Negotiators zero in on potential deal to disarm Syria’s last battleground

(Clockwise) Asaad Shaybani, Foreign Minister for the interim Syrian government, Syria's de facto leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa, Syria's new defense minister Murhaf Abu Qasra, Commander of Syrian Kurdish-led forces Mazloum Abdi and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. (Agencies)
(Clockwise) Asaad Shaybani, Foreign Minister for the interim Syrian government, Syria's de facto leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa, Syria's new defense minister Murhaf Abu Qasra, Commander of Syrian Kurdish-led forces Mazloum Abdi and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. (Agencies)
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Updated 20 January 2025
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Negotiators zero in on potential deal to disarm Syria’s last battleground

Negotiators zero in on potential deal to disarm Syria’s last battleground
  • In Ankara on Wednesday, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani said the extensive US-backed SDF presence was no longer justified, and the new administration would not allow Syrian land to be a source of threats to Turkiye

ISTANBUL/DAMASCUS: Negotiators are zeroing in on a potential deal to resolve one of the most explosive questions looming over Syria’s future: the fate of Kurdish forces that the US considers key allies against Daesh but neighboring Turkiye regards as a national security threat.

Diplomatic and military negotiators from the United States, Turkiye, Syria and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are showing more flexibility and patience than their public statements suggest, a dozen sources told Reuters, including five directly involved in the intensive web of discussions in recent weeks.

This could set the stage for an accord in the coming months that would see some Kurdish fighters leave Syria’s restive northeast and others brought under the authority of the new defense ministry, six of the sources said.

However, many thorny issues need to be resolved, they said. These include how to integrate the SDF alliance’s well-armed and trained fighters into Syria’s security framework and administer territory under their control, which includes key oil and wheat fields.

In an interview with Saudi Arabia’s Asharq News channel on Tuesday, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi said the alliance’s “basic demand” is for decentralized administration — a potential challenge to Syria’s new leadership, which wants to bring all of the country back under the government’s authority after ousting Bashar Assad last month.

Abdi indicated that the SDF has no intention of dissolving, saying it was open to linking with the defense ministry and operating according to its rules, but as “a military bloc.”

Syria’s new defense minister, Murhaf Abu Qasra, rejected that approach in an interview with Reuters on Sunday, saying the suggestion that the SDF remain one bloc “is not right.”

The former rebels now in power in Damascus have said they want all armed groups to integrate into Syria’s official forces, under a unified command. The SDF, when asked for comment, referred Reuters to its commander’s interview.

How much autonomy Kurdish factions retain likely hinges on whether incoming US president Donald Trump continues Washington’s longtime support of its Kurdish allies, according to diplomats and officials on all sides.

Trump has not spoken publicly about his intentions, including his plans for some 2,000 US troops stationed in Syria. A Trump representative did not comment.

Any deal also depends on whether Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan holds off on a threatened military offensive against the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the Kurdish militia that spearheads the SDF alliance.

Ankara views them as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been waging an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984 and is deemed a terrorist group by both Turkiye and the US

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said this month that Syria’s new authorities “should be given an opportunity to ... end the occupation and terror the YPG created,” but he did not say how long Ankara would wait for it to disarm before launching an incursion.

A Turkish Foreign Ministry source said disarming armed groups and the departure of “foreign terrorist fighters” were essential for Syria’s stability and territorial integrity, so the sooner this happens the better.

“We are voicing this expectation of ours in the strongest terms during our contacts with both the United States and the new administration in Damascus,” the source said.

INTENSIVE TALKS

US and Turkish officials have been holding “very intensive” discussions since rebels led by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, launched a lightning offensive from their northwestern stronghold that deposed Assad on Dec. 8, a senior US diplomat told Reuters.

The two countries share a “common view of where things should end up,” including a belief that all foreign fighters should exit Syrian territory, the diplomat said, noting Turkish negotiators “have a very high sense of urgency” to settle things.

However, the diplomat, who like some other sources requested anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations, said the talks were “hugely complex” and would take time.

