip by David Barnea, who heads Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, to the Qatari capital on Wednesday, according to reports.

Qatar, along with the United States and Egypt, has been involved in months of behind-the-scenes negotiations for a Gaza truce and the release of Israeli captives.

However, apart from a one-week pause in fighting late last year, successive negotiations have failed to halt the war.

On Monday, Israel's minister of military affairs Israel Katz indicated that Israeli negotiators have "not been this close to an agreement" for the release of captives in Gaza since the November 2023 truce.

Hamas official says Gaza ceasefire talks resumed

A Hamas official says international mediators have resumed negotiations with the Palestinian group and Israel over a ceasefire in Gaza.

A senior Hamas official based in Doha also stated on Monday that negotiations for a deal were "closer than ever before" but warned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could still "disrupt the agreement as he has done every time before."

It is estimated that over a hundred Israeli captives still remain in Gaza out of more than 250 who were detained by Hamas fighters during their historic October 7 attacks on the Israeli regime.

Hamas says it will only release the captives if Israel completely halts its aggression on Gaza and agrees to release hundreds of Palestinians held in the regime’s prisons.

Haaretz Reports Progress in Israeli-Saudi Normalization Talks

By Al Mayadeen English

17 Dec 2024 21:23

The Israeli occupation's aspirations for normalization with Saudi Arabia may be coming to fruition, according to Haaretz.

The Israeli occupation and Saudi Arabia have reportedly made significant progress in normalization talks, which could lead to a ceasefire agreement and a potential end to the war on Gaza, according to Haaretz.

Sources involved in the discussions revealed that Saudi Arabia has scaled back its demand for explicit Israeli recognition of a Palestinian state. Instead, the two parties agreed on a vague commitment by the Israeli occupation to a "path towards Palestinian statehood." 

According to the Israeli website, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has no personal interest in formal recognition of a Palestinian state and only requires progress on the issue to secure domestic political and religious support for the deal.

Negotiations between the two parties have intensified in recent weeks, following a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leading the talks through Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, with much of the Israeli government and security cabinet reportedly uninformed.

The United States is mediating the discussions, with both President Joe Biden's administration and President-elect Donald Trump playing key roles. Saudi Arabia is expected to receive US assurances, including a defense pact and access to advanced American weapons systems, as part of the broader deal.

A two-phase agreement

In the first phase of the agreement, Hamas would release women, elderly individuals, the sick, and female soldiers in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by the Israeli occupation. Fighting in Gaza would pause temporarily, and "Israel" would initiate a gradual withdrawal.

The second phase would involve formalizing a normalization agreement between the Israeli occupation and Saudi Arabia. Riyadh, along with a coalition that includes the Palestinian Authority, would oversee Gaza's reconstruction while ensuring security measures to protect the Israeli occupation's southern front.

Saudi Arabia seeks to end the war and lead the reconstruction of Gaza, which has been devastated by the ongoing conflict. The kingdom also aims to direct funds into rebuilding efforts while securing domestic support for normalization through progress on the Palestinian issue.

Earlier signs

To finalize a comprehensive mutual security pact with the US earlier this year, Riyadh altered its stance on Palestinian statehood, informing Washington that "Israel's" public commitment to a two-state solution may be enough for the Gulf kingdom to normalize relations.

Riyadh and Washington are aiming for a modest defense agreement before President Biden leaves office in January. This deal, which wouldn't require Senate approval, focuses on expanding joint military exercises and strengthening US-Saudi defense ties while limiting engagement with China.

The situation is complicated by Donald Trump's possible return to the White House, as his Israeli-Palestinian "peace plan" does not include Palestinian statehood. US officials speaking to Reuters in November were uncertain whether Saudi Arabia wants to finalize the deal with Biden before January or wait for Trump.

Sudan Clashes Intensify Amid Mounting Civilian Toll

Sudanese Air Force Hongdu JL-8 E jets.

17 December 2024

Dabanga (Port Sudan)

Ed Duweim / El Awj / Tandelti Locality / Um Ruwaba / Wad Madani / Karari / El Fasher — Sudan's civil war shows no signs of abating, with intense fighting reported across multiple fronts over the past 72 hours. Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) warplanes carried out airstrikes targeting paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) positions in scattered areas, while the RSF launched drone attacks and ground offensives against SAF strongholds.

White Nile state

According to recent reports, the RSF initiated a coordinated attack in White Nile state earlier today, targeting the Kenana Air Base and the Ed Duweim locality. Sudanese military officials claimed their air defences successfully intercepted and destroyed two RSF drones.

Violent clashes erupted in El Awj, with SAF forces reportedly repelling a large-scale RSF assault. However, RSF sources asserted they achieved "significant victories" during these confrontations.

North Kordofan

In another incident, the RSF deployed 17 drones in an attack near Wad Ashana in North Kordofan, resulting in the death of one SAF soldier, according to local sources. SAF troops, advancing from the Tandelti locality in White Nile state, clashed with RSF units near El Ghabsha in North Kordofan. Despite reinforcements bolstering RSF positions, SAF forces reported halting the RSF's westward advance.

Violence flared in an area northeast of Um Ruwaba, which witnessed heavy clashes on Sunday. At least 14 people were killed, and 15 others injured. While the RSF claimed the attack targeted SAF-aligned rebels, eyewitnesses reported civilian casualties and denied any SAF presence in the area.

El Gezira

A Sudanese Air Force strike on Wad Madani, the capital of El Gezira State, claimed the lives of at least nine civilians and injured several others, on Sunday. The air raid which targeted an RSF-held houses, also struck surrounding civilian residences, sparking outrage among residents.

Khartoum

SAF media reported a successful ambush against RSF forces near Jebel Kabashi in Khartoum state, yesterday. According to SAF, the operation resulted in 17 RSF fighters killed, four captured, and the seizure of three combat vehicles, alongside other equipment.

In Khartoum state, RSF artillery shelling resumed earlier today in Omdurman's Karari locality. While no injuries had been reported by press time, similar attacks in recent days have caused civilian fatalities, including 22 deaths on 10 December when a bus was struck near El Sawara's Block 17 transport station.

North Darfur

El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, remains a flashpoint. SAF forces reported destroying 13 RSF combat vehicles and killing dozens of fighters during artillery strikes and air raids, on Sunday. An RSF infiltration attempt on the city's southeastern outskirts was repelled after prolonged skirmishes.

Read the original article on Dabanga.

Cyclone Chido Kills At Least 34 in Mozambique

Isadora Zoni/UNHCR

A shelter lies in ruins in Pemba, Cabo Delgado Province, after Cyclone Chido made landfall in northern Mozambique.

17 December 2024

Voice of America (Washington, DC)

By Charles Mangwiro

Maputo, Mozambique — At least 34 people were killed and 43 injured when Cyclone Chido smashed into three northern provinces of Mozambique on Sunday and Monday. The head of the country's disaster management agency says the numbers are preliminary, as rescue teams search through rubble.

After visiting the affected areas late Monday, the chair of Mozambique's National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction, Luisa Meque, said around 2.5 million people were affected by the cyclone.

Several districts in Cabo Delgado province, including the capital Pemba, were hit hard by the cyclone, and teams on the ground are reporting significant damage.

The cyclone made landfall Sunday in Mecufi, a district in the province of Cabo Delgado, and destruction in the area was near total, with 100% of homes damaged and very few structures still standing.

Canjar Amade told VOA via WhatsApp that he lived through the cyclone tearing apart his house. He said the wind took the sheets off during the night, and the house fell down Monday morning.

Meteorologist Acacio Tembe from the national weather agency said the provinces of Niassa and Cabo Delgado, as well as other parts of Mozambique, are still getting hit by remnants of the storm, including rains and strong winds.

The system, which also hit Malawi and the island of Mayotte, is expected to dissipate near Zimbabwe by late Tuesday.

