Jerusalem Post – December 5, 2024
Israel presents Hamas new ceasefire and hostage release deal
An Israeli official noted, "The Egyptian and Qatari mediators believe Hamas might now agree to a hostage-release and ceasefire deal."
Israel has given to Hamas, through Egyptian mediators, an updated version of a ceasefire deal proposal that involves the release of the remaining 100 hostages, two Israeli officials said.
Attempting to leverage regional and international shifts—including the elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in mid-October, the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration in late January—the updated version of the proposal mirrors previous similar efforts while emphasizing the implementation of the first phase of the deal from August.
"The Egyptian and Qatari mediators believe Hamas might now agree to a hostage-release and ceasefire deal, even if it is partial," one Israeli official noted.
Key points of the new proposal were finalized during a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, involving senior ministers and several security chiefs. These points were passed to Egyptian intelligence, who then presented them to Hamas representatives in Cairo.
"Egypt is currently the primary negotiation channel with Hamas, although Qatar is also involved," Israeli officials stated.
The new proposal offers a ceasefire with Hamas lasting 42 to 60 days. During this period, the Gazan terror organization would release female hostages, male hostages over 50, and hostages in critical medical condition.
Israel, which initially demanded the release of 33 individuals in these groups, has adjusted its expectations, citing assessments that some hostages may no longer be alive.
Notably, the proposal maintains Israel's readiness to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including those serving life sentences, in exchange.
Israel awaits Hamas response
"We are waiting for the Egyptians to inform us of Hamas's response,” an Israeli official remarked concerning Hamas’s stance on the updated proposal. “Within a few days, we will know whether Hamas is willing to negotiate within the framework we presented or not," he added.
If Hamas responds positively, an Israeli delegation will travel to Cairo to finalize details such as the ceasefire duration, the number of hostages to be released, and which Palestinian prisoners will be freed…..
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-832094
Al Mayadeen – December 5, 2024
Syrian Arab Army announces Hama withdrawal as armed groups storm city
The Syrian Arab Army has withdrawn from Hama and relocated outside of the city after it was flooded by armed groups.
The Syrian Arab Army has redeployed its forces in Hama following intense battles with terrorist groups that launched a series of large-scale attacks on the city, the General Command of the Army and Armed Forces said on Thursday.
According to the statement, the army engaged in fierce confrontations over recent days to repel the relentless assaults carried out by terrorist organizations. These groups attacked from multiple axes, utilizing overwhelming numbers, various military equipment, and suicide units.
Despite suffering heavy losses, the terrorist groups managed to penetrate several areas of the city. The statement noted that the army's redeployment was aimed at safeguarding civilian lives and avoiding urban combat that could endanger residents.
"In the face of intensified clashes and the martyrdom of several of our soldiers, the terrorist groups managed to breach multiple axes in Hama," the statement read. "To protect the lives of civilians and prevent battles from taking place within the city, our military units stationed there have repositioned outside it."
The General Command emphasized its "continued commitment to reclaiming the areas infiltrated by terrorist organizations," reiterating its resolve to fulfill its national duty to protect Syrian territory.
Hama, a strategic city in central Syria, has witnessed repeated attacks by armed factions seeking to destabilize government-held areas. This recent escalation underscores the persistent challenges faced by the Syrian Army in its ongoing efforts to restore stability across the country.
The terror offensive launched by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other insurgent groups, including the Turkish-backed National Army, has been accompanied by accusations of foreign powers providing support, with claims of Ukrainian and Turkish backing fueling the escalation.
Particularly, Ukraine has been accused of providing HTS terrorists with FPV drones and other explosive drones, as well as the know-how to conduct coordinated assaults between ground forces and drone operators.
Meanwhile, the Syrian government continues to rally regional and international support against the onslaught. Moreover, Resistance factions and other allies continue to provide the Syrian government with personnel and equipment to thwart the goals of terrorists and their backers.
Israeli media: Reports of UAV exploding in Kibbutz Shoval near Be'er Sheva.
Syrian Arab Army: To preserve the lives of civilians in Hama and not involve them in battles inside of the city, we have redeployed our forces.
The Syrian Arab Army: During the past few hours and as the battles intensified, the armed groups managed to infiltrate Hama and enter it.
