Al Mayadeen – December 16, 2024
Day 437 of genocide in Gaza: 45,028 martyrs, 106,962 wounded
As the Israeli genocide continues in Gaza, the occupation forces remain unrelentingly brutal and continue murdering civilians across the enclave.
At least 350 Palestinians have been killed over the past week in the Israeli bombardment of homes, shelters, and residential areas across the Gaza Strip, Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza reported.
The bodies of most martyrs remain in the streets or beneath the rubble, while others have been designated as missing persons, as rescue teams find it impossible to reach and retrieve them due to the lack of equipment and machinery needed, prompting limited individual efforts to attempt to carry out the task.
Day 437: 'Israel' commits another gruesome massacre in Khan Younis
In the latest toll issued by the Ministry of Health in Gaza on day 437 of the ongoing genocide, the number of martyrs has reached 45,028, with 106,962 wounded since October 7, 2023.
The Israeli occupation committed seven massacres across the Gaza Strip in 24 hours, killing 52 Palestinians and injuring 203 others, according to the ministry.
This comes as the Israeli occupation continues its relentless genocidal campaign in Gaza, targeting five makeshift shelters for displaced Palestinians over the past few hours.
In the northern district, the Israeli army destroyed several residential buildings and heavily fired on homes in eastern Jabalia town. Meanwhile, its machinery fired intensely toward homes in the al-Saftawi area west of Jabalia.
In Beit Lahia, alongside Israeli artillery shelling near Kamal Adwan Hospital, the occupation forces fired at anyone moving in the hospital courtyards. Additionally, the occupation bombed a house belonging to the al-Muzayni family, resulting in the martyrdom of at least five people and injuries of several others.
Meanwhile, in central Gaza, the occupation's artillery shelled the area west of the al-Nuseirat refugee camp. Among the shelters targeted by the occupation was UNRWA's Abdul Aziz School, located near the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, where over 20 Palestinians were massacred.
Additionally, the occupation launched artillery strikes on the eastern areas of al-Fukhari and Khuzaa towns, east of Khan Younis, while its forces heavily fired toward them.
In the northern part of the strip, the occupation demolished residential buildings in the south, specifically in the al-Jneineh neighborhood, east of Rafah. Israeli warships also fired several shells toward its coastline.
Charred bodies found after Israeli raid on school shelter in Gaza
Gaza's Civil Defense announced the martyrdom of at least 15 Palestinians and the injury of dozens of others Sunday following an Israeli occupation forces' raid on a school sheltering displaced people in Beit Hanoun, the northern Gaza Strip.
The occupation forces stormed Khalil Oweida school in Beit Hanoun after a siege that lasted for hours, accompanied by gunfire and artillery shelling of the surrounding area. This resulted in the killing and injury of several of the displaced people inside the school.
The Israeli occupation army forced women, children, and the elderly sheltering in the school to flee again toward Gaza City and detained dozens of men sheltering there.
The raid on the school, which housed around 1,500 displaced persons, continued, despite the bodies of martyrs and the wounded scattered on the school grounds and surrounding roads.
The Gaza Civil Defense announced in a statement that there were charred bodies of Palestinian victims inside the school.
It was reported that "between 10 to 15 bodies were burned due to the fires caused by the heavy Israeli bombardment that targeted the school’s rooms and facilities."
At least 40 people were martyred after the occupation bombed residential areas in Beit Hanoun and Khalil Awida School, according to Al Mayadeen's correspondent.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/day-437--45-028-martyrs--106-962-wounded
Al Mayadeen – December 16, 2024
'Hiroshima in Tartus': Israeli strikes shake Tartus, martyrs reported
The most violent Israeli aggression on Syria, which targeted Tartus, on Monday at dawn, resulted in the killing and injury of civilians.
Israeli strikes in Tartus countryside caused massive explosions, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported early Monday, as the Israeli regime continues to target and destroy Syria's military capabilities.
Several civilians were killed and injured in what has been described as the heaviest and most violent attacks on Syria since the onset of Israeli aggression. The intense bombardment on the city was so powerful that it caused an earthquake-like tremor, which residents could physically feel, according to Al Mayadeen's correspondent.
