The Wall Street Journal: Hamas Concedes On Israeli Troops In Gaza, Raising Hopes For Hostage Deal
“Hamas has yielded to two of Israel’s key demands for a cease-fire deal in Gaza, Arab mediators said, raising hopes of an agreement that could release some hostages within days despite the repeated collapse of previous negotiations. The militant group told mediators for the first time that it would agree to a deal that would allow Israeli forces to remain in Gaza temporarily when the fighting stops. Hamas also handed over a list of hostages, including U.S. citizens, whom it would release under a cease-fire pact, something it hasn’t done since the first truce in the conflict last year. The new plan, proposed by Cairo and backed by the U.S., seeks to build on momentum generated by the cease-fire in Lebanon secured in November, which has broadly held despite both Israel and Hezbollah accusing each other of violations.”
Alarabiya News: Blinken, In Turkey, Stresses Need To Keep ISIS Contained In Syria
“US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed on Friday the need for continued efforts to counter any resurgence of ISIS in Syria following the fall of Bashar-al Assad. “Our countries worked very hard and gave a lot over many years to ensure the elimination of the territorial caliphate of ISIS, to ensure that threat doesn’t rear its head again, and it’s imperative that we keep at those efforts,” Blinken said alongside Fidan after they met in Ankara. Talks also focused on a critical aspect of establishing stability in Syria - clashes in the north of the country between US-backed Kurdish forces and Turkish-backed opposition forces. Fidan said after the meeting that Turkey’s “priority in Syria is to ensure stability...as soon as possible, to prevent terrorism from gaining ground and to prevent [ISIS] and the PKK from dominating there.””
DW: Syria: How Germany Plans To Help With The Transition
“Germany has offered to support Syria following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad's regime — but only if all of the country's many population groups are included, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has said. She spoke of a "moment of hope" for the country but also expressed concern that this could be deceptive. All efforts must now be made to "ensure that Syria finds the path to a peaceful and stable future for all…" How should HTS be seen now? Hans-Jakob Schindler, Middle East expert and director of the international organization Counter Extremism Project, welcomed al-Jolani's initial statements but pointed out that the HTS "did not fight and bleed alone (against Assad)," but also alongside hardline Islamist groups.”
Berliner Morgenpost: Will The Mullah Regime In Iran Also Collapse After Assad's Fall?
“... Nevertheless, experts believe it is unlikely that the Mullah regime will collapse in the near future. "The Iranian state and its armed forces are not as hollowed out as was the case with Assad," stresses Middle East researcher Parsi. "Internally, the Iranian regime is weakened. However, there is currently no sign of disruption," Hans-Jakob Schindler, Senior Director at the Berlin-based think tank Counter Extremism Project, told our editorial team. According to Schindler, the revolutionary potential in Iran and Syria is not comparable. "The resistance in Iran has energy, but no vision for the country's future. And it has neither organization nor structure. The opposition in Syria had all of these things," the expert emphasizes.”
Merkur.de: Experts Warn Of Terrorist Threat After Assad's Fall: "With Consequences For Germany"
“... One thing is clear: the Syrian alliance Hai'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which together with other groups overthrew Assad, is not a simple rebel alliance, but an Islamist militia. Some of the main founding members of HTS have their origins in the terrorist organization al-Qaeda. Experts fear a resurgence of religiously motivated terrorism in the region. Terror expert and Middle East expert Hans-Jakob Schindler from the Counter Extremism Project sees another risk that could also affect Europe and Germany in the medium term. "From the perspective of international counterterrorism, this is an extremely delicate situation - for two reasons," said Schindler in an interview with IPPEN.MEDIA.”
ZDF Heute: Rebel Leader Al-Julani "To Be Judged By His Actions"
“For years, diplomatic relations between Germany and Syria were largely on ice. This is now set to change, given the fall of Bashar al-Assad and the change of power in Damascus. Germany wants to become more present in Syria again. The Foreign Office has appointed Tobias Lindner ( The Greens ), Minister of State in the Foreign Office, as the new special coordinator for Syria . His goal… For example, access to schooling must be guaranteed for girls, and protection from sexual violence for women is also "a very important point". Parts of the HTS alliance in Syria are clearly extremist and Islamist, even if their leader appears moderate, explains extremism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler.”
