7 mar 2014
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant re-entered the besieged Yarmouk refugee camp on Thursday, two days after al-Nusra Front did the same, a PFLP-GC spokesman said.
PFLP-GC spokesman Anwar Rajaa said in a statement that ISIL militants had returned to the Damascus camp on Thursday, adding that they detained and "abused" several Palestinians upon arrival.
Aid distribution in Yarmouk camp has been suspended intermittently for the last month due to fighting, while residents suffer from widespread malnutrition amid the effects of a crippling siege by Syrian regime forces that has been in place in last summer.
Raja said that ISIL's actions blamed Saudi Arabia for the Wahhabi militant group's actions, arguing that they were intended "to pressure Syria, and ruin the reconciliation by abusing the Yarmouk camp and endangering its citizens."
Although both ISIL and al-Nusra front subscribe to a Wahhabi interpretation of Islamic that is ideologically affiliated with Saudi Arabia and counts many Saudi fighters among its ranks, the kingdom has not admitted direct ties to the group.
The PFLP-GC, a militant organization that has been operating in Syria for decades, has been an active force on the side of the Assad regime since 2012.
After rebels seized control of Yarmouk in December 2012, the camp became embroiled in the armed fighting taking place across Syria and came under heavy regime assault.
Regime forces eventually encircled the camp and in July imposed a siege on the camp, leading to a rapid deterioration of living conditions.
Thousands have fled the camp, while the remaining residents -- who are estimated to number around 18,000 -- have faced extremely severe conditions in recent months, with reports that dozens have starved to death.
The Syrian conflict, which began as peaceful protests in March 2011 but developed into a civil war, has killed more than 130,000 people and prompted millions to flee their homes.
PFLP-GC spokesman Anwar Rajaa said in a statement that ISIL militants had returned to the Damascus camp on Thursday, adding that they detained and "abused" several Palestinians upon arrival.
Aid distribution in Yarmouk camp has been suspended intermittently for the last month due to fighting, while residents suffer from widespread malnutrition amid the effects of a crippling siege by Syrian regime forces that has been in place in last summer.
Raja said that ISIL's actions blamed Saudi Arabia for the Wahhabi militant group's actions, arguing that they were intended "to pressure Syria, and ruin the reconciliation by abusing the Yarmouk camp and endangering its citizens."
Although both ISIL and al-Nusra front subscribe to a Wahhabi interpretation of Islamic that is ideologically affiliated with Saudi Arabia and counts many Saudi fighters among its ranks, the kingdom has not admitted direct ties to the group.
The PFLP-GC, a militant organization that has been operating in Syria for decades, has been an active force on the side of the Assad regime since 2012.
After rebels seized control of Yarmouk in December 2012, the camp became embroiled in the armed fighting taking place across Syria and came under heavy regime assault.
Regime forces eventually encircled the camp and in July imposed a siege on the camp, leading to a rapid deterioration of living conditions.
Thousands have fled the camp, while the remaining residents -- who are estimated to number around 18,000 -- have faced extremely severe conditions in recent months, with reports that dozens have starved to death.
The Syrian conflict, which began as peaceful protests in March 2011 but developed into a civil war, has killed more than 130,000 people and prompted millions to flee their homes.
A Jordanian anti-normalization group expressed its deep concern over news reports talking about the readiness of some Arab and Palestinian regimes to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. The higher executive committee for homeland protection and anti-normalization stated on Thursday that recognizing Israel as a Jewish state means waiving the right of return and threatening the Palestinian Arabs' presence on their occupied territory.
The committee warned that everyone giving up the Palestinian people's national rights and holy sites would be held accountable by the Muslim nation and its future generations.
It saluted the Jordanian parliament for voting to expel the Israeli ambassador in Amman and recall his Jordanian counterpart in the occupied city of Tel Aviv, and for preparing a bill abolishing the Jordanian peace treaty with the Israeli occupation.
It said that theses parliamentary verdicts responded to the pulse of the Jordanian street and called for turning them from words into action.
"Any reluctance to execute these decisions is considered a betrayal of the Jordanian people who have welcomed them and of the Palestinian people who stand alone in defense of the [Muslim] nation's holy sites," the higher anti-normalization committee underscored.
The committee warned that everyone giving up the Palestinian people's national rights and holy sites would be held accountable by the Muslim nation and its future generations.
