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Palestinian Faction Chiefs Supported by Iran Quit Damascus

A boy walks under Palestinian and Syrian flags hanging outside buildings damaged during Syria's 14-year civil war in the Yarmuk refugee camp in southern Damascus. LOUAI BESHARA / AFP
A boy walks under Palestinian and Syrian flags hanging outside buildings damaged during Syria's 14-year civil war in the Yarmuk refugee camp in southern Damascus. LOUAI BESHARA / AFP
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Palestinian Faction Chiefs Supported by Iran Quit Damascus

A boy walks under Palestinian and Syrian flags hanging outside buildings damaged during Syria's 14-year civil war in the Yarmuk refugee camp in southern Damascus. LOUAI BESHARA / AFP
A boy walks under Palestinian and Syrian flags hanging outside buildings damaged during Syria's 14-year civil war in the Yarmuk refugee camp in southern Damascus. LOUAI BESHARA / AFP

The leaders of pro-Iran Palestinian factions close to former ruler Bashar al-Assad have left Syria under pressure from the new authorities, Palestinian sources said Friday, a key US demand for lifting sanctions.
A pro-Iran Palestinian faction leader who left Syria after Assad's December overthrow said on condition of anonymity that "most of the Palestinian factional leadership that received support from Tehran has left Damascus" to countries including Lebanon, while another still based there confirmed the development.

"The factions have fully handed over weapons in their headquarters or with their cadres" to the authorities, who also received "lists of names of faction members possessing individual weapons" and demanded that those arms be handed over, the first added.

A third Palestinian faction source in Damascus said that after Assad's overthrow, "we gathered our members' weapons ourselves and handed them over, but we have kept individual light weapons for protection... with the (authorities') authorization".

In the Yarmuk Palestinian camp in the Damascus suburbs which was devastated during the war, factional banners usually at the entrance were gone and party buildings were closed and unguarded, AFP photographers said. Factional premises elsewhere in Damascus also appeared closed.

'No cooperation'
Many Palestinians fled to Syria in 1948 following the creation of Israel, and from the mid-1960s Syria began hosting the leadership of Palestinian factions.

Pro-Iran Palestinian factions had enjoyed considerable freedom of movement under Assad.

Washington last week announced it was lifting sanctions on Syria after earlier saying Damascus needed to respond to demands including suppressing "terrorism" and preventing "Iran and its proxies from exploiting Syrian territory".

According to the White House, during a meeting in Saudi Arabia last week, US President Donald Trump gave new Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa a list of demands that included deporting Palestinian factions.

The factions along with groups from Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen are part of the Iran-backed "axis of resistance" against Israel, some of which fought alongside Assad's forces after civil war erupted in 2011.

In neighboring Lebanon, a government official told AFP that the disarmament of Palestinian camps, where factions usually handle security, would begin next month based on an accord with visiting Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

Sharaa's opposition group led the offensive that ousted Assad, a close ally of Iran.

Last month, Sharaa met Abbas on a visit to Damascus.

The factions "did not receive any official request from the authorities to leave Syrian territory" but instead faced restrictions, the first Palestinian factional leader said, noting that some factions "were de facto prohibited from operating" or their members were arrested.

'Unwelcome'
The new authorities have seized property from "private homes, offices, vehicles and military training camps in the Damascus countryside and other provinces", he said.

The Syrian authorities did not immediately provide comment to AFP when asked about the matter.

Earlier this month, officials from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) said Syrian authorities briefly detained factional chief Talal Naji.

In April, the Al-Quds Brigades said Islamic Jihad's Syria official Khaled Khaled and organizing committee member Yasser al-Zafri had been detained "without explanation".

The second Palestinian official, from a group that has remained in Damascus with limited representation, said there was "no cooperation between most of the Palestinian factions and the new Syrian administration".

"The response to our contact is mostly cold or delayed. We feel like unwelcome guests, though they don't say that clearly," he added, also requesting anonymity.

The Fatah movement and militant group Hamas appear to be unaffected.

A Hamas official in Gaza told AFP that it had "channels of communication with our brothers in Syria".

Hamas left after the civil war began as ties with the government deteriorated amid the Palestinian group's support for opposition demands, and has minimal representation there.

Yarmuk camp resident Marwan Mnawar, a retiree, said that "nobody knows what happened to the factional leadership", adding that "people just want to live, they are exhausted" by the conflict and factional infighting.

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Arab World

Israeli Strikes Target ‘Joint Force’ Fighters in Gaza

Mourners react during the funeral of Palestinians who were killed in an Israeli strike, according to medics, at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, April 11, 2026. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Mourners react during the funeral of Palestinians who were killed in an Israeli strike, according to medics, at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, April 11, 2026. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
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Israeli Strikes Target ‘Joint Force’ Fighters in Gaza

Mourners react during the funeral of Palestinians who were killed in an Israeli strike, according to medics, at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, April 11, 2026. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Mourners react during the funeral of Palestinians who were killed in an Israeli strike, according to medics, at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, April 11, 2026. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa

Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip have recently focused on targeting Palestinian faction fighters operating within what is known as the “joint force,” deployed near sensitive areas close to the so-called “yellow line,” Palestinian sources said.

