{"id":134646,"date":"2024-12-08T07:55:11","date_gmt":"2024-12-08T00:55:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=134646"},"modified":"2024-12-08T07:55:11","modified_gmt":"2024-12-08T00:55:11","slug":"syrias-forces-withdraw-from-homs-a-key-link-between-the-capital-and-coast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=134646","title":{"rendered":"Syria&#8217;s forces withdraw from Homs, a key link between the capital and coast"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/syria-civil-war-rebels-turkey-iran-russia-0a5fddb5ee4065e93be374cbcdb01ff7\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Syrian opposition fighters;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Syrian opposition fighters<\/a> have <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/syria-assad-sweida-daraa-homs-hts-qatar-7f65823bbf0a7bd331109e8dff419430\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:reached the suburbs;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">reached the suburbs<\/a> of the capital, Damascus, and government forces abandoned the central city of Homs as the rebels&#8217; surprising offensive picks up speed. President Bashar Assad&#8217;s whereabouts are unknown.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Homs is an important intersection between Damascus and Syria\u2019s coastal provinces that are the Syrian leader\u2019s base of support. In Damascus, residents described a city on edge, with security forces on the streets and many shops running out of staple foods.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The rapidly developing events have shaken the region. Lebanon said it was closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for one that links Beirut with Damascus. Jordan closed a border crossing with Syria, too.<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-body md:hidden\">\n<div class=\"mx-auto mb-5 flex flex-col overflow-hidden rounded-xl pb-5 shadow-[0_0_1px_rgba(200,160,251,.63),0_2px_6px_1px_#F3E6FE]\">\n<h4 class=\"m-auto block px-4 pb-4 pt-2 text-lg font-bold leading-6\">Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox<\/h4>\n<p class=\"m-auto px-4 pb-4 text-sm font-normal\">See for yourself \u2014 The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Eight key countries gathered with the U.N. special envoy on Syria on the sidelines of the Doha Summit for two hours of discussions Saturday night, and more will follow. The U.N. envoy seeks urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an \u201corderly political transition.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">___<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Here&#8217;s the Latest:<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Biden administration doesn&#8217;t intend to intervene in Syria<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">WASHINGTON \u2014 President Joe Biden\u2019s national security adviser says the Biden administration has no intention of intervening in Syria.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u201cThe United States is not going to &#8230; militarily dive into the middle of a Syrian civil war,\u201d Jake Sullivan said Saturday at an annual gathering of national security officials, defense companies and lawmakers in California.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">He said the U.S. would keep acting as necessary to keep the Islamic State group \u2014 a violently anti-Western extremist group not known to be involved in the offensive but with sleeper cells in Syria\u2019s deserts \u2014 from exploiting openings presented by the fighting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Syrian President Bashar Assad\u2019s backers \u2014 Iran, Russia and Hezbollah, &#8220;have all been weakened and distracted,\u201d Sullivan said. He later added that \u201cnone of them are prepared to provide the kind of support to Assad that they provided in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The Biden administration says Syrian opposition forces\u2019 capture of government-held cities demonstrates just how diminished those countries are by <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/russia-ukraine\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:wars in Ukraine;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">wars in Ukraine<\/a>, Gaza and Lebanon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Syrian rebels say they have taken over key city of Homs<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The Syrian insurgency announced Saturday that it has taken over Homs, following reports of government forces withdrawing from the strategic city.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">This latest development in the rebels\u2019 swift shock offensive in the war-torn country has left embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad effectively in control of the capital Damascus and two other cities where his key support base among the Alawite Muslim population are based.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Homs is an important intersection between Damascus and Syria\u2019s coastal provinces that are the Syrian leader\u2019s base of support.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/syria-civil-war-rebels-turkey-iran-russia-0a5fddb5ee4065e93be374cbcdb01ff7\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Syrian opposition fighters;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Syrian opposition fighters<\/a> have <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/syria-assad-sweida-daraa-homs-hts-qatar-7f65823bbf0a7bd331109e8dff419430\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:reached the suburbs;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">reached the suburbs<\/a> of the capital, Damascus as the rebels\u2019 offensive picks up speed. President Bashar Assad\u2019s whereabouts are unknown.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Mother of hostage seen in video says \u2018enough with the games\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The mother of an Israeli man held hostage in Gaza and seen in a newly released video by Hamas says \u201cenough with the games\u201d and calls for more pressure on the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Einav Zangauker told a demonstration in Tel Aviv on Saturday night that like her son Matan, \u201cthere are a few dozen who are currently alive. Don\u2019t allow them to be brought back dead in bags. Take to the streets.