It saluted the Jordanian parliament for voting to expel the Israeli ambassador in Amman and recall his Jordanian counterpart in the occupied city of Tel Aviv, and for preparing a bill abolishing the Jordanian peace treaty with the Israeli occupation.
It said that theses parliamentary verdicts responded to the pulse of the Jordanian street and called for turning them from words into action.
"Any reluctance to execute these decisions is considered a betrayal of the Jordanian people who have welcomed them and of the Palestinian people who stand alone in defense of the [Muslim] nation's holy sites," the higher anti-normalization committee underscored.
6 mar 2014
Fatah central committee member Mohammad Ishtayyeh said on Thursday that the Palestinian Authority had attempted to negotiate the return of Palestinian refugees from Syria, but Israel had refused.
Ishtayyeh said in a meeting with diplomats organized by the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Ramallah that the PA had tried with all its might to "end the suffering" of Palestinians in Syria through international mediation.
Israeli officials, however, had refused to allow them to come to the Palestinian territories.
At least 1,500 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing Syria conflict, and around 250,000 Palestinian refugees have been forced to leave their homes in Syria due to violence in the country.
Prior to the conflict, 600,000 Palestinian refugees lived in Syria.
Between 7-800,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes inside Israel during the 1948 conflict that led to the creation of the State of Israel, and today their descendants number around five million, spread across the world.
Ishtayyeh said in a meeting with diplomats organized by the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Ramallah that the PA had tried with all its might to "end the suffering" of Palestinians in Syria through international mediation.
Israeli officials, however, had refused to allow them to come to the Palestinian territories.
At least 1,500 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing Syria conflict, and around 250,000 Palestinian refugees have been forced to leave their homes in Syria due to violence in the country.
Prior to the conflict, 600,000 Palestinian refugees lived in Syria.
Between 7-800,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes inside Israel during the 1948 conflict that led to the creation of the State of Israel, and today their descendants number around five million, spread across the world.
UNRWA humanitarian distribution, Yarmouk Camp, Damascus. 2014.
By Ramzy Baroud
Ramzy Baroud is an internationally-syndicated columnist, a media consultant and the editor of PalestineChronicle.com.
His latest book is "My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza's Untold Story."
In the early days of the Syrian uprising-turned civil war three years ago, the writing on the wall of it becoming an intricate regional and international conflict was there for all to see.
Palestinians in Syria were likely to find themselves a pawn in a dirty war, but few could have predicted the magnitude of the crisis, and perhaps, few cared.
Despite their many differences, there are two common denominators that unite all the parties involved in the Syrian conflict.
One is that they are all contributing, directly or otherwise, to the killing of Syrians with unmitigated impunity, savageness even. And, two, in the same breath, they all pose as defenders of the Syrian people. It is not a puzzle, but the nature of dirty conflicts.
Yet all the "defenders" of the Syrian people, with no exception, are now scarred. No media campaign, hearty speech or amount of money could alter this reality. The regime of Bashar Assad can make all sorts of claims, but there is no changing the fact that the Syrian army has killed thousands of innocent Syrian civilians. The same logic applies to the opposition and their allies, some hastily declaring ‘Islamic states’ and emirates on conquered territories.
The Syrian people can never peacefully co-exist with the current power structure in Damascus, nor with those offering themselves as the alternative.
Outside parties are equally culpable. Iran, Iraq, Turkey, various Lebanese forces, including Hezbollah, Russia, the EU, the US, and of course, Gulf countries, have done more than a fair share of damage. They often meet in whichever political forum they have concocted to save the Syrian people, yet somehow, their actions -- selective and utterly self-involved -- seem to achieve the opposite outcome.
Where are the "friends of Syria" -- of all the parties above -- as Syrian children continue to die from the cold in refugee camps within or outside the borders of Syria? Why are the refugees being treated with absolute neglect, if not revulsion in some Arab countries bordering Syria to the extent that some elect to flee back to the war inferno at home?
Arab media oftentimes suppress reports of abuse of Syrian women in refugee camps based in countries to which the refugees fled for protection. Some are kidnapped and sold for prostitution; others are raped with no consequences. It is strange how sensitive some are regarding women's honor, yet nothing is done to bring their dishonoring to an end.
As for the children, one can never overstate the horror of a child dying from cold, hunger or bullet wounds, without having a basic conception of who is inflicting such terror or why. The Syrian survivors among this generation will grow up very angry, and rightfully so. The consequences are likely to be as severe as the resultant from the anger that brewed following the US invasion of Iraq over a decade ago. Iraq is now caught in an endless fury.
