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King of Jordan Sends Syria’s Assad Message on Regional Developments

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad holds talks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi in Damascus on Sunday. (SANA)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad holds talks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi in Damascus on Sunday. (SANA)
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King of Jordan Sends Syria’s Assad Message on Regional Developments

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad holds talks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi in Damascus on Sunday. (SANA)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad holds talks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi in Damascus on Sunday. (SANA)

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi arrived on an official unannounced visit to Damascus on Sunday.

He held talks with President Bashar al-Assad, delivering a verbal message from King Abdullah II on the “current dangerous developments in the region,” said an official Syrian statement.

The message was related to several bilateral and regional affairs, as well as the Syrian crisis, it added.

Assad and Safadi also discussed bilateral ties between their countries and the return of Syrian refugees back to their home country.

Assad stressed that providing the conditions for the safe return was a “priority for the Syrian state,” added the statement. Syria has made strides in this regard, it stressed.

Jordan is doing everything in its power to return the refugees home, Safadi was quoted as saying. Amman supports Syria’s stability and recovery given its importance to the region.

Safadi also held talks with his Syrian counterpart Bassam al-Sabbagh.

Informed sources in Damascus told Asharq Al-Awsat that the surprise visit means Safadi was in Syria to discuss the escalation in the region and the “Arab role Damascus is expected to play to avert the expansion of the war.”

He was also seeking to overcome the impasse in reaching a political solution to the crisis in Syria, they remarked.

Moreover, they noted the drugs and arms smuggling from Syria to Jordan that has been a major cause for concern in the kingdom.

Iran-backed militias in Syria are accused of being behind the smuggling.

Amman has been urging Damascus to intensify its efforts to combat the illicit activity, which has decreased, but not stopped, despite increased efforts.

The sources said Safadi likely discussed this issue in Syria given that Israel has struck smuggling routes between Syria and Lebanon.

Earlier this month, the Jordanian military announced that it had thwarted a drug smuggling attempt through the use of a drone.

The army has been firmly combating the smuggling, resorting to force on occasion.

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Arab World

Israel Deliberately Targets Medical Teams, Aid Workers in Lebanon

Volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross rescue a woman in the city of Nabatieh in South Lebanon (AFP)
Volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross rescue a woman in the city of Nabatieh in South Lebanon (AFP)
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Israel Deliberately Targets Medical Teams, Aid Workers in Lebanon

Volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross rescue a woman in the city of Nabatieh in South Lebanon (AFP)
Volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross rescue a woman in the city of Nabatieh in South Lebanon (AFP)

Over the past three weeks, Israel has systematically targeted hospitals, medical staff, aid workers, and ambulances across various regions of Lebanon, particularly in the heavily bombarded southern areas.
Tel Aviv appears intent on erasing signs of life and sustainability, especially south of the Litani River, aiming to turn the region into scorched earth and establish a buffer zone by force. The exact size of this zone, who will control it, and whether it will involve a permanent occupation remain unclear.
Lebanese Health Minister Firas Al-Abiad recently stated that Israel is “deliberately and systematically” targeting medical teams, revealing that 13 hospitals are no longer operational, more than 150 healthcare workers have been killed, and over 100 medical centers and 130 ambulances have been targeted.
Last week, Nicolas von Arx, the regional director for the Near and Middle East at the International Committee of the Red Cross, issued an urgent call to protect healthcare personnel, ambulances, hospitals, and primary care centers, expressing deep concern over the attacks on medical facilities.
The Islamic Health Authority, affiliated with Hezbollah, reported that over 80 rescue workers have been killed in the past year, 70 of them in the past three weeks alone. The Scout Association of Amal Movement reported losing 21 members. Meanwhile, the Israeli army recently announced that any vehicle suspected of carrying armed militants would be considered a legitimate military target, regardless of its type.
Sobhiya Najjar, a public policy expert and coordinator of the Social Protection for All campaign at the Center for Social Science Research Applications (CESSRA), highlighted that the destruction of Lebanon’s healthcare system is systematic and mirrors what is happening in Gaza. She noted that Lebanon’s healthcare system, particularly in regions like Baalbek-Hermel, Bint Jbeil, and Tyre, was already fragile.
Najjar told Asharq Al-Awsat that Israel targets medical centers, staff, ambulances, and firefighting services to weaken Hezbollah’s ability to treat the wounded and provide essential healthcare, thus increasing pressure on the health system.
This strategy sows chaos and fear among civilians, weakening morale and hindering the delivery of humanitarian aid, including medical and food supplies. She stressed that such actions violate international laws, which protect medical teams as neutral entities.
Paul Morcos, head of the legal organization Justicia, added that while Israel claims medical facilities and ambulances are used to hide weapons and militants, indiscriminate attacks that endanger doctors, nurses, patients, and civilians are prohibited under international law. He cited the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their protocols, which mandate taking precautions to avoid harm to civilians and ensure proportionality in military operations. These rules, he emphasized, have become customary and are binding on all nations.
For her part, political activist Dr. Mona Fayyad described these actions as part of a “genocide” committed by Israel, deliberately preventing the rescue of the wounded. She criticized the international community’s silence and argued that even if some medical personnel support Hezbollah, there is no justification for risking civilian lives under any pretext.