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Matan Zangauker, speaking under duress, appealed to the public to protest in front of Netanyahu\u2019s home and \u201cnot let him sleep even for a minute.\u201d Zangauker also referred to 420 days of being held by Hamas militants and said \u201cisolation is killing us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Police used a water cannon on the demonstrators as thousands took to the streets for the weekly anti-government protests.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Iran-backed militias watch Syria events before a decision on support<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Two officials with Iran-backed Iraqi militias in Syria say the militias are monitoring the situation and have not made a decision to enter in support of Iran\u2019s ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">One of the officials said Iranian militias had withdrawn to Iraq from their positions in Syria.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u201cAll the militias are waiting to see what Bashar Assad will do in Damascus. If he resists and does not allow Damascus to fall, it is possible that the Iraqi factions will intervene for the purpose of support,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">&#8212; Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Multi-country talks on Syria end, with more to come<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Multi-country discussions on Syria have ended on the sidelines of the Doha Summit. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein says the countries will issue a statement, and there will be follow-up talks \u201ctaking into consideration the practical and real situation on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">He said the talks, which lasted over two hours Saturday evening, focused on how to stop the fighting. Eight key countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran gathered with the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">When asked where Syrian President Bashar Assad is, Iraq&#8217;s foreign minister replied, \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d He declined to speculate on whether Assad would be overthrown. Opposition fighters have reached the Damascus suburbs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Lebanon&#8217;s Health Ministry says Israeli airstrikes kill 6<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">BEIRUT \u2014 Lebanon\u2019s Health Ministry says two Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday killed six people and wounded five others.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The ministry said an airstrike on the village of Beit Leif killed five people and wounded five, while a drone strike on the village of Deir Serian killed one person.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Israel\u2019s military said it was looking into the report.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Despite a ceasefire that went into effect on Nov. 27 to end the 14-month fighting between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants that had escalated into all-out war, violations of the truce have continued.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Northern Gaza hospital reports new Israeli bombardment<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza says the facility came under heavy Israeli bombardment again on Saturday and three medical staff were killed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Dr. Hussam Abu Safia in a statement posted by Gaza\u2019s Health Ministry said the hospital was hit by over 100 projectiles and bombs, and electricity was cut off. He said the surgery department and neonatal unit were hit, and he pleaded for \u201cimmediate coordination for repair operations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Kamal Adwan is one of the last remaining hospitals in northern Gaza. Israeli forces are pressing an offensive that has almost completely sealed off the area from humanitarian aid for two months.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Israel\u2019s military said it wasn\u2019t aware of any attack Saturday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The hospital director on Friday said Israeli strikes had killed at least 29 people including four medical staff.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Israel&#8217;s military says it isn&#8217;t intervening in Syria<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Israeli Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says the military is monitoring the Syrian border to make sure that \u201clocal factions do not direct actions towards us,\u201d adding that Israel is not intervening in the events in Syria.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Israel\u2019s military has said it is reinforcing its deployment along the border with Syria. Halevi said if \u201cconfusion\u201d arises and actions are directed toward Israel by \u201clocal factions\u201d taking control of parts of Syria, Israel has a strong \u201coffensive response.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">U.N. says it is relocating non-critical staff from Syria<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Syria says the U.N. is relocating non-critical staff outside the country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Adam Abdelmoula in a statement Saturday called it a precautionary measure to protect U.N. teams. \u201cLet me emphasize\u2014this is not an evacuation and our dedication to supporting the people of Syria remains unwavering,\u201d Abdelmoula said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The statement did not say how many U.N. staffers were leaving Syria as opposition fighters reached the suburbs of Syria\u2019s capital, Damascus. The statement said the fighting in Syria has displaced over 370,000 people as the humanitarian situation deteriorates, \u201cwith many seeking refuge in the northeast and others trapped in frontline areas, unable to escape.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Foreign ministers gather at Doha Summit to discuss Syria<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran have gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit along with the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, to discuss the situation in Syria.