Muhamad Yehia EIN ZIVAN, Golan Heights — A dry mountain wind whipped through a cluster of Israeli flags at the entrance of a kibbutz in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, where the tranquility belies the tumultuous events unfolding nearby. Earlier this month, Syrian President Bashar Assad was ousted after nearly 25 years in …
Read More »Why Palestinian forces are cracking down on Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank
Muhamad Yehia JENIN REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank — Gunfire has rung out for days from the West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp. But this time, it’s not Israeli forces that are facing off against armed groups. It is the forces of the Palestinian Authority clashing with Palestinian gunmen. The Palestinian Authority, which …
Read More »Syrian soldiers distance themselves from Assad in return for promised amnesty
Muhamad Yehia DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Hundreds of former Syrian soldiers on Saturday reported to the country’s new rulers for the first time since Bashar Assad was ousted to answer questions about whether they may have been involved in crimes against civilians in exchange for a promised amnesty and return to civilian life. The …
Read More »Burkina Faso junta appoints new prime minister
Muhamad Yehia OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — Burkina Faso’s ruling military junta appointed a new prime minister, a day after dissolving the government without providing any reason. Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo, until now communications minister and spokesperson of the government, will be the West African country’s new prime minister, junta leader Ibrahim …
Read More »Prominent Lebanese figure meets Syrian insurgent who led Assad’s ouster, seeking better relations
Muhamad Yehia BEIRUT — A prominent Lebanese politician held talks on Sunday with the insurgent who led the overthrow of Syria’s President Bashar Assad, with both expressing hope for a new era in relations. Druze leader Walid Jumblatt is the most important politician from Lebanon to visit Syria since the Assad …
Read More »Israeli warplanes pound Syria as troops reportedly advance deeper into the country
Muhamad Yehia DAMASCUS, Syria — Israel carried out a wave of heavy airstrikes across Syria as its troops advanced deeper into the country, a Syrian opposition war monitor said Tuesday, and the Israeli defense minister announced that his forces had destroyed Syria’s navy. Israel acknowledged pushing into a buffer zone inside …
Read More »Israeli warplanes pound Syria as troops reportedly advance deeper into the country
Muhamad Yehia DAMASCUS, Syria — Israel carried out a wave of heavy airstrikes across Syria as its troops advanced deeper into the country, a Syrian opposition war monitor said Tuesday, and the Israeli defense minister announced that his forces had destroyed Syria’s navy. Israel acknowledged pushing into a …
Read More »Netanyahu says Israeli troops will occupy a buffer zone inside Syria for the foreseeable future
Muhamad Yehia JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israeli forces will stay in a buffer zone on the Syrian border, seized after the ouster of Syria’s President Bashar Assad, until another arrangement is in place “that ensures Israel’s security.” Netanyahu made the comments from the summit of Mount Hermon …
Read More »Syrian villagers near the Golan Heights say Israeli forces are banning them from their fields
Muhamad Yehia Israeli forces have set up a position in an abandoned Syrian army base in the village of Maariyah and prevented local farmers from accessing their fields, residents said Thursday. Associated Press journalists who visited the area saw the Israeli troops from a distance and watched a local resident …
Read More »Turkey calls for reconciliation between Syrian government and the opposition to end conflict
Muhamad Yehia ANKARA, Turkey — The recent rapid advance by opposition fighters in Syria shows that Syrian President Bashar Assad must reconcile with his own people and hold talks with the opposition, the Turkish foreign minister said Monday. At a joint news conference in Ankara with his Iranian counterpart, Hakan …
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