Israeli media reporting on the bombing described the aggression as a "Hiroshima in Tartus" due to the intensity of the attacks.
Our correspondent said that the strikes targeted weapons depots in several sites in western Syria.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, "Israeli warplanes launched strikes" targeting a series of sites including air defense units and "surface-to-surface missile depots," with the blasts so powerful they registered as a magnitude 3.0 on seismic sensors.
Videos circulating online captured the moment, showing a bright flash followed by a towering mushroom cloud of smoke.
Researcher Richard Cordaro noted that the blast signal traveled nearly twice as fast as a typical earthquake, detected as far as 820km away in Isnik in western Turkiye by a magnetometer station.
On Monday morning, the occupation resumed its aggression on Syria, targeting a military site in the al-Bukamal desert in the eastern Deir Ezzor province, our correspondent reported.
These strikes coincide with a ground advance into Syrian territories by mechanized Israeli forces, who have occupied the buffer zone east of the Golan, as well as other areas. Israeli occupation forces further expanded their offensive into the Quneitra countryside, occupying several villages in the Daraa province, as well as Beit Jinn farm and Maghar al-Mir in the Damascus countryside.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent noted that on Sunday Israeli occupation forces expanded their advance into the Quneitra province, adding that occupation troops are just 15 km off of the highway connecting Lebanon's capital to Syria's.
Following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad on December 8, the Israeli regime launched wide-scale aerial aggression on Syria, destroying strategic Syrian military capabilities. This includes the vast majority of the Syrian air defense array, as well as ammunition depots, anti-ship missiles, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-strikes-cause-huge-blasts-in-syria-s-coastal-city-of
Al Mayadeen – December 16, 2024
The autonomous administration's manifesto for a 'New Syria'
AANES, the de facto autonomous region in northeastern Syria, outlines notions and measures that should be pursued for the building of a "New Syria".
A special press conference held on Monday saw the democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) announce an initiative to kickstart building a "New Syria".
The conference, held in the Administration's center in the city of Raqqa, attracted an abundance of media outlets and included the initiative's manifesto, read by the co-presidents of the Executive Council, Hussein Othman, and Aven Suweid, as well as a question-answer segment with reporters.
The Syrian Dialogue Initiative for Building a New Syria
The initiative, named the Syrian Dialogue Initiative for Building a New Syria, comes as Syria kickstarts a new era following the collapse of the Assad regime, and calls for unity and collaboration toward working for "a shared roadmap" far from the political exclusion and marginalization that devastated Syria.
All political actors were encouraged to participate in building a "New Syria", even throughout the transitional period.
Therefore, the manifesto urged all political actors and factions to reassess their approaches to one another and prioritize shared national interests. Should this succeed, the Autonomous Administration noted that its cooperation with the Damascus leadership would be in the greater interest and benefit of the Syrian population.
AANES further stated that the initiative for Syrian-Syrian dialogue was proposed based on its responsibilities and duties entrusted by the diverse Syrian people. The manifesto also expressed its perceived value of the positive role Arab countries and actors play in supporting the Syrian people's quest toward building a new nation that guarantees all of their rights, which must be done in a democratic process that includes all participating parties.
Measures proposed for a 'New Syria'
In this context, the administration proposed a set of measures to be followed to achieve their end goal, which come as follows:
- Preserving the unity and sovereignty of Syrian territories and protecting them from attacks carried out by the Turkish state and its mercenaries
- Ceasing military operations across Syrian territories to initiate an inclusive and constructive national dialogue
- Adopting a policy of tolerance and avoiding hate speech and accusations of treason among Syrians, as Syria is a country rich in its components and diversity, which must be preserved on a fair democratic foundation
- Holding an urgent meeting in Damascus, involving Syrian political forces, to unify visions regarding the transitional phase
- Ensuring the effective participation of women in the political process
- Affirming that wealth and economic resources must be distributed equitably among all Syrian regions, as they are the property of all Syrians
- Ensuring the return of Indigenous populations and those forcibly displaced to their areas, preserving their cultural heritage, and ending demographic change policies
- In light of the developments in Syria, we reaffirm our commitment to combating terrorism to prevent the resurgence of ISIS, through cooperation between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the International Coalition Forces.