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The talks continued late Saturday and no details were immediately available. Qatar, Jordan and Iraq also were part of the discussions as opposition fighters closed in on the Syrian capital, Damascus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">About 2,000 Syrian soldiers cross into Iraq, official says<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">BAGHDAD \u2014 An Iraqi government spokesperson says about 2,000 Syrian army soldiers have crossed into Iraq seeking refuge as opposition forces advance in Syria.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Bassem al-Awadi said the soldiers\u2019 equipment and weapons were registered and taken into custody by the Iraqi army. \u201cWe dealt with them according to the principle of good neighborliness and humanity,\u201d he said Saturday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Al-Awadi also said Iraqi officials are concerned about the security of the al-Hol camp and other facilities in northeast Syria where suspected Islamic State group members and their families are detained. The facilities are guarded by U.S.-backed Kurdish forces.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Al-Awadi said there is \u201chigh security coordination\u201d between Iraqi officials and those forces to \u201cprevent the prisoners from escaping.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Syria&#8217;s army fortifies positions in Damascus suburbs<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Syria&#8217;s army says it is fortifying its positions in the suburbs of Damascus and in the country\u2019s south, as opposition fighters close in on the capital.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The army statement on Saturday also asserted that Syria is being subjected to a \u201cterrorist\u201d and propaganda campaign aiming to destabilize and spread chaos.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The statement also said the military is continuing with operations in areas including the central provinces of Hama and Homs, and that it has killed and wounded hundreds of opposition fighters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">2 wounded in car-ramming attack in the West Bank<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">At least two people were wounded in a car-ramming attack in the West Bank on Saturday, according to the Israeli army and rescue services.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The army said the attack took place in the area of the Fawwar refugee camp, near the city of Hebron. It said a soldier was severely wounded, and security forces were looking for the attacker. Israel\u2019s Magen David Adom rescue service said another man in his 40s suffered light injuries from shrapnel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The West Bank has seen a surge in violence since Hamas\u2019 Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza sparked the war there. Israel has intensified its military raids in the West Bank, targeting what it says are militants planning attacks, and there has also been a rise in Palestinian attacks on Israelis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Israel&#8217;s military assists U.N. forces against attack in Syria<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The Israeli military says it is helping United Nations forces to head off an attack on a U.N. position in Syria close to the Israeli border.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The army said in a statement Saturday that an attack was carried out by \u201carmed individuals\u201d on a U.N. post near the Syrian town of Hader and it was \u201cassisting U.N. forces in repelling the attack.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">On Friday, Israel\u2019s military said it would reinforce its forces in the Golan Heights and near the border with Syria, where civil war has reignited between the government and opposition fighters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Hamas releases a video of an Israeli hostage<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Hamas has released a video showing Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker making an emotional plea for his release and describing the conditions he and other hostages face in Gaza after being seized in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">His mother, Einav, has become a symbol of the fight to bring back the hostages and is an outspoken critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s government.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Matan Zangauker, speaking under duress, appealed to the public to protest in front of Netanyahu\u2019s home and \u201cnot let him sleep even for a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Zangauker also referred to 420 days of being held by Hamas militants. \u201cWe want to return before we go crazy. Isolation is killing us, and the darkness here is frightening,\u201d he said, describing having little food and medicine and \u201cundrinkable\u201d water.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Trump says on Syria that \u2018this is not our fight\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">President-elect Donald Trump has made his first extensive comments on dramatic advances by opposition fighters in Syria, saying the besieged President Bashar Assad didn\u2019t deserve U.S. support to stay in power. \u201cTHIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT,\u201d Trump posted on the Truth Social platform on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Syrian opposition activists and regional officials have been watching closely for any indication from both the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration of how the U.S. would handle the sudden advances against Syria\u2019s Russian- and Iranian-allied leader.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Trump condemned the overall U.S. handling of the 13-year civil war in Syria, but spoke favorably of the routing of Assad and Russian forces.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Turkey says attacks on civilians in Syria were the straw that broke the camel&#8217;s back<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">ISTANBUL \u2014 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that there was \u201cnow a new reality in Syria\u201d following the rapid advance of rebel forces.