For Palestinians, anger is compounded. There is the destruction of Syria, a country that despite its many deficiencies, once hosted the "axis of resistance" -- the last battle front for those standing up against Israeli militancy and US hegemony. Regardless of the justification behind their intervention, they have all been discredited. A young Syrian man told me about his cousin, who left Lebanon to fight in Syria and was killed by Hezbollah. "Yes, I cried," he said. "My brother urged me to 'have faith,' but I don't see why crying is a sign of lacking faith."
One could have hardly imagined a scenario in which Hezbollah, once celebrated as the liberator of Arab land, be used in so miserable a context. The cards are getting more and more mixed up by the day, and, once more, all are tainted, and none are innocent. Israeli leaders must be pleased by the spectacle.
Then, there is the siege of Yarmouk, a large refugee camp for Palestinian refugees and working class Syrians located on the outskirts of Damascus. The hermetic siege will be remembered by historians along such infamous memories like that of Deir Yassin, Sabra and Shatila, Jenin and Gaza.
This time, Israel is hardly a direct factor in the starvation, killings and humiliation of tens of thousands of Palestinians undergoing one of the most suffocating sieges in the modern history of warfare. Yes, Yarmouk's residents became refugees because of Israel's ethnic cleaning of Palestinians in 1948, but there can be no justification to the current disgrace experienced at the hands of Arab armies and militias.
By Ramzy Baroud
Ramzy Baroud is an internationally-syndicated columnist, a media consultant and the editor of PalestineChronicle.com.
His latest book is "My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza's Untold Story."
In the early days of the Syrian uprising-turned civil war three years ago, the writing on the wall of it becoming an intricate regional and international conflict was there for all to see.
Palestinians in Syria were likely to find themselves a pawn in a dirty war, but few could have predicted the magnitude of the crisis, and perhaps, few cared.
Despite their many differences, there are two common denominators that unite all the parties involved in the Syrian conflict.
One is that they are all contributing, directly or otherwise, to the killing of Syrians with unmitigated impunity, savageness even. And, two, in the same breath, they all pose as defenders of the Syrian people. It is not a puzzle, but the nature of dirty conflicts.
Yet all the "defenders" of the Syrian people, with no exception, are now scarred. No media campaign, hearty speech or amount of money could alter this reality. The regime of Bashar Assad can make all sorts of claims, but there is no changing the fact that the Syrian army has killed thousands of innocent Syrian civilians. The same logic applies to the opposition and their allies, some hastily declaring ‘Islamic states’ and emirates on conquered territories.
The Syrian people can never peacefully co-exist with the current power structure in Damascus, nor with those offering themselves as the alternative.
Outside parties are equally culpable. Iran, Iraq, Turkey, various Lebanese forces, including Hezbollah, Russia, the EU, the US, and of course, Gulf countries, have done more than a fair share of damage. They often meet in whichever political forum they have concocted to save the Syrian people, yet somehow, their actions -- selective and utterly self-involved -- seem to achieve the opposite outcome.
Where are the "friends of Syria" -- of all the parties above -- as Syrian children continue to die from the cold in refugee camps within or outside the borders of Syria? Why are the refugees being treated with absolute neglect, if not revulsion in some Arab countries bordering Syria to the extent that some elect to flee back to the war inferno at home?
Arab media oftentimes suppress reports of abuse of Syrian women in refugee camps based in countries to which the refugees fled for protection. Some are kidnapped and sold for prostitution; others are raped with no consequences. It is strange how sensitive some are regarding women's honor, yet nothing is done to bring their dishonoring to an end.
As for the children, one can never overstate the horror of a child dying from cold, hunger or bullet wounds, without having a basic conception of who is inflicting such terror or why. The Syrian survivors among this generation will grow up very angry, and rightfully so. The consequences are likely to be as severe as the resultant from the anger that brewed following the US invasion of Iraq over a decade ago. Iraq is now caught in an endless fury.
For Palestinians, anger is compounded. There is the destruction of Syria, a country that despite its many deficiencies, once hosted the "axis of resistance" -- the last battle front for those standing up against Israeli militancy and US hegemony. Regardless of the justification behind their intervention, they have all been discredited. A young Syrian man told me about his cousin, who left Lebanon to fight in Syria and was killed by Hezbollah. "Yes, I cried," he said. "My brother urged me to 'have faith,' but I don't see why crying is a sign of lacking faith."
