Moroccan King Will Soon Call for Al-Quds Committee Meeting

Palestinian scout bands parade through Manger Square at the Church of the Nativity, ahead of the midnight Mass, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020. (AP)
Palestinian scout bands parade through Manger Square at the Church of the Nativity, ahead of the midnight Mass, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020. (AP)
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Moroccan King Will Soon Call for Al-Quds Committee Meeting

Palestinian scout bands parade through Manger Square at the Church of the Nativity, ahead of the midnight Mass, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020. (AP)
Palestinian scout bands parade through Manger Square at the Church of the Nativity, ahead of the midnight Mass, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020. (AP)

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI announced he will soon call for holding the 21st session of the Al-Quds Committee in Rabat, six years after it last convened in Marrakech, without specifying a date.

In a message to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, he said the meeting aims at considering means of consolidating the preservation of the special status of Jerusalem and contributing to safeguarding the inviolability of its historical landmarks, spiritual symbolism and religious identity.

The King sent the message a day after receiving a US-Israeli delegation headed by White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner and Israel’s National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat.

King Mohammed said that the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency will soon be restructured to “breathe new life into it”. This will allow it, under his personal supervision, to continue to implement tangible plans and programs in the health, education, social and housing sectors for the Palestinian residents of Jerusalem.

King Mohammed expressed his satisfaction with the telephone call he held with Abbas on December 10 during which he underlined Morocco’s firm stance on the Palestinian cause and commitment to defending the rights of the Palestinian people.

He reiterated his country’s stance in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, based on the two-state solution, adding that negotiations were the only way to reach a final, lasting and comprehensive settlement.

In his letter, the King stressed that Morocco has always placed the Palestinian cause at the same level as the Moroccan Sahara issue.

The Al-Quds Committee was first established pursuant to a resolution issued during the sixth Conference of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation that was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in July 1975.

Its presidency was assigned to the late King Hassan II of Morocco in 1979.

In 1998, the committee-affiliated Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency was founded and focused its efforts in the fields of health, education, housing and the preservation of religious heritage.

Members of the committee include Morocco, Palestine, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Guinea, Niger and Senegal.

Over the past 22 years, the committee has implemented about programs and plans worth around $65 million focused on education, housing, health, culture, sports, women empowerment and the youth.



Violence in Southern Syria Fueled by Tribal, Sectarian Tensions

A military training course for reconciliation factions within the Eighth Brigade, backed by Hmeimim, in Busra al-Sham, eastern Daraa (Archive – Ahrar Houran Gathering). 
A military training course for reconciliation factions within the Eighth Brigade, backed by Hmeimim, in Busra al-Sham, eastern Daraa (Archive – Ahrar Houran Gathering). 
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Violence in Southern Syria Fueled by Tribal, Sectarian Tensions

A military training course for reconciliation factions within the Eighth Brigade, backed by Hmeimim, in Busra al-Sham, eastern Daraa (Archive – Ahrar Houran Gathering). 
A military training course for reconciliation factions within the Eighth Brigade, backed by Hmeimim, in Busra al-Sham, eastern Daraa (Archive – Ahrar Houran Gathering). 

Amid escalating lawlessness and revenge killings in Syria’s Daraa province, the Internal Security Forces leadership has dismissed at least 200 personnel for committing “behavioral violations and transgressions inconsistent with the institution’s values and principles.”

In an official statement, authorities announced the launch of a comprehensive reform plan aimed at training staff and improving professionalism, pledging zero tolerance for misconduct that damages the security agency’s reputation or exceeds legal authority.

These measures follow growing unrest in Daraa and Suwayda, sparked by clashes at a checkpoint in Al-Masmiyah, north of Daraa, along the Damascus–Suwayda highway. Checkpoint personnel were accused of abuse, extortion, and arbitrary fees imposed on passing vehicles.

According to residents, many of the checkpoint guards are former members of the Eighth Brigade - once overseen by Russia and Military Intelligence - and have continued practices reminiscent of the old regime, including intimidation and extortion. After the government’s collapse, they were incorporated into the new security forces through tribal and family connections to avoid accountability for past crimes.

Locals say these abuses are often driven by tribal and sectarian rivalries, further eroding trust in the security apparatus.

On Tuesday, reinforcements from Damascus attempted to take control of the Al-Masmiyah checkpoint but were met with armed resistance, prompting authorities to close the highway to protect civilians. In Al-Sanamayn, security forces deployed to six locations after a surge in killings.

One grieving mother recorded a video plea to Syrian President Ahmada al-Sharaa, demanding justice for her son, who was shot dead while praying. She revealed that two of his brothers and their father had also been killed.

The Violations Documentation Office of the Ahrar Houran Gathering reported 17 assassinations by unknown gunmen in Al-Sanamayn since the regime’s fall. Meanwhile, Daraa 24 Network documented 38 killings in June alone - double the toll in May - including 23 civilians, with violence ranging from shootings to disputes and accidents involving weapons misuse.

According to Ahrar Houran, many of the killings are carried out by armed groups exploiting tribal conflicts once fueled by the previous regime, alongside frequent kidnappings, robberies, and sporadic abuses by security personnel.

The Internal Security leadership pledged to continue reforms, enforce discipline, and improve training to restore public trust, emphasizing that professionalism and respect for the law remain top priorities in rebuilding the security institution.