Orientul Mijlociu

Today’s news round provides an in-depth look at escalating tensions and conflicts across Syria. From Turkish military strikes targeting key facilities in northeastern Syria to Ankara’s veiled warnings to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regarding their actions near the de-escalation zones, the situation continues to evolve. We also cover diplomatic developments, including a message from China’s Premier to Syrian leadership, and international reactions to the refugee crisis and violence in the region. Additionally, the U.S. expresses concern over the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon, emphasizing the challenges and dangers faced by those displaced.

“In order to maintain a degree of separation from the terror cells it operates in Europe and to ensure plausible deniability, there is no direct contact between Tehran and members of the cells. In the case of the recently detained French cell, instructions on where and when to carry out attacks were relayed via international networks of criminals and drug smugglers.” — Daniel Dolev, Israeli investigative journalist, shomrim.news, September 5, 2024.

Latest Developments

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) shared evidence on October 23 exposing six Al-Jazeera “journalists” as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists. The documents, which the IDF seized in Gaza, include “personnel tables, lists of terrorist training courses, phone directories, and salary documents” and reveal the “military affiliation” of four Al-Jazeera Gaza correspondents with Hamas and two with PIJ. Hamas and PIJ are both U.S.-designated terrorist organizations. The IDF released a second trove of documents on October 24 showing how “Hamas directs Al Jazeera’s media coverage to serve its own interests,” such as instructing the network to whitewash failed attacks.

A series of explosions and gunshots were heard at TUSAS, Turkey’s state-run aerospace and defense company, in an attack Turkey’s defense chief blamed on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party.

An attack struck the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) headquarters near Ankara on Wednesday causing multiple casualties. Turkish officials blamed a Kurdish militant group considered a terror outfit by Turkey.

The attack against TUSAS comes amid signs of a renewed effort to bring an end to the conflict between the PKK and Turkish state.

A banned Kurdish militant group on Friday claimed responsibility for an attack on the headquarters of a key defense company in the Turkish capital Ankara that killed at least five people.

Hamas is seeking Russian support in pressuring the Palestinian Authority (PA) to negotiate over a national unity government with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.[1] Hamas Political Bureau member Mousa Abu Marzouk met with Deputy Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Mikhail Bogdanov in Moscow on October 23 to request that Russia pressure PA President Mahmoud Abbas to negotiate with Hamas over a national unity government.

Muhammad Sinwar’s familial ties to his older brother, Yahya Sinwar, cemented his status within both Israel’s security apparatus and the terror organization.

Security officials believe that Mohammad Sinwar will be appointed as the new Hamas leader, while Khalil al-Hayya, Yahya Sinwar’s deputy, will take on political responsibilities.

General Staff Reconnaissance Unit[2] (formerly Unit 269 or Unit 262), more commonly known as Sayeret Matkal[3] (Hebrew: סיירת מטכ״ל), is the special reconnaissance unit (sayeret) of Israel’s General Staff (matkal). It is considered one of the premier special forces units of Israel.[4]

Last week, Israeli soldiers on patrol in Gaza encountered and eliminated Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas commander who plotted and implemented the invasion of Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the massacre that followed.

This long-anticipated milestone was a significant battle won in a war that will not soon end. To understand why, you need to understand who Sinwar was and the cause for which he fought.

Below is a report published by MEMRI on October 4, 2021:

The September 30, 2021 “Promise of the Hereafter[1] – Post-Liberation Palestine” conference, sponsored by Hamas leader in Gaza Yahyah Al-Sinwar and attended by senior officials from Hamas and other Palestinian factions, discussed preparations for the future administration of the state of Palestine following its “liberation” from Israel after the latter “disappears.”