Israel yesterday criticized the Syrian government over what it described as attacks against the Kurdish community in Aleppo, just days after the two sides agreed to establish a joint mechanism aimed at lowering bilateral tensions.
“Attacks by the Syrian regime’s forces against the Kurdish minority in the city of Aleppo are grave and dangerous... Systematic and murderous repression of Syria’s various minorities contradicts the promises of a ‘new Syria,’” Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Saar wrote in Arabic on X.
Deadly clashes erupted this week between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters as the two sides have so far failed to implement a March deal to merge the Kurds’ semi-autonomous administration and military into Syria’s new government.
Photo: AFP
The Kurds are pushing for decentralized rule, an idea that Syria’s new authorities have rejected.
Despite assurances from Damascus that all of Syria’s communities would be protected, minorities remain wary of their future under the new authorities.
Saar said that the violence in Aleppo could increase if the international community remains silent.
“The international community in general, and the West in particular, owes a debt of honor to the Kurds who fought bravely and successfully against the Islamic State group,” Saar said.
Earlier this week, Israel and Syria, under US pressure, agreed to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism, an unprecedented step as the two countries edge toward a security agreement after decades of hostilities.
Following discussions in Paris, Israel and Syria agreed to establish “a dedicated communication cell” under US supervision that would seek to lower bilateral tensions.
US President Donald Trump, who met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Washington in November last year, has been pushing for a security deal between Syria and Israel, but Israel remains distrustful of the former jihadist.
After the overthrow of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Israel moved its forces into the UN-patrolled demilitarized zone on the Golan Heights, and has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria as well as regular incursions.
Australians were downloading virtual private networks (VPNs) in droves, while one of the world’s largest porn distributors said it was blocking users from its platforms as the country yesterday rolled out sweeping online age restriction. Australia in December became the first country to impose a nationwide ban on teenagers using social media. A separate law now requires artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot services to keep certain content — including pornography, extreme violence and self-harm and eating disorder material — from minors or face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$34.6 million). The country also joined Britain, France and dozens of US states requiring
Hungarian authorities temporarily detained seven Ukrainian citizens and seized two armored cars carrying tens of millions of euros in cash across Hungary on suspicion of money laundering, officials said on Friday. The Ukrainians were released on Friday, following their detention on Thursday, but Hungarian officials held onto the cash, prompting Ukraine to accuse Hungary’s Russia-friendly government of illegally seizing the money. “We will not tolerate this state banditism,” Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha said. The seven detained Ukrainians were employees of the Ukrainian state-owned Oschadbank, who were traveling in the two armored cars that were carrying the money between Austria and
Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani on Friday after dissolving the Kosovar parliament said a snap election should be held as soon as possible to avoid another prolonged political crisis in the Balkan country at a time of global turmoil. Osmani said it is important for Kosovo to wrap up the upcoming election process and form functional institutions for political stability as the war rages in the Middle East. “Precisely because the geopolitical situation is that complex, it is important to finish this electoral process which is coming up,” she said. “It is very hard now to imagine what will happen next.” Kosovo, which declared
MORE BANS: Australia last year required sites to remove accounts held by under-16s, with a few countries pushing for similar action at an EU level and India considering its own ban Indonesia on Friday said it would ban social media access for children under 16, citing threats from online pornography, cyberbullying, online fraud and Internet addiction. “Accounts belonging to children under 16 on high-risk platforms will start to be deactivated, beginning with YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox,” Indonesian Minister of Communications and Digital Meutya Hafid said. “The government is stepping in so that parents no longer have to fight alone against the giants of the algorithm. Implementation will begin on March 28, 2026,” she said. The social media ban would be introduced in stages “until all platforms fulfill their
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