US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits the Black Ridge Viewing site in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, May 20, 2021. Saul Loeb/Pool via REUTERS
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to the Middle East "in the coming days," the State Department said Thursday after Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire halting 11 days of fighting.
Blinken spoke with his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi, who "welcomed Secretary Blinken's planned travel to the region," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
The top US diplomat "will meet with Israeli, Palestinian and regional counterparts in the coming days to discuss recovery efforts and working together to build better futures for Israelis and Palestinians," Price said.
The announcement came after Blinken spoke twice Thursday with Ashkenazi ahead of implementation of the ceasefire, which was brokered by Egypt and followed mounting international pressure to stem the bloodshed.
"Both leaders expressed their appreciation for Egypt's mediation efforts, and the secretary noted that he would continue to remain in close touch with his Egyptian counterpart and other regional stakeholders," AFP quoted Price as saying.
Blinken was headed home Thursday following an Arctic tour overshadowed by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Working from hotel rooms and the airplane in the scramble for a ceasefire, he spoke to leaders on both sides, as well as from Arab nations with influence over Hamas.
The secretary "welcomed the (Israeli) foreign minister's confirmation that the parties had agreed to a ceasefire," Price said.
Earlier in the day Blinken announced that he was prepared to go to the Middle East "at any time."
US President Joe Biden welcomed the ceasefire as a "genuine opportunity" for peace in a speech from the White House.
"I believe we have a genuine opportunity to make progress and I'm committed to working toward it," Biden said.
The Israeli army said Hamas and other Islamist armed groups in Gaza have fired more than 4,300 rockets towards Israel, which have claimed 12 lives, including two children and an Israeli soldier.
Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed 232 Palestinians, including 65 children, as well as fighters, and have wounded another 1,900, according to the Gaza health ministry.
The truce also included Gaza's second-most powerful armed group, Islamic Jihad.
SDF Commander to Asharq Al-Awsat: Syria Must Remain Unitedhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5095870-sdf-commander-asharq-al-awsat-syria-must-remain-united
SDF Commander to Asharq Al-Awsat: Syria Must Remain United
Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi revealed that coordination had been taking place on the ground since the second day of the Deterrence of Aggression operation, waged by the Military Operations Command led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, against the Syrian regime.
He added however that direct negotiations have not been launched with the HTS, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, which had ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on December 8.
In an interview to Asharq Al-Awsat, Abdi stressed that the SDF was prepared to merge with new Syrian army, but only after reaching a negotiated agreement on the “suitable framework”.
Moreover, he underlined the need for “Syria to remain a united country.” The shape of its new political system should be decided by the people and constitutional discussions.
*Were you aware of the operations of the Syrian factions before December 27? Did you ever predict that Assad’s regime would fall in ten days?
We had signals that the armed factions were launching a military operation against the former regime. This was expected, but what was not expected was the rapid collapse of the army without putting up a fight. We were also surprised that their allies, who had stood by it throughout the Syrian revolution, were so quick to abandon it. I believe we will find out more in the future about what happened behind the scenes of the operation.
*Was there any coordination or communication with the HTS during those ten days of fighting?
No coordination was taking place with the HTS before the operation. We did get in contact on the second day to avert a clash between our forces in some Aleppo neighborhoods and to evacuate refugees from the Tal Rifaat camps that had been attacked by Türkiye-backed factions. This field coordination is still ongoing.
Syrian Kurds wave independence-era flags during a rally in support of the SDF in the northeastern city of Qamishli, on December 19, 2024. (AFP)
*What will Syria look like after Assad’s collapse? Will you take part in negotiations with the HTS over the shape of the state and its political system?
We have not yet launched direct negotiations with the HTS, but we believe that Syria should be a decentralized democratic state where the country’s diversity will be safeguarded by the constitution and the rights of all segments of society, including the Kurds, will be ensured.
