Hamas Reveals Secret Talks with Israel over Long-term Quiet
A senior Hamas official revealed on Sunday that the Gaza-based Islamist group has been speaking with Israel indirectly through European mediation. Israel avers a long-standing “refusal to negotiate with terrorists” that includes Hamas. But Hamas official Ahmad Yousef told the Ma’an news agency that, “we await the formation of an Israeli government so things can get more serious. European diplomats and civil society activists come to the Gaza Strip constantly and pose Israeli viewpoints and convey the reaction of the movement [to Israeli officials] through unofficial chats.” According to Yousef, issues that were ripe for discussion at the end of last summer’s war between Israel and Hamas are being bandied about, including the Hamas demand for air and sea ports in the Gaza Strip. On Sunday, Palestinian Authority chief negotiator Sa’ib Erakat told members of the foreign press in Jerusalem that the most important issue facing the Palestinians is the reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas so that Palestinian territory can come under a “single authority.” Yousef said the upcoming visit by former US president Jimmy Carter will deal with reconciliation and other issues including a ceasefire with Israel and Palestinian elections. He told Ma’an that, “Hamas has a lot of important cards to play, and surprises on the topic of the missing soldiers.”
Four Terrorists Killed Planting Bomb on Israel-Syria Border
Four terrorists who were spotted by the Israeli army’s sophisticated border surveillance system as they were planting explosives along the border with Syria were killed Sunday night when air support was called in to neutralize the threat. According to the army, the incident took place on the Israeli side of the border near an abandoned military base along the buffer zone between the two countries, in the same area where one year ago Israeli troops shot and killed two Hizbullah operatives planting explosives.
French Want to Know How Assad’s Uncle Amassed his Fortune
French government officials want to know how the uncle of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad amassed a fortune in France after arriving penniless thirty years ago. According to the French news agency AFP, Rifat Assad, brother of the late President Hafez Al-Assad, is now worth some 90 million Euros, or about $97.7 million, much of it tied to Luxembourg-based businesses. But the French report Assad owns two apartment blocks and other valuable land in Paris in addition to a stud farm and two mansions. The AFP report cites family members as saying much of the wealth came from wealthy Saudi supporters while an activist group targeting financial crimes claims Rifat stole his wealth while at the Syrian regime’s center of power. The report quotes a Syrian expert from a French university who suggests the Saudis would have no reason to shower Rifat, “who doesn’t represent anything,” with wealth. During the 1970s and 1980s, he commanded the deadly Syrian internal security forces. It was during his reign that the Hama massacre in which as many as 50,000 Syrians were slaughtered, took place.
Saudi Bombardments Resume in Yemen as Ground War Heats Up
The Saudi-led air bombardments against targets in Yemen that were declared to be “over” last week were very much in evidence on Sunday as fighter jets struck in tandem with naval shelling and ground operations against the Shiite Houthis who have taken over the country. Jets pounded targets in the capital Sana’a while ships’ guns pummeled the southern port city of Aden. Despite last week’s announcement that the battle had reached a new phase, residents say there was no evidence that the Iranian-supported Houthis had been halted or that their gains have been neutralized. Former President Ali Saleh, a backer of the Houthis, called for peace talks but Yemeni Foreign Minister Riyadh Yaseen said the call was “unacceptable after all the destruction Saleh has caused.” He said fighting will continue until the Houthis withdraw from all areas they have conquered.