First UN Aid Convoy Enters Syria Since Extension of Cross-border Mechanism

UN aid convoy entering Syria through Bab al-Hawa crossing (Asharq Al-Awsat)
UN aid convoy entering Syria through Bab al-Hawa crossing (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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First UN Aid Convoy Enters Syria Since Extension of Cross-border Mechanism

UN aid convoy entering Syria through Bab al-Hawa crossing (Asharq Al-Awsat)
UN aid convoy entering Syria through Bab al-Hawa crossing (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The first UN aid convoy entered Syria through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey after extending the cross-border aid mechanism for six months.

An official at the Bab al-Hawa crossing, Mazen Allouch, said that 14 trucks loaded with relief, including 300 tons of medical aid and tools, entered the Syrian territory from Turkey through the Bab al-Hawa crossing.

The Security Council voted on July 12 to extend the mechanism to enter humanitarian aid across the border for six months.

Allouch told Asharq Al-Awsat that the aid would be handed over to UN-partner humanitarian organizations operating in opposition-controlled areas within Idlib and the areas of Turkish operations to be distributed to needy families and displaced persons in camps in northwest Syria.

He pointed out that, between July 10, 2021, and July 10, 2022, about 7,900 trucks carrying nearly 180,000 tons of humanitarian aid entered the Bab al-Hawa crossing.

The last convoy that entered Syria was on Jul 08, and the food aid from the World Food Program (WFP) is expected to resume within the next two weeks.

On July 12, the Security Council agreed to extend the mechanism for delivering UN aid to Syria after the consensus of member states except for the US, UK, and France, which abstained from voting.

France demanded the extension of the aid for a whole year, saying the decision was “fragile.”

Russian Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky told the Council that Moscow would continue to monitor progress in implementing the resolution to decide the ultimate fate of the cross-border mechanism.

“We’re convinced that it is only through candid and substantive dialogue on the issues in the Syrian humanitarian track while involving all of the interested parties, we will be able in six months to come up with a well-considered decision,” he said.

Meanwhile, Activists in northwestern Syria explained that Russia wants to focus on aid coming from Damascus in coordination with the Syrian government in exchange for restricting UN access across the border.

They believe it is a joint plan between Russia and the Syrian regime to ensure the latter controls the humanitarian aspect. They also accused them of wanting to steal the aid of more than two and a half million displaced persons living in difficult humanitarian conditions in more than 1,430 camps that lack necessities.

About 4.5 million people live in Idlib and the countryside of Hama, Aleppo, and Latakia, and more than half of them are displaced in camps spread near the Syrian-Turkish border. Most of them depend for their livelihood on humanitarian aid provided by the WFP.



Hamas Sources: Gaza Ceasefire Talks Ongoing Despite Israeli Obstacles

Palestinians in Gaza City wait to receive food aid on Monday (AFP)
Palestinians in Gaza City wait to receive food aid on Monday (AFP)
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Hamas Sources: Gaza Ceasefire Talks Ongoing Despite Israeli Obstacles

Palestinians in Gaza City wait to receive food aid on Monday (AFP)
Palestinians in Gaza City wait to receive food aid on Monday (AFP)

Despite accusations from Hamas that Israel is deliberately placing hurdles in the way of indirect negotiations in Doha aimed at securing a two-month ceasefire, sources within the movement confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that there are ongoing consultations.

Hamas sources said Israel continues to obstruct progress in the Qatar-hosted negotiations, which have been underway for over a week with only limited breakthroughs.

“Each time there is partial progress on some provisions, the Israeli delegation delays discussions on other points and refuses to engage until it receives fresh instructions from officials in Tel Aviv,” the sources explained.

Palestinian negotiators believe this approach is designed to buy time and apply pressure on the Palestinian factions’ team, while ultimately blaming them for any failure of the talks, which are dragging on due to Israel’s contradictory positions.

Humanitarian Aid a Major Sticking Point

The most significant obstacle, according to Hamas, remains Israel’s refusal to commit to a comprehensive withdrawal plan, as well as its insistence on maintaining the current aid delivery mechanism, which Hamas describes as a “death trap” for civilians in Gaza.

The sources said Israel has agreed in principle to allow aid into areas it withdraws from through international organizations. However, the Palestinian delegation is demanding that assistance be delivered under the humanitarian protocol negotiated in January.

This protocol is broader than Israel’s proposals and includes not only food and medical supplies, but also construction materials, equipment to repair hospitals and schools, and goods for the private sector to sell in local markets.

Israel has informed mediators that it reached an understanding with the European Union to allow 500 trucks per day into Gaza, which the Palestinian negotiators welcomed. Still, they insisted on clear guarantees that the deliveries would follow the January protocol without manipulation.

Maps and Withdrawal Timelines

Maps of military positions remain another major sticking point. The Hamas delegation is demanding that any Israeli withdrawal be based on the maps set out in the previous ceasefire agreement and implemented gradually according to a clear timetable.

That January agreement had allowed Israeli forces to remain temporarily in buffer zones around Gaza, ranging from 500 to 1,000 meters wide. The Palestinian side is adamant that troops must not remain inside Gaza itself and that the withdrawal must lead to a complete pullout in a second phase of the agreement.

According to the sources, the negotiators want precise language in each clause to prevent Israel from delaying or avoiding implementation, as has occurred in past agreements.

Waiting for US Pressure

Negotiations have not broken down, and the Hamas delegation believes American pressure will be critical to moving Israel off its current positions.

On Sunday evening, US President Donald Trump expressed hope that the ceasefire discussions would yield concrete results within days.

Later that night, a senior Hamas delegation met with Islamic Jihad leaders to coordinate positions and underscore that any deal must fulfill Palestinian aspirations, above all, ending the war, securing a full Israeli withdrawal, reopening crossings, and launching reconstruction.

Flexibility on the Morag Corridor

Meanwhile, Israel’s Security Cabinet convened Sunday evening to review the possibility of a prisoner swap. According to Channel 12, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told ministers he was interested in reaching an agreement on the hostages, even as Hamas continues to reject Israel’s terms. He warned that fighting could resume after any temporary ceasefire if Hamas does not accept Israel’s conditions for ending the war.

Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Netanyahu, once firmly opposed to any pullback from the Morag Corridor. a strategic strip that bisects Rafah and separates it from Khan Younis - is now willing to show some flexibility.

Israeli control of the 12-kilometer corridor would allow it to further fragment Gaza and expand its security buffer zones.