Mozambique is considered one of the countries most severely affected by global climate change. During the rainy season, which runs from October to April, it experiences cyclical floods and tropical cyclones.

Experts say with a potential La Nina effect in southern Africa in early 2025, the frequency and intensity of heavy rains and tropical cyclones is expected to increase in the Indian Ocean, with floods expected in areas currently affected by drought.

Read the original article on VOA.

DRC Files Criminal Case Against Apple Over Alleged Use of Illegal Minerals

Apple logo on a store in the US means exploitation

By Africa News with agencies

Multinational tech giant, Apple, is in the spotlight after the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) filed a criminal case against its subsidiaries in Belgium and France.

Kinshasa accuses the company of illegally using what it described as “blood minerals” in its supply chain.

The allegations against Apple reportedly include war crimes, laundering, forgery, and deception.

Lawyers for the Congolese government say Apple has bought contraband supplies from the conflict-ravaged eastern DRC and Rwanda.

Both are zones in which the materials are alleged to be mined illegally.

The DRC government says they were then integrated into global supply chains before ending up in the company’s devices.

United Nations experts and human rights groups say some of the artisanal mines are run by armed groups involved in massacres of civilians, mass rapes, looting, and other crimes.

Kinshasa says this makes Apple complicit in crimes taking place in the east of the country.

The tech giant says it does not source its primary materials directly but that it does carefully verify their origin.

However, the DRC’s lawyers allege Apple units in the two countries deploy deceptive commercial practices to persuade consumers that its supply chains are above board.

Rwanda has also dismissed the allegations against the tech giant as unfounded.

The mineral-rich eastern DRC has been racked by violence between rebel groups and the Congolese army since the 1990s.

At Least 25 are Killed and Dozens are Missing After an Overcrowded Boat Capsizes in DR Congo

By JUSTIN KATUMWA, JEAN-YVES KAMALE and WILSON MCMAKIN

6:33 PM EST, December 17, 2024

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — An overcrowded boat capsized on a river in central Congo on Tuesday, killing at least 25 people, including children, and leaving dozens missing, officials and local residents said.

The vessel was believed to have more than 100 passengers on board after leaving from the town of Inongo, northeast of the capital of Kinshasa. It capsized a few hundred meters (yards) into the journey along the Fimi River, the latest such tragedy to strike Congo.

A search was underway for the missing hours later on Tuesday as concerns rose that the death toll could be far higher.

“There was overloading at roof level and, as far as the lifeless human bodies are concerned, at least 25 have been recovered so far,” said David Kalemba, Inongo’s river commissioner.

The capsized boat was also loaded with goods, according to Alex Mbumba, a resident of the area. “Among the dead are children, but it’s difficult to give an exact death toll at the moment as ... the boat had a lot of passengers,” said Mbumba.

Tuesday’s wreck was the fourth this year in the Maï-Ndombe province, a region surrounded by rivers and where many rely on river transportation.

Congolese officials have often warned against overloading and vowed to punish those violating safety measures for water transportation. However, in remote areas where most passengers come from, many are unable to afford public transport for the few available roads.

At least 78 people drowned in October when an overloaded boat sank in the country’s east while 80 lost their lives in a similar accident near Kinshasa in June.

The latest accident prompted calls for the government to equip the province with flotation devices.

“The government must act to improve safety on the waters of our province (because) navigation conditions are dangerous,” said Mbumba.

The capsizing of overloaded boats is also becoming increasingly frequent in this central African nation as more people are abandoning the few available roads for wooden vessels crumbling under the weight of passengers and their goods because of security reasons.

The roads are often caught up in the deadly clashes between Congolese security forces and rebels that sometimes block major access routes. Hundreds have already been killed or declared missing in such accidents so far this year.

___

McMakin reported from Dakar, Senegal, and Katumwa from Goma, Congo.

France Rushes Aid to Mayotte After Cyclone Chido Leaves Hundreds Feared Dead

The French interior minister said on Monday that the French island of Mayotte had been “totally devastated” by Cyclone Chido.

By GERALD IMRAY, THOMAS ADAMSON and RAINAT ALILOIFFA

1:19 PM EST, December 17, 2024

MAMOUDZOU, Mayotte (AP) — France used ships and military aircraft to rush rescuers and supplies to Mayotte on Monday after the tiny French island territory off Africa was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. Authorities fear hundreds and possibly thousands of people have died.

Survivors wandered through streets littered with debris, searching for water and shelter, after Cyclone Chido leveled entire neighborhoods on Saturday when it hit Mayotte, the poorest territory of France and, by extension, the European Union.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he will declare a national mourning period and planned to visit in the coming days after “this tragedy that has shaken each of us.”

Mayotte resident Fahar Abdoulhamidi described the aftermath as chaotic. In Mamoudzou, the capital, destruction was total — schools, hospitals, restaurants and offices were in ruins. Roofs were ripped from homes, and palm trees were half-shorn from winds that exceeded 220 kph (136 mph), according to the French weather service.

“Mayotte is totally devastated,” French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said, with the ministry estimating 70% of the population was gravely affected.

As of Monday evening, the ministry confirmed 21 deaths at hospitals, with 45 people in critical condition. But French Health Minister Geneviève Darrieussecq warned that any estimates were likely major undercounts “compared to the scale of the disaster.”

Electricity was down across the archipelago, with only the capital spared. Telecommunications were severely disrupted, with most antennas knocked out of service. Authorities were concerned about a shortage of drinking water.

The French Red Cross described the devastation as “unimaginable” and said rescuers were still searching for bodies. The damage, including to Mayotte’s sole airport, has left some areas inaccessible to emergency teams.

Many people ignored the cyclone warnings in the 24 hours before the storm hit, underestimating its power.

“Nobody believed it would be that big,” Abdoulhamidi told The Associated Press by phone. “Those who live in bangas stayed in despite the cyclone, fearing their homes would be looted,” he said, referring to the island’s informal settlements.

Even worse, many migrants avoided shelters out of fear of deportation, Abdoulhamidi said.

Mayotte is a densely populated archipelago between Madagascar and the African continent of more than 320,000 people, according to the French government. Most residents are Muslim and French authorities have estimated another 100,000 migrants live there from as far away as Somalia.

“There’s no water, no electricity. Hunger is starting to rise. It’s urgent that aid arrives, especially when you see children, babies, to whom we have nothing concrete to offer,” Mayotte Sen. Salama Ramia told BFM-TV.

Chido was a category 4 cyclone, the second strongest on the scale, and the worst to hit Mayotte since the 1930s, Prefect François-Xavier Bieuville, the top French government official in the island group, told Mayotte la 1ere.

Bieuville on Sunday asserted that the death toll was several hundred people and could even be in the thousands. But he added it would be extremely hard to count the deaths and many might never be recorded, in part because of the Muslim tradition of burying people within 24 hours.

Rescue teams and supplies have been sent from France and Reunion. Daily airlifts are delivering 20 tons of water and food to address urgent needs, Retailleau said.

Mayotte’s airport remained closed to civilian flights after its control tower was heavily damaged and was not expected to reopen until at least Thursday, authorities said.

Mayotte’s main hospital suffered extensive water damage to the surgery, intensive care, emergency and maternity departments, according to Darrieussecq, the health minister. Retailleau said a field hospital will arrive on Thursday.

The Interior Ministry said 1,500 additional personnel, including 800 civilian and military security teams, were being sent deployed, including 400 gendarmes and engineers for infrastructure repair.

The ministry said additional police and gendarmerie officers would “help the population and prevent potential looting.”

Mayotte’s people have previously said their archipelago suffers from underinvestment and neglect by the French government. Around three-quarters of the population lives in poverty, with a median annual disposable income roughly one-eighth that of the Paris metropolitan area, according to the French statistics agency INSEE.