Parallel talks are taking place between the US and both the SDF and HTS, Turkiye and HTS, and the SDF and HTS, officials from all sides say.

Part of a stateless ethnic group straddling Iraq, Iran, Turkiye, Armenia and Syria, Kurds had been among the few winners of the Syrian conflict, gaining control over Arab-majority areas as the US partnered with them in the campaign against Daesh. They now hold nearly a quarter of the country.

But Assad’s fall has left Syrian Kurdish factions on the back foot, with Turkiye-backed armed groups gaining ground in the northeast and the country’s new rulers in Damascus friendly with Ankara.

Turkiye, which provided direct support to some rebel groups against Assad, has emerged as one of the most influential power brokers in Syria since his fall. Like the US, it has designated HTS a terrorist group because of its Al-Qaeda past, but Ankara is believed to have significant sway over the group.

Officials on all sides worry that failure to reach a ceasefire and longer-term political accord in the northeast could destabilize Syria as it seeks to recover from a 13-year civil war that killed hundreds of thousands, displaced millions and drew in countries including Russia, Iran and Israel.

Dozens of people in northern Syria have been reported killed since December in clashes between the Kurdish-led SDF and Turkiye’s allies, and in cross-border Turkish airstrikes.

Failure to resolve the fate of Kurdish factions in Syria could also undermine nascent efforts to end the PKK’s insurgency in Turkiye.

The United Nations has warned of “dramatic consequences” for Syria and the region if a political solution is not found in the northeast.

POTENTIAL TRADE-OFFS

US support for the SDF has been a source of tension with its NATO ally, Turkiye.

Washington views the SDF as a key partner in countering Daesh, which Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned will try to use this period to re-establish capabilities in Syria. The SDF is still guarding tens of thousands of detainees linked to the group.

Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkiye has the power to “crush” all terrorists in Syria, including Daesh and Kurdish militants.

Turkiye wants the management of camps and prisons where Daesh detainees are being held transferred to Syria’s new rulers and has offered to help them. It has also demanded that the SDF expel all foreign fighters and senior PKK members from its territory and disarm the remaining members in a way it can verify.

Abdi, the SDF commander, has shown flexibility regarding some Turkish demands, telling Reuters last month that its foreign fighters, including PKK members, would leave Syria if Turkiye agrees to a ceasefire.

The PKK said in a statement to Reuters on Thursday that it would agree to leave if the SDF maintains control of the northeast or a significant role in joint leadership.

Such assurances are unlikely to satisfy Ankara at a time when the SDF is “trying to stay alive and autonomous” in Syria, Omer Onhon, Turkiye’s last ambassador to Damascus, told Reuters.

In Ankara on Wednesday, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani said the extensive US-backed SDF presence was no longer justified, and the new administration would not allow Syrian land to be a source of threats to Turkiye. Standing next to him, his Turkish counterpart, Fidan, said it was time to put anti-terror pledges into practice.

Abdi told Asharq News that he has met with Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, and the two sides agreed to set up a joint military committee to decide how the SDF would integrate with the defense ministry. He described the meeting with Sharaa, who heads HTS, as positive.

Abu Qasra, the defense minister, accused SDF leaders on Sunday of “procrastinating” on the issue, saying “consolidation of all areas under the new administration ... is a right of the Syrian state.”

The new leadership believes that allowing SDF fighters to continue operating as a bloc would “risk destabilization, including a coup,” a ministry official told Reuters.

Abdi argued that a decentralized administration would not threaten Syria’s unity, saying the SDF is not demanding the kind of federalism introduced in Iraq, where Kurds have their own regional government.

Some Syrian officials and diplomats say the SDF will likely need to relinquish control of significant territory and oil revenues, gained during the war, as part of any political settlement.

In return, Kurdish factions could be granted protections for their language and culture within a decentralized political structure, said Bassam Al-Kuwatli, president of the small Syrian Liberal Party, which supports minority rights but is not involved in the talks.

A senior Syrian Kurdish source acknowledged that some such trade-offs would likely be needed but did not elaborate.

Abdi told Asharq News that the SDF was open to handing over responsibility for oil resources to the new administration, provided the wealth was distributed fairly to all provinces.