Syrian Arab Army: Militants launched their attack from various fronts, deploying large numbers and utilizing all available military resources, including elite commando units and heavy weaponry.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Syrian Arab Army confronting intense offensive by armed groups in the northeastern neighborhoods of Hama city
Al Mayadeen correspondent in Hama: Hama is currently under a heavy attack from multiple fronts
Lavrov: The cancellation of the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Malta is an attack on the presidency of the OSCE.
Israeli occupation forces spokesperson: We are assessing whether there was an infiltration at the border with Jordan.
Israeli occupation forces spokesperson: We have received reports about suspicious activity at the border south of the Dead Sea.
Al Mayadeen sources: What happened in Tal Rifaat, Nubl, and Zahraa is a displacement and demographic change operation led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham.
Al Mayadeen – December 5, 2024
150,000 Syrians flee Aleppo in less than one week
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' Representative in Syria, Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, warns that the number of displaced is only expected to increase.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Representative in Syria, Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, the number of Syrians forced to evacuate due to violence in Aleppo and elsewhere is fast increasing, having surpassed 150,000 in less than a week.
Llosa wrote on X that this number is expected to rise and the "blankets, mattresses and water our partners and us are giving them may relieve their suffering momentarily. But it will not be enough."
"They also urgently need shelter, basic services, and livelihoods," the commissioner detailed.
The terror offensive launched by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other insurgent groups, including the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), has been accompanied by accusations of foreign powers providing support, with claims of Ukrainian and Turkish backing fueling the escalation.
Particularly, Ukraine has been accused of providing HTS terrorists with FPV drones and other explosive drones, as well as the know-how to conduct coordinated assaults between ground forces and drone operators.
Meanwhile, the Syrian government continues to rally regional and international support against the onslaught. Moreover, Resistance factions and other allies continue to provide the Syrian government with personnel and equipment to thwart the goals of terrorists and their backers.
Terrorists hold displaced Syrians hostage in al-Safirah, Aleppo
The residents of Nubbul and al-Zahraa, located in northwest Aleppo in Syria, have been suffering of hunger and shortages in medicine for days after armed terrorist groups held the communities hostage in Aleppo's southwestern city of al-Safirah.
Reportedly, around 2,000 residents crossed a 60 km distance from Nubbul and al-Zahraa to reach al-Safirah as part of a longer journey to reach Damascus, Homs, and other safe areas.
The siege was imposed while civilians were fleeing their cities in northwestern Aleppo toward safer areas in other provinces after the terrorists seized control of Aleppo.
Video footage of children eating grass and fodder from the ground in al-Safirah due to the lack of food was circulated on social media, while more showed dozens of civilians sitting on the floor of a stone building without blankets, amid the cries of children and weeping of women, with no access to the basic necessities for survival, such as water, food, electricity, and medicine.
In the video, one of the civilians appealed to international organizations and humanitarian associations to provide assistance to trapped civilians.
After the terrorists took control of al-Safirah and the road from Aleppo leading to other provinces, they rounded up the civilians and forcibly transported them to an unknown location. More than 2,000 civilians are trapped, facing the threat of dying from hunger and thirst or getting killed by armed groups, unless they are swiftly evacuated by UN and humanitarian organizations.
It is worth noting that telecommunication systems have been out of service in Aleppo and its countryside ever since the terrorist groups destroyed telecom towers in Syria.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/150-000-syrians-flee-aleppo-in-less-than-one-week
Gaza death toll nears 44,600 as Israel kills 48 more Palestinians
Over 105,700 Palestinians injured in Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7, 2023, says Health Ministry
Israeli attacks killed 48 more Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, pushing up the overall death toll since last year to 44,580, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Thursday.
A ministry statement added that some 105,739 others have been injured in the ongoing assault.
“Israeli forces killed 48 people and injured 201 others in five massacres of families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.
“Many people are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads, with rescuers unable to reach them,” it added.
The Israeli army has continued a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
International recognition of the Gaza genocide has grown in the second year of the deadly Israeli war, as organizations and leaders have labeled the events a deliberate attempt to destroy the population.
Last month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its brutal war on Gaza.
Al Mayadeen – December 5, 2024
Amnesty International says Israeli acts in Gaza amount to genocide
An Amnesty International report details major allegations to support its claim of Israel committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
A report by Amnesty International says that Israel's war on the Gaza Strip constitutes the war crime of genocide under international law, in a first declaration of its kind since the onset of the onslaught 14 months ago.