The territory has also faced political unrest and rising support for the far-right National Rally party, reflecting deep dissatisfaction with the political status quo. Last year, the French army moved to quell protests after a drought and mismanagement led to water shortages.

After pummeling Mayotte, Cyclone Chido continued west and made landfall Sunday in Mozambique, where it killed three people, injured 34 and destroyed classrooms in four schools. In neighboring Malawi, Chido killed two people.

December through to March is cyclone season in the southwestern Indian Ocean, and southern Africa has been hammered in recent years. Cyclone Idai in 2019 killed more than 1,300 people, mostly in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Cyclone Freddy left more than 1,000 dead across several countries in the Indian Ocean and southern Africa last year.

The European Parliament observed a minute of silence Monday for Chido’s victims, with the chamber’s President Roberta Metsola saying “Mayotte is Europe, and Europe will not abandon you.”

___

Adamson reported from Paris and Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa. Associated Press writers Tom Nouvian in Paris and Monika Pronczuk in Dakar, Senegal, contributed to this report.

Deadly Violence in Nigeria Linked to Breakup of United Methodist Church over LGBTQ Policies

African delegates to the General Conference of the United Methodist Church pray outside the Charlotte Convention Center, in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Smith, File)

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

6:30 PM EST, December 17, 2024

A religious schism has turned deadly in Nigeria, with a church member fatally shot and two young children killed as homes were set ablaze, according to United Methodist News Service.

The news service said the reported violence on Sunday stemmed from a schism in the worldwide United Methodist Church over its decision to repeal LGBTQ bans — and the ensuing formation of the new Global Methodist Church by breakaway conservative churches.

According to the news service, a United Methodist church member was shot and killed in a confrontation between both factions in Taraba, a state in northeast Nigeria. Homes were set ablaze, claiming the lives of two children, ages 2 and 4, of the overseer of a United Methodist school and nursery, the news service said. Another 10 church members were reported injured.

The worldwide Global Methodist Church held its inaugural general conference earlier this year. It was created by churches breaking away from the United Methodist Church — an international denomination with a strong U.S. presence.

While the UMC, at its general conference in May, lifted its longstanding bans on LGBTQ ordination and same-sex marriage, it also granted local conferences the right to set their own standards. The West Africa Central Conference, which includes Nigeria, restricts marriage to between a man and a woman and instructs its churches to follow national laws on LGBTQ issues, according to the news service.

In a statement, local United Methodist bishops condemned the violence and asked that there be no retribution.

“We are outraged that such an atrocity would occur among Christians, especially brothers and sisters who were once part of the same Methodist family,” they said in a statement.

“We further urge GMC members, at all levels, to put an immediate end to the violence and refrain from disseminating misinformation that fuels fear and disdain that can lead to violence,” they said.

The Assembly of Bishops of the Global Methodist Church issued a statement saying it is actively looking into the allegations and is seeking to determine what has happened.

“We mourn the loss of human life, decry the use of violence in any form, and call on both Global Methodists and United Methodists to serve as agents of peace,” it said.

Yemen Does Not Fear US Threats, Ready for Confrontation: Al-Houthi

By Al Mayadeen English

Yemen's operations in support of Gaza and Palestine will not cease regardless of the United States' threats of war and aggression, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi says.

Yemen does not care about the United States or its allies in the region, "because we have faced them for ten years," member of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, said on Tuesday.

In an interview with Al Mayadeen, al-Houthi noted that the greater the aggression on the region is, the more options Yemen has, confirming that a plan for confrontation has been prepared by the Ministry of Defense.

He further asserted that the Yemeni Defense Ministry "will do everything it can within the operational scope it can reach," noting that "the Ministry of Defense and our brave forces will not fear any movement."

Regarding the Yemeni Armed Forces' scope of operations, the Yemeni official told Al Mayadeen they have reached the Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Arabian and Red Seas, and areas like occupied Yafa [Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area] and others. "We have no ceiling or red lines as long as our people are being bombed, and the Israeli genocide continues against the people of Gaza," he emphasized. 

He proposed a more suitable option for Yemen: the end of US support to the Israeli enemy, which would end of "Israel's" genocidal war and operations against the people of Gaza. However, as long as the aggression on Gaza continues, the YAF's operations will continue without any care for any movements, whether American or otherwise. 

"America has been active for nine years, and this is the tenth year of aggression against our country in cooperation with Saudi and Emirati allies, and they have achieved nothing," al-Houthi highlighted, noting that the threat of a major war is nothing the Yemeni people have not experienced. 

According to al-Houthi, "The weapons used to bomb us are American, and they want to spread psychological warfare against the Yemeni people," but confirmed that the Yemeni people will continue in their struggle against the Israeli aggression on Gaza and in support of the Palestinian cause, adding that whatever the US may do will not deter the Yemeni people from their duty and mission.

Moreover, he strongly condemned the "barbaric, terrorist, and aggressive airstrikes," affirming that "the Yemeni people will not stop responding to them, and our battle will continue with all aggressors against our country."

Yemen: US-UK aggression targets Defense Ministry HQ in Sanaa

American and British forces launched raids on Tuesday morning targeting the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.

Al Mayadeen’s correspondent confirmed that the raids targeted the Ministry of Defense's headquarters in the al-Ardhi area in the capital's center detailing how explosions were heard in the capital.

The attack comes after American and British forces struck several areas in the Bahis area in Midi district, Hajjah Governorate, in western Yemen on Monday.

Another US-UK-led aggression targeted the country earlier on Sunday. Strikes targeted the al-Tuhayta district in the southern part of the Hodeidah province, located on Yemen’s Red Sea coast.

Our correspondent in Sanaa, citing local sources, reported that the airstrike on al-Tuhayta did not cause any damage to military stockpiles.

HTS’ Inability to Govern Syria, Foreign Meddling Signal Bleak Future: Geopolitical Analyst

Tuesday, 17 December 2024 2:42 PM

By Alireza Hashemi, Reprinted from Press TV

Syria’s future looks increasingly bleak, with a high risk of Balkanization or long-term instability as major powers continue to vie for influence and the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militant group is proving incapable of governing effectively, according to a geopolitical analyst.

In an interview with the Press TV website, S.L. Kanthan expounded on the recent developments in Syria – the fall of the Bashar al-Assad government and the dramatic rise of the West-backed HTS militant group.

Kanthan said over the past decade, Syria has been the target of a proxy war waged by foreign powers, including the US, Israeli regime, Turkey, and Qatar, which supported various armed militant groups in the Arab country, including extremist organizations.

“While Assad has been demonized for the last 14 years, he was once celebrated by the West and the Arab world. France awarded him the Legion of Honor; Queen Elizabeth met with Assad and his wife; and Pope John Paul II visited Syria. In 2010, The New York Times even ranked Damascus as the 7th-best place to visit worldwide,” he noted.

Kanthan emphasized that foreign actors deliberately destabilized Syria for their geopolitical objectives.

“The US, Israel, Turkey, and Qatar waged a proxy war on Syria. Worse, they used groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS (Daesh) to achieve their goals. It’s only thanks to Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah that Syria managed to prevent these terrorists from taking over Damascus all this time,” the Indian analyst remarked.

However, with foreign-backed militants finally toppling the Syrian government, the US, Israel, and others who have invested heavily in destabilizing Syria are now seeking returns on that investment.

“Israel and the US have been arming and funding Syrian rebels (militants) since 2011. Jake Sullivan famously emailed Hillary Clinton in 2012, stating, ‘Al Qaeda in Syria is with us.’ Even a former Mossad chief admitted that Israel helps Al Qaeda in Syria. Naturally, both want lucrative returns,” he said.

‘Israel gobbling up Syrian lands’

Commenting on the fresh Israeli aggression against Syria and illegal seizure of more Syrian land, beyond the occupied Golan Heights, Kanthan said the Tel Aviv regime’s primary goal is to consolidate its control over the Golan Heights and surrounding areas.