One could have hardly imagined a scenario in which Hezbollah, once celebrated as the liberator of Arab land, be used in so miserable a context. The cards are getting more and more mixed up by the day, and, once more, all are tainted, and none are innocent. Israeli leaders must be pleased by the spectacle.
Then, there is the siege of Yarmouk, a large refugee camp for Palestinian refugees and working class Syrians located on the outskirts of Damascus. The hermetic siege will be remembered by historians along such infamous memories like that of Deir Yassin, Sabra and Shatila, Jenin and Gaza.
This time, Israel is hardly a direct factor in the starvation, killings and humiliation of tens of thousands of Palestinians undergoing one of the most suffocating sieges in the modern history of warfare. Yes, Yarmouk's residents became refugees because of Israel's ethnic cleaning of Palestinians in 1948, but there can be no justification to the current disgrace experienced at the hands of Arab armies and militias.
Children protest in solidarity with Yarmouk in Gaza
Whenever a rumor goes around that a few bags of food have somehow made their way to the camp, thousands of people run around in complete desperation, begging for crumbs. Most of them go back empty handed, often greeted with gunfire. Scores have starved to death since the siege was imposed on Yarmouk last year. The Syrian government blames the rebels, the latter blame the government. Evidence emerging from the camp suggests they are both liable.
"An old Palestinian woman arrived as we finished distributing whatever aid we managed to bring into the camp," Laila, a Luxembourgian friend who bravely went to Syria along with some others told me. "We had none left, but the woman kept on begging and talking about her grandchildren dying from hunger," she said as she fought her tears. "Suddenly, one government soldier attacked her with so much brutality, beating her up over every party of her body. We were so shocked and terrified by the scene, we could do nothing as the skinny old woman wailed in pain."
Yet, not a single Arabic news channel or publication ever takes a break from championing the cause of Palestine, and, now Syria. Arab leaders oftentimes wear Palestinian traditional scarves (kuffiyas) as gestures of solidarity. They pay respect to the Palestinian flag at every opportunity, and once in a while, with much fanfare, announce a large financial contribution to build a mosque or a hospital that naturally carries their name.
Official Syrian channels still speak of the looming battle to liberate Jerusalem. Yet, Arab fingerprints are all over much of the misery that has befallen Palestinians, whether in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria or elsewhere.
Syrians need to remember the Palestinian experience that has lasted 65 years and counting, and not only within the Israeli context, but in that of ethnic cleansing and military occupation. With all the self-proclaimed "liberators" that have come and gone, all the slogans, conferences, press statements, poetry, mass prayers, generous announcements of aid and all the rest, most Palestinians in the Middle East continue to live in squalid refugee camps.
They are the subject of numerous books, articles and documentaries, yet few come to their rescue as they are forced to eat the few homeless dogs and cats in their refugee camps to survive. Yarmouk is a testament to that despondent legacy, which many continue to ignore, while continuously speaking of "Arab brotherhood" and "Arab solidarity."
Syrians need only to reflect on the collective Palestinian history of destitute to predict their own future if they don't take charge of their own destiny, independent from all the parties that declare undying love for Syria and its people.
The views expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect Ma'an News Agency's editorial policy.
Whenever a rumor goes around that a few bags of food have somehow made their way to the camp, thousands of people run around in complete desperation, begging for crumbs. Most of them go back empty handed, often greeted with gunfire. Scores have starved to death since the siege was imposed on Yarmouk last year. The Syrian government blames the rebels, the latter blame the government. Evidence emerging from the camp suggests they are both liable.
"An old Palestinian woman arrived as we finished distributing whatever aid we managed to bring into the camp," Laila, a Luxembourgian friend who bravely went to Syria along with some others told me. "We had none left, but the woman kept on begging and talking about her grandchildren dying from hunger," she said as she fought her tears. "Suddenly, one government soldier attacked her with so much brutality, beating her up over every party of her body. We were so shocked and terrified by the scene, we could do nothing as the skinny old woman wailed in pain."
Yet, not a single Arabic news channel or publication ever takes a break from championing the cause of Palestine, and, now Syria. Arab leaders oftentimes wear Palestinian traditional scarves (kuffiyas) as gestures of solidarity. They pay respect to the Palestinian flag at every opportunity, and once in a while, with much fanfare, announce a large financial contribution to build a mosque or a hospital that naturally carries their name.
