26 nov 2012
Stray bullets from Syria hit Israeli military vehicle
An Israeli military border patrol vehicle was hit by stray bullets fired from Syria in the Golan Heights on Sunday but there were no casualties, a military spokeswoman said.
The incident was the latest apparent stray firing during gunbattles in Syria between the forces of President Bashar Assad and insurgents who have been fighting a 20-month-long civil war.
"Gunfire hit a patrol vehicle along the border but caused no damage; a complaint was lodged with the United Nations which is investigating," the spokeswoman said.
Israel has been on high alert along its northern border as the insurgency throughout Syria has spread to villages and towns nearby. Similar spillovers from fighting have alarmed other neighbors of Syria, including Lebanon and Turkey.
The UN has a peacekeeping force in the area monitoring a ceasefire in place since the 1970s. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 war and later annexed it in a move never recognized internationally.
Technically, Syria and Israel are still at war, but the Golan, a strategic plateau, has been largely quiet for decades.
Last week Israeli troops fired artillery shells into Syria in response to a number of incidents in which mortar shells and bullets hit Israeli military and civil installations on the Golan Heights
The incident was the latest apparent stray firing during gunbattles in Syria between the forces of President Bashar Assad and insurgents who have been fighting a 20-month-long civil war.
"Gunfire hit a patrol vehicle along the border but caused no damage; a complaint was lodged with the United Nations which is investigating," the spokeswoman said.
Israel has been on high alert along its northern border as the insurgency throughout Syria has spread to villages and towns nearby. Similar spillovers from fighting have alarmed other neighbors of Syria, including Lebanon and Turkey.
The UN has a peacekeeping force in the area monitoring a ceasefire in place since the 1970s. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 war and later annexed it in a move never recognized internationally.
Technically, Syria and Israel are still at war, but the Golan, a strategic plateau, has been largely quiet for decades.
Last week Israeli troops fired artillery shells into Syria in response to a number of incidents in which mortar shells and bullets hit Israeli military and civil installations on the Golan Heights
23 nov 2012
PFLP-GC leader 'injured in assassination attempt' in Damascus
A leader in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command was critically injured and four people were killed in an attempted assassination in Damascus on Wednesday, a senior official in the movement said.
A PFLP-GC source said Liwa al-Asifah Brigade fighters planted a bomb in Khalid Atteiq's car, injuring him and killing four others, in the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus.
He accused the Liwa al-Asifah Brigades of trying to stir strife and drag Palestinians into Syria's uprising.
Al-Yarmouk News, a Facebook page reporting on events in the camp, said Atteiq was critically injured while trying to dismantle the explosive device in his car on Ein al-Ghazal street.
Yarmouk camp is largely under the control of PFLP-GC, which is aligned with embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Syrian rebels accuse PFLP-GC of cracking down on dissent in Yarmouk. In October, rebels announced they had begun arming Palestinians to establish the Liwa al-Asifah to wrest control of the camp.
Palestinian officials insist that refugees in Syria are not involved in the deadly war rocking the country, citing security concerns for the vulnerable refugee population if they are perceived to take sides.
But Syria's uprising has split Palestinian loyalties, with many ordinary Palestinians sympathetic to the uprising by their fellow Sunnis, and others recalling the Syrian government's long-support for Palestinians.
Syria hosts more than 500,000 Palestinian refugees, according to United Nations figures.
A PFLP-GC source said Liwa al-Asifah Brigade fighters planted a bomb in Khalid Atteiq's car, injuring him and killing four others, in the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus.
He accused the Liwa al-Asifah Brigades of trying to stir strife and drag Palestinians into Syria's uprising.
Al-Yarmouk News, a Facebook page reporting on events in the camp, said Atteiq was critically injured while trying to dismantle the explosive device in his car on Ein al-Ghazal street.
Yarmouk camp is largely under the control of PFLP-GC, which is aligned with embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Syrian rebels accuse PFLP-GC of cracking down on dissent in Yarmouk. In October, rebels announced they had begun arming Palestinians to establish the Liwa al-Asifah to wrest control of the camp.
Palestinian officials insist that refugees in Syria are not involved in the deadly war rocking the country, citing security concerns for the vulnerable refugee population if they are perceived to take sides.
