Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Home Blog Page 168

Syria’s president says negotiations with Israel could lead to results ‘in days’

Al-Sharaa, who led the force that overthrew former President Bashar al-Assad in December, ending the country’s 13-year war, made the comments to reporters on Wednesday.

Israel responded to al-Assad’s overthrow by declaring that a 1974 security agreement with Syria had collapsed, and increased the amount of Syrian territory Israel controlled, as well as ramping up air attacks in Syria, killing several Syrian soldiers over the past few months.

The United States, which has backed Syria’s new authorities, has attempted to broker a deal between Syria and Israel.

However, al-Sharaa said that the US had not pressured Syria to make a deal with Israel, and was instead acting as a mediator.

The Syrian president added that the potential agreement between Israel and Syria would need to respect Syria’s airspace, which Israel has repeatedly violated for years, as well as Syria’s territorial integrity. He added that the United Nations would need to monitor any agreement.

A security agreement could lead to other agreements being reached, al-Sharaa said, but a normalisation agreement between the two sides was not currently on the table.

Israel’s most recent ground incursion in Syria came on Sunday, when Israeli soldiers carried out searches in the towns of Saysoun and Jamlah, in southeastern Deraa.

The day before, al-Sharaa had confirmed that talks with Israel had begun, in an attempt to restore the 1974 agreement, which followed the 1973 war between Israel and Syria.

Syria failed to retake the occupied Golan Heights, which Israel had taken in 1967, in that war. A demilitarised buffer zone was established as part of the 1974 agreement, but Israel violated the agreement by seizing the buffer zone and areas outside it after the fall of al-Assad.

Israel has also bombed targets across Syria, including the Ministry of Defence in Damascus in July. That month, Israel supported Druze militiamen in Suwayda against local Bedouin tribal fighters and Syrian government forces sent to end fighting between the Druze and the Bedouins.

In his comments to reporters on Wednesday, al-Sharaa said that Israel and Syria had been “four to five days” away from reaching a security agreement before the violence in Suwayda in July.

Al-Sharaa added that Israel had conducted more than 1,000 air strikes and more than 400 ground incursions in Syria since the December 8 overthrow of al-Assad, actions he described as “very dangerous”.

Israel has framed that intervention as being in support of the Druze, a minority also present in Israel, and part of an Israeli demand that Syrian government forces not be present in areas south of Damascus up to the border with Israel.

The Israelis have also emphasised al-Sharaa’s past membership of al-Qaeda, despite the Syrian president’s shedding of those associations.

The news outlet Axios reported on Tuesday that Israel’s demands during negotiations with Syria included the demilitarised zone southwest of Damascus, as well as a no-fly zone in that area, in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from all of the land it has seized in Syria since December, except for an outpost on the summit of Mount Hermon.

Al-Sharaa confirmed that Israel wanted to remain on Mount Hermon. He added that Syria wanted a deal similar to the 1974 agreement, and said that it was not yet time to discuss the fate of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights outside of the buffer zone, which Israel illegally annexed in 1981.

 

 

Britain to formally recognize Palestinian state after Trump’s visit: Report

Palestine

In July, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK will recognize Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly in New York in September unless Israel takes “substantive steps” to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza and agree to a ceasefire.

The reason for delaying the announcement until after Trump departs from the UK is because it “could have risked deepening tensions with Washington, after Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered strong backing for Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza,” the report said.

The prime minister’s spokesman said the recognition was designed to protect the viability of a two-state solution.

“Statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people, and it is absolutely critical in protecting the viability of a two-state solution that we make clear that inalienable right,” he added.

Last year, Ireland, Norway and Spain joined a list of 147 countries that now officially recognize Palestine.

France also announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state during the UN General Assembly, becoming the first member state of the G7, an informal forum of the seven leading industrialized nations and democracies, to do so.

Iranian president: No obstacles to Tehran-Moscow cooperation

Speaking on Wednesday evening in Tehran during a meeting with Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev, Pezeshkian welcomed the progress of joint projects and underlined Iran’s commitment to carrying out all agreements reached between the two sides.

He added that “successful cooperation models between independent countries such as Iran and Russia will prove that the era of unilateralism in the world has ended.”

Pezeshkian urged officials from both nations to translate the outcomes of expert-level talks into concrete action “in the shortest possible time,” noting the determination of both himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin to push forward with the agreements.

He expressed hope that ongoing exchanges of high-level delegations would further strengthen the partnership between the two “friendly and allied” countries.

For his part, Tsivilev conveyed greetings from President Putin and praised Iran’s commitment to bilateral projects.

He affirmed that despite external pressures and sanctions, “no obstacle can hinder the constructive economic and trade cooperation” between Iran and Russia.