Official Syrian channels still speak of the looming battle to liberate Jerusalem. Yet, Arab fingerprints are all over much of the misery that has befallen Palestinians, whether in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria or elsewhere.
Syrians need to remember the Palestinian experience that has lasted 65 years and counting, and not only within the Israeli context, but in that of ethnic cleansing and military occupation. With all the self-proclaimed "liberators" that have come and gone, all the slogans, conferences, press statements, poetry, mass prayers, generous announcements of aid and all the rest, most Palestinians in the Middle East continue to live in squalid refugee camps.
They are the subject of numerous books, articles and documentaries, yet few come to their rescue as they are forced to eat the few homeless dogs and cats in their refugee camps to survive. Yarmouk is a testament to that despondent legacy, which many continue to ignore, while continuously speaking of "Arab brotherhood" and "Arab solidarity."
Syrians need only to reflect on the collective Palestinian history of destitute to predict their own future if they don't take charge of their own destiny, independent from all the parties that declare undying love for Syria and its people.
The views expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect Ma'an News Agency's editorial policy.
Six Palestinian refugees have died in Syria due to the continued siege and shelling on Palestinian refugee camps, Action Group for the Palestinians in Syria said. The Action Group said in a statement on Thursday that two Palestinian old men had died of starvation due to the continued siege imposed on Yarmouk refugee camp.
It added that a leader in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) – General Command was killed in Yarmouk refugee camp.
In Handarat refugee camp, three Palestinian children were killed during shelling that targeted the camp on Wednesday, causing huge damage to residential quarters.
The sources pointed out that Yarmouk camp has been also exposed to shelling resulting in a number of injuries, in addition to sporadic clashes.
The Action Group confirmed that Yarmouk camp still suffers very difficult humanitarian conditions due to the continued siege imposed on it for more than 8 months.
It added that a leader in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) – General Command was killed in Yarmouk refugee camp.
In Handarat refugee camp, three Palestinian children were killed during shelling that targeted the camp on Wednesday, causing huge damage to residential quarters.
The sources pointed out that Yarmouk camp has been also exposed to shelling resulting in a number of injuries, in addition to sporadic clashes.
The Action Group confirmed that Yarmouk camp still suffers very difficult humanitarian conditions due to the continued siege imposed on it for more than 8 months.
5 mar 2014
The Red Cross warned that the besieged refugee camp of Al-Yarmouk, south of the Syrian capital, suffers from a health disaster as a result of the absence of medical and food supplies. In a press release, a Red Cross official said that all hospitals and medical centers in Al-Yarmouk stopped to provide services, except for Palestine hospital, which operates below its minimum capacity due to insufficient medical supplies and cadres.
UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said the agency has been unable to distribute food parcels in Yarmouk since last Sunday and called on the warring parties in the camp to immediately allow the resumption of relief operations.
"UNRWA remains deeply concerned about the desperate humanitarian situation in Yarmouk and the fact that increasing tensions and resort to armed force have disrupted its efforts to alleviate the desperate plight of civilians," he said.
UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said the agency has been unable to distribute food parcels in Yarmouk since last Sunday and called on the warring parties in the camp to immediately allow the resumption of relief operations.
"UNRWA remains deeply concerned about the desperate humanitarian situation in Yarmouk and the fact that increasing tensions and resort to armed force have disrupted its efforts to alleviate the desperate plight of civilians," he said.
4 mar 2014
Issam Odwan, Head of Hamas's Department of Refugee Affairs
Hamas’s Department of Refugee Affairs welcomed the calls to launch a global campaign to defend the Palestinian refugees’ right of return to their homes. London-based Quds Press website reported previously that, Salman Abu Sitta, a Palestinian researcher and Founder of Palestine Land Society has called for the launch of a global Palestinian campaign with the slogan of "He Who Gives Up Right of Return Does Not Represent Us".
Head of the department Issam Odwan said on Tuesday in a statement that “it is necessary to give a greater publicity to this campaign across the world, particularly as the right of return is undergoing a fierce attack that threatens the fate of Palestinian refugees in Diaspora".
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman revealed on Tuesday, January 28, in a column titled "Why Kerry Is Scary" details of what he believes will be included in the proposal.