- Ending the state of occupation and leaving the decision to the Syrian people to shape their future while adhering to the principle of good neighborliness.
- "We welcome the constructive role of Arab states, the United Nations, the International Coalition forces, and all international actors involved in Syrian affairs. We urge them to play a positive and active role in providing advice and support to the Syrian people, bridging differences among its components, and ensuring stability, security, and an end to external interference in Syrian affairs."
- All factions in Syria to be dissolved, no mandatory draft: al-Sharaa
This comes after Ahmad al-Sharaa, the head of the Military Operations Administration in Syria, revealed a set of decisions currently under review by the country's interim government.
In a press meeting on Sunday, al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, confirmed that "there will be no mandatory military conscription, except for certain specialties, which will be obligatory for short periods."
He pointed out that the primary priorities are rebuilding destroyed homes and returning displaced individuals.
Al-Sharaa also confirmed that all factions in Syria will be dissolved, emphasizing that there will be no weapons in the hands of anyone other than the new Syrian state.
Al Mayadeen – December 16, 2024
Hamas warns of the collapse of the international system
The Hamas Movement warned on Sunday that the international system would collapse if it failed to stop Israel’s ongoing crimes in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas stated that the international community’s response to the Israeli crimes embodies an unprecedented i
mage of impotence and imbalance in the international system, warning of its collapse, along with all the values and foundations on which it was founded.
The Israeli army’s brutal crimes in the Gaza Strip, from bombing residential neighborhoods, storming shelters to forced displacement amid bloody massacres, a stifling siege and the destruction of medical infrastructure and hospitals, “represents heinous Zionist crimes against humanity, as well as a war of genocide and ethnic cleansing.”
It pointed out that the Israeli army has systematically targeted, in front of the world’s eyes; hospitals, medical centers, and ambulances, killing and arresting doctors and medical staff, and preventing access to the wounded and the martyrs.
Hamas urged the World Health Organization, international institutions, and UN committees to act immediately to facilitate entry of medical supplies, equipment, and teams into the Gaza Strip, particularly Gaza City and the north.
The Movement made an appeal to the Arab and Islamic nations and the free people of the world “to form a comprehensive support front for our people in the Gaza Strip, and to work to stop the ongoing massacres.”
It also urged all forums to apply pressure on the parties and countries supporting the war of genocide in the Gaza Strip, as well as to support the Palestinian people’s right to confront the occupation and to gain their right to freedom and self-determination.
Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 44,800 victims, mostly women and children, since an attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, on Oct. 7, 2023.
The second year of genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with officials and institutions labeling the attacks and the blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy a population.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last month for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former army chief Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on Gaza.
https://english.palinfo.com/news/2024/12/16/330521/
Israel informs Trump it could attack Iran
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the US president-elect also discussed Syria and the hostages held in Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed US President-elect Donald Trump in a phone call on Saturday night of his determination to act against Hezbollah and Iran. The two leaders also discussed the situation in Syria, as well as efforts to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza.
”We are committed to preventing Hezbollah from rearming,” Netanyahu added in a video statement quoted by the Times of Israel on Sunday. “This is an ongoing test for Israel, we must meet it – and we will meet it. I say to Hezbollah and Iran in no uncertain terms – to prevent you from harming us, we will continue to act against you as much as necessary, in every arena and at all times.”
Netanyahu called the conversation with Trump a “very friendly, very warm, and very important conversation” in the video statement.
He claimed that the recent airstrikes against Syrian military sites were carried out “to thwart the potential threats from Syria and to prevent the takeover of terrorist elements near our border.”
“We have no interest in a conflict with Syria,” Netanyahu added, arguing that Israel has changed the whole region. “Syria is not the same Syria, Lebanon is not the same Lebanon, Gaza is not the same Gaza, and the leader of the axis – Iran – is not the same Iran.”
