Palestinians Start Aid Campaign for Syrian Refugees

Raed Badr, the head of the Merciful Souls organization, believes videos that circulated on social media of children suffering from cold in the snow motivated people to open their pockets. (Getty Images)
Raed Badr, the head of the Merciful Souls organization, believes videos that circulated on social media of children suffering from cold in the snow motivated people to open their pockets. (Getty Images)
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Palestinians Start Aid Campaign for Syrian Refugees

Raed Badr, the head of the Merciful Souls organization, believes videos that circulated on social media of children suffering from cold in the snow motivated people to open their pockets. (Getty Images)
Raed Badr, the head of the Merciful Souls organization, believes videos that circulated on social media of children suffering from cold in the snow motivated people to open their pockets. (Getty Images)

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, Gaza Strip and Israel have raised $10 million in less than a month to build homes for Syrian refugees, according to activists behind the campaign.

"The idea was to collect 100 heaters for 100 houses. Then we found out that people are helping and we have lots of stuff," said Ibrahim Khalil, 33, a social activist from the city of Nazareth in northern Israel.

For the past six years, Palestinians have been donating food and other essentials to Syrian refugees in the Idlib region bordering Turkey through a non-profit group called Merciful Souls.

But the volume of donations this winter season was unprecedented, said Raed Badr, the head of the organization. He believes videos that circulated on social media of children suffering from cold in the snow motivated people to open their pockets.

"One day, I hope they will move us into a home because the rain is drowning our tents," said 11-year-old Nada, an orphaned girl living with her grandmother, in one video.

The plan is to build around 3,000 housing units, said Badr. Construction will also include clinics and schools, based on a model published on the organization's website.

A call for contributions went viral on social media with the Arabic hashtag "houses instead of tents".

The images of displaced families resonated with Palestinians because they had suffered as refugees living in tents for years, said Khalil, after they were forced from their homes or fled in the war that surrounded Israel's creation in 1948.

The war in Syria, which spiraled out of an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule in 2011, caused the world's biggest refugee crisis. The war has killed an estimated half a million people and displaced several million more.



Iraqi Foreign Minister: We Have Received Explicit Israeli Threats

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
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Iraqi Foreign Minister: We Have Received Explicit Israeli Threats

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stated on Friday that Iraq has received explicit threats from Israel, adding that the country’s armed forces have been instructed by the prime minister to prevent any attacks originating from Iraqi territory.

According to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani directed the armed forces to take action against anyone launching attacks from the country. The foreign minister emphasized that Iraq does not seek war and aims to avoid its dangers, noting that the region is “on fire” and facing “clear threats from Israel.”

The agency also reported that the Iraqi government has requested an emergency meeting of the Arab League Council to address Israeli threats. Iraq’s permanent representative to the Arab League submitted a request for a session at the level of permanent representatives of member states to confront what was described as menaces from the “Zionist entity.”

Earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that he had sent a message to the president of the UN Security Council urging immediate action against activities of Iran-backed militias in Iraq. Sa’ar asserted that the Iraqi government bears responsibility for any actions occurring within or emanating from its territory.

Meanwhile, Iraqi officials have expressed pessimism about the outcome of the ongoing war in the Middle East. Nevertheless, they emphasized Baghdad’s commitment to supporting efforts to achieve lasting peace and security.

Speaking at the American University Forum in Duhok on Friday, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani highlighted that the challenges facing Iraq have fundamentally changed since October 7.

He described the current situation in the Middle East as a “second Nakba”, stressing that the challenges stem from the failure of the international system, which he described as “ambiguous.”

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid stated that Iraq would play its role in promoting peace in the Middle East and expressed his full support for efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish issue in Türkiye.

Speaking at the Duhok Forum, Rashid said that Iraq and the region are facing circumstances that require all parties to closely monitor the situation and find appropriate solutions to ongoing problems, emphasizing the need for lasting peace and security.

Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, called for Iraq to remain neutral in the conflict, saying: “The crises in the region and the scenes of war in Lebanon and Gaza are tragic. We hope this suffering will come to an end.”

“We are all awaiting changes following the US presidential election. All indications suggest that a Trump administration will adopt a different approach compared to President Biden’s policies,” he added.

The Iraqi government has stated that under the Strategic Framework Agreement and security pact with the United States, Washington is responsible for “deterring and responding to any external attacks that threaten Iraq’s internal security.”

According to media reports, the US has informed Baghdad that Israeli military strikes on Iraq are “imminent” unless Baghdad prevents Iran-backed factions from launching attacks against Israel.