Washington has called for a “managed transition” of the SDF’s role.

The US diplomat said Assad’s ouster opens the door for Washington to eventually consider withdrawing its troops from Syria, though much depends on whether trusted forces like its Kurdish allies remain engaged in efforts to counter any Daesh resurgence.

Trump’s return to the White House on Monday has raised hopes in Turkiye of a favorable deal, given the rapport he established with Erdogan during his first term.

Trump has spoken approvingly about Erdogan’s role in Syria, calling him a “very smart guy,” and said Turkiye would “hold the key” to what happens there.

“The Americans won’t abandon (the SDF),” said Onhon, Turkiye’s former ambassador. “But the arrival of someone as unpredictable as Trump must worry them in a way too.”

 


Trump declines to say if he supports or opposes potential Gaza takeover by Israel

Trump declines to say if he supports or opposes potential Gaza takeover by Israel
Updated 06 August 2025
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Trump declines to say if he supports or opposes potential Gaza takeover by Israel

Trump declines to say if he supports or opposes potential Gaza takeover by Israel
  • Netanyahu convened his Security Cabinet to direct the military on the war's next stage, hinting that even tougher action was possible

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump declined to say whether he supported or opposed a potential military takeover of Gaza by Israel and said his administration’s focus was on increasing food access to the Palestinian enclave under assault from Washington’s ally.

KEY QUOTES

“I know that we are there now trying to get people fed,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday. “As far as the rest of it, I really can’t say. That’s going to be pretty much up to Israel.”

Trump said Israel and Arab states were going to help with food and aid distribution in Gaza and provide financial assistance. He did not elaborate.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met senior security officials on Tuesday, with media reporting he favored a complete military takeover of Gaza.

Trump had proposed a US takeover of Gaza earlier this year, an idea which was condemned by many around the world including human rights experts, Arab states, the UN and Palestinians.

CONTEXT

Israel’s near two-year long military assault in Gaza has killed tens of thousands, caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced nearly the entire population and led to accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice and of war crimes at the International Criminal Court.

Israel denies the accusations and casts its military offensive as self-defense following an October 2023 attack by Palestinian Hamas militants that killed 1,200 and in which over 250 were taken hostage.

 

 


Russia protests to Israel over alleged attack on diplomatic vehicle

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova speaks to the media in Moscow. (AFP file photo)
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova speaks to the media in Moscow. (AFP file photo)
Updated 06 August 2025
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Russia protests to Israel over alleged attack on diplomatic vehicle

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova speaks to the media in Moscow. (AFP file photo)
  • The incident occurred “with the acquiescence of Israeli military personnel, who were present at the scene and did not attempt to stop the attackers’ aggressive actions,” she added

MOSCOW: Russia lodged a formal protest to Israel following an alleged attack on a Russian diplomatic vehicle near the settlement of Givat Assaf near Jerusalem, according to a statement issued by the Russian foreign ministry.

“On July 30, a vehicle of the Russian Federation’s mission to the Palestinian National Authority, bearing diplomatic license plates and carrying personnel of the Russian diplomatic mission accredited by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, was attacked near the illegal Israeli settlement of Givat Assaf, near Jerusalem, by a group of settlers,” Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

The incident occurred “with the acquiescence of Israeli military personnel, who were present at the scene and did not attempt to stop the attackers’ aggressive actions,” she added.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the Russian foreign ministry’s report.

Zakharova said the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv had submitted an official demarche to Israeli authorities.

 


What to know as Israel considers reoccupying Gaza in what would be a major escalation of the war

What to know as Israel considers reoccupying Gaza in what would be a major escalation of the war
Updated 06 August 2025
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What to know as Israel considers reoccupying Gaza in what would be a major escalation of the war

What to know as Israel considers reoccupying Gaza in what would be a major escalation of the war
  • The full reoccupation of Gaza would pose long-term challenges that Israel is well aware of given its long history of occupying Arab lands, including the likelihood of a prolonged insurgency
  • Israel captured Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering ordering the full reoccupation of the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media, a move that would draw fierce opposition internationally and within Israel.