“Israel would gobble up the Golan Heights and as much territory as possible. American companies, of course, would also benefit from such land-grab efforts. For the US, controlling pipelines through Syria remains a crucial objective,” he told the Press TV website.

“Additionally, the CIA will likely continue programs like Operation Timber Sycamore to redirect ‘mujahideen’ forces against geopolitical rivals like Iran, China, and Russia,” he added, referring to the covert CIA program launched during the Barack Obama administration in 2012 to train, arm, and fund terrorists in Syria.

Kanthan highlighted HTS’s inability to govern Syria, comparing the situation to the chaos in Afghanistan.

“HTS or Al Nusra is essentially a rebranded version of Al Qaeda. Governing a nation as diverse as Syria—with large minority groups like Shiites, Alawites, Christians, and Kurds—is beyond their capacity. Think of Afghanistan in the 1980s. Syria could be 100 times worse,” he warned.

The geopolitical analyst added that external meddling has compounded Syria’s problems, increasing the risk of Balkanization or long-term conflict, similar to Libya after Gaddafi.

“The puppet masters of this fake ‘civil war’ will continue to try to control Syria. Too many cooks spoil the broth. In the worst-case scenario, Syria could fragment into autonomous regions locked in perpetual conflict,” Kanthan remarked.

A notable example is the US-backed Kurdish groups, which may pose significant challenges to Turkey in post-Assad Syria.

“The US’s double-faced diplomacy will embolden Kurdish groups, who already control some of Syria’s best agricultural lands and oil fields. Washington may use this leverage to create friction between Turkey and Russia,” he stated.

‘Immense geopolitical challenges for Iran’

When asked about Iran’s challenges in Syria after Assad’s fall, Kanthan said the Islamic Republic faces losing a key ally and risks increased terrorism targeting its interests.

“Iran has lost a great ally with Assad’s departure. The Axis of Resistance in Lebanon will also suffer. This presents an immense geopolitical challenge for Iran,” he explained to the Press TV website.

Kanthan said Iran must diplomatically engage with Syria’s new regime to protect the rights of minorities and counter the resurgence of terrorism.

“Iran must exercise extraordinary diplomacy and caution. On one hand, it must work with the new Syrian government to protect minority rights. On the other hand, it must stay vigilant against ISIS and other groups that could become pawns of the American empire to harm Iran. As mentioned before, Syria may become the launching pad of a new breed of terrorism.”

He added that Iran should focus on maintaining its influence in Iraq as a buffer against these threats.

“Remember the ‘7 countries in 5 years’ plan of the neocons? Iran must strengthen its influence in Iraq to serve as a buffer zone,” he said, referring to the controversial US strategy following the 9/11 attacks in 2001 first revealed by retired General Wesley Clark, who said that a Pentagon memo outlined a strategy to destabilize and overthrow governments in seven Middle Eastern and North African countries.

Kanthan noted that Assad’s fall would also weaken Russia’s position in the West Asia region.

“Russia has lost a strategic partner in Syria. Its military and naval bases will likely be pushed out due to American influence over the Syrian rebels,” he said.

However, he emphasized that Russia is adapting to this loss by expanding its influence elsewhere.

“Russia has recently gained more influence in West Africa, which helps offset its loss in Syria. Additionally, its partnership with Iran and the development of trade corridors like the INSTC will bolster its position. Putin has also cultivated strong ties with regional powers like Saudi Arabia and Egypt, avoiding overreliance on any one partner,” Kanthan noted.

He described the strategic alliance between Russia, China, and Iran as a counterbalance to US dominance in the region.

“As Brzezinski noted in the 1990s, the Russia-China-Iran strategic alliance is the only one capable of countering American imperialism, chaos, and perpetual wars.”

A Kenyan Man Gets 50 Years in Prison for the Murder of a Gay Rights Activist

By EVELYNE MUSAMBI

11:49 AM EST, December 16, 2024

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The housemate of an LGBTQ+ activist in Kenya sentenced to 50 years in prison Monday for the murder of Edwin Chiloba, whose mutilated body was discovered in a metal box almost two years ago.

The High Court sitting in Eldoret found Jacktone Odhiambo guilty in the January 2023 killing that drew global attention to attitudes toward gay rights in largely conservative Kenya, where President William Ruto has called gay rights a nonissue and sex between men is illegal.

Chiloba had been widely known in Kenya’s LGBTQ+ community for his activism against discrimination.

Odhiambo denied killing his housemate despite samples of his DNA being found on the victim’s body. He can appeal the sentencing. DNA evidence indicated the two men had an intimate physical relationship, but the court gave no finding on the motive for the killing.

During the trial, witnesses testified about hearing the housemates in an argument and seeing Odhiambo later move the metal box.

Justice Reuben Nyakundi said during the ruling that Odhiambo had planned the murder, waiting until the two returned home from a nightclub. Chiloba had marks on his hands showing that he tried to fight back, Nyakundi said.

LGBTQ+ people have decried discrimination and attacks in Kenya, but police ruled out the possibility that the killing was a hate crime.

France Rushes Aid to Mayotte After Cyclone Chido Leaves Hundreds Feared Dead

Bruno Retailleau arrived in Mamoudzou, the capital of the French overseas territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, as authorities fear hundreds and possibly thousands of people have died in Cyclone Chido.

By GERALD IMRAY, THOMAS ADAMSON and RAINAT ALILOIFFA

8:38 PM EST, December 16, 2024

MAMOUDZOU, Mayotte (AP) — France used ships and military aircraft to rush rescuers and supplies to Mayotte on Monday after the tiny French island territory off Africa was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. Authorities fear hundreds and possibly thousands of people have died.

Survivors wandered through streets littered with debris, searching for water and shelter, after Cyclone Chido leveled entire neighborhoods on Saturday when it hit Mayotte, the poorest territory of France and, by extension, the European Union.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he will declare a national mourning period and planned to visit in the coming days after “this tragedy that has shaken each of us.”

Mayotte resident Fahar Abdoulhamidi described the aftermath as chaotic. In Mamoudzou, the capital, destruction was total — schools, hospitals, restaurants and offices were in ruins. Roofs were ripped from homes, and palm trees were half-shorn from winds that exceeded 220 kph (136 mph), according to the French weather service.

“Mayotte is totally devastated,” French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said, with the ministry estimating 70% of the population was gravely affected.

As of Monday evening, the ministry confirmed 21 deaths at hospitals, with 45 people in critical condition. But French Health Minister Geneviève Darrieussecq warned that any estimates were likely major undercounts “compared to the scale of the disaster.”

Electricity was down across the archipelago, with only the capital spared. Telecommunications were severely disrupted, with most antennas knocked out of service. Authorities were concerned about a shortage of drinking water.

The French Red Cross described the devastation as “unimaginable” and said rescuers were still searching for bodies. The damage, including to Mayotte’s sole airport, has left some areas inaccessible to emergency teams.

Many people ignored the cyclone warnings in the 24 hours before the storm hit, underestimating its power.

“Nobody believed it would be that big,” Abdoulhamidi told The Associated Press by phone. “Those who live in bangas stayed in despite the cyclone, fearing their homes would be looted,” he said, referring to the island’s informal settlements.

Even worse, many migrants avoided shelters out of fear of deportation, Abdoulhamidi said.

Mayotte is a densely populated archipelago between Madagascar and the African continent of more than 320,000 people, according to the French government. Most residents are Muslim and French authorities have estimated another 100,000 migrants live there from as far away as Somalia.

“There’s no water, no electricity. Hunger is starting to rise. It’s urgent that aid arrives, especially when you see children, babies, to whom we have nothing concrete to offer,” Mayotte Sen. Salama Ramia told BFM-TV.