But Syria's uprising has split Palestinian loyalties, with many ordinary Palestinians sympathetic to the uprising by their fellow Sunnis, and others recalling the Syrian government's long-support for Palestinians.
Syria hosts more than 500,000 Palestinian refugees, according to United Nations figures.
18 nov 2012
Israel fires artillery shells at Syrian forces
An Israeli tank in a firing position in the Golan Heights overlooking the Syrian village of Bariqa
Israeli forces in the Golan Heights have fired artillery shells at Syrian troops in the second direct clash between the hostile neighbors since the Syrian crisis began in March 2011.
An Israeli army spokeswoman, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Israeli artillery fired into Syria early on Sunday after gunfire from Syria hit an army vehicle, AFP reported.
There were no reports of injuries or casualties from the gunfire on the vehicle.
On November 12, Israeli tanks struck a Syrian artillery launcher after a stray mortar shell flew into the Israel-held territory.
The Israeli regime seized the Syrian territory on the strategically important Golan Heights in the 1967 war. Tel Aviv annexed the territory on December 14, 1981 -- a move which has been met with international condemnation.
Israeli forces in the Golan Heights have fired artillery shells at Syrian troops in the second direct clash between the hostile neighbors since the Syrian crisis began in March 2011.
An Israeli army spokeswoman, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Israeli artillery fired into Syria early on Sunday after gunfire from Syria hit an army vehicle, AFP reported.
There were no reports of injuries or casualties from the gunfire on the vehicle.
On November 12, Israeli tanks struck a Syrian artillery launcher after a stray mortar shell flew into the Israel-held territory.
The Israeli regime seized the Syrian territory on the strategically important Golan Heights in the 1967 war. Tel Aviv annexed the territory on December 14, 1981 -- a move which has been met with international condemnation.
12 nov 2012
Activists: 7 Palestinians killed in Damascus camp
Seven Palestinian refugees were killed Monday in a refugee camp in Damascus, the Yarmouk coordination committee said.
The committee said forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad shelled al-Tadamon neighborhood, causing a huge fire on Palestine Street. Free Syrian Army rebels destroyed an army tank on the same street, the group added.
Imad Arabi, Jihad Younis, Iman Azimeh and Mahmoud Kassab were among those killed, according to the committee.
Russia on Friday said it was "deeply concerned" by reports that each side in the Syrian conflict was enlisting and arming Palestinian refugees.
"We call for the participants of the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic to show restraint and do all possible for Palestinian refugees not to be dragged into the Syrian confrontation and for places of their residence not to become objects of hostility," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
President Mahmoud Abbas has asked the United Nations and Russia, one of Assad's last remaining allies, to work to protect Palestinians in Syria.
The Russian Foreign Ministry statement said the plight of refugees in Syria "shows the relevance of a speedy overall Israeli-Palestinian settlement, an integral part of which must be a just solution to the problem of Palestinian refugees".
UNRWA chief Filippo Grandi on Tuesday told a UN committee that most of the 518,000 Palestinian refugees in Syria were directly affected by the conflict in Syria and a significant number had been killed, injured and forced to flee.
"It is with extreme concern that we observe Palestine refugees in Syria being progressively engulfed in the conflict," said Grandi, commissioner-general of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
He added: "Prior to the conflict, Palestine refugees in Syria were already among the poorer strata of society. This pre-existing vulnerability is profoundly aggravated by the impact of the war."
The UN official said some Palestinian refugees had been sent back from neighboring countries and stressed that "Palestine refugees leaving Syria for temporary protection are fleeing the same grave risks and dangers as other refugees."
"In spite of the relatively small number of Palestine refugees that have left Syria, their plight sadly confirms our view that -- no matter how long they have lived in host countries and how hospitably they have been treated -- they remain extremely vulnerable and exposed to the shocks of crises, given the centrality and sensitivity of the Palestinian question in the regional context."
The committee said forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad shelled al-Tadamon neighborhood, causing a huge fire on Palestine Street. Free Syrian Army rebels destroyed an army tank on the same street, the group added.
Imad Arabi, Jihad Younis, Iman Azimeh and Mahmoud Kassab were among those killed, according to the committee.
