This is Beirut, 18/07 14:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
The United Nations rights chief demanded on Friday that Syria's interim authorities ensure accountability after days of deadly clashes in the southern city of Sweida that reportedly left hundreds dead. "This bloodshed and the violence must stop and the protection of all people must be the utmost priority," Volker Turk said in a ...
This is Beirut, 18/07 13:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Armed tribes supported by Syria's Islamist-led government clashed with Druze fighters outside Sweida Friday a day after government troops withdrew from the Druze-majority city, the warring parties and a monitoring group said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported "clashes west of Sweida pitting tribal fighters and Bedouin supported by ...
This is Beirut, 18/07 12:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Syria Israel Druze Ahmad al-Sharaa
Under Israeli bombardment and diplomatic pressure, Ahmed al-Sharaa pulled troops from Syria's Druze heartland -- a move that exposes the interim leader's weakness just as he sought to assert control. Since seizing office in December after ousting longtime autocrat Bashar al-Assad, Sharaa has worked to recast himself from jihadist to statesman, ...
This is Beirut, 18/07 11:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Syria Druze bedouin mobilization Israel
Tensions continue to rise in the predominantly Druze province of Sweida in southern Syria. A spokesperson for the Syrian Interior Ministry said that government forces were preparing to redeploy to the city of Sweida in order to put an end to the ongoing clashes between Druze and Bedouin communities. Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon ...
Bassam Abou Zeid, 18/07 09:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Cyprus Lebanon Syria Oil economy exploration gas maritime borders
Lebanon’s push to revive oil and gas exploration in its Exclusive Economic Zone remains stuck in limbo. Political gridlock and regional volatility have stalled progress, and even French energy giant TotalEnergies – holder of the license for Block 9 – has yet to take any operational steps or issue public statements. The only current movement ...
This is Beirut, 17/07 20:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Damascus Israel Erdogan Druze Syria Sweida
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday accused Israel of using the Druze minority in Syria as a pretext for expanding into the war-torn country. "Israel, using the Druze as an excuse, has been expanding its banditry into neighboring Syria over the past two days," Erdogan said in a televised speech after the weekly cabinet meeting. "I ...
This is Beirut, 17/07 17:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
A Kurdish official on Thursday urged Syria's new authorities to rethink their approach to the country's minorities following deadly clashes with Druze fighters in the south. Syrian government forces withdrew from the Sweida province overnight on Wednesday following deadly clashes with Druze militants. Since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in ...
This is Beirut, 17/07 15:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanon Syria Walid Jumblatt Nawaf Salam Sheikh Sami Abil-Mona Marwan Hamadeh
Lebanese leaders voiced out their concerns again on Thursday, in light of the ongoing developments in Syria between the Druze of Sweida and the Syrian regime forces. As they fear a spillover into Lebanon, they called for calm and caution to protect Lebanon from further instability. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam spoke by phone with former Progressive ...
Marc Saikali, 17/07 08:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Lebanon Syria Soueida Al-Jolani Ahmad el-Chareh Hezbollah
For two days, the Israeli Army has bombed Syrian militias now acting as auxiliaries to the regular army. On Wednesday, Israeli jets struck the outskirts of Syria’s military headquarters in Damascus—a clear political and military message: ongoing attacks on Syria’s Druze minority will not be tolerated. Yet on the ground, confusion reigns. ...
This is Beirut, 16/07 23:32 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
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 ...
This is Beirut, 16/07 23:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Lebanon Syria Sweida Nawaf Salam Druzes
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam urged the Lebanese people, on Wednesday evening, to "avoid discord and prioritize the national interest above all else." In a message posted on his X account, Salam said he had held a series of discussions with the relevant ministers and heads of security agencies, asking them to "take the necessary measures to protect ...
This is Beirut, 16/07 23:08 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Donald Trump Marco Rubio United States Syria Israel
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that an agreement had been reached to restore calm in Syria by the end of the day, describing the current situation as a “misunderstanding” following Israeli strikes on Damascus and southern Syria. “We have agreed on specific measures that will put an end to this troubling and ...