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ICRC in Syria to Asharq Al-Awsat: Some Mass Graves May Remain Undiscovered

Stephan Sakalian, ICRC Head of Delegation in Syria, speaks with relatives of missing persons in Syria. (ICRC)
Stephan Sakalian, ICRC Head of Delegation in Syria, speaks with relatives of missing persons in Syria. (ICRC)
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ICRC in Syria to Asharq Al-Awsat: Some Mass Graves May Remain Undiscovered

Stephan Sakalian, ICRC Head of Delegation in Syria, speaks with relatives of missing persons in Syria. (ICRC)
Stephan Sakalian, ICRC Head of Delegation in Syria, speaks with relatives of missing persons in Syria. (ICRC)

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Head of Delegation in Syria Stephan Sakalian said the case of people who have been forcibly disappeared during the civil war in Syria is a “horrific tragedy” that will remain open given the difficulty in locating all the mass graves in the country.

The ICRC fears that several of the graves will remain undiscovered for a very long time, he told Asharq Al-Awsat in an interview from his Damascus office.

The Syria Justice and Accountability Center revealed on Thursday that more than 1,000 Syrians died in detention at the Mezzeh military airport on the outskirts of Damascus, killed by execution, torture or maltreatment at a site that was widely feared.

Sakalian said it may take months and even years before the whole picture is complete over these sites in order to pursue justice.

The priority now lies in meeting the demands of the tens of thousands of families that are still searching for their disappeared relatives, he went on to say.

From the second day since the ouster of the Assad regime, the ICRC asked that the discovered mass graves be protected, he revealed.

It has held bilateral talks with the new Syrian rulers to ensure that civilians don’t take it upon themselves to retrieve the bodies, Sakalian said.

The ICRC has also been in contact with several of the relatives of the missing and civil and international organizations to collect important information that would help locate the known mass graves.

He acknowledged that identifying the remains of the victims could take years. The families will have to wait to receive the answers they are seeking, while the ICRC is committed to helping the authorities reach these answers, no matter how long it takes.

The ICRC will never give up the search for disappeared people, he vowed. No case will be closed before reaching a definitive answer.

However, he warned that some families may never find out what happened to their loved ones or where they were buried.

Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict, the ICRC, in cooperation with Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, registered the disappearance of 35,000 people in Syria.

Sakalian said the figure is likely much higher than that.

Resolving the fate of disappeared persons is complicated and may take years, but the ICRC is committed to supporting the families in their search, he stressed.

Sakalian recalled his visit to the notorious Sednaya prison after the collapse of the regime on December 8.

He said it was a very difficult moment for thousands of families who had flocked to the facility in search of their loved ones.

These families have endured unbearable suffering for several years and their anger and frustration are justified. They have the right to find out the fate of their relatives, said Sakalian.

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Arab World

'Ray of Hope': Gaza Seed Bank Rebuilds after Wartime Destruction

Salem Muhanna, who manages the Al Qarara Seed Bank with support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), prepares to stack a container with seeds at the bank, in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza Strip on August 11, 2026. (Photo by Bashar Taleb / AFP)
Salem Muhanna, who manages the Al Qarara Seed Bank with support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), prepares to stack a container with seeds at the bank, in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza Strip on August 11, 2026. (Photo by Bashar Taleb / AFP)
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'Ray of Hope': Gaza Seed Bank Rebuilds after Wartime Destruction

Salem Muhanna, who manages the Al Qarara Seed Bank with support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), prepares to stack a container with seeds at the bank, in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza Strip on August 11, 2026. (Photo by Bashar Taleb / AFP)
Salem Muhanna, who manages the Al Qarara Seed Bank with support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), prepares to stack a container with seeds at the bank, in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza Strip on August 11, 2026. (Photo by Bashar Taleb / AFP)

From a small makeshift tent in the central Gaza Strip, a dedicated team works to carefully store and document some of the war-shattered territory's most precious commodities: local seeds.