Russia on Friday said it was "deeply concerned" by reports that each side in the Syrian conflict was enlisting and arming Palestinian refugees.
"We call for the participants of the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic to show restraint and do all possible for Palestinian refugees not to be dragged into the Syrian confrontation and for places of their residence not to become objects of hostility," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
President Mahmoud Abbas has asked the United Nations and Russia, one of Assad's last remaining allies, to work to protect Palestinians in Syria.
The Russian Foreign Ministry statement said the plight of refugees in Syria "shows the relevance of a speedy overall Israeli-Palestinian settlement, an integral part of which must be a just solution to the problem of Palestinian refugees".
UNRWA chief Filippo Grandi on Tuesday told a UN committee that most of the 518,000 Palestinian refugees in Syria were directly affected by the conflict in Syria and a significant number had been killed, injured and forced to flee.
"It is with extreme concern that we observe Palestine refugees in Syria being progressively engulfed in the conflict," said Grandi, commissioner-general of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
He added: "Prior to the conflict, Palestine refugees in Syria were already among the poorer strata of society. This pre-existing vulnerability is profoundly aggravated by the impact of the war."
The UN official said some Palestinian refugees had been sent back from neighboring countries and stressed that "Palestine refugees leaving Syria for temporary protection are fleeing the same grave risks and dangers as other refugees."
"In spite of the relatively small number of Palestine refugees that have left Syria, their plight sadly confirms our view that -- no matter how long they have lived in host countries and how hospitably they have been treated -- they remain extremely vulnerable and exposed to the shocks of crises, given the centrality and sensitivity of the Palestinian question in the regional context."
Israel returns fire as Syria shell lands in Golan Heights
Israeli soldier signals as an armored personnel carrier advances during a drill in the Golan Heights
A Syrian mortar shell landed in the Golan Heights on Monday as fighting from Syria spilled into the Israeli-occupied territory for the third time in five days, Israel's army said.
An Israeli army spokesman said Israeli forces fired tank shells after the mortar bomb exploded in a central area of the Golan Heights. Israeli military sources said Syrian mobile artillery was directly hit in the incident.
Military sources would not say if the mortar bomb was fired by Syrian army forces or by the rebels they are battling in and around the UN-patrolled area of separation.
On Sunday, Israel fired a guided missile into Syria in a potent "warning shot" after mortar fire from fighting between Syrian troops and rebels hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Israel Radio said it was the first direct engagement of the Syrian military on the Golan since the countries' 1973 war. It highlighted international fears that Syria's civil war could ignite wider regional conflict.
"The IDF has filed a complaint through the UN forces operating in the area, stating that fire emanating from Syria into Israel will not be tolerated and shall be responded to with severity," an army statement said.
Earlier Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak threatened to respond should stray Syrian ordnance continue to strike the Israeli-occupied Golan.
"The message has certainly been relayed. To tell you confidently that no shell will fall? I cannot. If a shell falls, we will respond," Barak told Israel's Army Radio, without elaborating.
A Syrian mortar bomb, one of a salvo, hit an Israeli settlement on the Golan on Thursday but did not explode.
Earlier this month, Israel complained to the United Nations after three Syrian tanks entered a Golan demilitarized zone. Israel also said a stray Syrian bullet hit one its army jeeps on patrol.
Syrian rebels fighting to topple President Bashar Assad have been fighting his army for months in towns inside and adjacent to the area of separation between Israel and Syria, along the disengagement line drawn at the end of their 1973 war.
Technically the countries are still at war, but the Golan, a strategic plateau Israel captured in 1967, has been largely quiet for decades.
A Syrian mortar shell landed in the Golan Heights on Monday as fighting from Syria spilled into the Israeli-occupied territory for the third time in five days, Israel's army said.
An Israeli army spokesman said Israeli forces fired tank shells after the mortar bomb exploded in a central area of the Golan Heights. Israeli military sources said Syrian mobile artillery was directly hit in the incident.
Military sources would not say if the mortar bomb was fired by Syrian army forces or by the rebels they are battling in and around the UN-patrolled area of separation.