After militant groups led by Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) took power in Syria last weekend, Israel launched a major operation, reportedly striking weapons stockpiles and naval vessels that belonged to former President Bashar Assad’s army.
Israeli troops are also remaining in the UN-patrolled buffer zone between Israel and Syria, claiming it is a temporary “sterile defense zone” in southern Syria to prevent any “terrorist threat.” Earlier on Sunday, Netanyahu declared that a decision to expand Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights was made “in light of the war and the new front facing Syria.”
In an interview on Saturday, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani called on the international community to intervene in the situation and “assume its responsibilities towards this escalation.”
On October 7, 2023, Hamas carried out a surprise attack on Israeli cities, killing around 1,200 people and abducting over 250. According to Israeli officials, around 100 hostages remain in captivity. Immediately after the attack, West Jerusalem launched a war in Gaza, killing nearly 45,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
https://www.rt.com/news/609396-israel-informs-trump-of-its/
Daily Sabah – December 16, 2024
Islamic leaders discuss action for Al-Aqsa, Gaza in Istanbul event
The Islamic world witnessed a significant event on Dec.14, as the "Preachers of the Nation: Trustees of Al-Aqsa" conference opened in Istanbul. Organized by the Trustees of the Al-Aqsa Foundation, in collaboration with several scholarly institutions, the event brought together over 600 scholars and preachers from 40 countries. The gathering aimed to mobilize the Muslim community through pulpits and public platforms, rallying support in response to the suffering of Gaza's people and the calls from the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The conference comes at a critical time as the world watches the brutal attacks against Gaza and Islamic sanctities, including Al-Aqsa. Key figures, including Presidency of Religious Affairs President Ali Erbaş, attended the event, highlighting the urgent need for collective action to support Gaza and protect Islamic holy sites.
Ali al-Qaradaghi, president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, underscored the importance of unifying the efforts of preachers and their institutions to confront these pressing challenges. He proposed launching initiatives to support affected families, including constructing thousands of ready-made homes for those displaced by violence.
Essam al-Bashir, chairperson of the trustees of the Al-Aqsa Foundation, called on preachers and graduates of Sharia institutions to use their platforms to raise awareness about the ongoing crisis in Gaza and the significance of Al-Aqsa. He emphasized the broader challenges faced by Muslims across the globe, particularly in Lebanon, Sudan, and other nations suffering from conflict and instability.
Mehmet Görmez, president of the Center for Islamic Thought in Ankara, urged preachers to go beyond their traditional roles and become active participants in everyday life, becoming role models for their communities. He stressed the need to move from words to action, calling for practical efforts to support Gaza and the broader Muslim cause.
The conference concluded with a call to action, with speakers emphasizing that the implementation of the outcomes is not just an option but an obligation for preachers and Muslims worldwide. It is seen as a crucial step to ensure the protection of Al-Aqsa and the support of Gaza’s people.
https://www.dailysabah.com/turkiye/islamic-leaders-discuss-action-for-al-aqsa-gaza-in-istanbul-
Quds News Network – December 16, 2024
“Massacre of Journalists”:
Four Palestinian Journalists Killed in Israeli Attacks in Gaza in Just Five Days
by Quds News Network
Gaza (Quds News Network)- Four Palestinian journalists were killed in separate Israeli attacks within five days amid the ongoing assault in Gaza, with media freedom organizations accusing Israel of committing “war crimes” against journalists there.
Israeli airstrikes killed Al-Shanti, her husband and three children on December 11. The attack targeted an apartment in Al-Malash Tower in Sheikh Radwan, northwest Gaza City.
Hours earlier, Al-Shanti wrote on Facebook: “It is unbelievable that we are still alive? May God have mercy on the martyrs.”
Eman Al-Shanti, 38, was a broadcaster at Voice of Al-Aqsa Radio. She was known for her program Asl Al-Qissa (The Root of the Story), which aired on social media platforms.
Mohammed Baalousha
Baalousha was killed when a bomb was dropped from an Israeli quadcopter on Ahmed Yassin Street in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood on December 14.