Shelves of unassuming plastic tubs line the walls of the Al Qarara Seed Bank, each holding indigenous seeds seen as a way of reviving Gaza's devastated farming sector and preserving its agricultural heritage.

The seed bank in Deir el-Balah is rebuilding its stocks of Gaza's heirloom seeds that were destroyed during the Israel-Hamas war which erupted in October 2023, said AFP.

Unlike hybrid varieties often sold commercially, heirloom seeds can be saved and used year after year and are often better adapted to their local environment.

"During the war, they were what helped us survive," said Salem Muhanna, who manages the project which was founded in 2017 with support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

"Heirloom seeds give continuity. They provide 80 to 90 percent of the same yield repeatedly. That is why we relied on heirloom seeds," he told AFP.

The bank holds seeds for wheat and barley; leafy crops such as Swiss chard, spinach and parsley, as well as some vegetables like courgette and okra.

The war that erupted following Hamas's attack on Israel in October 2023 took an immensely heavy toll.

The fighting "completely destroyed the bank and led to the loss of many seed varieties," explained 27-year-old Hanadi Muhanna, Salem Muhanna's daughter who also manages the project.

"In addition, because we were repeatedly displaced, it was difficult to start over again," she added.

"Eventually we settled in Deir el-Balah and managed, thankfully, to establish a small tent. We created something simple using basic means".

A collection of large hessian sacks, plastic barrels, and smaller mismatched tubs now hold what remain of the stocks, each carefully labelled and protected from pests with plastic sheets.

- 'Safety valve' -

Like the rest of life in the coastal Palestinian territory, Gaza's agricultural sector was shattered by the conflict.

Despite a US-backed ceasefire since October 2025, bloodshed has continued, with the Israeli military continuing to target Palestinians it says are militants.

Israel says it now controls more than 60 percent of the Gaza Strip, up from about half when the ceasefire took effect, and has refused to start withdrawing until Hamas fully disarms.

Before the war, agriculture including crop production, herding and fishing, accounted for approximately 10 percent of Gaza's economy, according to the United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).

Just three percent of the cropland in Gaza remains accessible and undamaged, the FAO said Tuesday.

Tight Israeli controls on the entry of all goods into the territory has also compounded the woes of Gaza's farmers.

"There is no water, no fertilizer, no agricultural chemicals," Salem Muhanna told AFP. "Nothing is available".

Before the war, Gaza was self-sufficient in fresh vegetables and used to export one-third of its production to external markets, according to Osama Al-Mukhalalati, an economic security officer with the ICRC.

Now, at best, the agricultural output cannot provide more than 10 percent of Gaza's vegetable needs, he added.

The Al Qarara Seed Bank works on a lending system, with trusted farmers receiving seed and then returning it at the end of the season.

"During the war, we considered this project our main safeguard," said Suleiman Abu Shamas, a farmer from Deir el-Balah who was out inspecting a crop of waist-high chilli peppers.

"With agricultural supplies cut off and prevented from entering through the crossings, the only safeguard we had was to build a food basket based on heirloom seeds that already existed within Gaza."

For Al-Mukhalalati, the bank is not only a way of continuing food production on what agricultural land remains, but is a means of preserving Gaza's agricultural heritage for the future.

"We consider this project a ray of hope amid the complete darkness hanging over the agricultural sector," he said.

Arab World

Türkiye Rejects Israeli Claims Used to Justify Strike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Air Base

Out-of-service Syrian Air Force aircraft at the Abu al-Duhur military air base, east of Idlib, after Syrian opposition fighters seized the area on Dec. 7, 2024 (EPA) 
Out-of-service Syrian Air Force aircraft at the Abu al-Duhur military air base, east of Idlib, after Syrian opposition fighters seized the area on Dec. 7, 2024 (EPA) 
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Türkiye Rejects Israeli Claims Used to Justify Strike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Air Base

Out-of-service Syrian Air Force aircraft at the Abu al-Duhur military air base, east of Idlib, after Syrian opposition fighters seized the area on Dec. 7, 2024 (EPA) 
Out-of-service Syrian Air Force aircraft at the Abu al-Duhur military air base, east of Idlib, after Syrian opposition fighters seized the area on Dec. 7, 2024 (EPA) 

Türkiye has rejected Israeli claims about its military posture in Syria and Israel’s justification for strikes on the Abu al-Duhur military air base in Idlib, which Israel said were prompted by plans to deploy Turkish forces there.