Chido was a category 4 cyclone, the second strongest on the scale, and the worst to hit Mayotte since the 1930s, Prefect François-Xavier Bieuville, the top French government official in the island group, told Mayotte la 1ere.

Bieuville on Sunday asserted that the death toll was several hundred people and could even be in the thousands. But he added it would be extremely hard to count the deaths and many might never be recorded, in part because of the Muslim tradition of burying people within 24 hours.

Rescue teams and supplies have been sent from France and Reunion. Daily airlifts are delivering 20 tons of water and food to address urgent needs, Retailleau said.

Mayotte’s airport remained closed to civilian flights after its control tower was heavily damaged and was not expected to reopen until at least Thursday, authorities said.

Mayotte’s main hospital suffered extensive water damage to the surgery, intensive care, emergency and maternity departments, according to Darrieussecq, the health minister. Retailleau said a field hospital will arrive on Thursday.

The Interior Ministry said 1,500 additional personnel, including 800 civilian and military security teams, were being sent deployed, including 400 gendarmes and engineers for infrastructure repair.

The ministry said additional police and gendarmerie officers would “help the population and prevent potential looting.”

Mayotte’s people have previously said their archipelago suffers from underinvestment and neglect by the French government. Around three-quarters of the population lives in poverty, with a median annual disposable income roughly one-eighth that of the Paris metropolitan area, according to the French statistics agency INSEE.

The territory has also faced political unrest and rising support for the far-right National Rally party, reflecting deep dissatisfaction with the political status quo. Last year, the French army moved to quell protests after a drought and mismanagement led to water shortages.

After pummeling Mayotte, Cyclone Chido continued west and made landfall Sunday in Mozambique, where it killed three people, injured 34 and destroyed classrooms in four schools. In neighboring Malawi, Chido killed two people.

December through to March is cyclone season in the southwestern Indian Ocean, and southern Africa has been hammered in recent years. Cyclone Idai in 2019 killed more than 1,300 people, mostly in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Cyclone Freddy left more than 1,000 dead across several countries in the Indian Ocean and southern Africa last year.

The European Parliament observed a minute of silence Monday for Chido’s victims, with the chamber’s President Roberta Metsola saying “Mayotte is Europe, and Europe will not abandon you.”

UNSC Meeting on Western Weapons Supplies to Ukraine to be Held on December 20

It is requested by the West

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

UNITED NATIONS, December 17. /TASS/. The United Nations Security Council will hold a Russia-requested meeting on Western weapons supplies to Ukraine on December 20.

"The meeting on supplies of Western weapons to Ukraine, which was requested by us, will be held this Friday, on December 20," Russian First Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky wrote on his Telegram channel.

On Monday, the UN Security Council is holding a meeting on the situation in Ukraine, which was requested by the West.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on November 28 that Moscow had repeatedly warned that the use of Western long-range weapons for strikes inside Russia would be interpreted by Russia as NATO’s direct involvement in the conflict.

Russia to Continue its Military Operation, as West Only Offers Fake Peace Plans – UN Envoy

The permanent representative added that Russia would respond to actions taken by the Ukrainian authorities appropriately

UN, December 17. /TASS/. Russia will continue pursuing its goals in the special military operation in Ukraine strategically, as long as Kiev’s Western allies offer ineffective solutions to the conflict, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said at the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Ukraine.

"Russia's conditions are clear and logical, and they have nothing in common with those fake solutions that fail to eliminate the threat posed to Russia by the Kiev regime. These proposals have recently been put forward by Kiev's Western allies increasingly more often," he emphasized.

The permanent representative added that Russia would respond to actions taken by the Ukrainian authorities appropriately. "As long as this is taking place, we will continue to pursue the goal of our special military operation in a strategic manner and respond to the Kiev regime's provocations in the same way as we did on December 13," he noted.

Russian Troops Liberate Yelizavetovka Community in Donbass Area Over Past Day

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted more than 500 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed four enemy howitzers in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported

© Alexander Reka/TASS

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/. Russian troops liberated the community of Yelizavetovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Monday.

"Battlegroup South units liberated the settlement of Yelizavetovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic as a result of decisive operations," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicts over 85 casualties on Ukrainian army in Kharkov area

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted more than 85 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy armored vehicle in its area of responsibility in the Kharkov Region over the past day, the ministry reported.

"In the Kharkov direction, Battlegroup North units inflicted losses on formations of an air assault brigade of the Ukrainian army, a territorial defense brigade and a border guard detachment of Ukraine’s Border Guard Service near the settlements of Liptsy and Volchansk in the Kharkov Region and the city of Kharkov. They repelled an enemy counterattack," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours totaled more than 85 personnel, an armored personnel carrier, three motor vehicles and a 152mm D-20 howitzer, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts over 500 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted more than 500 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed four enemy howitzers in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup West units improved their tactical position and inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of a mechanized brigade and an assault brigade of the Ukrainian army and a territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Dvurechnaya, Zagryzovo, Lozovaya, Glushkovka and Kupyansk in the Kharkov Region. They repulsed four counterattacks by Ukrainian armed formations," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to more than 500 personnel, three armored combat vehicles, including a US-made HMMWV armored fighting vehicle, four motor vehicles, a US-made 155mm M198 howitzer and three 122mm D-30 howitzers, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed two ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts 345 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted roughly 345 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two US-made armored fighting vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

During the last 24-hour period, Battlegroup South units "inflicted casualties on formations of two mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade and an air assault brigade of the Ukrainian army and two territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Seversk, Belogorovka, Trudovoye, Ostrovskogo, Kurakhovo and Dachnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 345 personnel, five motor vehicles, two US-made MaxxPro armored fighting vehicles and a US-manufactured 155mm Paladin self-propelled artillery system, a 152mm D-20 howitzer and a 122mm D-30 howitzer, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed an ammunition depot, an Anklav-N electronic warfare station and a US-made AN/TPQ-50 counterbattery radar station of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts over 440 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted more than 440 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy armored vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Center units gained better positions and inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of four mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, an assault brigade and two assault battalions of the Ukrainian army and a marine infantry brigade in areas near the settlements of Shevchenko, Shcherbinovka, Novoolenovka, Novopustynka, Petrovka and Dzerzhinsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repelled nine counterattacks by Ukrainian armed formations," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to more than 440 personnel, three armored combat vehicles, a 152mm Msta-B howitzer, three 152mm D-20 howitzers and three 122mm D-30 howitzers, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed a Nota electronic warfare station of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts 185 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted roughly 185 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed a German-made Leopard tank in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup East units continued moving deep into the enemy’s defenses and inflicted losses on formations of two mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian army and a territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Razliv, Zelyonoye Pole and Vremevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They repelled three counterattacks by enemy assault groups," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 185 personnel, a German-made Leopard tank, an infantry fighting vehicle, two armored combat vehicles, four motor vehicles, a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer, a 155mm Bogdana self-propelled artillery gun and a 122mm Gvozdika motorized artillery system, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr inflicts over 55 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr inflicted more than 55 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy artillery guns in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Dnepr units inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of a heavy mechanized brigade and a mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian army and two territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Novoandreyevka in the Zaporozhye Region, Antonovka, Yantarnoye and Nikolskoye in the Kherson Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 55 personnel, two motor vehicles, a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer and two 152mm D-20 howitzers in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed four ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russian forces strike Ukrainian army, equipment in over 130 areas in past day

Russian forces struck Ukrainian military airfields and amassed enemy manpower and military hardware in more than 130 locations over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Operational/tactical aircraft, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces struck infrastructure of military airfields and amassed enemy manpower and military equipment in 133 areas," the ministry said.

Russian air defenses destroy nine Ukrainian UAVs over past day

Russian air defense forces shot down nine Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Air defense capabilities shot down nine fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said.