The force is tasked with preventing infiltration by Israeli special units or armed groups, particularly in zones a few hundred meters from the line.

Israeli forces and allied armed groups are positioned inside the “yellow line,” described as the initial withdrawal boundary under a ceasefire agreement that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025.

The line covers around 52 percent of the Gaza Strip, while Hamas and other Palestinian factions are deployed to the west, seeking to prevent incursions into their areas of control and avert attempts to create “chaos” through field operations, including assassinations or abductions.

An Israeli drone strike late Friday killed six fighters from the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, as they were deployed in Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, according to local sources.

The bodies were brought in pieces to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, while several other fighters and civilians were wounded, some critically, in the strike, which involved two missiles.

Hundreds of Palestinians attended the funeral on Saturday at the main mosque in Bureij camp.

A field source told Asharq Al-Awsat that those killed included a company commander and his deputy in the Qassam Brigades. They had arrived in the area to inspect fighters deployed there just one day after armed group members attempted to infiltrate near the Anis Stadium area, located several hundred meters west of the yellow line.

The deployment aimed to counter any renewed infiltration attempts, the source said.

In recent days, Israeli forces and allied armed groups have concentrated their attacks in central Gaza, killing several Palestinian faction fighters, most of them from the Qassam Brigades, including some displaced from northern areas.

The number of Palestinians killed since the ceasefire took effect has risen to more than 749, bringing the overall death toll since Oct. 7, 2023 to 72,328, according to Palestinian figures.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the Bureij strike and what he described as ongoing Israeli violations show that the offensive “has not stopped,” despite claims that the ceasefire is holding.

He added that the developments underscore the need to compel Israel to fully implement the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, including halting daily violations, before moving to the second phase.

Hamas told mediators and the high representative of the Peace Council, Nikolay Mladenov, during meetings in Cairo last week that it and other factions want Israel to fully implement the first phase before advancing further.

Cairo has been hosting new rounds of Palestinian talks since Friday, along with meetings involving mediators and Mladenov to discuss the factions’ final response to a proposed disarmament plan.

Dispute over aid deliveries

The talks come amid Hamas criticism of Mladenov after he said Thursday that 602 trucks carrying goods and aid had entered Gaza.

Gaza’s government media office and Hamas denied the figure.

In a post on X, Mladenov said: “Today, 602 trucks entered Gaza carrying essential supplies for families who have waited too long. This is what expanded aid access should look like, and it must become the daily standard, not the exception.”

He noted that the deliveries were made possible by efforts from his team, the Gaza Administration Committee and the Peace Council, adding that all parties must fully adhere to ceasefire commitments.

His comments came as Reuters reported, citing sources, that the Peace Council faces funding challenges affecting the Gaza administration body’s ability to assume its responsibilities and delaying reconstruction, claims the council has denied.

Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau and part of its negotiating delegation, described Mladenov’s statements as “misleading,” saying only 207 trucks entered Gaza on Thursday, including 79 carrying aid.

He stressed that Israel was meeting less than 38 percent of its agreed commitments to allow aid into Gaza.

“This misinformation does not conceal the worsening humanitarian catastrophe,” Naim underlined, calling on the international community to ensure full implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire.

Gaza’s government media office confirmed the 207-truck figure, saying deliveries fall far short of humanitarian needs.

The Gaza Chamber of Commerce revealed that average daily truck entries do not exceed 113, about 19 percent of the minimum required, with 86 percent consisting of food items and a near absence of production inputs, reflecting severe economic paralysis and contributing to shortages, market imbalances and rising prices.

Arab World

Lebanese Army Warns Hezbollah Supporters against Undermining Civil Peace

Hezbollah supporters demonstrate in Beirut to protest the Lebanese authorities’ decision to engage in direct negotiations with Israel, on April 10, 2026. (Photo by FADEL itani / AFP)
Hezbollah supporters demonstrate in Beirut to protest the Lebanese authorities’ decision to engage in direct negotiations with Israel, on April 10, 2026. (Photo by FADEL itani / AFP)
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Lebanese Army Warns Hezbollah Supporters against Undermining Civil Peace

Hezbollah supporters demonstrate in Beirut to protest the Lebanese authorities’ decision to engage in direct negotiations with Israel, on April 10, 2026. (Photo by FADEL itani / AFP)
Hezbollah supporters demonstrate in Beirut to protest the Lebanese authorities’ decision to engage in direct negotiations with Israel, on April 10, 2026. (Photo by FADEL itani / AFP)

The Lebanese army warned supporters of Hezbollah against actions that could undermine civil peace, as protests in Beirut over government policy entered a second day, raising tensions in the capital.