Baalousha, who worked for Al Mashhad television, had been shot by an Israeli sniper in January 2024. Despite his injury and the absence of medical care, he continued to report and cover the Israeli assaults.
Mohammed Al-Qrinawi
Al-Qrinawi was killed along with his wife, Maram, and their three children: Jaber, Sidra, and Ayat. Israeli warplanes targeted their home in the Al-Bureij refugee camp on December 14. He is a journalist at Sanad News Agency.
Ahmed Al-Louh
An Israeli airstrike killed Al Jazeera photojournalist Ahmed Al-Louh in Al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on December 15.
The attack targeted a Civil Defense site near the camp’s marketplace, according to Al-Awda Hospital. Medical staff confirmed that the body of Al-Louh arrived at the hospital after the strike.
“Massacre” of Journalists in Gaza
Two separate reports from media freedom organisations that analysed the deaths of reporters worldwide this year found Israel carried out a “massacre” of journalists in Gaza.
An annual report published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Thursday found the Israeli army killed 18 journalists – two in Lebanon and 16 in Gaza – as they were working this year.
The toll, equivalent to around a third of the total worldwide of 54, was described by RSF as “an unprecedented massacre”.
“Palestine is the most dangerous country for journalists, recording a higher death toll than any other country over the past five years,” the organisation said in its report, which covers data up to December 1.
In total, “more than 145” journalists have been killed by the Israeli army in Gaza since the start of the war there in October 2023, with 35 of them working at the time of their deaths, the report found.
RSF has filed four complaints with the International Criminal Court (ICC) for “war crimes committed against journalists by the Israeli army”.
In a separate report published on Tuesday, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said that 104 journalists were killed worldwide in 2024, with more than half of them in Gaza.
The IFJ and RSF figures vary because they use different methodologies to calculate the tolls. RSF only records journalist deaths in its report if they have been “proven to be directly related to their professional activity”.
The IFJ also condemned Israel’s military. “The war in Gaza and Lebanon once again highlights the massacre suffered by Palestinian (55), Lebanese (6) and Syrian (1) media professionals, representing 60 percent of all journalists killed in 2024,” it said.
IFJ Secretary General Anthony Bellanger described 2024 as “one of the worst years” for media professionals. He condemned the “massacre taking place in Palestine before the eyes of the entire world.”
Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has been considered the deadliest for journalists and media workers in the world in 30 years.
Critics accuse Israel – which banned foreign reporters from entering Gaza – of targeting journalists in the Palestinian territory to obscure the truth about its war crimes there.
“Deliberately targeting journalists is a war crime under international law. This attack must be independently investigated and the perpetrators must be held to account,” Programme Director at Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Carlos Martinez de la, said.
According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, 195 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Israeli attacks since the start of the offensive.
US-sponsored war of regime change devastates Syria
Thirteen years after the Obama administration, along with its regional allies, began its relentless campaign to topple the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad using Islamist proxy forces, the al-Qaeda-linked Hayat al-Sham (HTS) has taken Damascus.
Syria now faces a reactionary, imperialist-led carve up as the US, Turkey and Israel each pursue their own interests in the countr
y.
Washington and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have carried out hundreds of aerial strikes to destroy the military bases and weaponry of Syria and its allies, including those of Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia. Turkey-backed Syrian opposition groups seized Manbij and other towns in northern Syria from US-backed Syrian Kurdish Forces (SDF), while the SDF took control of Deir al-Zur and its oil installations on the western bank of the Euphrates. Israel took over the security zone on Syria’s Golan Heights and adjacent territory in breach of international law. Washington has emphasised the US’s commitment to defeating ISIS that has carried out attacks on the SDF in eastern Syria—a signal that it will continue its efforts to gain control over the war-torn country.
The prospect of renewed fighting and the dismemberment of the country comes atop the deadliest conflict of the 21st century.
Washington utilised the Syrian regime’s lethal suppression of anti-government protests over declining social and economic conditions, even as the rich grew richer, in several cities in March 2011, as in Libya before it, as the pretext for a large-scale operation in pursuit of its geostrategic interests—against a regime it had long opposed.
