Russian Delegation in Syria to Demand ‘Returns’ for its Help in War on Terror

Boys sit near destroyed buildings in Aleppo, Syria. (Reuters)
Boys sit near destroyed buildings in Aleppo, Syria. (Reuters)
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Russian Delegation in Syria to Demand ‘Returns’ for its Help in War on Terror

Boys sit near destroyed buildings in Aleppo, Syria. (Reuters)
Boys sit near destroyed buildings in Aleppo, Syria. (Reuters)

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin asserted on Monday that Russia will be the only country to take part in rebuilding Syrian energy facilities, a week after President Vladimir Putin held talks with head of the Syrian regime Bashar Assad.

According to Russia’s news agency TASS, Rogozin was keen to stress that Moscow will not be involved in Syria’s economy as a “benefactor” or “a donor state” and that it does not plan to be easy in issues related to its interests and its revenues, even if such matters were related to Syria.

Rogozin said that Moscow has a right to count on financial "returns" from its efforts to liberate Syria from terrorists.

“We need to think how to make money for our budget, for our citizens, for all those people who also expect Russia's great work in Syria to return,” he said, adding that the restoration of the Syrian economy should be carried out as quickly as possible.

When speaking about possible joint projects with Damascus, the Russian deputy prime minister mentioned oil producing facilities, infrastructure facilities, railroads, ports and the energy sector, TASS said.

He said Assad told him that Syria has no desire to work with companies from countries, which betrayed Syria at a certain time.

Rogozin was speaking on Monday after meeting Assad in Damascus with a Russian government delegation.

Separately, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu discussed on Monday with head of Syria's main opposition High Negotiations Committee Nasr Hariri the steps taken by Ankara to find a political solution in Syria.

In a tweet, Cavusoglu expressed Turkey's commitment to finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis based on both the Geneva path and the upcoming Sochi conference, set for February.



52 Palestinians Including Children Killed in Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza

Palestinians inspect the destruction at a makeshift displacement camp following a reported incursion a day earlier by Israeli tanks in the area in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza strip on July 11, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Palestinians inspect the destruction at a makeshift displacement camp following a reported incursion a day earlier by Israeli tanks in the area in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza strip on July 11, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
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52 Palestinians Including Children Killed in Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza

Palestinians inspect the destruction at a makeshift displacement camp following a reported incursion a day earlier by Israeli tanks in the area in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza strip on July 11, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Palestinians inspect the destruction at a makeshift displacement camp following a reported incursion a day earlier by Israeli tanks in the area in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza strip on July 11, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 28 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including four children, hospital officials said Saturday. Also, 24 others were fatally shot on their way to aid distribution sites.

The children and two women were among at least 13 people who were killed in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza, after Israeli airstrikes pounded the area starting late Friday, officials in Al-Aqsa Martyr's Hospital said. Another four people were killed in strikes near a fuel station, and 15 others died in Israeli airstrikes in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, according to Nasser Hospital.

The Israeli military said in a statement that over the past 48 hours, troops struck approximately 250 targets in the Gaza Strip, including militants, booby-trapped structures, weapons storage facilities, anti-tank missile launch posts, sniper posts, tunnels and additional Hamas infrastructure sites. The military did not immediately respond to The Associated Press' request for comment on the civilian deaths.

The Hamas-led group killed some 1,200 people in their Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and abducted 251. They still hold 50 hostages, less than half of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

Israel’s offensive has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, which is under Gaza’s Hamas-run government, doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count. The UN and other international organizations see its figures as the most reliable statistics on war casualties.

US President Donald Trump has said that he is closing in on another ceasefire agreement that would see more hostages released and potentially wind down the war. But after two days of talks this week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu there were no signs of a breakthrough.