He wrote "It will call for the Palestinians to have a capital in Arab east Jerusalem and for Palestinians to recognize Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people. It will not include any right of return for Palestinian refugees into Israel proper."
Some 800,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes inside Israel during the 1948 conflict that led to the creation of the State of “Israel”, and today their descendants number around five million, spread across the world.
Hamas’s Department of Refugee Affairs welcomed the calls to launch a global campaign to defend the Palestinian refugees’ right of return to their homes. London-based Quds Press website reported previously that, Salman Abu Sitta, a Palestinian researcher and Founder of Palestine Land Society has called for the launch of a global Palestinian campaign with the slogan of "He Who Gives Up Right of Return Does Not Represent Us".
Head of the department Issam Odwan said on Tuesday in a statement that “it is necessary to give a greater publicity to this campaign across the world, particularly as the right of return is undergoing a fierce attack that threatens the fate of Palestinian refugees in Diaspora".
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman revealed on Tuesday, January 28, in a column titled "Why Kerry Is Scary" details of what he believes will be included in the proposal.
He wrote "It will call for the Palestinians to have a capital in Arab east Jerusalem and for Palestinians to recognize Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people. It will not include any right of return for Palestinian refugees into Israel proper."
Some 800,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes inside Israel during the 1948 conflict that led to the creation of the State of “Israel”, and today their descendants number around five million, spread across the world.
Ahmed Farhat
The UNRWA said the renewed fighting in the besieged refugee camp of Al-Yarmouk in Damascus prevented its workers from distributing aid to the residents and demanded the warring parties to end the violence in the camp. UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said the agency has been unable to distribute food parcels in Yarmouk since Sunday and called on the parties to the conflict to immediately allow the resumption of relief operations.
"UNRWA remains deeply concerned about the desperate humanitarian situation in Yarmouk and the fact that increasing tensions and resort to armed force have disrupted its efforts to alleviate the desperate plight of civilians," he said.
Gunmen from Al-Nusra front on Sunday deployed themselves once again inside the camp after they claimed that the Syrian regime did not abide by the terms of the truce it had agreed upon, while militias supporting the regime considered such step by the front a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
The Syrian observer for human rights also asserted that the armed violence resumed in the camp between Al-Nusra front and the popular front for the liberation of Palestine-general command (PFLP-GC), one of the Syrian regime's allies.
Activists from the camp reported that one refugee was killed and three others suffered injuries during a mortar attack on the camp.
The UNRWA said the renewed fighting in the besieged refugee camp of Al-Yarmouk in Damascus prevented its workers from distributing aid to the residents and demanded the warring parties to end the violence in the camp. UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said the agency has been unable to distribute food parcels in Yarmouk since Sunday and called on the parties to the conflict to immediately allow the resumption of relief operations.
"UNRWA remains deeply concerned about the desperate humanitarian situation in Yarmouk and the fact that increasing tensions and resort to armed force have disrupted its efforts to alleviate the desperate plight of civilians," he said.
Gunmen from Al-Nusra front on Sunday deployed themselves once again inside the camp after they claimed that the Syrian regime did not abide by the terms of the truce it had agreed upon, while militias supporting the regime considered such step by the front a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
The Syrian observer for human rights also asserted that the armed violence resumed in the camp between Al-Nusra front and the popular front for the liberation of Palestine-general command (PFLP-GC), one of the Syrian regime's allies.
Activists from the camp reported that one refugee was killed and three others suffered injuries during a mortar attack on the camp.
3 mar 2014
Firefights and shelling on Sunday shattered a weeks-old truce at the Yarmouk Palestinian camp in Damascus, but a ceasefire allowed residents to return to another besieged area near Syria's capital.
Syria's three-year conflict is estimated to have killed more than 140,000 people, forced millions to flee the homes, and taken a brutal toll on children increasingly threatened by disease.
On Sunday the United Nations said millions of children across the Middle East were to be vaccinated against polio after the crippling illness resurfaced in Syria for the first time in 15 years.
Meanwhile some good news emerged with Spanish journalist Marc Marginedas released by Wahhabi militants in Syria after six months in captivity, said his employer El Periodico newspaper.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front and the pro-regime Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine -- General Command had resumed hostilities in Yarmouk.
"The truce has been broken," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
The ceasefire had taken hold on Feb. 10 when al-Nusra withdrew its fighters from Yarmouk after months of fierce battles between rebels and forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar Assad.