“... Hans-Jacob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project told BR24 that there is a complete lack of understanding that, while the PFLP is designated a terrorist organization by the EU, it is not banned in Germany. German MP Stephan Thomae of the FDP demanded that the SPD-led Internal Affairs Ministry take action: "We must not give space to terrorist organizations. Germany must act accordingly on the EU's terror list." Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European rabbis, told BR24 that the fact that the PFLP has not yet been banned in Germany is "scandalous." He added that the "lax attitude over the years toward terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hezbollah and the PFLP, and towards terrorist supporters like Iran, demonstrates the naivete with which politicians deal with security risks, which European companies subsequently profit from."”
“Top U.S. officials were in the Middle East on Thursday, pushing for stability in Syria and an end to Israel’s 14-month war in the Gaza Strip in a last-ditch diplomatic push by the outgoing Biden administration before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in a few weeks. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Jordan and Turkey for talks on how to ensure a peaceful transition of power in Syria following the ouster of longtime President Bashar Assad, while White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was in Israel in a bid to wrap up a ceasefire with Hamas militants. A ceasefire would give President Joe Biden a final diplomatic victory after a turbulent term in which his administration has been unable to halt a brutal war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives in Gaza and plunged the territory into a humanitarian crisis.”
The New York Times: Rebel Group’s Terrorist Label Could Hinder Efforts To Aid Syria
“A few weeks ago, world leaders likely were not thinking about Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its designation as a terrorist organization. But now, the rebel faction that drove a surprise offensive that toppled the Assad regime is Syria’s de facto government. Suddenly, that terrorist label — used by the United States, the United Nations and others — has became a matter of international concern and debate. The designation means that countries and international organizations are severely restricted in providing aid to a Syrian government that desperately needs it to assert control, provide basic services and rebuild after years of war. Those limits could have broad consequences for Syria and the Middle East, with analysts and regional officials warning that a weak and fractured state would incubate terror groups like the Islamic State.”
Fox News: Top US Ally, SDF Commander In Syria Warns Of ISIS Return If Turkish Airstrikes Don’t Stop
“In an exclusive interview with Fox News, Gen. Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the main U.S. ally whose fighters are currently guarding 45,000 ISIS militants and their families at camps and prisons in Eastern Syria, said the Turkish military and its allied forces continue to attack his Kurdish forces, despite a U.S. brokered ceasefire deal Wednesday. "We are still under constant attack from the Turkish military and the Turkish-supported opposition which is called SNA," Gen. Mazloum told Fox. "Eighty drone attacks a day we have from the Turkish military. There is intensive artillery shells. This situation has paralyzed our counterterror operation." The attacks by the Turkish military on the SDF have increased since Bashar Al Assad’s fall on December 8. Gen. Mazloum warned that if his Kurdish fighters have to flee, ISIS would return.”
Reuters: Russia In Contact With Syrian Rebels, Hopes To Keep Military Bases, Interfax Reports
“Russia has established direct contact with the political committee of Syria's Islamist rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Interfax news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov as saying on Thursday. Interfax reported that Bogdanov, speaking to journalists, also said Moscow aimed to maintain its military bases in Syria. Bogdanov said contacts with HTS, the most powerful force in the country after the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad, were "proceeding in constructive fashion". Russia, he said, hoped the group would fulfil its pledges to "guard against all excesses", maintain order and ensure the safety of diplomats and other foreigners. Bogdanov said Russia hoped to maintain its two bases in Syria - a naval base in Tartous and the Khmeimim Air Base near the port city of Latakia - to keep up efforts against international terrorism.”
Reuters: Turkish Intel Head In Syria For Meetings, Sources And Ministry Say
“Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin was in Damascus on Thursday, two sources with knowledge of the visit told Reuters, for what the Syrian information ministry said would be talks involving its new rebel leadership. The ministry said that Kalin and Qatar's head of state security, Khalfan al-Kaabi, arrived in the capital to meet with Syrian rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa and caretaker prime minister Mohammad al-Bashir. Turkey's foreign ministry denied the Syrian ministry's additional notice that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was also in Damascus for talks, saying he remained in Turkey. Fidan attended events in Ankara on Thursday including the arrival of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and is to meet Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Ankara on Friday. Doha did not immediately confirm that Kaabi had arrived.”
