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Putin and Abbas to Discuss Gaza Disaster, Regional Developments

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, in the Kremlin in Moscow. AP file photo
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, in the Kremlin in Moscow. AP file photo
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Putin and Abbas to Discuss Gaza Disaster, Regional Developments

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, in the Kremlin in Moscow. AP file photo
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, in the Kremlin in Moscow. AP file photo

The Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a round of talks on Tuesday with his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, who is on an official visit to Moscow.

The Russian presidency said “the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip” and situation in the Middle East would top the agenda of the meeting.

Abbas has announced his intention to discuss arrangements for the situation in Gaza, and the Palestinian Authority’s willingness to assume its responsibilities in the enclave, in addition to the prospects for launching a Palestinian-Israeli dialogue and preparations for setting a practical path to implement the proposal of ​​an international conference on the Middle East.

“It is expected that an exchange of views will be held on the situation in the Middle East in light of the current aggravation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip,” the Kremlin said in a post on Telegram.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said that the Palestinian President’s visit to Russia is “extremely important” for coordinating positions on ways to resolve the conflict in the Middle East.

“This will be an extremely important conversation that we need to have together, because we need to work out some sort of stable joint approach regarding future steps on how to proceed in the course of achieving peace and security in the Middle East based on the norms of justice, approved by the international community,” he stated.

Abbas, for his part, told TASS news agency that Palestine is prepared to hold an international peace conference during which all aspects of the final status of the Palestinian issue will be resolved. He explained that the strategic solution starts with giving the Palestinian people their right to freedom and independence.

“The guarantee to achieve stability and security in the Middle East is the implementation of a decision on the formation of two states, based on the international law, the withdrawal of Israel from the Palestinian territories, which have been occupied since 1967, with the capital of East Jerusalem there," Abbas said in his interview with TASS.

Abbas stressed that large-scale reconstruction requires the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, and the implementation of a political solution based on international law to achieve comprehensive peace and security.

Emphasizing the need to stop all unilateral Israeli hostilities in the West Bank and Jerusalem, Abbas called for settling of all aspects of the final status during the international peace conference, in addition to achieving the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces within the agreed upon timeframe, and implementing the general regional security mechanism.

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Former Regime Elements, Drug Traffickers Targeted in Western Homs and Damascus Campaigns

The Anti-Narcotics Department seizes a drug depot belonging to Maher al-Assad in the Sabura area in the Damascus countryside (Ministry of Interior).
The Anti-Narcotics Department seizes a drug depot belonging to Maher al-Assad in the Sabura area in the Damascus countryside (Ministry of Interior).
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Former Regime Elements, Drug Traffickers Targeted in Western Homs and Damascus Campaigns

The Anti-Narcotics Department seizes a drug depot belonging to Maher al-Assad in the Sabura area in the Damascus countryside (Ministry of Interior).
The Anti-Narcotics Department seizes a drug depot belonging to Maher al-Assad in the Sabura area in the Damascus countryside (Ministry of Interior).

The Syrian Military Operations Administration has been pressing its security campaigns aimed at disarming former regime militia remnants and combating drug traffickers across Syria.

On Tuesday, for the third time, the administration, in collaboration with the General Security Directorate, launched a large-scale operation in western rural Homs. The campaign focused on the villages of Jabbourin Rafain, Al-Haysa, Jabbourin, Qaniyat Al-Assi, Tasnin, Kafrnan, Akrad Al-Dasniya, and their surroundings. Simultaneous campaigns were conducted in Aleppo’s Nairab district, Jaramana in the Damascus countryside, and northern Daraa.

Security sources said the operation in rural Homs targets “remnants of Assad militias who refused to surrender their weapons, arms depots, drug dealers, and traffickers,” according to an official statement from the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). Military reinforcements were dispatched to support the campaign in the targeted areas.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the operation in the village of Jabbourin in rural Hama marked the second such operation within a week. The observatory noted that several civilians and military personnel, including those who had reconciled with the government, were arrested. Some detainees were later released, while others remain under investigation.

Residents in rural Homs expressed significant concern about the proliferation of weapons, incidents of abductions, and the escalating fear of retribution. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, they noted a prevailing sense of unease and insecurity, as anonymous actors exploit the current chaos to fuel tensions and instability.

The General Security Directorate in Homs has urged residents in western rural Homs villages and towns to fully cooperate with its forces and the Military Operations Administration to ensure the success of the campaign’s objectives.

In Daraa, southern Syria, the Daraa 24 network reported that the General Security Directorate carried out a raid in the city of Izraa, north of Daraa. During the operation, large quantities of weapons were seized, and warnings were issued to individuals still in possession of firearms to surrender them “to preserve the region’s security and stability.”

An earlier security operation in the Lajat region, located between the Suwayda and Daraa governorates, resulted in the arrest of 18 individuals described as former regime remnants, drug traffickers, and arms dealers. The Syrian Interior Ministry also announced the arrest of “remnant elements and members of a gang involved in the theft of weapons from a warehouse in the Mazraa project area of Damascus.”

Meanwhile, the General Security Directorate released several former regime elements in Damascus after verifying their lack of involvement in violations against the Syrian people. According to local sources cited by Syrian Television, several conscripts detained in Adra Prison in Damascus were freed on Tuesday, with additional releases expected in the coming days.

Last week, the General Security Directorate released 360 detainees, including former regime officers, out of approximately 800 people arrested as part of the Homs security campaign. Following investigations, the authorities confirmed that those individuals were not in possession of weapons and had pledged not to engage in activities against the new Syrian administration.