Demonstrations involving hundreds of Hezbollah and Amal Movement supporters have taken place in central Beirut, including near government headquarters in Riad al-Solh Square, with protesters blocking roads and moving through areas such as Hamra, Raouche, Sakiet al-Janzir and the so-called Ring Bridge. The protests are aimed at pressuring the government over its decision to launch direct negotiations with Israel and to restrict weapons to state control in Beirut.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam postponed a planned trip to the United States following the unrest.

“In light of the current domestic situation, and in order to fully carry out my duty to safeguard the security and unity of the Lebanese people, I have decided to postpone my trip to the United Nations and the United States to continue the government’s work from Beirut,” Salam said in a post on X.

The Lebanese army said in a statement it respects the right to peaceful expression but warned strongly against any actions that could endanger stability or civil peace.

“Any movement that could threaten stability, civil peace or lead to attacks on public or private property will not be tolerated,” the army said, adding it would act decisively to prevent any disruption to internal stability.

Protesters raised party flags and slogans rejecting what they described as “concessions and normalization with Israel,” insisting that “the resistance’s weapons are what liberate the land.”

Security coordination

Amid fears of escalation, President Joseph Aoun convened a security meeting at Baabda Palace attended by Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Michel Menassa and Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar to review measures aimed at maintaining stability.

Salam also chaired a meeting at the Grand Serail with the defense and interior ministers, Lebanese Armed Forces Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal and Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Raed Abdallah to discuss the implementation of cabinet decisions to maintain security in Beirut.

The army and Internal Security Forces deployed heavily across central Beirut, including elite units, and set up checkpoints at key entry points including Hamra and Spears. Patrols were also conducted near displacement centers and in mixed sectarian neighborhoods.

Al-Hajjar said peaceful protest is permitted under the law but stressed that security forces have taken all necessary measures to protect state institutions and ensure the safety of Beirut and its residents. He called for “responsibility, awareness and national unity at this delicate stage.”

Ahead of a second rally on Saturday afternoon near the Grand Serail, security forces expanded their deployment across Beirut.

A security source said there would be “no tolerance for any attempt to undermine security or threaten civil peace,” describing stability as a “red line” and warning that any destabilization would be met with a firm response.

Arab World

Palestinians Say Israeli Settlers Kill Man in Raid on Village

A damaged car in the Wadi Al-Lubban Al-Shamali area, south of Nablus, 06 April 2026. Israeli settlers burned a house, two tents, and three vehicles, and assaulted Palestinians in the town of Al-Lubban Ash-Sharqiya earlier in the day. (EPA)
A damaged car in the Wadi Al-Lubban Al-Shamali area, south of Nablus, 06 April 2026. Israeli settlers burned a house, two tents, and three vehicles, and assaulted Palestinians in the town of Al-Lubban Ash-Sharqiya earlier in the day. (EPA)
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Palestinians Say Israeli Settlers Kill Man in Raid on Village

A damaged car in the Wadi Al-Lubban Al-Shamali area, south of Nablus, 06 April 2026. Israeli settlers burned a house, two tents, and three vehicles, and assaulted Palestinians in the town of Al-Lubban Ash-Sharqiya earlier in the day. (EPA)
A damaged car in the Wadi Al-Lubban Al-Shamali area, south of Nablus, 06 April 2026. Israeli settlers burned a house, two tents, and three vehicles, and assaulted Palestinians in the town of Al-Lubban Ash-Sharqiya earlier in the day. (EPA)

The Palestinian health ministry said Israeli settlers shot dead a Palestinian man in the West Bank on Saturday, in the latest deadly attack on the occupied territory.

Ali Majed Hamadneh, 23, died after settlers opened fire during a raid on the village of Deir Jarir, northeast of Ramallah, the ministry said.

"He was brought to the Palestine Medical Complex in a critical condition" and later succumbed to his wounds, the ministry said on Telegram.

Palestinian official news agency Wafa also reported the incident.

"Armed colonists, under the protection of Israeli forces, attacked Deir Jarir from its western entrance and opened fire toward residents in the area," Wafa reported.

There was no immediate response from the Israeli police or military.

Violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has risen sharply since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war.

There has also been a spike in deadly attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank since the start of the Iran war on February 28, Palestinian authorities and the United Nations have said.

Prior to Saturday's attack, at least six Palestinians were killed since then in settler attacks, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry figures.

Settler assaults on Palestinians have persisted for years, often to the indifference of mainstream Israeli society.

But the recent surge has prompted criticism from influential rabbis, settler leaders, and even Israel's military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, who called the attacks "morally and ethically unacceptable".