FILE PHOTO: A street vendor sells toys next to rubble of damaged buildings in the city of Idlib, Syria May 25, 2019. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo
Regime forces surrounded a Turkish military observation post on Friday after overrunning nearby villages following their capture of the key northwestern town of Khan Sheikhoun from opposition fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The town of Morek, where the Turkish troops have been cut off, lies in the north of Hama province, part of the opposition-ruled region centered on neighboring Idlib province that has been under regime assault since late April.
"Regime forces have surrounded the Turkish observation post in Morek after capturing other towns and villages in this pocket," the Observatory said.
Opposition fighters had withdrawn from the area ahead of the army's entry into Idlib province’s Khan Sheikhoun on Wednesday.
Government forces overran the rest of the pocket, including the town of Kafr Zita without resistance.
The observation post in Morek is one of 12 the Turkish army set up along the front line between government forces and the opposition fighters last year.
Ankara vowed on Tuesday that it would not abandon any of the posts and warned Damascus "not to play with fire".
"We will do whatever is necessary to ensure the security of our soldiers and observation posts," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara.
The troops' mission was to oversee the establishment of a buffer zone agreed by Ankara and Moscow in September.
But the fighters failed to pull back from the zone as agreed and in April, government and Russian forces resumed intense bombardment of the region.
Strong Pressure on Hamas to Agree to Gaza Disarmament
Gunmen from Hamas and Islamic Jihad seen deployed in Gaza (file- AFP)
Hamas is facing its strongest pressure yet from mediators and other parties to agree, even in principle, to the “Peace Council” document before negotiating its terms, particularly the plan to disarm factions operating in the Gaza Strip, especially its armed wing, the Qassam Brigades.
Two Hamas sources outside Gaza told Asharq Al-Awsat that some mediating countries are trying to persuade the movement to provide preliminary written approval of the plan, which was presented about two weeks ago by Peace Council High Commissioner Nikolay Mladenov to the group’s leadership, with detailed negotiations to follow at a later stage.
The sources said there are efforts to secure this approval before obtaining clear guarantees obligating Israel to implement the first phase of the ceasefire agreement. They added that the negotiating team is insisting on maintaining its position to ensure full implementation of the first phase before moving on to talks over the second phase.
Destruction in Gaza - File photo by AFP
They said mediators and other parties are pushing for the full implementation of the first phase without exception, in exchange for immediately beginning work on the second phase in parallel, a move that could lead to an agreement.
One source pointed to real concerns within Hamas leadership that Israel and the United States could use any preliminary approval to the phase-two document to pressure the movement into steps it still rejects under the original plan and for which it has requested clear amendments.
The source added that some mediating countries understand Hamas’ position and concerns and are trying to convey reassurances, while internal discussions within the movement and with other Palestinian factions are ongoing.
Some factions, with mediator backing, have proposed shortening the second phase from eight months to three or four months to capitalize on any positive progress in improving humanitarian and living conditions in Gaza, particularly by launching the reconstruction phase amid the urgent need for progress, as displaced people whose homes were destroyed continue to live in extremely harsh conditions, according to a factional source.
The same source said the aim of shortening the second phase is to move to more advanced stages that serve all parties, especially Palestinians seeking to reorganize their internal situation, address the population’s needs, and work toward building a comprehensive Palestinian national system. The source added that efforts are also underway, with Arab and Islamic support including from Türkiye, to resume Palestinian national dialogue, but so far there has been no progress indicating an imminent meeting, though efforts continue.
The source noted there is consensus among factions on the issue of limiting weapons, but not in the form currently proposed. Factions want to introduce amendments to the original proposal and will wait to see how ongoing contacts develop before submitting their revisions if serious discussions on the second phase begin.
A girl carries a bowl of water in a temporary camp for displaced Palestinians in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip - AFP
This comes as Israeli military escalation continues in the Gaza Strip, leading to a rising number of Palestinian casualties.
Four Palestinians were wounded Saturday morning, one critically, after being shot east of Gaza City and east of Jabalia in the northern part of the territory.
On Friday, three Palestinians were killed in a series of Israeli attacks targeting groups of civilians and tents for displaced people in Khan Younis in the south and in areas in the north. Among the victims were two brothers who were driving a desalinated water truck providing services to displaced people with support from UNICEF, which announced it was suspending its activities in northern Gaza following the incident.
The number of Palestinian casualties in the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025 has risen to more than 773, with over 2,015 injured. The cumulative total since October 7, 2023 has exceeded 72,500.
Lebanon President Vows to Prosecute Those Who Attacked French UN Peacekeepershttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5263840-lebanon-president-vows-prosecute-those-who-attacked-french-un-peacekeepers
Lebanon President Vows to Prosecute Those Who Attacked French UN Peacekeepers
A UNIFIL convoy rides through the town, as seen through the window of a vehicle, in Tyre, south Lebanon, April 15, 2026. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun vowed on Saturday to prosecute those who targeted French UN peacekeepers, killing one and wounding three.
In a statement shared by the presidency, Aoun expressed his condolences to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in a phone call, condemning the incident and vowing that Beirut "will not hesitate to pursue those involved and bring them to justice".
UNIFIL on Saturday also condemned what it described as a "deliberate attack on peacekeepers" after small-arms fire by non-state group actors killed one peacekeeper and injured three others as they were clearing explosive ordnance in southern Lebanon.
"UNIFIL has launched an in investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident. Initial assessment indicates the fire came from non-state actors (allegedly Hezbollah)", UNIFIL said in a statement.
Hezbollah Official Says Lebanon-Israel Talks 'Do Not Concern Us'https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5263833-hezbollah-official-says-lebanon-israel-talks-do-not-concern-us
A Hezbollah flag is displayed from a car window, next to a dog, as displaced people make their way to return to their homes after a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, in Sidon, Lebanon, April 18, 2026. REUTERS/Aziz Taher
Hezbollah Official Says Lebanon-Israel Talks 'Do Not Concern Us'
A Hezbollah flag is displayed from a car window, next to a dog, as displaced people make their way to return to their homes after a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, in Sidon, Lebanon, April 18, 2026. REUTERS/Aziz Taher
Senior Hezbollah official Mahmud Qamati said on Saturday that his group was not concerned by Lebanon's planned direct talks with Israel, labelling them a failure, Reuters reported.
In a press conference in Beirut's southern suburbs, Qamati said his group was "not concerned with the negotiations being conducted by the state", saying they were "a failure, weak, defeated... and submissive negotiations".
"The resistance is the one that imposes. We are the land... and we are the ones who draw up the decisions, not those who have an official status," he said, adding that while his group did not mind Beirut "coordinating with us... not in this way that leads to surrender".
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