US Envoy to Sponsor Political Agreement between Kurdish Parties

US Special Representative for Syria James Jeffrey (Reuters)
US Special Representative for Syria James Jeffrey (Reuters)
TT
20

US Envoy to Sponsor Political Agreement between Kurdish Parties

US Special Representative for Syria James Jeffrey (Reuters)
US Special Representative for Syria James Jeffrey (Reuters)

The US Special Representative for Syria, James Jeffrey, arrived Sunday in al-Hasakah and held meetings with leaders of the Kurdish parties and the leader of the Arab-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi.

Kurdish sources said that Jeffrey would sponsor the signing of a political agreement and the establishment of the supreme Kurdish authority between the Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD) and parties of the Kurdish National Council (KNC).

Jeffrey's visit to the east of the Euphrates comes amid US military reinforcements after repeated clashes with Russian forces in the area.

A new batch of Bradley-type combat vehicles, advanced radar systems, and 100 US soldiers were deployed in northeastern Syria. In addition, the coalition increased its flights over the region to provide air support for US and coalition forces in their battles against ISIS sleeper cells.

The sources revealed that Jeffrey conveyed to the leaders of the Kurdish parties the support of the US administration, hoping to reach a political agreement between the two parties of the Kurdish movement in Syria.

Jeffrey also indicated that the administration is working to mobilize the forces of the Syrian opposition, to support the US position in holding Damascus and its ally Moscow responsible for failing the political process, continuing the military operations, as well as obstructing any progress in the work of the Constitutional Committee and the implementation of the UN resolution 2254.

The US State Department envoy, Zahra Bailey, recently asked the negotiating parties in the Kurdish talks to discuss the remaining outstanding issues in the third round of the talks.

The sources reported that these issues include: the Kurdish council’s request to change the education plan in areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and coordinating with UN agencies and UNICEF to verify certificates and previous educational stages.

The issue of the return of the Rojava Peshmerga forces and how it could be deployed in the region will also be discussed during the next round of talks.

Bailey requested that the issue of Kurdish interference and the relationship between the Democratic Union ruling party and the Kurdistan Workers Party in Turkey be addressed in future rounds.

The issue of the council’s detainees, the absentees, recruitment, and SDF deployment in Raqqa, Deir Ezzor, and the rest of the Arab cities remained for subsequent rounds.



Israel Delays Release of Palestinian Prisoners

Family members waiting for the release of Palestinian prisoners follow developments Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, after receiving news that Israel has delayed the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners scheduled for Saturday, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
Family members waiting for the release of Palestinian prisoners follow developments Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, after receiving news that Israel has delayed the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners scheduled for Saturday, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
TT
20

Israel Delays Release of Palestinian Prisoners

Family members waiting for the release of Palestinian prisoners follow developments Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, after receiving news that Israel has delayed the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners scheduled for Saturday, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
Family members waiting for the release of Palestinian prisoners follow developments Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, after receiving news that Israel has delayed the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners scheduled for Saturday, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Israel said early Sunday the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners is delayed “until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies” at handovers of Israeli captives in Gaza.

The statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office came as military vehicles that normally move in advance of the buses carrying prisoners left the open gates of Ofer prison, only to turn around and go back in.

The release of 620 Palestinian prisoners had been delayed for several hours and was meant to occur just after six Israeli hostages were released on Saturday. It was meant to be the largest one-day prisoner release in the Gaza ceasefire’s first phase.

Israel’s announcement abruptly put the future of the truce into further doubt.
The Palestinian Authority’s commission for prisoners’ affairs confirmed the delay “until further notice.” Associated Press video in the West Bank showed prisoners’ families, waiting outdoors in near-freezing weather, apparently dispersing. One woman was shown walking away in tears.

Five of the six hostages freed Saturday had been escorted by masked, armed militants in front of a crowd — a display that the UN and Red Cross have criticized as cruel after previous handovers.
The Israeli statement cited “ceremonies that demean the dignity of our hostages and the cynical use of the hostages for propaganda purposes.” It was likely a reference to a Hamas video showing two hostages who have yet to be released watching a handover in Gaza on Saturday and speaking under duress.
The six were the last living hostages expected to be freed under the ceasefire's first phase, with a week remaining in the initial stage. Talks on the ceasefire’s second phase are yet to start.
The six included three Israeli men seized from the Nova music festival and another taken while visiting family in southern Israel during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the 16-month war in Gaza. The two others were held for a decade after entering Gaza on their own.
Five were handed over in staged ceremonies.

The 620 Palestinian prisoners meant to be freed include 151 serving life or other sentences for attacks against Israelis. Almost 100 would be deported, according to the Palestinian prisoners' media office.
A Palestinian prisoner rights association said they include Nael Barghouti, who spent over 45 years in prison for an attack that killed an Israeli bus driver.
Also meant to be released are 445 men, 23 children aged 15 to 19, and a woman, all seized by Israeli troops in Gaza without charge during the war.