Overall, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 650 Ukrainian warplanes, 283 helicopters, 37,818 unmanned aerial vehicles, 590 surface-to-air missile systems, 19,810 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,501 multiple rocket launchers, 19,695 field artillery guns and mortars and 29,260 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.

Bashar al-Assad Releases First Statement Since He Fled Syria

Remarks attributed to al-Assad, released by the Syrian presidency’s Telegram channel, say state fell into ‘hands of terrorism’.

By Al Jazeera Staff

16 Dec 2024

In the first public remarks attributed to Bashar al-Assad since he left Syria, the deposed Syrian president has defended his rule and denied planning his departure as armed opposition fighters closed in on Damascus earlier this month.

A statement said to be written by al-Assad and released on the Syrian presidency’s Telegram channel on Monday presented an account of how and why the former president fled Syria.

“First, my departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles, as some have claimed,” the statement said.

“On the contrary, I remained in Damascus, carrying out my duties until the early hours of Sunday, December 8, 2024.”

The statement added that as rebel fighters, who al-Assad described as “terrorist forces”, entered the capital, he moved to a Russian base on the coastal city of Latakia to “oversee combat operations”.

But according to the statement, the base came under drone attacks from armed opposition fighters.

“With no viable means of leaving the base, Moscow requested that the base’s command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday 8 December,” it read.

“This took place a day after the fall of Damascus, following the collapse of the final military positions and the resulting paralysis of all remaining state institutions.”

The statement has not been independently verified. Al-Assad has not made any media appearances since he was granted asylum with his family by Russia.

Opposition forces, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), launched a lightning offensive from the northwestern province of Idlib in November, taking city after city from government forces with little resistance.

They reached Damascus in the early hours of December 8 and announced the end of more than 50 years of the al-Assad family’s iron-fist rule over Syria.

Al-Assad’s presidency, which began after the death of his father Hafez in 2000, saw one of the most devastating wars of the 21st century.

The conflict started in 2011 as Syrians took to the streets to protest against the government as part of the “Arab Spring” pro-democracy uprisings that swept the Middle East that year.

As the demonstrations were met with a deadly crackdown by security forces, the protest movement turned into an armed uprising.

The war, which lasted more than 13 years, fragmented the country, killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.

Rights groups have accused al-Assad’s authoritarian government of perpetrating rampant human rights violations.

Opposition fighters and rights advocates have said they discovered more horrific abuses and signs of torture and mass executions as they freed jails housing thousands of detainees across Syria this month.

Tens of thousands of Syrians believed to have been in government custody remain unaccounted for.

But in Monday’s statement, attributed to “President Bashar al-Assad”, the former president sounded unapologetic about his years in power, saying he considered himself the “custodian” of a national project backed by Syrians.

“I have carried an unwavering conviction in their will and ability to protect the state, defend its institutions, and uphold their choices to the very last moment,” the statement said.

“When the state falls into the hands of terrorism and the ability to make a meaningful contribution is lost, any position becomes void of purpose, rendering its occupation meaningless.”

Source: Al Jazeera

Israel Launches Large-scale Aerial, Naval Attacks on Syria, Deploys New Missile

Monday, 16 December 2024 2:00 PM

Press TV

The Israeli regime sustains its heavy attacks against various areas across Syria as Western-backed militants, who ousted the country’s government earlier this month, strengthen their foothold.

On Monday, the regime’s warplanes struck vital facilities and military infrastructure along the country’s western coastline, including the cities of Tartus and Latakia, where they pounded missile bases and ammunition depots.

Massive explosions rang out across the cities during the attacks.

Lebanon’s al-Mayadeen television network said Israeli occupation forces had also advanced as far as 15 kilometers (9 miles) in the western Syrian province of Quneitra.

'An earthquake'

Russia’s Sputnik news agency also reported Israeli assaults against military facilities in Hama and Homs, two other western provinces, adding that attacks against Hama and Aleppo, which is likewise situated in western Syria, shook the targeted areas like an “earthquake.”

Local sources, meanwhile, reported that the regime’s warplanes had also hit the Military Airport in the eastern province of Deir al-Zawr.

The agency cited sources as saying that Israeli warships had launched a number of missiles towards the Syrian coast, especially targeting the Tartus Province.

According to them, this was the first time that the Israeli military was deploying “such missiles” against Syria’s military sites.

The reports came a day after the regime attacked the positions that used to belong to the country’s Republican Guard and the Syrian military’s Fourth Armored Division in the Tal Mneen area and the town of Hafir, north of the capital Damascus.

Israeli tanks roll into several towns in Syria’s Quneitra, destroying streets, as well as water supply networks and electricity poles in the country’s southwestern province.

Also on Sunday, Israeli forces occupied three new villages across the country, namely the Jamla village in the western Syrian province of Dara’a as well as the Mazraat Beit Jan and Mughr al-Mir villages in Rif Dimashq Province.

Israeli aircraft also bombed an air defense site in the town of Muhajja in the eastern countryside of Dara’a’s capital and attacked the warehouses of the Syrian military’s 18th Armored Division in the eastern suburbs of Homs.

The regime has markedly intensified its deadly attacks against the country, especially targeting its military infrastructure, in the aftermath of its takeover by anti-Damascus militants, who are widely reported to have been receiving extensive military support and cooperation on the part of the Israeli regime and the West.

From being a trusted aide of Daesh and al-Qaeda leaders to heading the HTS militant group that has taken control of Syria, we look at the journey of Mohammed al-Jolani.

As part of its aggression, the regime has expanded its occupation of Syria’s Golan Heights, overrunning a buffer zone in the territory, and announced plans to ramp up the population of illegal settlers in the mountainous region.

Regional Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Iraq, have lashed out at Tel Aviv over the measures.

How HTS' Ground Strategy Intersected with America, 'Israel's' Project in Syria

Julia Kassem

Source: Al Mayadeen English

12 Dec 2024 13:17

What opened up the prime chance for the complete destabilization of Syria was the years-long eroding of its own economy and military and potential productive forces inhibited by the occupation of oil fields and illegal US bases in Syria’s northeast.

Immediately after Hezbollah’s post-ceasefire period marking a victory for the Resistance group, the US and "Israel" immediately activated the next step of their follow-up plan, leading to the sudden sweep through Aleppo by the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) counterinsurgency. 

HTS is led by Muhammad al-Jolani, the former leader of the now-disbanded al-Nusra front, an adjacent leader of Daesh (ISIS) and al-Qaeda who worked closely with former Daesh head Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In recent years, Al-Jolani's HTS rebranded as the “lesser evil” terror group that focused on its Syria takedown, mainly targeting Iran and Hezbollah.

Al-Jolani oscillated between a turban and military fatigues and suit and tie as he navigated between his roles as a Takfiri insurgent and a suit-clad opposition figure. His rebranding came more into the spotlight in 2021 with an unprecedented PBS frontline interview. In 2022, Russia’s envoy to Syria revealed that Turkey, with Western backing, was working to downgrade HTS into a “moderate opposition” - a move done in order to shed itself of international terrorist designation while honing the US’ next focus for Syria and the post-war in Lebanon phase.

With the West perceiving itself to have exhausted Russia in Ukraine, Hezbollah against “Israel", and Iran across fronts, stalled by a reconciliatory president, inciting a counterinsurgency, terror sweep now was done within a narrow opportunity of what the US and "Israel" perceive to be a closing window. These were indeed factors that inhibited the full capacity in Syria’s supporters, yet what opened up the prime chance for the complete destabilization of Syria was the years-long eroding of its own economy and military and potential productive forces inhibited by the occupation of oil fields and illegal US bases in Syria’s northeast. 