The army laid siege to the camp, trapping tens of thousands of people inside, including Palestinian refugees and Syrians who had fled violence from other parts of the country.
The camp's population shrunk to 40,000 from more than 150,000 and conditions deteriorated to the extent that residents were forced to eat grass to survive, with some dying of starvation, activists have said.
In January the UN Relief and Works agency began distributing aid in Yarmouk after clinching a deal with the warring parties, with 7,500 food parcels handed out since then.
At least one person was killed in Sunday's renewed violence, the Observatory said.
Activists said the fighting and shelling erupted when al-Nusra militants returned to Yarmouk.
"I was out filming and suddenly the shelling started. You should have seen the children: they were terrified," said activist Rami al-Sayed.
UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness deplored the fighting and called for it to end in order to allow the resumption of aid operations.
"UNRWA demands that all parties in Yarmouk cease hostilities and seek to resolve their differences exclusively by peaceful mean," he said on Twitter.
'Everything now calm'
In Moadamiyet al-Sham, southwest of the capital, families displaced by fighting were returning to inspect their homes, visit relatives and consider if it was safe to return for good.
Moadamiyet al-Sham was once home to 100,000 people, but fighting, bombing and an army blockade forced tens of thousands to seek shelter elsewhere.
In December, rebels and President Assad's regime agreed a truce, after the town had been besieged for more than a year by government forces.
"We've been told everything is calm now, so we've decided to return just to see the house," a mother of two who fled 14 months ago told AFP at an army checkpoint on the edge of the town.
Some 15,000 people still live in Moadamiyet al-Sham, where aid has trickled in since the truce was clinched, but basic services apparently are still lacking.
"Electricity is still cut off inside," said another women, accompanied by her four children.
In Madrid, El Periodico newspaper said Marginedas, who was abducted by Wahhabi militants on September 4 in central Syria, had been released at dawn and was undertaking medical tests in Turkey.
The UN Children's Fund UNICEF said on Sunday that mass vaccinations against polio had been launched in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, and Syria and an operation was to get underway March 9 in Lebanon.
Inside Syria, the campaign was targeting 1.6 million children, it said.
Syria's three-year conflict is estimated to have killed more than 140,000 people, forced millions to flee the homes, and taken a brutal toll on children increasingly threatened by disease.
On Sunday the United Nations said millions of children across the Middle East were to be vaccinated against polio after the crippling illness resurfaced in Syria for the first time in 15 years.
Meanwhile some good news emerged with Spanish journalist Marc Marginedas released by Wahhabi militants in Syria after six months in captivity, said his employer El Periodico newspaper.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front and the pro-regime Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine -- General Command had resumed hostilities in Yarmouk.
"The truce has been broken," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
The ceasefire had taken hold on Feb. 10 when al-Nusra withdrew its fighters from Yarmouk after months of fierce battles between rebels and forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar Assad.
The army laid siege to the camp, trapping tens of thousands of people inside, including Palestinian refugees and Syrians who had fled violence from other parts of the country.
The camp's population shrunk to 40,000 from more than 150,000 and conditions deteriorated to the extent that residents were forced to eat grass to survive, with some dying of starvation, activists have said.
In January the UN Relief and Works agency began distributing aid in Yarmouk after clinching a deal with the warring parties, with 7,500 food parcels handed out since then.
At least one person was killed in Sunday's renewed violence, the Observatory said.
Activists said the fighting and shelling erupted when al-Nusra militants returned to Yarmouk.
"I was out filming and suddenly the shelling started. You should have seen the children: they were terrified," said activist Rami al-Sayed.
UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness deplored the fighting and called for it to end in order to allow the resumption of aid operations.
"UNRWA demands that all parties in Yarmouk cease hostilities and seek to resolve their differences exclusively by peaceful mean," he said on Twitter.
'Everything now calm'
In Moadamiyet al-Sham, southwest of the capital, families displaced by fighting were returning to inspect their homes, visit relatives and consider if it was safe to return for good.
Moadamiyet al-Sham was once home to 100,000 people, but fighting, bombing and an army blockade forced tens of thousands to seek shelter elsewhere.
In December, rebels and President Assad's regime agreed a truce, after the town had been besieged for more than a year by government forces.
"We've been told everything is calm now, so we've decided to return just to see the house," a mother of two who fled 14 months ago told AFP at an army checkpoint on the edge of the town.