The 32-page report published on Thursday examines events in Gaza from October 2023 to July 2024, accusing Israel of committing acts of genocide during the ongoing conflict. Amnesty found that the occupation "brazenly, continuously and with total impunity… unleashed hell" on Gaza, stating that "Israel’s" actions, including killings, inflicting harm, and creating life-threatening conditions, reflect an intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza.
The report emphasizes that Hamas' October 7 Operation al-Aqsa Flood "does not justify genocide," further stressing that this marks the first time the organization had made such allegations during an active conflict, building on a previous UN report suggesting evidence of genocide.
Amnesty highlighted the deliberate obstruction of aid, destruction of essential systems, and displacement, describing these as part of a consistent pattern linked to the long-standing blockade and occupation of Gaza.
Secretary-General Agnes Callamard, speaking at a conference on Wednesday, declared "Our damning findings must serve as a wake-up call: this is genocide and it must stop now."
Budour Hassan, Amnesty’s researcher for "Israel" and the occupied Palestinian territories, told The Guardian that while the organization initially recognized a risk of genocide, the accumulated evidence revealed a situation far beyond mere violations of international law, pointing to something more profound.
Amnesty's main allegations
Amnesty listed a series of major allegations and examined several facets to support its report:
- The unprecedented scale and expanse of destruction that have surpassed any other conflict recorded in the 21st century.
- The intent to destroy after evaluating and rejecting claims of Israeli recklessness or indifference to civilian lives in their operations against Hamas.
- Engaging in repeated direct attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure or conducting deliberately indiscriminate assaults that result in death and severe physical or mental harm.
- Creating living conditions intended to cause physical destruction, including the destruction of medical facilities, the blockage of humanitarian aid, and issuing arbitrary and widespread "evacuation orders" affecting 90% of the population, directing them to areas unfit for habitation.
Amnesty calls for ceasefire
Kristine Beckerle, an adviser to Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa team, said that "Israel", as the occupying power, bears the legal responsibility to provide for the needs of the occupied population. However, she considered "Israel's" offensive on Rafah, the last relatively safe place in Gaza back then, as a critical turning point when it came to establishing intent.
"[Israel] had made Rafah the main aid point, and it knew civilians would go there. The ICJ ordered them to stop and they went ahead anyway... Rafah was key," she said.
At least 47 people, including four children, were killed in airstrikes across Gaza on Tuesday, with 21 of them sheltering in a tent camp near Khan Younis.
Amnesty International has called on the UN to enforce a ceasefire, impose sanctions on Israeli and Hamas leaders alike, and for Western nations like the US, UK, and Germany to stop providing arms to "Israel". The rights group also urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate genocide and other war crimes. Additionally, Amnesty demanded the release of Israeli captives and accountability for Hamas and other groups responsible for the October 7 operation.
The report, titled "You Feel Like You Are Subhuman: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza," is expected to provoke strong reactions, with some legal experts suggesting the October 7 operation may have been genocidal as well, The Guardian added.
Factbox: Ceasefire violations by Israeli regime in Lebanon with deadly strikes
By Alireza Akbari
After the strategic patience of five days, Hezbollah on Monday targeted an Israeli military site at Ruwaysat al-Alam in response to "repeated ceasefire breaches" by the occupation forces. 
Since last Wednesday, when a ceasefire between the Israeli regime and Lebanon came into effect, ending nearly 70 days of Zionist aggression on the Arab country, Israeli forces have continued to violate the agreement that was announced by Benjamin Netanyahu himself in a televised speech.
Hezbollah's latest operation in the occupied Kfar Shuba Hills came after Israeli forces opened fire on Lebanese civilians and carried out airstrikes on southern Lebanon, resulting in several casualties.
In a statement after the retaliatory operation, Hezbollah said in addition to the continued violation of Lebanese airspace by hostile Israeli aircraft reaching the capital Beirut, the Islamic Resistance was forced to carry out an "initial warning defensive response" on Monday.
Mahmoud Qamati, Deputy Head of Hezbollah's Political Council also referenced Hezbollah’s commitment to the ceasefire despite numerous Israeli violations,
"Our blood is not cheap. We endured in silence, but the escalation continued, making a deterrent message necessary," he was quoted as saying in an interview.