As the so-called "Syrian opposition" was pumped with funding and logistical support - directly by Turkey and thus, secondarily by the US, UK, and “Israel", the Syrian army was withered down, in need of serious rehabilitation and support. Syrian Army members reportedly received only $40 a month, thanks to years of US sanctions and the adverse effects of hybrid warfare. In 2018, Russia advised Syria that its army needed bottom-up rehabilitation, and Damascus was faced with the challenge of needing to shore up $200 billion in reconstruction nationally. As Syria struggled with these reconstructive challenges, Assad resorted to reconciliations and negotiations that put a defensive approach in the backseat - but the foundation enabling an easy collapse, mutiny, and takeover had been set, 6 years before HTS’ late November 2024 invasion.

Syria has now fallen after years of neglecting fortification in its defense and rehabilitation of its economy. The post-Astana and negotiation era was marked by concessions, attempting to placate the Gulf and facilitate easier rapprochement with these powers by rejecting Iranian offers to station around the Golan and South. Syria did not take hard steps to take back land where billions in oil wealth were stolen in the Northeast, build Syria’s crumbling and depleted military institutions and basis for economic self-sufficiency, expecting the post-Astana negotiation process and Iranian and Russian partnership to just work themselves out. 

While these political solutions were slow to bring results, the opposition, well-supported and funded albeit divided, had taken advantage of the post-2020-ceasefire period. HTS used this time to consolidate its hold on Idlib and the North and increase its attacks on the Syrian Army on the ground, doubling from an average of 200 attacks in 2021 to 400 in 2022. HTS also took advantage of US sanctions on Syria in the aftermath of its disastrous February 2023 earthquake by reinforcing Washington’s aims of preventing aid from reaching “regime-held” areas, only allowing Turkish support to come through. Turkey would also benefit from the increased circulation of its currency, complementing its expanded ambitions over taking over Syria’s north, coinciding with the further collapse of Syria’s own currency. 

From the onset, the HTS-led Takfiri insurgency had goals and patterns of operations not only aligned with but directly curated by “Israel” and the US. Since 2017, the targets of HTS terror bombing attacks have been Syrian government officials, Syrian scientists, Shi’ite civilians, pilgrims (while taking a page out of the American/Israeli discourse in deeming them “Iranian agents”) and, almost exclusively in later years following the HTS’ “rebranding", positions of US adversaries in Syria, whether they were from Hezbollah, the IRGC, or Russia. The US allowed ISIS to die and phase out in coordinated airstrikes as HTS, with its more localized focus, was enabled to grow. 

After the escape of hundreds of Takfiri leaders from Hasakah prisons earlier this year, many of them moved South toward army positions in Daraa and Damascus. This was followed by ground gun attacks on the Syrian Army and police by Takfiri groups in these locations in the south, now being overrun by Israeli attacks.

The Zionist entity’s aerial attacks across Syria, especially on military infrastructure in major cities, have been relentless and continuous over the last two years and especially in the past few months. During the war in Lebanon, “Israel” repeatedly struck the Masnaa border crossing between Syria and Lebanon, as well as the northern Arida border crossing. Repeated bombings of crossings between Lebanon and Syria have kept the humanitarian pressure on besieged Lebanese, as well as objectives to cut supply routes to and from Lebanon.

As Takfiri groups attacked Syrian army positions from the ground, “Israel” bombed the Syrian Army from the sky, further weakening it. One of the latest targeted attacks on the Army was on a Palmyra army center, where 36 were massacred. The Israeli-Takfiri ground and air coordination is nothing new of course. It was well documented nearly a decade ago that "Israel" provided Jabhat al-Nusra (the predecessor organization to HTS) with maps and blueprints of Syrian Army positions to attack in the country’s south. They also provided them with communication devices and medical equipment, allowing Syrian refugee camps to even be set up on the border. Earlier, a UN report from 2014 confirmed the close coordination the so-called “rebels” had with "Israel". 

One of their first targets was the same research centers and production facilities for the Resistance’s weapons "Israel" has struck for a while. These were carried out in coordination with the US and Zionist entity. “Israel” was long disappointed that their attacks have not “halted or neutralized” their activity, a step that would be delegated to their allies on the ground. 

Beginning with Aleppo, the militants sniped and killed the director, Dr. Yervant Arslanian, and besieged the Syrian Scientific Research Center in Aleppo, the economic engine of the country and defense engine of both Syria and the Axis of Resistance.

The Takfiri opposition also attacked CERS Institute 4000 in Masyaf, the target of Israeli bombings and Mossad attacks for years. Aided by the intelligence and work "Israel" had done in attacking the facilities - among them the more recent September Masyaf raid by “Israel” that killed 18 people, HTS launched an attack via a Ukrainian drone on December 4 on the CERS institute amid its incursion into Hama - going after a site long-targeted by “Israel” after the latter admitted it was insufficient with airstrikes alone. 

Their next target was Homs, just 45km away. This pivoted the territorial balance of the equation in favor of the terrorists, aimed at isolating the Lebanese Resistance via what used to be a key transfer and transport route of weapons, supplies, and logistics. 

“Israel’s” goals for Homs, in softening the ground for the incoming Takfiri counterinsurgency, has been to bomb locations around that city it alleges to be harboring Hezbollah combat equipment storage and transfer sites, as well as entry and transfer points for Hezbollah units in Syria. Israeli army Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee emphasized this in a Tweet the night after Hama was taken, and it is no coincidence his words come as Homs was the next target for the “rebels".

At this point, it was clear that the Syrian Army was no longer putting up a fight, due to orders of compromised generals, going against Assad’s directive, to lay down arms. The deep infiltration had consumed the ranks almost instantly. Russian airstrikes that had struck terrorist locations in the early days of the Aleppo siege had stopped, and the IRGC had no active force to mobilize alongside. Homs officially fell on Saturday, December 7, and the fall of Syria, finalized by Assad’s orders to minimize mass civilian bloodshed by ordering a peaceful transition of power, agreed upon by the conclusion of the Astana talks between Iran, Russia, and Turkey, had put the final nails in the coffin.

“Israel” also has aimed to expand its buffer zone into the Golan Heights parameters, pacifying a long-held fear of Resistance infiltration into the heights after 14 months of Hezbollah operations against sites in the occupied territory. 

Syria’s post-regime change invited an incursion of Quneitra under the pretext of expanding this so-called buffer zone. Simultaneously, “Israel” struck all of Syria’s critical military sites, infrastructure, and warehouses inan  attempt to wipe out any defense ability that could be transferred to Lebanon or used against the occupying entity in the future.

This was accompanied by congratulations given by Netanyahu to the “historic” fall of the “tyranny in Damascus,” a longtime American project made possible through a coordinated effort between rebel groups and "Israel". 

"Without the blows you inflicted on Hezbollah and Iran, we could not free Syria," Free Syrian Army spokesperson Fahd Masri told Israeli media. "Thank you, Israel. This is an Israeli victory, our brothers and neighbors,” he said, echoing statements issued by a number of "Syrian opposition" and Free Syrian Army members to Zionist media in the last few weeks.

It’s more than obvious at this point whose goals the current unfolding in events serve. Syria’s fragile situation in the last decade mobilized Resistance factions toward a trajectory for domestic production and self-sufficiency across fields, a plan accelerated by the late IRGC Commander Hajj Qassem Soleimani.

Hezbollah already produces its own missiles and drones domestically with weapons stores unknown to “Israel". While the fall of Syria is a very dark and difficult closing of a chapter for the Axis of Resistance, the miracles of besieged Gaza and Yemen for years provide us with a lesson going forth that the trajectory for the highly adaptable Resistance factions will continue and reach new heights as events are yet to unfold.

The opinions mentioned in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Al mayadeen, but rather express the opinion of its writer exclusively.

No Decision Yet on Future of Russia's Military Bases in Syria: Kremlin

By Al Mayadeen English

The Kremlin announced that no final decisions have been made about Russia's military bases in Syria and that it is in contact with the country's authorities.