The Turkish presidency said Wednesday that Israeli allegations that Syria had allowed Turkish forces to deploy at Abu al-Duhur were “baseless.”

Israel carried out eight airstrikes Tuesday on the base in southeastern Idlib province near the Turkish border.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office accused Syria of accepting a Turkish troop deployment, saying Israel had repeatedly warned Damascus that such a move would threaten its security but that those warnings had been ignored. Israel “will not tolerate any threats to its security,” the statement said, adding that it would welcome a return to the status quo.

Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications said the allegations were intended to legitimize what it called Israel’s illegal strikes against Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It noted that the accusations reflected Netanyahu’s intention to pursue expansionist and destabilizing policies in the region ahead of Israeli elections expected in October.

The statement said Türkiye, like the overwhelming majority of the international community, supported lasting peace in the Middle East and that this could only be achieved if Netanyahu abandoned aggressive policies and respected international law.

“Türkiye will resolutely continue its legitimate cooperation with the Syrian government to establish security, stability and prosperity in Syria and will under no circumstances allow Syria to be destabilized,” it read.

US Seeks Deconfliction Mechanism

US Ambassador to Ankara and Special Presidential Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack said after the Israeli strikes that Washington was working to establish a deconfliction mechanism among Israel, Türkiye and Syria and was already facilitating information-sharing and dialogue among the parties.

Barrack told Reuters that Türkiye had not received advance notice of the Israeli strike and therefore detected the aircraft heading north toward its territory, meaning it could reasonably have prepared a response of its own.

“Thankfully, calm heads were able to prevent the situation from deteriorating further,” he said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump also spoke by telephone. The Turkish presidency said they discussed bilateral relations and regional and global issues but did not say whether the Israeli strikes on Abu al-Duhur were raised.

Turkish Military Presence

Türkiye, whose relations with Israel have become increasingly strained since the 2023 Gaza war amid broader regional rivalry in Syria, trains the Syrian army and helps Damascus rebuild state institutions and infrastructure. It also provides military support as part of a plan to gradually reduce the presence of Turkish forces inside Syria.

Available information indicates Turkish forces are deployed at 126 military sites, including 12 main bases and 114 military and security observation posts, mainly across northern, northwestern and northeastern Syria.

They include areas covered by Türkiye’s Euphrates Shield operation in northern and eastern rural Aleppo, including Azaz, Jarablus, al-Bab, Marea, al-Rai and Dabiq.

Turkish forces are also present around Afrin, known as the Olive Branch area, through military bases and security points operating in coordination with local councils and the Syrian government, formerly represented there by the Syrian National Army.

The Turkish presence in Syria was previously estimated at about 20,000 military and security personnel, but troop numbers and deployments have changed significantly since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government and the establishment of the new administration headed by President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Smaller positions have since been consolidated into larger bases, including Kuweires military air base in Aleppo and Taftanaz air base and Mastouma camp in Idlib.

Arab World

Syrian Foreign Minister Reviews 606 Days of ‘New Syria’ Diplomacy

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and presidential media adviser Ahmad Muwafaq Zaidan (SANA) 
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and presidential media adviser Ahmad Muwafaq Zaidan (SANA) 
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Syrian Foreign Minister Reviews 606 Days of ‘New Syria’ Diplomacy

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and presidential media adviser Ahmad Muwafaq Zaidan (SANA) 
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and presidential media adviser Ahmad Muwafaq Zaidan (SANA) 

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani outlined the record of 606 days of Syria’s new diplomacy, describing a shift from “hard power to soft power” and efforts to promote stability and build balanced international relations for the first time in decades.