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Speaking in Gaziantep, a city less than 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the Syrian border, Erdogan said that \u201cincreasing attacks on civilians\u201d in Syria\u2019s northwest Idlib province \u201ctriggered the latest events like the straw that broke the camel\u2019s back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">It was not possible for Turkey to ignore developments in a country with which it shares a lengthy border and it would not allow any threats to its national security, he added in a televised speech.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u201cOur wish is for our neighbor Syria to attain the peace and tranquility it has been longing for for 13 years,\u201d he told a rally of supporters. \u201cWe want to see a Syria where different identities live side by side in peace. We hope to see such a Syria in the very near future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Erdogan claimed President Bashar Assad had erred in rebuffing Turkey\u2019s previous efforts to establish relations, saying Damascus \u201ccould not appreciate the value of the hand Turkey extended.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Ankara has supported anti-Assad rebel groups since the early months of the conflict and hosts 3 million refugees dislodged by the fighting. While Turkey lists HTS, the group leading the latest offensive, as a terrorist organization, the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army has worked alongside it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Tension in Damascus as security forces patrol the streets<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">BEIRUT \u2014 A resident of the Syrian capital of Damascus says the city is very tense as troops and members of security agencies are deployed on main streets and intersections.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The resident told The Associated Press that many shops are closed and those that are open have run out of main commodities such as sugar. He added that if food products are available, some shops are selling them for a price three times higher than usual.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u201cThe situation is very strange. We are not used to that,\u201d the resident said on condition of anonymity, fearing retributions. \u201cPeople are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u2014 Bassem Mroue in Beirut<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Russian foreign minister refuses to make predictions about Syria<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">DOHA, Qatar \u2014 Russia\u2019s foreign minister says he has met his Turkish and Iranian counterparts in Doha and that all three countries were calling for an \u201cimmediate end to hostile activities\u201d in Syria.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Russia and Iran are the chief supporters of Syria\u2019s government, while Turkey backs opposition fighters trying to remove President Bashar Assad from power.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Speaking at the annual Doha Forum, Sergey Lavrov said Russia continues to help the Syrian army confront insurgents, military via airstrikes. Asked whether Assad\u2019s rule is threatened by the fast-moving rebel offensive, he said, \u201cWe are not in the business of guessing what\u2019s gong to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">He blamed the United States and the West for the events in Syria and said, \u201cWe are very sorry for the Syrian people who became a subject of another geopolitical experiment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u201cWe are doing everything we can not to make terrorists prevail, even if they say they are not terrorists,\u201d Lavrov said, referring to the de facto leader of the Syrian insurgents, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who says he has cut links with al-Qaida. His group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and United Nations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">He said Russia, Iran and Turkey want the full implementation of a U.N. resolution, which endorsed a road map to peace in Syria. Resolution 2254 was adopted unanimously in December 2015.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The measure called for a Syrian-led political process, starting with the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Lavrov also downplayed reports that Moscow had withdrawn ships from Russia\u2019s base in Syrian city of Tartus, saying that the vessels had left to take part in naval exercises in the Mediterranean.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">US envoy says Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire offers opportunity for Lebanon<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">DOHA, Qatar \u2014 The U.S. envoy who brokered the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah says the deal has created a new opportunity for Lebanon to reshape itself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Amos Hochstein told the Doha Forum that the weakness of Hezbollah after nearly 14 months of fighting along, along with blows to its Syrian and Iranian allies, give the Lebanese military and government a chance to reassert itself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u201cNow is the moment with this ceasefire to rebuild Lebanon again for a much more prosperous future and stronger state institutions,\u201d Hochstein told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the conference.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">He said Lebanon needs \u201cto do its part\u201d by rebuilding its economy, choosing a president after years of delays and strengthening its central government to attract investors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u201cAnd the international community has a requirement and a responsibility to support Lebanon after this devastating conflict and after years of Hezbollah control,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Hochstein told the conference that the turning point in ceasefire efforts was Hezbollah dropping its pledge to keep fighting as long as the war in Gaza continues. He said the change in position was the result of the heavy losses inflicted on Hezbollah, and Lebanese public opinion in favor of delinking the two conflicts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">He said key tests for the ceasefire will be whether Israel carries out its promised phased withdrawal from southern Lebanon over the coming two months and whether the Lebanese army is able to move into those areas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Syrian opposition fighters advance on Damascus<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">BEIRUT \u2014 Insurgents and a war monitor say opposition fighters are taking over military posts evacuated by Syrian government forces in the country\u2019s south, bringing them closer to the capital, Damascus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">An insurgent official known as Maj. Hassan Abdul-Ghani posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition fighters are now in the town of Sanamein, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the southern outskirts of Damascus, President Bashar Assad\u2019s seat of power.