Some 15,000 people still live in Moadamiyet al-Sham, where aid has trickled in since the truce was clinched, but basic services apparently are still lacking.
"Electricity is still cut off inside," said another women, accompanied by her four children.
In Madrid, El Periodico newspaper said Marginedas, who was abducted by Wahhabi militants on September 4 in central Syria, had been released at dawn and was undertaking medical tests in Turkey.
The UN Children's Fund UNICEF said on Sunday that mass vaccinations against polio had been launched in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, and Syria and an operation was to get underway March 9 in Lebanon.
Inside Syria, the campaign was targeting 1.6 million children, it said.
Ahmed Farhat, ambulance driver
Two Palestinian refugees were killed in Syria on Sunday as a result of the continued shelling targeting refugee camps in that war-torn Arab country.
The Action Group for Palestinians in Syria said in a statement on Monday that Ahmed Farhat, an ambulance driver, was killed in the Syrian regular army’s shelling of Yarmouk refugee camp.
It added that Khalil Diyab was killed with a random bullet during exchange of fire between cattle thieves and guards in Deraa.
The group said that Yarmouk refugee camp came under intermittent shelling that targeted the main street causing casualties and material damage.
It said that violent shelling targeted the vicinity of Khan Al-Sheikh refugee camp, adding that the refugees were concerned that the shelling might reach them.
Two Palestinians killed in Syria
Two Palestinians were killed Sunday in the Palestinian refugee camps in Syria due the ongoing clashes and shelling. Action Group for Palestinians of Syria said Ahmed Farahat, an ambulance driver, was killed and others Palestinian refugees injured in a heavy shelling at Yarmouk refugee camp
In Der’a town, Palestinian refugee Khalil Diab was shot dead in clashes between thieves and guards of a farmland.
The Group pointed out the food aids have been stopped to the Palestinian Yarmouk refugee camp. The patients are not allowed to get out and unable to be treated any more. Militants from Nusra Front spread in the camp under the pretext of that Syrian regime and the General Command of the Popular Front had broken the signed agreement which stated not to involve the Palestinian refugees in Syria in the ongoing conflict.
Khan al-Sheikh refugee camp was exposed to heavy shelling on Sunday. The Syrian security arrested Palestinian Fateh Shreih when she arrived to Aleppo coming from Turkey, the group added, the security arrested one of her sons 8 months ago.
Inhabitants of Palestinian Alhusainiah refugee camp demand to return to their homes. They have forced to leave their homes due to the violent clashes since five months ago, the group mentioned.
Two Palestinian refugees were killed in Syria on Sunday as a result of the continued shelling targeting refugee camps in that war-torn Arab country.
The Action Group for Palestinians in Syria said in a statement on Monday that Ahmed Farhat, an ambulance driver, was killed in the Syrian regular army’s shelling of Yarmouk refugee camp.
It added that Khalil Diyab was killed with a random bullet during exchange of fire between cattle thieves and guards in Deraa.
The group said that Yarmouk refugee camp came under intermittent shelling that targeted the main street causing casualties and material damage.
It said that violent shelling targeted the vicinity of Khan Al-Sheikh refugee camp, adding that the refugees were concerned that the shelling might reach them.
Two Palestinians killed in Syria
Two Palestinians were killed Sunday in the Palestinian refugee camps in Syria due the ongoing clashes and shelling. Action Group for Palestinians of Syria said Ahmed Farahat, an ambulance driver, was killed and others Palestinian refugees injured in a heavy shelling at Yarmouk refugee camp
In Der’a town, Palestinian refugee Khalil Diab was shot dead in clashes between thieves and guards of a farmland.
The Group pointed out the food aids have been stopped to the Palestinian Yarmouk refugee camp. The patients are not allowed to get out and unable to be treated any more. Militants from Nusra Front spread in the camp under the pretext of that Syrian regime and the General Command of the Popular Front had broken the signed agreement which stated not to involve the Palestinian refugees in Syria in the ongoing conflict.
Khan al-Sheikh refugee camp was exposed to heavy shelling on Sunday. The Syrian security arrested Palestinian Fateh Shreih when she arrived to Aleppo coming from Turkey, the group added, the security arrested one of her sons 8 months ago.
Inhabitants of Palestinian Alhusainiah refugee camp demand to return to their homes. They have forced to leave their homes due to the violent clashes since five months ago, the group mentioned.