During a dialogue lasting more than three hours at the presidential Tishreen Palace, al-Shaibani fielded questions from journalists, researchers, members of parliament and Foreign Ministry officials. The session was coordinated by presidential media adviser Ahmad Muwaffaq Zaidan.

Addressing repeated Israeli attacks, al-Shaibani described Israel as an expansionist “bad neighbor.” He noted that after nearly a year of negotiations, both sides had come to understand each other’s approach. Israel aimed to keep matters ambiguous to continue its provocations, he argued, while Syria wanted stability and sought to avoid being drawn into confrontation.

He revealed that Damascus was working with Washington on a memorandum of understanding aimed at halting Israeli attacks.

Sweida and the SDF

Al-Shaibani maintained that the situation in Sweida was being addressed and was no longer a source of concern, rejecting allegations that Damascus had imposed a blockade or cut roads. More than 1,500 commercial vehicles enter and leave the province daily, he noted.

He added that separatist calls in Sweida no longer posed a serious threat, arguing that the prospect of partition had ended with the agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Significant and rapid progress had been made toward integrating the SDF, although some issues remained unresolved. Al-Shaibani described President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s latest meeting with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi as positive but acknowledged continued hesitation over fully committing to integration with the state. Outstanding issues include the fate of commanders and entities yet to be incorporated, as well as disagreements over matters such as education.

He continued that Damascus was approaching the issue “with considerable patience and calm,” adding that the Autonomous Administration was expected to announce its dissolution within two weeks.

US Embassy set to reopen

Turning to foreign policy, al-Shaibani recalled that immediately after the “liberation,” Syria turned first to its Arab partners, particularly Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states.

After a challenging first year, Damascus moved toward “political normalization,” reintegration into the international system and the restoration of diplomatic missions. There are now 55 diplomatic missions in Damascus, preparations are underway to reopen the US Embassy, and Syria maintains active relations with 97 countries.

Al-Shaibani described relations with Jordan as very good, saying Amman had become a strong supporter of Syria after decades of strained ties. Damascus was also pursuing an “open-door policy” toward Iraq, with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi expected to visit Damascus following a recent visit by Supreme Judicial Council President Faiq Zidan.

Al-Shaibani disclosed that Syria had asked Iraq and Lebanon to deploy regular forces along their borders with Syria and keep militias away — specifically Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

New approach to Lebanon

On Lebanon, al-Shaibani reaffirmed a new Syrian approach fundamentally different from Damascus’ traditional role there, centered on supporting the Lebanese state in establishing a state monopoly over weapons and implementing the Taif Agreement.

Discussing his recent visit to Lebanon, he noted that it was intended to be “comprehensive” and had been coordinated with the Lebanese state. Some meetings with political and party representatives outside official state channels were aimed at explaining Syria’s new approach, including talks with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, which he described as “very positive.” Others were meant as a gesture of loyalty to Lebanese opponents of the Assad regime who had paid a heavy price for their stance.

Al-Shaibani stressed that the large public reception he received in Tripoli had not been planned but occurred spontaneously, adding that his remarks there were national in character. “I am not Qassem Soleimani,” he remarked.

Syrian detainees

Al-Shaibani also addressed Syrians accused of ISIS membership who had been transferred to Iraq, noting that Damascus was working, in coordination with Washington, on an agreement for their handover.

In Lebanon, around 1,700 Syrians remain detained without trial, some for years. Damascus has raised the issue with Lebanese officials since their first meeting, he noted, adding that a Lebanese amnesty law could offer a way forward if signed by President Joseph Aoun.

The session also underscored Syria’s emphasis on soft power. Syrian chef Malakeh Jazmati, known as the “ambassador of Syrian cuisine,” prepared the dinner, with her success during her years as a refugee in Germany presented as an example of the new image Syria seeks to project.