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said insurgents have entered the town of Artouz, which is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) southwest of Damascus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Opposition fighters have captured wide parts of Syria, including several provincial capitals, since they began their offensive on Nov. 27.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Lebanese government approves a plan to deploy more troops along the Israeli border<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">BEIRUT \u2014 Lebanon\u2019s government has approved a plan to deploy more troops along the border with Israel, part of the ceasefire deal that ended the Israel-Hezbollah war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">In a rare Cabinet meeting outside of Beirut, held Saturday at a military base in the southern port city of Tyre, the government also approved a draft law to reconstruct buildings destroyed during the Israel-Hezbollah war that broke out in October 2023 and ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire last week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Information Minister Ziad Makary told reporters after the meeting that the committee whose job is to monitor the ceasefire that went into effect on Nov. 27 will hold its first meeting on Monday. The committee is made up of military officials from the U.S., France, Israel and Lebanon as well as the U.N. peacekeeping force deployed along the border.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">As part of the ceasefire deal, during the first 60 days Israeli troops will have to withdraw from Lebanon, while Hezbollah will have to pull its heavy weapons away from the border area to north of the Litani river.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The Lebanese army said this week it will begin recruiting more soldiers, apparently to deploy them along the border with Israel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Syrian army withdraws from much of southern Syria<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">BEIRUT \u2014 The Syrian army withdrew from much of southern <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/syria\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Syria;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Syria<\/a> on Saturday, leaving more areas of the country, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters, the military and an opposition war monitor said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The redeployment away from the provinces of Daraa and Sweida came as Syria\u2019s military sent large numbers of reinforcements to defend the key central city of Homs, Syria\u2019s third largest, as insurgents approached its outskirts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The rapid advances by insurgents are a stunning reversal of fortunes for Syria\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/syria-civil-war-assad-insurgents-55921ce70395892d2955eb1654e5a8c1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:President Bashar Assad;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">President Bashar Assad<\/a>, who appears to be largely on his own, with erstwhile allies preoccupied with other conflicts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">His chief international backer, Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine, and Lebanon\u2019s powerful Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up his forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran, meanwhile, has seen its proxies across the region degraded by Israeli regular airstrikes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Israel kills Palestinian man who attacked security forces at border crossing<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">JERUSALEM \u2014 Israeli security forces killed a Palestinian man after he attacked them at a border crossing in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Saturday morning, police said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The man shot firecrackers at security forces at the checkpoint and threatened them with a knife, the police statement said. The man wore a t-shirt emblazoned with a symbol of the Islamic State militant group, according to an Associated Press reporter<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Israeli fire has <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/israel\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:killed at least 700 Palestinians;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">killed at least 700 Palestinians<\/a> in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war began last year, Palestinian health officials said. In that time, Palestinian militants have launched a number of attacks on soldiers at checkpoints and within Israel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Qatari prime minister sees movement in Gaza ceasefire negotiations<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">DOHA, Qatar \u2014 The prime minister of Qatar says he has seen new momentum in Gaza ceasefire efforts since the U.S. presidential election, with the incoming Trump administration seeking an end to the conflict before it takes office.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, a key mediator in the ceasefire efforts, declined to give specifics of the negotiations but told an international conference in Doha that the gaps between the sides are not large.