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Israeli Tanks Shell Hamas Posts in Gaza

Palestinian militants attach a fire bomb to inflated plastic bags and condoms before launching it across the Gaza border into Israel- AFP
Palestinian militants attach a fire bomb to inflated plastic bags and condoms before launching it across the Gaza border into Israel- AFP
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Israeli Tanks Shell Hamas Posts in Gaza

Palestinian militants attach a fire bomb to inflated plastic bags and condoms before launching it across the Gaza border into Israel- AFP
Palestinian militants attach a fire bomb to inflated plastic bags and condoms before launching it across the Gaza border into Israel- AFP

Israeli tanks shelled Hamas military positions in Gaza early Saturday, the army and Palestinian security sources said, hours after a rocket was launched at southern Israel.

A statement from the military said the Israeli "tanks targeted Hamas military posts in the southern Gaza Strip" in response to the Friday fire.

The rocket, which set off sirens in southern Israel, was intercepted without causing any casualties or damage.

Gaza security sources said the Saturday tank fire targeted Hamas observation posts east of Rafah and east of Khan Yunis, causing no casualties, AFP reported.

Israel has bombed Gaza almost daily since August 6 in retaliation for the launch of balloons fitted with fire bombs, or, less frequently, rockets.

On Thursday night, Gaza militants fired a dozen rockets at Israel, which responded with air strikes on a rocket manufacturing plant and underground infrastructure.

Meanwhile, an Egyptian delegation was trying to broker a return to an informal truce.

According to a source close to Hamas, the movement wants the extension of an industrial zone in the east of Gaza, and the construction of a new power line.

Hamas also wants the number of work permits in Israel issued to Gazans to be doubled to 10,000 once anti-coronavirus restrictions are lifted, the source said.

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Top US Officials in Damascus to Meet New Syrian Rulers, State Department Says

Abu Mohammed al-Jolani speaks at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus Sunday Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani speaks at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus Sunday Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
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Top US Officials in Damascus to Meet New Syrian Rulers, State Department Says

Abu Mohammed al-Jolani speaks at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus Sunday Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani speaks at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus Sunday Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)

Top diplomats from the Biden administration are in Damascus on Friday to meet new Syrian authorities led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a State Department spokesperson said, the first in-person and official meeting between Washington and Syria's de-facto new rulers.
The State Department's top Middle East diplomat Barbara Leaf, Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens and newly appointed Senior Advisor Daniel Rubinstein, who is now tasked with leading the Department's Syria engagement, are the first US diplomats to travel to Damascus since Syria's opposition militias overthrew oppressive President Bashar al-Assad, Reuters reported.
The visit comes as Western governments are gradually opening channels to HTS and its leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, and start debating whether or not to remove the terrorist designation on the group. The US delegation's travel follows contacts with France and Britain in recent days.
In their meetings, the US officials will discuss with HTS representatives a set of principles such as inclusivity and respect for the rights of minorities that Washington wants included in Syria's political transition, the spokesperson said.
The delegation will also work to obtain new information about US journalist Austin Tice, who was taken captive during a reporting trip to Syria in August 2012, and other American citizens who went missing during the Assad regime.
"They will be engaging directly with the Syrian people, including members of civil society, activists, members of different communities, and other Syrian voices about their vision for the future of their country and how the United States can help support them," the department spokesperson said.
"They also plan to meet with representatives of HTS to discuss transition principles endorsed by the United States and regional partners in Aqaba, Jordan," the spokesperson said.
The United States cut diplomatic ties with Syria and shut down its embassy in Damascus in 2012.
In a seismic moment for the Middle East, Syrian opposition factions seized control of Damascus on Dec. 8, forcing Assad to flee after more than 13 years of civil war, ending his family's decades-long rule.
The lightning offensive raised questions over whether the opposition will be able to ensure an orderly transition.
Forces under the command of al-Sharaa - better known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani - replaced the Assad family rule with a three-month transitional government that had been ruling an opposition enclave in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib.
US President Joe Biden and his top aides described the overthrow of Assad as a historic opportunity for the Syrian people who have for decades lived under his oppressive rule, but also warned the country faced a period of risk and uncertainty.
Washington remains concerned that extremist group ISIS could seize the moment to resurrect and also wants to avoid any clashes in the country's northeast between Türkiye-backed opposition factions and US-allied Kurdish militia.