It would mark a stunning escalation of the nearly 22-month war in the territory that has already been largely destroyed and where experts say famine is unfolding. It would put the lives of countless Palestinians and about 20 living hostages at risk, and deepen Israel’s already stark international isolation.

It would also face fierce opposition within Israel: Families of the hostages would consider it a virtual death sentence, and much of the security establishment is also reportedly opposed to an open-ended occupation that would bog down and further strain the army after nearly two years of regional wars.

The threat to reoccupy Gaza could be a negotiating tactic aimed at pressuring Hamas after talks mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar appeared to have broken down last month. Or it could be aimed at shoring up support from Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners.

His governing allies have long called for escalating the war, taking over Gaza, relocating much of its population through what they refer to as voluntary emigration and reestablishing Jewish settlements that were dismantled when Israel withdrew in 2005.

Whether they prevail will likely depend on the one person with leverage over Israel — US President Donald Trump, who has not yet weighed in.

Ground operations in the most densely populated areas

To take full control of Gaza, Israel would need to launch ground operations in the last areas of the territory that haven’t been flattened and where most of Gaza’s 2 million Palestinians have sought refuge.

That would mean going into the central city of Deir Al-Balah and Muwasi, a so-called humanitarian zone where hundreds of thousands of people live in squalid tent camps along the coast. Such operations would force another wave of mass displacement and further disrupt aid deliveries as the UN agencies and humanitarian organizations are already struggling to avert famine.

Israel already controls around 75 percent of the territory, which has been declared a buffer zone or placed under evacuation orders. With Israel also largely sealing Gaza’s borders, it’s unclear where civilians would go.

It would also pose a major risk for the remaining 20 or so living hostages, likely held in tunnels or other secret locations. Hamas is believed to have ordered its guards to kill captives if Israeli forces approach.

Hamas-led militants abducted 251 hostages in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war and killed around 1,200 people that day, mostly civilians. They are still holding 50 hostages, less than half of them believed to be alive, and recent videos have shown emaciated captives pleading for their lives.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government and run by medical professionals, is seen by the United Nations and other experts as the most reliable source on casualties. Israel disputes its toll but has not provided its own.

International outrage and further isolation

Israel’s wartime conduct has shocked much of the international community, and prompted even close Western allies to call for an end to the war and to take steps to recognize Palestinian statehood.

The International Court of Justice is considering allegations of genocide, and the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister, alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the use of starvation as a method of war.

Israel has rejected the allegations and accused those making them of antisemitic “blood libel.” It says it has taken every effort to avoid harming civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths because the militants are deeply entrenched in heavily populated areas.

Israel has said it will keep fighting until all the hostages are returned, Hamas is defeated or disarmed, and Gaza’s population is given the option of “voluntary emigration,” which the Palestinians and much of the international community view as forcible expulsion.

Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. It says it is willing to give up power but will not lay down its arms as long as Israel occupies territories the Palestinians want for a future state.

Another open-ended occupation

Israel captured Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. The United Nations, the Palestinians and others continued to view Gaza as occupied territory after the 2005 withdrawal of Israeli troops and settlers, as Israel maintained control of its airspace, coastline, most of its land border and its population registry.

The full reoccupation of Gaza would pose long-term challenges that Israel is well aware of given its long history of occupying Arab lands, including the likelihood of a prolonged insurgency. Israeli support for the war already appears to have declined since Netanyahu ended a ceasefire in March, as soldiers have been killed in hit-and-run attacks.

As an occupying power, Israel would be expected to maintain order and ensure the basic needs of the population are met. In the West Bank, it has largely outsourced that to the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited autonomy in population centers.

But in Gaza, Netanyahu has ruled out any future role for the PA, accusing it of not being fully committed to peace, and has not produced any plan for Gaza’s postwar governance and reconstruction.

Long-term repercussions

Even if Israel succeeds in suppressing Hamas, the reoccupation of Gaza could pose an even more profound threat to the country.