EU proposes suspension of trade concessions with Israel over war in Gaza

European Union Flag

The sanctions, however, do not currently have enough support among the EU’s 27 member countries to pass. The proposals announced on Wednesday also included suggested sanctions on “extremist” Israeli ministers and violent settlers as well as on Hamas.

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, urged the member nations to increase tariffs on some Israeli goods and impose sanctions on 10 Hamas leaders, Israeli settlers, and two far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet: National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

The commission also said it was pausing its bilateral support to Israel with the exception of support to civil society and Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center.

“The proposals follow a review of Israel’s compliance with Article 2 of the Agreement, which found that actions taken by the Israeli government represent a breach of essential elements relating to respect for human rights and democratic principles. This entitles the EU to suspend the Agreement unilaterally,” the commission added.

“Specifically, this breach refers to the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza following the military intervention of Israel, the blockade of humanitarian aid, the intensifying of military operations and the decision of the Israeli authorities to advance the settlement plan in the so-called E1 area of the West Bank, which further undermines the two-state solution,” it noted.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “The horrific events taking place in Gaza on a daily basis must stop. There needs to be an immediate ceasefire, unrestrained access for all humanitarian aid and the release of all hostages held by Hamas.”

“Reflecting these principled commitments and taking into account serious recent developments in the West Bank, we propose to suspend trade concessions with Israel, sanction extremist ministers and violent settlers, and put bilateral support to Israel on hold without affecting our work with Israeli civil society or Yad Vashem,” von der Leyen added.

Late last month, foreign ministers from across the EU tussled in Denmark’s Copenhagen over what action to take in response to Israel’s punishing war on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and heavy crackdown in the occupied West Bank as the bloc’s aid chief urged them to “find a strong voice that reflects our values and principles”.

Growing numbers of protesters have taken to the streets across Europe in recent months to demand action from their governments to pressure Israel to end its war on Gaza, which a United Nations inquiry on Tuesday found to be genocide.

But the EU so far has failed to agree on a unified course of action to pressure Israel to end its bombardment and blockade of Gaza.

Some member states such as Spain and Ireland have called for economic curbs and an arms embargo against Israel while others, including Germany and Hungary, have pushed back against efforts to sanction the Israeli government.

American judge orders deportation of activist Mahmoud Khalil to Syria, Algeria

Court documents, revealed on Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), showed that Louisiana immigration Judge Jamee Comans issued the ruling on September 12, accusing Khalil of failing to disclose key information when he applied and secured lawful permanent residency in the US.

Khalil, a native of Syria and an Algerian citizen of Palestinian origin, has previously stated that he fears being targeted by Israel for his activism if he is deported to either country.

Judge Comans claimed that Khalil did not disclose his ties to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and Columbia University Apartheid Divest, an activist group which advocates for an economic boycott of Israel, on his green card application, describing it as a “lack of candor” by the applicant.

“This Court finds that Respondent wilfully misrepresented material fact(s) for the sole purpose of circumventing the immigration process and reducing the likelihood his applications could be denied,” Comans said.

Khalil’s lawyers responded, saying that they intend to appeal the deportation order, and pointed to a federal district court’s order earlier this year prohibiting the government from immediately deporting or detaining Khalil as his federal court case proceeds.

Khalil’s legal team now has 30 days from the day of the deportation ruling, on September 12, to appeal against the decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals. His lawyers noted that they expect the appeal process to be swift and their attempt unsuccessful, as noncitizens are “almost never” granted stays of removal.

US immigration agents first arrested Khalil – a former graduate student at Columbia University in New York – on March 8 after showing up at his student apartment building on campus in the city.

The arrest was part of a wider crackdown on pro-Palestine activism on college campuses across the US, which saw several overseas students detained and deported while universities were hit with federal funding cuts by Trump over alleged anti-Semitic activities.

Authorities held Khalil at an immigration detention centre in Louisiana for three months until he was released in June following a ruling by US District Judge Michael Farbiarz that his detention was unconstitutional.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and law enforcement officials had repeatedly portrayed Khalil’s peaceful activism as anti-Jewish and supportive of Hamas, but they failed to provide any evidence backing their allegations.

Farbiarz ruled that the Trump administration was likely violating Khalil’s right to free speech by detaining and attempting to deport him under a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, which allows the removal of foreign nationals who bear “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States”.

The White House has been relentless in its attempts to deport Khalil, pivoting more recently to the alleged violations of his green card application.

Khalil’s lawyers expressed concern following the deportation ruling that the “only meaningful impediment” to their client’s deportation was now the “important order prohibiting removal” issued by Judge Farbiarz.

In a statement published by the ACLU on Wednesday, Khalil also accused the Trump administration of using “fascist tactics” to retaliate against him for his “exercise of free speech”.

