Middle East
The Israeli military’s ongoing military operation in the Jenin refugee camp, in the occupied West Bank, entered its fourth day early on Friday, forcing hundreds to flee their homes. The incursion, which Israel is calling the “Iron Wall”, started shortly after the ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas came into effect on Sunday, and has killed at least 12 people. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.
Hundreds flee Jenin as Israeli military continues West Bank raid
Israel’s major military operation in the Jenin refugee camp, in the occupied West Bank, forced hundreds to flee their homes on Thursday. The Israeli operation entered its third day, despite the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza having come into effect earlier this week.
Rubio tells Turkey he supports ‘inclusive’ transition in Syria
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for an “inclusive transition” in Syria after the fall of leader Bashar al-Assad, in a call with powerbroker Turkey, the State Department said Thursday.
Rubio’s comments signal a consistency with his predecessor Antony Blinken, who on a trip to the region last month used similar language as he called on Syria’s new leaders to protect minority rights and not pose a threat to neighboring countries.
Rubio also called for “ensuring that the new government prevents Syria from becoming a source for international terrorism, and denying foreign malign actors the opportunity to exploit Syria’s transition for their own objectives,” she said.
Turkish-backed fighters have been battling Kurdish forces in Syria, who allied with the United States in the battle against the Islamic State extremist group but who Ankara associates with Kurdish militants at home.
Trump looking to avoid targeting Iran nuclear sites
US President Donald Trump said Thursday he hoped to avoid military strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, an option long mulled by Israel. Asked if he would support military action against Iranian nuclear facilities, Trump told reporters he was going to speak to unspecified “very high-level people” about the issue.
“That could be worked out without having to worry about it,” Trump said of the Iranian nuclear issue. “It would be really nice if that could be worked out without having to go that further step,” he said of military action. On diplomatic prospects with Iran, Trump said, “Iran hopefully will make a deal — and if they don’t make a deal, I guess that’s OK, too.”
Trump during his first term withdrew from a nuclear deal negotiated under former president Barack Obama and imposed sweeping sanctions, winning praise from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who calls Tehran’s cleric-run government an existential threat.
Trump, who vowed “maximum pressure” on Iran, also ordered a 2020 strike that killed senior Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad. But Trump backed off on calls for wider military action and, since winning another term, has distanced himself from advisors who chose a hawkish course on Iran.
Welcome to our liveblog, where we post the latest news on the ongoing situation in the Middle East. To read through yesterday’s key developments, click here.
- In the days since a fragile ceasefire took hold in the Gaza Strip, Israel has launched a major military operation in the occupied West Bank and suspected Jewish settlers have rampaged through two Palestinian towns.
- Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu faces domestic pressure from his far-right allies after agreeing to the truce and hostage-prisoner exchange with the Hamas militant group. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has rescinded the Biden administration’s sanctions against Israelis accused of violence in the territory.
- The Israeli military said Wednesday that it had killed an Islamic Jihad militant in Gaza, the first such reported death since the start of a ceasefire with Hamas in the Palestinian territory.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
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