On Monday, the Kremlin stated that no final decisions have been made regarding the future of Russia's military bases in Syria and that it is in communication with the newly in-control authorities in Damascus.

Reuters reported on Sunday, citing four Syrian officials, that Russia is reducing its military presence on the front lines in northern Syria and from positions in the Alawite Mountains but is maintaining its two primary bases in the country following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.

The removal of al-Assad, who, along with his late father, former President Hafez al-Assad, fostered a strong alliance with Moscow, has raised questions about the future of Russia's strategic bases: the Hmeimim airbase in Latakia and the Tartus naval facility.

Satellite imagery from Friday revealed at least two Antonov AN-124 cargo planes, among the largest in the world, at the Hmeimim airbase, with their nose cones open, seemingly being prepared for loading, the news agency highlighted.

It cited a Syrian security official stationed near the base as saying that at least one cargo plane departed for Libya on Saturday.

Syrian military and security sources in contact with Russian counterparts informed Reuters that Moscow is withdrawing forces from forward positions and removing certain heavy equipment and senior Syrian officers.

However, these sources, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, emphasized that Russia is not abandoning its two principal bases and has no immediate plans to do so.

Russia evacuates some diplomatic personnel from Syria

Meanwhile, Russia has evacuated part of its diplomatic missions from Syria, along with diplomats from Belarus, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and Abkhazia, as confirmed by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Sunday.

According to the ministry’s Crisis Management Center, "On December 15, a special flight of the Russian Defense Ministry's Aerospace Forces airlifted part of the Russian diplomatic missions in Damascus from the Hmeimim airbase to the Chkalovsky airport in Moscow."

The evacuation also included the personnel of the diplomatic missions of Belarus, DPRK, and Abkhazia.

Despite the evacuation, the Russian embassy in Damascus continues to operate as normal, the statement added.

'Hiroshima in Tartus': Israeli Strikes Shake Tartus, Martyrs Reported

By Al Mayadeen English

The most violent Israeli aggression on Syria, which targeted Tartus, on Monday at dawn, resulted in the killing and injury of civilians.

Israeli strikes in Tartus countryside caused massive explosions, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported early Monday, as the Israeli regime continues to target and destroy Syria's military capabilities.

Several civilians were killed and injured in what has been described as the heaviest and most violent attacks on Syria since the onset of Israeli aggression. The intense bombardment on the city was so powerful that it caused an earthquake-like tremor, which residents could physically feel, according to Al Mayadeen's correspondent.

Israeli media reporting on the bombing described the aggression as a "Hiroshima in Tartus" due to the intensity of the attacks.

Our correspondent said that the strikes targeted weapons depots in several sites in western Syria. 

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, "Israeli warplanes launched strikes" targeting a series of sites including air defense units and "surface-to-surface missile depots," with the blasts so powerful they registered as a magnitude 3.0 on seismic sensors.

Videos circulating online captured the moment, showing a bright flash followed by a towering mushroom cloud of smoke.

Researcher Richard Cordaro noted that the blast signal traveled nearly twice as fast as a typical earthquake, detected as far as 820km away in Isnik in western Turkiye by a magnetometer station. 

On Monday morning, the occupation resumed its aggression on Syria, targeting a military site in the al-Bukamal desert in the eastern Deir Ezzor province, our correspondent reported.  

These strikes coincide with a ground advance into Syrian territories by mechanized Israeli forces, who have occupied the buffer zone east of the Golan, as well as other areas. Israeli occupation forces further expanded their offensive into the Quneitra countryside, occupying several villages in the Daraa province, as well as Beit Jinn farm and Maghar al-Mir in the Damascus countryside. 

Al Mayadeen's correspondent noted that on Sunday Israeli occupation forces expanded their advance into the Quneitra province, adding that occupation troops are just 15 km off of the highway connecting Lebanon's capital to Syria's.

Following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad on December 8, the Israeli regime launched wide-scale aerial aggression on Syria, destroying strategic Syrian military capabilities. This includes the vast majority of the Syrian air defense array, as well as ammunition depots, anti-ship missiles, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. 

US-UK Aggression on Yemen Ensues, Strikes Target Bahis Area

By Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that another set of US-UK-launched strikes targeted Yemen early on Sunday.

American and British forces struck several areas in the Bahis area in Midi district, Hajjah Governorate, in western Yemen, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported early on Monday.

This aggression comes as Yemen continues to support Gaza and the Palestinian people, conducting operations in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, targeting Israeli-affiliated ships and US and UK vessels. The Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) have also executed long-range strikes against Israeli targets in occupied Palestine, using both drones and missiles. 

Another US-UK-led aggression targeted the country earlier on Sunday. Strikes targeted the al-Tuhayta district in the southern part of the Hodeidah province, located on Yemen’s Red Sea coast.

Our correspondent in Sanaa, citing field sources, reported that the airstrike on al-Tuhayta did not cause any damage to the military stockpile.

A few days ago, the spokesperson for the YAF Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced that the YAF's Unmanned Air Force carried out two operations targeting two sites in occupied Askalan and Yafa (Tel Aviv).

Both operations were executed using drones that were able to bypass Israeli air defense systems and successfully reach their targets, he confirmed.

Saree also revealed a joint operation with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, targeting vital targets in the south of occupied Palestine.

Concluding his statement, the spokesperson confirmed Yemen's unwavering support for Palestine, reiterating that its military operations will continue striking enemy strongholds and vital targets until the Israeli siege is lifted and the aggression on the Gaza Strip ends. 

Israel Approves Plans to Advance Settlement Expansion in Syrian Golan Heights

December 15, 2024

Israel plans to expand settlements in the occupied Golan Heights. (Photo: photos8.com, via Wikimedia Commons)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Israeli Channel 12 confirmed government approval of plans to promote demographic growth in the Golan Heights and Katzrin, citing “rising threats” in Syria. 

The Israeli government announced on Sunday plans to accelerate settlement expansion in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, citing the ongoing conflict in Syria and a strategic goal to double the Israeli population in the region. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the importance of reinforcing Israeli control over the area, calling it vital for the country’s security and sovereignty.  

According to the Lebanese news platform Al Mayadeen, Israeli forces have expanded their presence in Quneitra’s countryside and advanced toward key locations, including the town of el-Maalgah in southern Syria. 

Israeli troops have reportedly seized control of critical freshwater resources in the al-Yarmouk Basin and are now 15 kilometers from the Damascus-Beirut international highway. 

Low-flying drones are allegedly urging local elders to meet with Israeli military representatives, as further incursions into western Daraa, including Koayiah, are anticipated.  

For its part, the Anadolu news agency reported that Israeli forces have occupied three villages: Jamlah in Daraa, and Mazraat Beit Jinn and Mughr al-meer near Damascus. 

Meanwhile, Israeli Channel 12 confirmed government approval of plans to promote demographic growth in the Golan Heights and Katzrin, citing “rising threats” in Syria. 

Israeli Security Minister Israel Katz highlighted these risks during discussions on Israel’s defense budget.  

Netanyahu reiterated last week that the Golan Heights would remain Israeli “for eternity,” asserting that control of the territory is essential for national security. However, international actors, including the United Nations, consider Israel’s actions as violations of the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria.  

Ahmad al-Sharaa, head of Syria’s new administration and leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), stated that his administration has no intention of engaging with Israel militarily.

Israeli forces continue to conduct airstrikes in Syria, targeting weapons stockpiles and military sites, with claims of dismantling over 90% of Syria’s air defense systems. Reports from Sputnik noted approximately 52 Israeli strikes over the weekend, leading to widespread destruction across Syrian provinces.  

Israeli reconnaissance activity over Syria remains ongoing, intensifying tensions and underlining its strategic military objectives.

(PC, Al Mayadeen)