It would leave Israel in full control of the territory between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, which is home to around 7 million Jews and 7 million Palestinians — most of the latter denied basic rights, including the vote. Even before the war, major human rights groups said the situation amounted to apartheid, something Israel vehemently denies.

Unless large numbers of Palestinians are expelled — no longer merely a fantasy of Israel’s far-right — Israel would face an all-too-familiar existential dilemma: Create a Palestinian state in the 1967 territories and preserve Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, or rule over millions of Palestinians indefinitely and hope they never rally behind the idea of equal rights in a binational state.

Israel would no longer be able to point to Hamas’ rule in Gaza, or factional divisions among Palestinians, as reasons to avoid such a reckoning. And when Trump leaves office, it may find it has few friends to back it up.

 


UN says reports of possible expansion of Israeli Gaza operations ‘deeply alarming’ at session on hostages

UN says reports of possible expansion of Israeli Gaza operations ‘deeply alarming’ at session on hostages
Updated 05 August 2025
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UN says reports of possible expansion of Israeli Gaza operations ‘deeply alarming’ at session on hostages

UN says reports of possible expansion of Israeli Gaza operations ‘deeply alarming’ at session on hostages
  • Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar also spoke ahead of the session to highlight the plight of Israeli hostages

NEW YORK: The United Nations on Tuesday called reports about a possible decision to expand Israel’s military operations throughout the Gaza Strip “deeply alarming” if true.

UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca told a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Gaza that such a move “would risk catastrophic consequences ... and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza.”

He continued: “International law is clear in the regard, Gaza is and must remain an integral part of the future Palestinian state.”

He added that the UN had also been clear that there was only one path to ending the ongoing violence and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, through a full and permanent ceasefire, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

“Life-saving humanitarian aid must flow into Gaza at scale and without obstruction, and civilians must be guaranteed safe, unhindered access to assistance. There is no military solution to the conflict in Gaza or the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” he said.

“We must establish political and security frameworks that can relieve the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, start early recovery and reconstruction, address the legitimate security concerns of Israelis and Palestinians, and secure an end to Israel’s unlawful occupation and achieve a sustainable two-State solution. 

“Israel and a fully independent, democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian State, of which Gaza is an integral part, living side by side in peace and security within secure and recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States,” he added.

Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar also spoke ahead of the session to highlight the plight of Israeli hostages, during which he also said countries that had announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state in recent weeks had sabotaged a ceasefire deal with the Hamas terror group.

Britain, France, Canada, and several other countries said they would recognize a Palestinian state in September, some of them unconditionally and some depending on Israel’s actions in Gaza.

“There are countries that acted, also in this building, to pressure Israel instead of Hamas during sensitive days in the negotiations by attacking Israel, campaigning against Israel, and the announcement of a recognition of a virtual Palestinian state,” he said. 

“They gave Hamas free gifts and incentives to continue this war, they directly assassinated the hostage deal and ceasefire.

“Let me be clear, these countries prolonged the war. Hamas is responsible for beginning this war by invading Israel and committing the Oct. 7 atrocities.

“Hamas is also responsible for the continuation of this war by still refusing to release our hostages and lay down its arms. The international pressure must be on Hamas. Anything else only prolongs the war,” he added.


Syrian president and UK national security adviser discuss strengthening ties

Syrian president and UK national security adviser discuss strengthening ties
Updated 05 August 2025
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Syrian president and UK national security adviser discuss strengthening ties

Syrian president and UK national security adviser discuss strengthening ties
  • Meeting in Damascus attended by foreign minister and intelligence director

LONDON: Ahmad Al-Sharaa, the interim president of the Syrian Arab Republic, discussed strengthening ties with the UK during a meeting with National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell in Damascus on Tuesday.

The two sides discussed regional and international developments during a meeting attended by Asaad Al-Shaibani, the minister of foreign affairs and expatriates, and Director of General Intelligence Hussein Al-Salama.

Al-Sharaa emphasized Syria’s willingness to consider sincere initiatives that promote regional security and stability, as long as they respect Syrian sovereignty and independent national decisions, the official SANA news agency reported.