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Qatar, which has served as a mediator throughout the 14-month war, suspended its efforts last month in frustration over the lack of progress. But Sheikh Mohammed said his government has re-engaged in recent days after determining a new willingness by both parties to reach a deal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u2019We have sensed after the election that the momentum is coming back,\u201d he told the Doha Forum on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">He said has been in touch with both the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration and found that while there are some differences in approach, both are committed to the same goal of ending the war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u2019We have seen a lot of encouragement from the incoming administration in order to achieve a deal, even before the president comes to the office,\u201d Sheikh Mohammed said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">He declined to discuss details, saying he wanted to \u201cprotect the process,\u201d but expressed hope for a deal \u201cas soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u2019If you look at the gaps and the disagreements, they are not something substantial that really affects the agreement,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Israeli strikes kill at least 29 at hard-hit Gaza hospital<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">CAIRO \u2014 At least 29 people were killed, including four medical staff, when Israeli strikes pummeled the area around one of the last remaining hospitals in northern Gaza, Palestinian officials said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The situation in and around the Kamal Adwan hospital is \u201ccatastrophic,\u201d according to Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, the director of the hospital. The dead included five children and five women, according to the hospital casualty list, which was obtained by The Associated Press. Friday\u2019s strikes also wounded 55 people including six children and the five women, according to the hospital.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya is one of the few hospitals still partially operating in the <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/video\/water-shortages-gaza-gaza-strip-medical-devices-war-and-unrest-3461fe51c4dd4610a2e7ae57efc9fdac\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Gaza\u2019s northernmost province;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Gaza\u2019s northernmost province<\/a>, where Israeli forces are pressing an offensive that has almost completely sealed off the area from humanitarian aid for two months.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Israel\u2019s military denied that its forces had struck the hospital or operated inside it. The army said that in the past few weeks, \u201ccoordinated efforts with international organizations have been underway in order to transfer patients, companions, and medical staff to other hospitals.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">An Indonesian medical team which had been assisting in Kamal Adwan for the past week was forced to evacuate on foot after the area was surrounded by Israeli soldiers, according to a statement from the team. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the medical team\u2019s expulsion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization representative in the Palestinian territories, said an Israeli tank approached the hospital at around 4 a.m. Friday. Although no official Israeli evacuation order was issued, \u201cpeople started to climb the wall to escape, and this panic attracted IDF (Israeli) fire,\u201d he said. He spoke by video from Gaza to journalists in Geneva.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Kamal Adwan Hospital has been struck multiple times over the past two months since <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/israel-hamas-war-northern-gaza-displacement-aid-20628253b26a2bdcf3c844850f20da38\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Israel launched a fierce military operation;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Israel launched a fierce military operation<\/a> in northern Gaza against Hamas militants. In October, Israeli forces raided the hospital, saying that militants were sheltering inside and arrested a number of people, including some staff. Hospital officials denied the claim.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Saudi Arabia calls for and end to Gaza war and attacks Israel&#8217;s actions<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">MANAMA, Bahrain \u2014 Saudi Arabia\u2019s foreign minister has reiterated the kingdom\u2019s call for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Prince Faisal bin Farhan described Israel as acting with \u201cimpunity and is getting away without punishment\u201d in its war on Hamas there. The prince said that any permanent solution requires a two-state solution, with the Palestinians having east Jerusalem as their capital.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">After the speech, Prince Turki al-Faisal, a prominent royal in the kingdom who led Saudi intelligence for more than two decades and served as ambassador to the U.S. and Britain, took the stage. He harshly criticized Israel\u2019s conduct in the wars.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u201cIsrael has become an apartheid, colonial and genocidal state,\u201d Prince Turki said. \u201cIt is about time for the world to address that issue and take the necessary steps to bring those who are thus charged by the International Criminal Court to justice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Israeli officials could not be immediately reached for comment on Prince Turki\u2019s remarks. The Saudis spoke at the International Institute for Security Studies\u2019 Manama Dialogue in Bahrain.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/middle-east-latest-israeli-strikes-082536895.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Syrian opposition fighters have reached the suburbs of the capital, Damascus, and government forces abandoned the central city of Homs as the rebels&#8217; surprising offensive picks up speed. President Bashar &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=134646\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-134646","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-world","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=134646"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134646\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=134646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=134646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=134646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}