On Sunday, Israel fired a guided missile into Syria in a potent "warning shot" after mortar fire from fighting between Syrian troops and rebels hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Israel Radio said it was the first direct engagement of the Syrian military on the Golan since the countries' 1973 war. It highlighted international fears that Syria's civil war could ignite wider regional conflict.
"The IDF has filed a complaint through the UN forces operating in the area, stating that fire emanating from Syria into Israel will not be tolerated and shall be responded to with severity," an army statement said.
Earlier Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak threatened to respond should stray Syrian ordnance continue to strike the Israeli-occupied Golan.
"The message has certainly been relayed. To tell you confidently that no shell will fall? I cannot. If a shell falls, we will respond," Barak told Israel's Army Radio, without elaborating.
A Syrian mortar bomb, one of a salvo, hit an Israeli settlement on the Golan on Thursday but did not explode.
Earlier this month, Israel complained to the United Nations after three Syrian tanks entered a Golan demilitarized zone. Israel also said a stray Syrian bullet hit one its army jeeps on patrol.
Syrian rebels fighting to topple President Bashar Assad have been fighting his army for months in towns inside and adjacent to the area of separation between Israel and Syria, along the disengagement line drawn at the end of their 1973 war.
Technically the countries are still at war, but the Golan, a strategic plateau Israel captured in 1967, has been largely quiet for decades.
11 nov 2012
Military: Israel fires warning shots into Syria after Golan shelling
Israeli forces fired "warning shots" into Syria on Sunday after stray mortar fire from fighting between Syrian forces and rebels hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Israel's military said.
A statement said soldiers fired warning shots toward Syrian areas after a mortar shell hit an army post in the Golan Heights adjacent to the Israel-Syria border.
"The IDF has filed a complaint through the UN forces operating in the area, stating that fire emanating from Syria into Israel will not be tolerated and shall be responded to with severity," it said.
There were no reports of injury or damage.
Earlier Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak threatened to respond should stray Syrian ordnance continue to strike the Israeli-occupied Golan.
"The message has certainly been relayed. To tell you confidently that no shell will fall? I cannot. If a shell falls, we will respond," Barak told Israel's Army Radio, without elaborating.
A Syrian mortar bomb, one of a salvo, hit an Israeli settlement on the Golan on Thursday but did not explode. Earlier this month, Israel complained to the United Nations after three Syrian tanks entered a Golan demilitarized zone. Israel also said a stray Syrian bullet hit one its army jeeps on patrol.
Israel has tried to stay out of the 19-month-old Syrian insurgency, reluctant to be drawn into another war and unclear about whether a post-Assad Syria might prove more hostile.
But Barak said on Thursday he hoped the rebels would win, Assad would fall and that "a new stage in the life of Syria will begin".
Israel's military chief, Lt-Gen. Benny Gantz, warned troops on the Golan Heights a week ago: "This is a Syrian issue that could become our issue."
A statement said soldiers fired warning shots toward Syrian areas after a mortar shell hit an army post in the Golan Heights adjacent to the Israel-Syria border.
"The IDF has filed a complaint through the UN forces operating in the area, stating that fire emanating from Syria into Israel will not be tolerated and shall be responded to with severity," it said.
There were no reports of injury or damage.
Earlier Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak threatened to respond should stray Syrian ordnance continue to strike the Israeli-occupied Golan.
"The message has certainly been relayed. To tell you confidently that no shell will fall? I cannot. If a shell falls, we will respond," Barak told Israel's Army Radio, without elaborating.
A Syrian mortar bomb, one of a salvo, hit an Israeli settlement on the Golan on Thursday but did not explode. Earlier this month, Israel complained to the United Nations after three Syrian tanks entered a Golan demilitarized zone. Israel also said a stray Syrian bullet hit one its army jeeps on patrol.
Israel has tried to stay out of the 19-month-old Syrian insurgency, reluctant to be drawn into another war and unclear about whether a post-Assad Syria might prove more hostile.
But Barak said on Thursday he hoped the rebels would win, Assad would fall and that "a new stage in the life of Syria will begin".
Israel's military chief, Lt-Gen. Benny Gantz, warned troops on the Golan Heights a week ago: "This is a Syrian issue that could become our issue."