In a chorus of moral outrage, the United Nations, the US and the European Union all condemned Syria’s crackdown while issuing only pro-forma criticisms of far worse repression in allied states Bahrain and Yemen, amid the broader upsurge of the working class in the region that became known as the Arab Spring.
The CIA and Washington’s regional allies—the Gulf petro-monarchs, Turkey and Israel—financed, sponsored, trained and aided a succession of Islamist militias as their proxies to carry out the task of unseating Assad. These Sunni sectarian forces, some of whom like al-Nusra Front were linked to al-Qaeda, were ludicrously hailed as “revolutionaries.”
A plethora of pseudo-left groups rushed to promote these forces as “revolutionaries.” They made no attempt to explain who these “revolutionaries” were—in many cases discredited former regime figures. They ignored the class forces involved. They did not bother to describe their political programme, or to explain why feudal Gulf despots who outlaw all opposition to their rule at home would support a progressive revolution abroad—let alone with the support of the imperialist powers. The vast scale of the funding for these reactionary forces, through CIA programs that later became public such as Operation Timber Sycamore, emerged years later. These pseudo-left groups are now embracing the Assad regime’s downfall at the hands of these Islamist reactionaries in alliance with the financiers and perpetrators of the genocide in Gaza.
They backed a war in which nearly 500,000 people lost their lives, nearly half of all the conflict-related deaths worldwide over the same period. While the scale of the conflict abated after Russia and Iran’s intervention on the side of the Syrian regime, intense fighting has continued in the northern and eastern parts of the country. In the first 10 months of last year, more than 450 civilians were killed in the conflict.
The war decimated the two main pillars of the economy, oil and agriculture. While small compared to other Middle East countries, oil exports accounted for about a quarter of government revenue in 2010 while food production contributed a similar amount to GDP. The government lost control of most of its oil fields to rebel groups, including ISIS and later the US-backed Kurdish forces. International sanctions in 2011 severely restricted the export of oil, with output down to less than 9,000 barrels per day (from 380,000 bpd in 2010) in regime-controlled areas last year. Syria became heavily reliant on imports from Iran. This is likely to be curtailed now that the US-backed forces have seized control of the Bukamul crossing into Iraq. Electricity has long been in short supply, with power cuts most of the day. It means that families have no working refrigerators and must get up at 2am to use their washing machines.
The war laid waste to Syria’s cities and infrastructure, its agricultural system and irrigation networks, and left a deadly legacy of unexploded artillery shells, mines, cluster bomblets and other munitions on farmland, roadsides and in buildings. Once a lower middle-income country positioned 68th in the global GDP rankings of 196 countries in 2011, Syria has lost more than half of its GDP since 2010 and fallen to 129th place, on a par with the Palestinian Territories and Chad. It now ranks as a low-income country where families struggle to put food on the table.
Around 5 million of the country’s 21 million population have left the country. A further 7 million, one third of the population, are internally displaced within Syria, many of whom live in overcrowded camps and have lost their civil, land and property documentation. Around 30 percent of households have an absent member due to death or the migration of young men in the 20-40-year age group.
The migration of some of Syria’s most skilled people has left the country with reduced public services, particularly in water, sanitation and health, putting the health of more and more people at risk. Syria is currently dealing with an active cholera outbreak. Recurrent disease outbreaks, waterborne diseases, vaccine shortages and food shortages are contributing to rising malnutrition rates.
With much of the country’s productive facilities destroyed in the war, most people now work in the informal sector, on low rates of pay. As the government withdrew the limited subsidies available for fuel and food, families became increasingly reliant on remittances from family members working abroad. At the same time, as wages have fallen, the wealth and income of the rich has grown.
While extreme poverty was virtually non-existent in 2010, by 2022 it affected more than 25 percent of Syrians, 5.7 million people. Based on the international poverty line, about 16.7 million people—70 percent of the population—are in poverty. More than 50 percent of the extremely poor live in the Aleppo, Hama and Deir el-Zur governorates and the north eastern governorates have the highest levels of poverty.