He reiterated Hezbollah's commitment to the provisions of UN Resolution 1701, contingent upon Israel's compliance, and noted that the Lebanese resistance movement "is strong and resilient" and does not require military or security actions to bolster its political efforts.
Nabih Berri, the speaker of parliament in Lebanon and an ally of the Hezbollah resistance movement, also decried the Israeli regime's violations of the ceasefire agreement that took effect on November 27, calling them “blatant violations” of the terms that Lebanon committed to uphold.
Berri questioned the effectiveness of the technical committee established to monitor the ceasefire.
“Where is it regarding these violations and breaches, which now exceed 54 incidents, while Lebanon and the Resistance remain fully committed to their pledges,” he asked.
Soon after the announcement of the ceasefire last week, hundreds of Lebanese citizens headed to their homes in southern Lebanon with videos showing the Lebanese Army stationed at the entrance of the village of Khiam, where they were protecting locals and warning them not to enter the area.
Later that day, Israeli forces demolished two houses in Khiam and fired shells at Kfar Kila in the south, raising questions about the regime’s commitment to the terms of the ceasefire.
Israeli forces continued with their provocative actions, arresting four Kfar Kila residents unrelated to any political factions. The move indicated that the regime was attempting to achieve through these actions what it had failed to accomplish on the battlefield, according to analysts.
On November 29, a local resident in Khiam recorded footage showing several cars destroyed by Israeli tanks. “Look at what Israel has done. We received approval from UNIFIL and the Lebanese Army Command,” he stated, but his words were abruptly cut off by the sound of nearby gunfire.
While still positioned in Khiam, the Israeli army attacked local civilians who had gathered to bury a relative in a western neighborhood cemetery, forcing residents to leave the deceased body in an ambulance and preventing the burial from taking place.
On the same day, two Lebanese civilians were injured in Markaba, southern Lebanon, when Israeli forces shelled a public square in the area.
Additionally, an Israeli tank fired a shell at the town of Al-Wazzani, and another Lebanese individual was injured in artillery shelling that struck Taybeh Square, following a drone strike in the vicinity.
Later, two Israeli airstrikes targeted open fields on the outskirts of Al-Bisariyyeh, although no casualties were reported in these attacks, material damage was reported.
In a statement addressing the violations of the ceasefire agreement on November 27 and 28, the Lebanese Armed Forces condemned the Israeli regime for its repeated incursions and attacks on Lebanese territory using various weapons.
The Army Command is actively monitoring these violations in coordination with relevant authorities, the statement noted.
However, paying no need for warnings from the Lebanese side, the situation escalated further as Israeli forces opened indiscriminate fire on residents in Bint Jbeil, southern Lebanon.
In the early hours of Saturday, Israeli warplanes pounded the Qusayr border strip along the Syrian-Lebanese border, west of Homs city in western Syria.
Later that day, an Israeli drone struck a parked car in the town of Majdal Zoun, while artillery shelling targeted Al-Khiam Plain on the outskirts of Qleiaa in southern Lebanon.
Israeli military vehicles were also seen on patrol inside Deir Mimas before heading south toward Houra, located between Deir Mimas and Kfar Kila.
Eyewitnesses reported that an Israeli warplane flew at medium altitude over Iqlim al-Kharroub, while Israeli forces advanced toward the main Aitaroun road, obstructing it with dirt mounds.
Meanwhile, Israeli troops besieged a family in their home on the eastern outskirts of Aitaroun.
Continuing their violations of the ceasefire, Israeli military units opened fire with machine guns in the vicinity of Bint Jbeil and Yaroun in southern Lebanon on Saturday. Another strike targeted Tibna on the outskirts of Al-Bisariyah, marking the second such attack since the ceasefire was implemented.
In Majdal Zoun, an Israeli strike on a vehicle left three Lebanese civilians injured, including a seven-year-old child. Additionally, strikes on Rab Al-Thalathin resulted in the death of a Lebanese citizen, Hassan Hamad, and injured another.
The Lebanese National News Agency later reported that an Israeli drone strike in Rab Al-Thalathin resulted in two fatalities and two injuries, while artillery shelling was also recorded in the Taybeh area.
On Sunday, Lebanese television station Al-Manar reported that the Israeli army was continuing to detonate buildings in the eastern parts of Khiam.