10 nov 2012
Qatar, Israel discuss plans to assassinate Syrian president: Report
Bashar al-Assad
A Lebanese newspaper has disclosed that Qatar and Israel have held a secret meeting to review plans to assassinate Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Arabic-language Ad-Diyar newspaper said the meeting which was held in the occupied lands included Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani, Qatari intelligence chief Ahmed Nasser bin Jassim al-Thani, head of Israeli spy agency the Mossad Tamir Pardo and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The report added that Mossad chief also offered several proposals for assassination of the Syrian president.
The Qatari premier also said that his country is ready to supply Israel with free natural gas and very low-priced gasoline for two years after the assassination is carried out.
Netanyahu also asked the Qatari officials whether the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC) is ready to recognize Israel after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad.
Syria accuses Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey as well as some Western countries of fanning the flames of violence that have erupted in the country since mid-March 2011.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar also publicity announced that they are supporting and arming the insurgents in Syria.
A Lebanese newspaper has disclosed that Qatar and Israel have held a secret meeting to review plans to assassinate Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Arabic-language Ad-Diyar newspaper said the meeting which was held in the occupied lands included Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani, Qatari intelligence chief Ahmed Nasser bin Jassim al-Thani, head of Israeli spy agency the Mossad Tamir Pardo and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The report added that Mossad chief also offered several proposals for assassination of the Syrian president.
The Qatari premier also said that his country is ready to supply Israel with free natural gas and very low-priced gasoline for two years after the assassination is carried out.
Netanyahu also asked the Qatari officials whether the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC) is ready to recognize Israel after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad.
Syria accuses Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey as well as some Western countries of fanning the flames of violence that have erupted in the country since mid-March 2011.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar also publicity announced that they are supporting and arming the insurgents in Syria.
9 nov 2012
Syrian security forces storm Office of Hamas leader Ezzat Rishq
Hamas movement announced that the Syrian security services raided on Thursday the Office of member of its Political Bureau, Ezzat Rishq, and closed it after confiscating the cars belonging to it.
The Syrian security services had raided on Wednesday and Tuesday, houses and offices of the head of the movement's political bureau Khaled Mashaal, his deputy Dr. Mousa Abu Marzouk, and the member of the movement's Political Bureau Imad al-Alami.
The Syrian forces had changed the locks of doors of the offices and houses, then closed them and confiscated the Hamas leaders' vehicles.
They had also stormed earlier, on the tenth of last month, a farm owned by Hamas in the area of "Drousha", in Rural Damascus, and confiscated all its properties, including dozens of vehicles parked there after the members of the movement had left Syria following the deterioration of the situation there.
For his part, the member of Hamas political bureau Izzat al-Rishq minimized the importance of break-ins which the Syrian security services launched against houses, offices and properties of Hamas leaders in Syria.
Commenting on the news of raiding his office on Thursday by the Syrian security services and the confiscation of its contents, Rishq told Quds Press Agency: "All our offices and properties in Syria do not equal a finger of a Syrian civilian or a Palestinian refugee in Syria, nor even a drop of their blood."
The Syrian security services have started on Wednesday a raids campaign targeting houses and offices of leaders of the Islamic Resistance Movement.
The Syrian security services had raided on Wednesday and Tuesday, houses and offices of the head of the movement's political bureau Khaled Mashaal, his deputy Dr. Mousa Abu Marzouk, and the member of the movement's Political Bureau Imad al-Alami.
The Syrian forces had changed the locks of doors of the offices and houses, then closed them and confiscated the Hamas leaders' vehicles.
They had also stormed earlier, on the tenth of last month, a farm owned by Hamas in the area of "Drousha", in Rural Damascus, and confiscated all its properties, including dozens of vehicles parked there after the members of the movement had left Syria following the deterioration of the situation there.
For his part, the member of Hamas political bureau Izzat al-Rishq minimized the importance of break-ins which the Syrian security services launched against houses, offices and properties of Hamas leaders in Syria.
Commenting on the news of raiding his office on Thursday by the Syrian security services and the confiscation of its contents, Rishq told Quds Press Agency: "All our offices and properties in Syria do not equal a finger of a Syrian civilian or a Palestinian refugee in Syria, nor even a drop of their blood."