The primary responsibility for the terrible conditions across Syria rests with US imperialism and its European counterparts that have sought to starve Syria into submission.
While Assad, aided by Iran and Russia and its regional allies, regained control of much of the country, economic and social conditions failed to improve as the first Trump administration sought to bankrupt Syria—imposing bilateral and secondary sanctions in 2020 targeting its banking sector and choking its export industries and businesses.
The US, via its control over multilateral financial institutions, also engineered the collapse in 2019 of Lebanon’s economy with which Syria is inextricably linked, to tighten the noose around Damascus. Together, these measures drastically increased the demand for dollars, led to a massive rise in the cost of living and prevented any aid to help with Syria’s reconstruction. The COVID pandemic and the rising cost of wheat due to the US/NATO-led war against Russia in Ukraine further increased poverty in the country.
The devastating February earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria intensified Syria’s socio-economic crisis, killing more than 6,000, destroying some 10,000 buildings and leaving about 265,000 people homeless. The earthquakes caused more than $5 billion in direct physical damage in Syria and a 5.5 percent contraction in its GDP, already down from $67 billion in 2011 to $12 billion in 2022, according to the World Bank. They deprived many families of their main breadwinner, making millions of people dependent upon humanitarian aid.
Public sector wages fell precipitously, forcing workers to take on second jobs and destroying whatever support remained for the Assad regime. Last year saw strikes and demonstrations break out in Suwayda, Dara’a and Idlib over deteriorating conditions.
While the Arab League readmitted Assad after suspending him at the start of the proxy war and the Gulf states re-established relations with Damascus, this did not result in either investment or significant aid, undermining the Assad regime’s last chance of surviving.
The economy is now in freefall. Between February and November 2023, the Syrian pound lost half its value against the US dollar, pushing up inflation by a massive 88 percent, double the previous year’s inflation rate, according to the World Food Programme, due to reduced access to goods, disrupted supply chains and higher distribution costs. The Syrian Center for Policy Research said more than half of Syrians were living in abject poverty, unable to secure basic food needs.
The UN asked for $4.07 billion to fund its response inside Syria this year and has thus far received only 31.6 percent of it.
The World Bank’s report published last spring expected Syria’s protracted economic contraction to persist in 2024, with a further 1.5 percent decline, assuming the conflict was largely contained, with government subsidies for food and fuel declining. This truly desperate situation is set to get worse as the rival groups and their backers carve up the country.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/12/15/nnge-d15.html?pk_kwd=wsws-daily-newsletter
US-UK conduct joint air strikes on Yemen
The spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry has condemned in the strongest terms a new act of aggression by the United States and Britain against several areas in northwestern Yemen.
In a statement on Monday, Esmaeil Baghaei said the US and Britain continue to carry out joint military aggression against Yemen simultaneous with the two countries’ unwavering support for the Israeli regime’s genocidal war against the Palestinians in Gaza.
He added that such attacks are a blatant violation of international law and the United Nations Charter by two permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Baghaei praised “honorable” support and solidarity of the Yemeni people for the Palestinians in the face of the Israeli regime’s occupation and massacre.
The Iranian spokesman called on the international community and global circles as well as Muslim countries to fulfill their legal and human duties to support the oppressed people of Yemen and oppose the US-UK military aggression and destabilizing moves in the West Asia region.
American and British warplanes early on Monday conducted a joint airstrike on targets in Yemen’s province of Hajjah, amid the Arab country’s ongoing maritime operations against vessels linked to Israel and its allies in the Red Sea.
According to reports, the aerial assaults struck the Buhais area in the Midi district of the province. They, however, did not provide any details regarding potential casualties or damage.
The US and British military aircraft also targeted a number of locations in the At Tuhayta district of the strategic western province of Hudaydah. Details on potential human or material losses from the strikes have yet to be disclosed.
Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine’s struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/12/16/739194/Iran-Yemen-Britain-US-aggression-Esmaeil-Baghaei-UN-Charter-Palestine-Gaza-