On Monday, Israeli drones targeted a motorcycle in Marjeyoun, southern Lebanon, resulting in the death of a member of the Lebanese armed forces.
Another drone strike in Ainata, near Bint Jbeil, resulted in several injuries, while Israeli bulldozers demolished homes in Kfar Kila. Israeli occupation forces, using various types of vehicles, advanced toward Meis Al-Jabal and established positions there after previously retreating from the area.
Earlier, a Lebanese Army soldier was wounded when an Israeli drone targeted a bulldozer in Hermel, in northern Lebanon.
In the southwest, Israeli soldiers opened fire on homes in Naqoura and imposed daily restrictions on residents in 50 towns across southern Lebanon, threatening them not to return.
Further explosions were reported on Monday in the Lebanese-Palestinian border area as Israeli forces continued demolishing neighborhoods in Kfar Kila and Meis Al-Jabal.
In another clear breach of the truce, Israeli infantry forces, accompanied by Merkava military tanks, stormed the Halta Heights—an area that had not previously seen ground combat.
Taking advantage of the ceasefire, Israeli forces were seen establishing a position in this region too.
A Lebanese citizen was wounded due to an Israeli airstrike in Ainata, Maroun Al-Ras, bringing the total number of Lebanese casualties since the ceasefire to six, with ten others injured and four detained.
The Israeli bombardments in the past week have included over five air raids and more than ten drone strikes, along with artillery fire involving dozens of shells and multiple detonation operations, averaging three to four daily incidents.
In response to continued Israeli violations of the truce agreement, Hezbollah targeted an Israeli site in the occupied Shebaa Farms, a territory recognized as Lebanese under UN Resolution 1701, which forms the basis of the current ceasefire.
Following Hezbollah's retaliatory operation, Israeli forces intensified their aggression, bombarding the town of Shebaa. Additionally, an Israeli drone strike in the southern Lebanese town of Tallousa left several citizens wounded.
With over 100 violations since the announcement of the ceasefire, the Israeli regime intensified its attacks on Lebanese territory, resulting in the deaths of three more Lebanese civilians, including a paramedic, in a drone strike on the town of Tallousa.
Following this incident, Israeli military forces launched more airstrikes on Yaroun in the south, Maroun Al-Ras, and Sarirah near Jezzine.
On Monday night, Israeli soldiers opened fire on the towns of Maroun Al-Ras, Yaroun, and Bint Jbeil. Moreover, a series of airstrikes by Israeli warplanes targeted the Al-Bureij area in the Iqlim Al-Tuffah region, the Shabil area in Al-Rayhan, and the region between Wadi Azza and Houmin Al-Fawqa, along with a raid on the areas between Al-Luwaizeh, Safi, and Mleikh.
The unwarranted aggression continued as Israeli warplanes conducted two additional strikes in the Arnoun al-Shaqif area and around the town of Mleeta in southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, low-flying Israeli drones were observed over Dahiye, the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Another airstrike targeted the town of Hawsh al-Sayyid Ali on the outskirts of Hermel in eastern Lebanon, near the Lebanese-Syrian border, which was preceded by a sonic boom.
An Israeli strike on Haris in southern Lebanon resulted in nine additional casualties, raising the total number of Lebanese fatalities for the day to 13 and the overall toll since the ceasefire to 15.
On Monday, the Israeli regime launched 30 more airstrikes on various towns and villages in southern Lebanon where many people had returned to their homes after the truce deal.
Israeli violation of the ceasefire continued on Tuesday when a shepherd was killed in the Janam area of Shebaa due to an Israeli drone strike, according to Al-Manar.
A Merkava tank was reported to have entered Al-Khiam from Ain Arab, Wadi Al-Khiam, and Al-Wazzani. Additionally, a convoy of 15 Israeli military vehicles moved from Al-Wazzani toward Wadi Al-Khiam, with some heading toward the eastern district of the city.
Drone strikes also targeted the outskirts of Deir Siryan near the Litani River and homes adjacent to Beit Lif, injuring one civilian.
Reports indicated that Israeli warplanes were flying at high altitudes over southern Lebanon, coinciding with explosions caused by the destruction of civilian homes.
Israeli forces opened fire with medium and light machine guns from Yaroun toward Bint Jbeil, while heavy gunfire was directed at the Al-Seyyar neighborhood in Habboush and Majdal Zoun square.