We are not seeking Syria’s division and we are prepared to play our role in building and in partnering with the government that will rule the country. Syria has witnessed a lot of bloodshed. We are urgently calling for comprehensive direct dialogue to pave the way for the era of peace so that Syria can forge ahead and rebuild itself.
*Do the Kurds wants a federal or confederate Syria?
Above all else, it is imperative that Syria remain united. We believe that a lot of discussions will be held over the shape of the ruling system. This will be up to the people to decide and up to the constitutional discussions.
*What are the SDF’s conditions should negotiations be held over the regions controlled by the autonomous administration?
We don’t want to call them conditions, but there are some issues that are imposed by the reality on the ground and that should be taken into consideration. The priority lies in ending the military operations throughout Syria, especially the attacks carried out by Türkiye and its affiliated factions against the SDF. This will allow us, as Syrians, to discuss the future of our country without foreign interference of dictates. The regions controlled by the autonomous administration are Syrian and their representatives should have their voices heard and they should be part of discussions on building the future.
About the country’s resources, they belong to all the Syrian people. We are committed to a future where the resources are fairly and equally distributed by the state to all Syrians so that everyone can enjoy stability and prosperity. Attention must be given to regions that had been marginalized by the Assad regime.
*Leader of the new administration in Damascus Ahmed al-Sharaa had called on all Syrian armed factions to lay down their arms. Some have already done so; what is the SDF’s position on this?
The Syria of the future must have a unified national army that defends the country and its citizens. This is not up for debate. The SDF’s weapons will go to the army and the SDF will merge with the army. However, for this to happen, we need to have direct negotiations to reach a framework over how this can be implemented.
*There are growing Kurdish concerns over the city of Ain al-Arab, or Kobane. What are the SDF’s plans should it be attacked?
The threat by the Türkiye-backed factions against Kobane remains very serious. We are working with our partners in the US-led international coalition to ease the tensions there. That is why we proposed that the region be removed of all weapons. This will ease the concerns that Türkiye has spoken about. Türkiye, however, has not yet responded to this proposal and it continues to amass its forces. The truth is the attack on Kobane will be a disaster and will pose a major threat to the stability of the region. We hope it won’t happen.
*Are there direct or indirect contacts or negotiations with Ankara over the Syrian regions bordering Türkiye?
Indirect contacts are taking place with Türkiye through our partners in the international coalition. However, we want to hold direct negotiations to ease Türkiye’s fears, but Ankara has so far not expressed its readiness for such talks even though we are.
*Regional and international powers have constantly demanded that you sever ties with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). What do you say to these demands?
We have previously said that the SDF does not have organizational ties to the PKK. Some of its members have joined us in battles against ISIS. We fought side by side, but they will be removed once the military operations end and once the mechanism to do so is in place. The decision making in northern and eastern Syria has long been in the hands of the people and it will remain so. There are no justifications for these fears.
Syrian Kurds wave independence-era flags during a demonstration in support of the Syrian Democratic Forces in the northeastern city of Qamishli, on December 19, 2024. (AFP)
*Will the SDF allow the Syrian members of the Peshmerga in Iraqi Kurdistan return to Syria?
We are talking about building a national Syrian army, the laying down of arms and merging the factions with the army. If members of the Peshmerga return home from abroad, then they will naturally play a role in building their nation.
*What is your assessment of the threat posed by ISIS in Syria?
Combating ISIS is a priority for the Syrian people and region. The SDF is ready to work with the new Damascus government in operations against the organization and in combating terrorism.
We are committed to ensuring the security of our neighbors. Syria will not pose a threat to their safety and stability. We are prepared to work with the central government to put in place measures that guarantee that no non-Syrian actors will threaten Syria and its neighbors’ security. We are also ready, in principle, to hand over the responsibility of monitoring the border to the Damascus authorities according to an agreed framework.
*Are you planning on visiting Damascus?
Of course. Damascus is our capital, and we will visit it when the conditions are right.