The Syrian security services have started on Wednesday a raids campaign targeting houses and offices of leaders of the Islamic Resistance Movement.
7 nov 2012
Hamas: Syrian security closes Mishaal, Alami offices
Hamas said that Syrian security men stormed a number of the movement’s offices in Damascus including the home of its leader Khaled Mishaal and closed it after confiscating all its content.
The movement said in a terse press release on Wednesday that Syrian security forces stormed the house and office of Mishaal on Monday, listed its content, changed its locks, and closed it and confiscated the office’s cars.
It said that the Syrian security apparatuses on Tuesday broke into the office of Emad Al-Alami, a political bureau member, and closed it then confiscated all its vehicles.
The movement said in a terse press release on Wednesday that Syrian security forces stormed the house and office of Mishaal on Monday, listed its content, changed its locks, and closed it and confiscated the office’s cars.
It said that the Syrian security apparatuses on Tuesday broke into the office of Emad Al-Alami, a political bureau member, and closed it then confiscated all its vehicles.
Ashaal: Damascus abandons last bastion of resistance by closing Hamas's offices
Dr Abdallah El-Ashaal, Political science professor and former Egyptian ambassador, has described Damascus's decision to close Hamas's offices in Syria as "a loss for Hamas, however it also saved the resistance from the burden of the Syrian regime's crimes ."
Al-Ashaal told Quds Press that the decision to close Hamas's offices in Syria is a "loss for both sides, Hamas needs Damascus politically, despite the high cost”.
The decision is also a loss for Syria, whose President Bashar al-Asad has offended his country and its history and resistance, Ashaal said pointing out that the head of the political bureau of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, had advised the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad more than once but in vain.
Supporting the resistance counterbalanced Bashar Assad's suppression of the Syrian people, but now the Syrian people cannot sacrifice their freedom under the cover of supporting the resistance politically, al-Ashaal explained, adding that al-Assad failed first in suppressing his people, and also failed to use the resistance in favor of his war against the Syrian people.
Therefore, the positive impact of closing Hamas's offices lies in removing the resistance cover from Assad's crimes against his people and his nation, he said.
Al-Ashaal told Quds Press that the decision to close Hamas's offices in Syria is a "loss for both sides, Hamas needs Damascus politically, despite the high cost”.
The decision is also a loss for Syria, whose President Bashar al-Asad has offended his country and its history and resistance, Ashaal said pointing out that the head of the political bureau of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, had advised the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad more than once but in vain.
Supporting the resistance counterbalanced Bashar Assad's suppression of the Syrian people, but now the Syrian people cannot sacrifice their freedom under the cover of supporting the resistance politically, al-Ashaal explained, adding that al-Assad failed first in suppressing his people, and also failed to use the resistance in favor of his war against the Syrian people.
Therefore, the positive impact of closing Hamas's offices lies in removing the resistance cover from Assad's crimes against his people and his nation, he said.
Gaza Government condemns the killing of Palestinians in Syria
The Palestinian government in Gaza denounced what it called "murder crimes" against the Palestinian refugees in Syria, stressing the need to stop these crimes and neutralize the Palestinian refugees.
"We condemn the killings against Palestinian refugees in Syria, and we emphasize the need to neutralize them from the Syrian internal affairs," the government said in a press release at the end of its weekly meeting yesterday evening.
On the other hand, the Gaza government called on the head of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas to "apologize to the Palestinian people for his shocking statements about the right of return," describing them as "national crime."
Meanwhile, the government condemned the Israeli decisions to establish new settlements in the occupied Jerusalem "which came to complete the final steps to Judaize the holy city and change its demographic character".
The government also called on the Arab and Islamic countries to pressure the occupation to stop these measures and protect Jerusalem.
Moreover, the government condemned the irresponsible statements that criticize the visits of international officials to the Gaza Strip in order to break the siege, calling for intensifying such visits.
"We condemn the killings against Palestinian refugees in Syria, and we emphasize the need to neutralize them from the Syrian internal affairs," the government said in a press release at the end of its weekly meeting yesterday evening.
On the other hand, the Gaza government called on the head of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas to "apologize to the Palestinian people for his shocking statements about the right of return," describing them as "national crime."
