Palestinians to File Complaint against Pompeo if he Visits Settlement

An Israeli protester is detained by security forces after blocking the main highway leading to Jerusalem as people protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's alleged corruption in Ein Hemed, November 14, 2020. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
An Israeli protester is detained by security forces after blocking the main highway leading to Jerusalem as people protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's alleged corruption in Ein Hemed, November 14, 2020. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
TT
20

Palestinians to File Complaint against Pompeo if he Visits Settlement

An Israeli protester is detained by security forces after blocking the main highway leading to Jerusalem as people protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's alleged corruption in Ein Hemed, November 14, 2020. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
An Israeli protester is detained by security forces after blocking the main highway leading to Jerusalem as people protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's alleged corruption in Ein Hemed, November 14, 2020. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

Palestinians have accused the Trump administration of pushing Israel to build more settlements before Joe Biden reaches the White House, saying they will file a complaint with the UN against US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo if he visited a settlement in the West Bank next week.

Hanan Ashrawi, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), confirmed that a complaint will be submitted to the UN in the wake of the potential visit.

She told reporters in Ramallah that the visit of Pompeo makes him an accessory to a war crime. Such a visit embodies the hostile attitude of Trump’s administration in its endeavor to score some Israeli goals before departing the White House.

The National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements, affiliated with the PLO, accused the Israeli government of exploiting the US presidential elections' outcome as well as the expected change in the US administration on Jan. 20 to annex large swathes of the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh condemned Pompeo’s planned visit.

“We deplore US Sec. of State Mike Pompeo’s intent to visit the illegal settlement of Psagot, built on lands belonging to Palestinian owners in El-Bireh city, during his visit to Israel next week. This dangerous precedent legalizes settlements and is a blow to international legitimacy and UN resolutions,” the PM said.

Shtayyeh called on the European Union to engage with the new US administration to find a genuine political path based on the UN resolutions, and the international law. He stressed that the Palestinian cause should be a priority for the international community.



Syrian Government Intensifies Security Measures in Druze Areas Near Damascus

Druze men carry weapons at a checkpoint in Jaramana near Damascus (AFP). 
Druze men carry weapons at a checkpoint in Jaramana near Damascus (AFP). 
TT
20

Syrian Government Intensifies Security Measures in Druze Areas Near Damascus

Druze men carry weapons at a checkpoint in Jaramana near Damascus (AFP). 
Druze men carry weapons at a checkpoint in Jaramana near Damascus (AFP). 

The Syrian government is stepping up its security operations in Druze-majority towns in southern Syria, aiming to stabilize volatile areas in both rural Suwayda and the Damascus suburbs following recent sectarian unrest. Despite a newly brokered ceasefire, community leaders report that tensions remain in the districts of Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya.

Government forces continue to expand their presence in Al-Surah, a town in northern Suwayda, in an effort to push back armed groups operating outside state control. The campaign comes amid fears of renewed violence, particularly after clashes earlier this week that were sparked by the leak of an audio recording allegedly featuring a Druze cleric making offensive comments about Islam.

The recording ignited two days of violent confrontations, starting in Jaramana on Tuesday and spreading to Sahnaya and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, resulting in multiple casualties.

On Wednesday evening, a high-level meeting in Damascus brought together the governors of Suwayda, Rural Damascus, and Quneitra, alongside prominent Druze clerics and community leaders. According to Bassem Abu Fakhr, spokesperson for the “Men of Dignity” movement led by Sheikh Yahya Al-Hajjar, the meeting led to a ceasefire agreement and a plan to regulate arms in the region. Under the agreement, only personnel from the Ministries of Defense and Interior will be authorized to carry weapons.

Abu Fakhr told Asharq Al-Awsat that the deal also authorizes General Security forces to enter Ashrafiyat Sahnaya and assume control, with assurances that civilians would be protected from attacks by any group. A joint oversight committee was established to monitor compliance with the agreement’s terms.

In a statement published on its Telegram channel, the Suwayda Governorate confirmed the preliminary ceasefire and emphasized the importance of a cooperative approach to halt bloodshed and restore calm. Security officials also declared the conclusion of a military operation in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, with security chief Hossam Al-Tahan reporting that government forces had entered all neighborhoods and begun efforts to restore order.

Despite these moves, local residents report that tensions are far from resolved. In Jaramana, civil society representative Rabih Munzer described the atmosphere as “tense” and said that checkpoints at the city’s entrances are now manned by local General Security forces. He noted that the recent agreement has yet to be enacted, and a previous deal signed in March remains unimplemented.

Responding to calls from Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri for the deployment of international peacekeeping forces in Syria, Munzer stated: “We are responsible for our own words—not the words of others.” He also warned of continued provocations by armed groups surrounding the city, including sniper fire and sporadic gunshots targeting civilians.

Further south in Al-Surah, security deployments continue under the supervision of the Suwayda Governor and the commander of the Syrian Army’s 40th Division. State-run media released images of security forces in the area, including photos of the governor overseeing the operation to pave the way for displaced residents to return safely.

However, Abu Fakhr warned that several villages—Kanaker, Ara, Sass, Al-Surah, and Dama—remain under threat from what he described as jihadist groups.