Meanwhile, Israeli bulldozers razed many homes in Maroun Al-Ras, demolishing the town.
Eyewitnesses noted the movement of Merkava tanks from Blida and Muhaibib toward Al-Hamra Road, on the outskirts of Ayta Al-Shaab.
Another Merkava tank advanced near Burj Al-Muluk, coming within 100 meters of a Lebanese army checkpoint.
Later in the day, several explosions were reported in the villages of Muhaibib and Yaroun, with Israeli forces demolishing residential homes following their invasion from Blida earlier that morning. Gunfire from Israeli forces has repeatedly targeted the town of Majdal Zoun.
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/12/04/738468/Violence-unleashed-Israel-exploited-ceasefire-to-conduct-aggressive-campaign-in-Lebanon
Al Mayadeen – December 5, 2024
Russia, North Korea strategic partnership officially in effect
The deputy foreign ministers of both nations have signed a protocol on the exchange of instruments of ratification, officiating the agreement.
The comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between Russia and the DPRK officially took effect on December 4 following the exchange of documents between both nations' deputy foreign ministers in Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministery announced in a statement issued on Thursday.
According to the statement, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko and DPRK Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Jong Gyu officiated the partnership after signing a protocol on the exchange of instruments of ratification.
"In accordance with Article 22, the treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and [the DPRK] went into effect on December 4, 2024, the date of the exchange of instruments of ratification," it said.
On November 12, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ratified a landmark defense pact with Russia, deepening security cooperation, state media reported.
The agreement formalizes months of tightening military bonds between the two nations.
Seoul and its ally, the United States, accused the DPRK of sending thousands of troops to Russia, where they have been allegedly provided with Russian uniforms and are reportedly stationed near the border close to Kursk, which Moscow and Pyongyang denied.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that the deal "was ratified as a decree" of leader Kim Jong Un. The notice came after Russian lawmakers voted unanimously last week to ratify the deal.
"The treaty will take effect from the day when both sides exchanged the ratification instruments," KCNA said.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/russia--dprk-strategic-partnership-officially-in-effect
Anadolu Agency – December 3, 2024
Arakan Army poses new threat to Rohingya Muslims
Rohingya Muslims, who have long been persecuted by Myanmar's military, are now threatened by the Arakan Army, the co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition said.
Nay San Lwin urged the international community to establish a safe zone to protect the vulnerable population from escalating violence, describing it as the only viable solution given the current conditions in the region.
"When it comes to Rohingya, the Arakan Army has the same intention as the Myanmar military," he said
.
The Arakan Army (AA), formed in 2009, is a Buddhist ethnic insurgent group from Myanmar's Rakhine State.
It seeks greater autonomy in the region and has engaged in armed conflict with Myanmar's military, notably from 2018 to 2020.
Lwin said 550,000 Rohingya Muslims reside in Rakhine State and the surrounding areas.
Despite the presence of the military, the regions are controlled by the Arakan Army, which is fighting the military.
"In the past few months, the Arakan Army has killed more than 2,500 Rohingya Muslims and displaced at least 300,000 across two townships,” he said.
While stating that those remaining in Arakan face "serious threats," he noted that more than 30,000 Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh because of persecution and killings.
According to the U.N., in 2017, around 700,000 Rohingyas fled a military crackdown in Myanmar, seeking refuge in Bangladesh.
They remain in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar, facing limited resources and an uncertain future.
Lwin emphasized that Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh cannot return as long as the Arakan Army controls their lands.
He also said the Arakan Army appears to be continuing what Myanmar's military once described as "unfinished business" from World War II, echoing remarks made by military leaders in 2018.
Lwin criticized the U.N. Security Council for prioritizing humanitarian aid above addressing the root causes of the Rohingya crisis and warned that without meaningful action, the situation would worsen.
He also encouraged more countries to support international legal cases, including those pursued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
"There are more than 150 countries who just signed the genocide convention. They can all join and it can become a big case, as they have been talking about accountability and justice,” he said.
The ICC prosecutor requested an arrest warrant for Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing on Nov. 27 for his role in the 2017 persecution and deportation of Rohingya Muslims.
The application is the first against a high-level Myanmar official in connection with the persecution of Rohingya.
https://www.dailysabah.com/world/asia-pacific/arakan-army-poses-new-threat-to-rohingya-muslims