Meanwhile, the government condemned the Israeli decisions to establish new settlements in the occupied Jerusalem "which came to complete the final steps to Judaize the holy city and change its demographic character".
The government also called on the Arab and Islamic countries to pressure the occupation to stop these measures and protect Jerusalem.
Moreover, the government condemned the irresponsible statements that criticize the visits of international officials to the Gaza Strip in order to break the siege, calling for intensifying such visits.
5 nov 2012
7 Palestinians killed in Damascus (27 killed today)
Syrian government forces on Monday shelled a bus killing seven Palestinians in Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus, locals said.
A refugee from Yarmouk told Ma'an that forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad had shelled the bus on a road adjacent to the camp, killing seven. He said they were taken to Palestine Hospital and al-Basil Hospital and buried in al-Shuhada cemetery. Activists told Reuters that Syrian opposition forces had killed seven members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command in Yarmouk on Monday. PFLP-GC has supported Assad's crackdown on the 19-month revolt against his rule, and rebels announced last week they had begun arming Palestinians to wrest control of the camp from the faction. |
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On Sunday, opposition campaigners said the Syrian army shelled rebel positions inside Yarmouk killing at least 20 people.
Palestinian officials insist that refugees in Syria are not involved in the deadly war rocking the country, citing security concerns for the vulnerable refugee population if they are perceived to take sides.
But Syria's uprising has split Palestinian loyalties, with many ordinary Palestinians sympathetic to the uprising by their fellow Sunnis, and others recalling the Syrian government's long-support for Palestinians.
A youth activist told Ma'an on Monday that Fatah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad were working together to provide assistance to residents of Yarmouk, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Syria.
Twenty Killed In Al-Yarmouk Refugee Camp In Syria
Activists in the Syrian opposition stated Sunday that the Syrian army bombarded a location, were armed fighters were believed to be hiding, in the Al-Yarmouk refugee camp, near Damascus, leading to the death of at least 20 persons.
They added that the Al-Yarmouk refugee camp, located near the southern entrance of Damascus, became a battlefield due to armed conflicts took place between the resistance and Syrian soldiers.
Mohammad Al-Hour, one of the opposition activists, told Reuters that Al-Yarmouk refugee camp a high density population, therefore, any shelling will lead to a large number of casualties.
He added that among the twenty killed Sunday were several medics, while dozens of persons were injured due to the bombardment, some seriously.
There are approximately half a million Palestinian refugee living in the Al-Yarmouk refugee camp; most of them were forced into exile during Israel’s creation in the historic land of Palestine in 1948.
It is worth mentioning that the Al-Yarmouk refugee camp was repeatedly bombarded by the Syrian army, an issue that led to dozens of casualties.
Palestinian officials insist that refugees in Syria are not involved in the deadly war rocking the country, citing security concerns for the vulnerable refugee population if they are perceived to take sides.
But Syria's uprising has split Palestinian loyalties, with many ordinary Palestinians sympathetic to the uprising by their fellow Sunnis, and others recalling the Syrian government's long-support for Palestinians.
A youth activist told Ma'an on Monday that Fatah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad were working together to provide assistance to residents of Yarmouk, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Syria.
Twenty Killed In Al-Yarmouk Refugee Camp In Syria
Activists in the Syrian opposition stated Sunday that the Syrian army bombarded a location, were armed fighters were believed to be hiding, in the Al-Yarmouk refugee camp, near Damascus, leading to the death of at least 20 persons.
They added that the Al-Yarmouk refugee camp, located near the southern entrance of Damascus, became a battlefield due to armed conflicts took place between the resistance and Syrian soldiers.
Mohammad Al-Hour, one of the opposition activists, told Reuters that Al-Yarmouk refugee camp a high density population, therefore, any shelling will lead to a large number of casualties.
He added that among the twenty killed Sunday were several medics, while dozens of persons were injured due to the bombardment, some seriously.
There are approximately half a million Palestinian refugee living in the Al-Yarmouk refugee camp; most of them were forced into exile during Israel’s creation in the historic land of Palestine in 1948.
It is worth mentioning that the Al-Yarmouk refugee camp was repeatedly bombarded by the Syrian army, an issue that led to dozens of casualties.
