🔴Israeli forces continued to pound Gaza on Tuesday, killing at least 10 people in Gaza City, even as reports suggested that ceasefire talks were inching closer to an agreement. Among the victims of Israel’s bombings the previous day was Khaled Nabhan, a grandfather in Gaza who gained global attention after being filmed mourning his slain granddaughter, calling her the “soul of my soul.”
🐟Meanwhile, in apparent praise of Turkiye, United States President-elect Donald Trump described the toppling of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad as an “unfriendly takeover” by Ankara.
Also Read | Bashar Al-Assad's Regime Falls In Syria
⛎Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 45,028 Palestinians and wounded 106,962 since October 7, 2023. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day.
Here are the latest updates:
Trump Lauds Turkiye’s 'Unfriendly Takeover'
Donald Trump has described the toppling of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad as an “unfriendly takeover” by Turkiye🔯, which aligned itself with several opposition groups leading the offensive on Damascus.
“I think Turkey is very smart… Turkey did an unfriendly takeover without a lot of lives being lost. I can say that Assad was a butcher, what he did to children,” Trump said in a press conference. He was referring to Assad’s December 8 ousting, which came after a surprise offensive led by Syrian rebel groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had long opposed Assad’s rule and supported the Syrian National Army (SNA) opposition group, based in northwestern Syria. Trump had previously stated that the conflict was "not our fight."
Assad’s First Statement Since He Fled Syria
ღFormer Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, currently in Russia, has denied planning to flee Syria following the rebel takeover, in what is reported to be his first statement since Damascus fell eight days ago.
ꦗ"With no viable means of leaving the base, Moscow requested that the base's command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday 8th December," the statement reads.
"This took place a day after the fall of Damascus, following the collapse of the final military positions and the resulting paralysis of all remaining state institutions." READ FULL STORY HERE
Gaza Ceasefire Talks ‘Close To A Deal’?
🐎Israeli negotiators are holding talks with mediators in Qatar to discuss a ceasefire with Hamas and the release of hostages from Gaza. Diplomats are reportedly pushing for an agreement before Donald Trump takes office in January.
𝄹Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that negotiators had never been closer to an agreement since the November 2023 ceasefire deal. However, Hamas insists on a complete and permanent cessation of the war, a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the return of displaced people, and a prisoner exchange deal.
🐠Disagreements in previous rounds, particularly over Israel’s demands about its future military presence in Gaza, obstructed progress. Hamas had accepted a version of the proposal introduced by Biden in May, but talks in mid-October ended without a deal.
Israel's Minister Rules Out Pre-October 7 Status
🌼Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has said that Israel will maintain “security control over Gaza with full freedom of action” after Hamas’s defeat, similar to the situation in the occupied West Bank.
ඣHe added in a post on X that Israel will not allow any armed group in Gaza to act against its communities and citizens.
🔯“We will not allow a return to the reality before October 7,” Israel Katz said.
UK Diplomats Meet Syrian Rebel Leader
🌠British diplomats have held talks with the leader of Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Photos posted on social media by HTS’s military operations department showed its leader Ahmad al-Sharaa—formerly known as Mohammed al-Golani—meeting senior officials in the Syrian capital, Damascus. Among those photographed was Ann Snow, the UK’s special representative for Syria.
♓HTS stated that the discussions focused on “the latest developments” in Syria. The meeting followed comments by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who confirmed that the UK had established “diplomatic contact” with HTS, even though the group remains designated as a terrorist organisation by the British government.