“When their first effort to deport me was set to fail, they resorted to fabricating baseless and ridiculous allegations in a bid to silence me for speaking out and standing firmly with Palestine, demanding an end to the ongoing genocide [in Gaza],” Khalil stressed.

Gaza death toll surges past 65,000

Gaza War

In its daily update, the ministry reported 98 deaths and 385 injuries in the past 24 hours alone. It warned the figures remain incomplete, as many victims are still trapped under rubble or on roads that rescue teams cannot reach.

Since Israel resumed its attacks on Gaza on March 18, at least 12,511 people have been killed and 53,656 wounded, according to the ministry.

The statement added Israeli forces continued to target Palestinians seeking food aid, with seven people killed and 87 injured in the past day. This brought the total number of aid seekers killed to 2,504, with over 18,381 injured since May 27.

The ministry also confirmed four deaths from famine and malnutrition in the past day, raising the toll since October 2023 to 432, including 146 children.

Since famine was formally declared in Gaza last month, 154 such deaths have been recorded, among them 31 children.

Israel has sealed Gaza’s crossings since March 2, preventing food and aid trucks from entering despite hundreds waiting at the border. The move has exacerbated the humanitarian catastrophe in the enclave, leaving residents without access to basic supplies.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

Iran’s health minister: Sanctions cause more deaths than wars

Iran Hospital Surgery Doctor Nurse

Speaking on Wednesday at the closing ceremony of the 17th National Olympiad of Medical Students in Tehran, he spoke about a study published in The Lancet about sanctions in 150 countries between 1971 and 2021.

The minister said sanctions result in about 564,000 deaths each year, largely due to shortages of food and medicine.

The health minister also pointed to challenges such as population decline and air pollution. According to him, around 50,000 Iranians die annually from air pollution, while 700,000 children worldwide lose their lives for the same reason.
He called on universities and students to focus on solutions.

Samineh Baghcheban, founder of deaf education institutions, dies at 97

Born on March 24, 1927, in Tabriz, Ms. Baghcheban was the daughter of Jabbar Baghcheban, the pioneer of deaf education in Iran. Baghcheban authored acclaimed children’s books such as “The Wooden Bridge” and “Nowruz and Kites”, both recognized by the Children’s Book Council of Iran.

She also translated and produced materials in sign language and promoted folklore for deaf children.

A graduate of Columbia University in deaf education and speech therapy, Ms. Baghcheban played a key role in teacher training and curriculum development. Her funeral is expected to be held in Tehran on Thursday.

Two smugglers killed in police operation in Iran’s northeast

Iran Police

Through intelligence efforts and a joint operation by the anti-narcotics police of South Khorasan province and the 102nd special forces unit in Dehkhod, which took place on Wednesday morning near the Halvan police station in the Tabas county, two armed criminals and smugglers were killed, and one other was injured; this was reported by the spokesperson of the Police Force, Brigadier General Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi.

Following the order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Police Force, Brigadier General Ahmadreza Radan, a large-scale operation against criminal and terrorist elements has been initiated.

The identification and elimination of eight terrorists involved in the terrorist incident in Iranshahr, located in southeastern Iran, and the discovery of a workshop for producing explosives and suicide vests are among the recent operations by the Police Force in combating terrorist groups in the past weeks.

Brigadier General Montazer al-Mahdi stated that during this operation, in addition to seizing quantities of various drugs and military weapons and ammunition, several vehicles and motorcycles left behind by the criminals were also discovered and confiscated, and that the agents are currently in the process of clearing the area.

Ukraine’s Zelensky ready to meet Russia’s Putin without preconditions except one

Putin and Zelensky

Putin has said he is ready in principle to meet Zelensky and suggested talks in Moscow, which Kiev rejected as “deliberately unacceptable.”

At the same time, Putin has questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy and whether talks with him would be “meaningful.” Zelensky’s term expired in May 2024, but he has refused to hold elections, citing martial law.

Trump has been pushing for direct talks between Zelensky and Putin and previously claimed that he would need to “intervene” personally to bring them together.

In an interview with Sky News released on Tuesday, Zelensky said he is “ready to meet with President Trump and Putin trilaterally or bilaterally … without any kind of conditions.”

Asked whether he was prepared to travel to Moscow for talks at Putin’s invitation, Zelensky stated no, calling it the capital of the country that “attacked” Ukraine.

Trump suggested holding a one-on-one meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian leaders first to allow them to exchange views directly before moving on to a broader summit.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said direct talks between Russia and Ukraine remain possible but are now “paused.” He noted negotiators can use existing channels, though no meetings are planned.

The Foreign Ministry announced a Putin-Zelensky summit could happen only once a proper agenda is set, while Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov added that it would require a “reasonable response” from Kiev to Moscow’s proposals.