Voice Of America: Funeral Held For Slain Afghan Taliban Minister; IS-K Claims Credit For Killing
“Thousands of mourners assembled in eastern Afghanistan Thursday for the funeral of the high-profile Taliban minister of refugees, a day after his assassination in a suicide bombing for which a regional Islamic State affiliate has claimed responsibility. Minister Khalil-Ur-Rahman Haqqani was targeted while he was exiting his office building in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Wednesday, marking the most significant casualty inflicted on the Taliban since they swept back to power in August 2021. The blast also killed and injured several ministry employees, but Taliban officials have refrained from commenting on the reported casualties from what they denounced as a "cowardly attack” against Haqqani. The funeral was held in Haqqani’s native eastern Afghan province of Paktia, which borders Pakistan, where senior Taliban leaders, ministers, and other officials were also in attendance.”
Reuters: Dozens Of UAE Flights Head To Airstrip UN Says Supplies Arms To Sudan Rebels
“Since civil war erupted in Sudan last year, dozens of cargo planes from the United Arab Emirates have landed at a small airstrip in Chad that some U.N. experts and diplomats suspect is being used to funnel arms across the border into the conflict, flight data and satellite images show. At least 86 flights from the UAE have headed for an airstrip at Amdjarass in eastern Chad since the war began in April 2023, three-quarters of them operated by carriers accused by the U.N. of ferrying Emirati weapons to a warlord in Libya, according to the flight data and corporate documents reviewed by Reuters. The UAE, a key Western ally in the Middle East, says it has been sending aid for Sudan via Chad, not arms. The country rejected a report by a U.N. panel of experts in January that cited "credible" allegations the UAE was providing military supplies via the Chad airstrip to Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group fighting the Sudanese army in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes.”
Reuters: China And Egypt Agree On Need To Promote Peace In Middle East
“China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing agreed with Egypt that both nations should promote peace and negotiations to achieve stability in the Middle East, amid several crises in the region including Syria, according to a media pool report. Wang met his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty in Beijing on Friday. He said both countries were deeply concerned about the situation in Syria, and called for respect for the nation's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. Syrian rebels seized the capital Damascus unopposed on Sunday after President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia, ending decades of his family's autocratic rule. Abdelatty said he and Wang discussed the importance of a "comprehensive political process in Syria and managing a transitional phase that does not exclude anyone and reflects the sectarian, religious, ethnic and racial diversity within Syria".”
BBC: Man Who Shared Terrorist Videos Online Jailed
“A man with extremist views who shared videos online to encourage other people to plan and carry out terror attacks has been jailed. Devices owned by Mohammed Jaza Hamasaleh were found by counter-terror police in a raid on his home in Longsight, Manchester, in February last year. Hamasaleh, 25, admitted sharing incendiary content including an audio recording by a leader of the Islamic State group on the messaging app Telegram. He pleaded guilty to seven counts of disseminating terrorist publications and was jailed for 11 years at Manchester Crown Court. Det Supt Ben Cottam, head of investigations for Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said Hamasaleh had shared the material "recklessly". He had also admitted he "intended to encourage individuals to subscribe to the same extremist views he held", he added.”
“A former high-ranking Venezuelan military officer is sounding the alarm about the migrant gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) being used as a tool of the Venezuelan government to sow violence and discord throughout the United States. Tren de Aragua, which means "Train from Aragua," is a massive criminal and terrorist organization that originated a decade ago in a Venezuelan prison and is already present in more than 30 major U.S. cities. José Gustavo Arocha, a former lieutenant colonel in the Venezuelan army, told Fox News Digital that socialist Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro is behind much of TdA’s growth and rapid expansion, first in Latin America and now in the U.S. Arocha fled Venezuela to the United States in 2015 after being imprisoned by the Maduro regime for eight months.”
Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.
Fact:
On October 7, 2023, Hamas invaded southern Israel where, in the space of eight hours, hundreds of armed terrorists perpetrated mass crimes of brutality, rape, and torture against men, women and children. In the biggest attack on Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust, 1,200 were killed, and 251 were taken hostage into Gaza—where 101 remain. One year on, antisemitic incidents have increased by record numbers.
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