Shock In Damascus over 'Iron Cages' Set to Organize Breadlines

A photo circulated by Syrian activists of iron cages outside bakeries in Damascus. AAAWSAT AR
A photo circulated by Syrian activists of iron cages outside bakeries in Damascus. AAAWSAT AR
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Shock In Damascus over 'Iron Cages' Set to Organize Breadlines

A photo circulated by Syrian activists of iron cages outside bakeries in Damascus. AAAWSAT AR
A photo circulated by Syrian activists of iron cages outside bakeries in Damascus. AAAWSAT AR

State bakeries in Damascus resorted to establishing iron cages to organize the breadlines. The Syrian Director-General of the Damascus Bakeries refused to comment on the photo of the scene which has infuriated the Syrian people.

Local radio station Al-Madina reported that Nael Asmander refused to confirm if the image was true or not. He only said that the method was the best way to separate individuals, adding that "the culture of waiting in line is not well respected in our country."

Damascus set a precedent with its use of cages as it tries to find a solution to the overcrowding in bakeries because of bread's scarcity.

In a failed attempt to solve the bread crisis that intensified in September, the Ministry of Internal Trade rationed bread distribution. Three loaves per day were allocated to every individual, a bundle (7 loaves of about 800 grams) to a family of two, and two bundles for a family of four.

Bakeries were also banned from selling more than five percent of their bread to anyone except for those using the "smart cards."

Two days ago, Prime Minister Hussein Arnous tried to "reassure" Syrians, saying that subsidized bread is still a "red line that will not be touched".

Al-Watan Syrian newspaper reported Arnous as saying that Damascus had only bought wheat that is only sufficient to last for a month and a half.

Syria has gone from a country with wheat sufficiency to one that imports wheat on mass, as wheat production went from around 4 million tons in 2011 to 1.5 million tons in 2019.



Netanyahu Says Israel Is Establishing a New Security Corridor across Gaza

An internally displaced Palestinian walks at the site of a UN clinic following an Israeli airstrike, in the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, 02 April 2025. (EPA)
An internally displaced Palestinian walks at the site of a UN clinic following an Israeli airstrike, in the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, 02 April 2025. (EPA)
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Netanyahu Says Israel Is Establishing a New Security Corridor across Gaza

An internally displaced Palestinian walks at the site of a UN clinic following an Israeli airstrike, in the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, 02 April 2025. (EPA)
An internally displaced Palestinian walks at the site of a UN clinic following an Israeli airstrike, in the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, 02 April 2025. (EPA)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is establishing a new security corridor across the Gaza Strip.

In a statement on Wednesday, he described it as the Morag corridor, using the name of a Jewish settlement that once stood between Rafah and Khan Younis, suggesting it would run between the two southern cities.

His comments came as Palestinian officials at hospitals inside Gaza said Israeli strikes overnight and into Wednesday had killed more than 40 people, nearly a dozen of them children.

The Israeli government has long maintained a buffer zone just inside Gaza along its security fence and has greatly expanded since the war against Hamas began in 2023. Israel says the buffer zone is needed for its security, while Palestinians view it as a land grab that further shrinks the narrow coastal territory, home to around 2 million people.