Iraq repatriates more families from Daesh-linked Al-Hol camp
Updated 22 sec ago
AFP
BAGHDAD: Iraq has repatriated more than 150 additional families from Al-Hol camp in the neighboring Syrian Arab Republic, an Iraqi security official said on Thursday, the latest such transfer from the camp where many have alleged terrorist links.
Kurdish-run camps and prisons in northeastern Syria still hold about 56,000 people from dozens of countries, many of them the family members of Daesh suspects, more than five years after the terrorists’ territorial defeat in Syria.
While many Western countries refuse to take back their nationals, Baghdad has taken the lead by accelerating repatriations and urging others to follow suit.
The latest group of 505 people is the sixth since the beginning of the year to be repatriated.
They left the camp on Wednesday, said Jihan Hanan, Al-Hol’s director.
The Iraqi security official confirmed that about “153 families arrived yesterday” in Iraq.
Daesh captured nearly a third of Iraq before local forces, backed by a US-led coalition, defeated them in 2017.
In Syria, US-backed Kurdish forces dislodged IS from the last of its Syrian-held territory in 2019.
Al-Hol is located in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Syria.
Iraq has intensified its efforts to bring back its nationals amid concerns about the security situation in Syria following the ouster of Bashar Assad in December, Iraqi National Security Adviser Qassem Al-Araji said last week.
Gaza rescuers exhume dozens of bodies from Al-Shifa Hospital
The Palestinians medical facility is now largely in ruins following multiple Israeli assaults during the deadly war
Updated 17 sec ago
AFP
GAZA CITY: Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that its crews had exhumed 48 bodies on Thursday from the courtyard of Al-Shifa Hospital, once Gaza’s biggest medical facility but now largely in ruins following multiple Israeli assaults during the war.
The agency has carried out similar work in the past to return remains to their families if they can be identified or, failing that, to remove them and give them a proper burial elsewhere.
Rescuers handed over 38 bodies after they were identified by their relatives, who took them to be reinterred in other cemeteries, agency spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said on Thursday.
“The other 10 exhumed bodies were handed over to the forensic department at the Ministry of Health for identification,” he said.
Bassal added that around 160 bodies remained buried within the hospital complex and that the process of exhumation would continue for several days.
AFP footage showed rescuers digging in parts of the courtyard and removing white bags reportedly containing human remains, which were then wrapped in blankets and carried away.
Gaza resident Mohammed Abu Asi, who identified the body of his brother, had come to the hospital to receive the remains.
“It’s like experiencing the war all over again. Recovering my brother’s body feels as though we are burying him today — the pain and the wound have reopened,” he said.
Another Gaza resident, Suha Al-Sharif, came to the site hoping to find her son’s body.
“I know what my son was wearing. That’s why I came. God willing, I will find him,” she said.
“I want to find him. I’m a mother — I am exhausted and do not know where my son is.”
Hospitals in Gaza, particularly Al-Shifa, have been repeatedly targeted by Israeli forces since the start of the war, following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Gaza health workers have previously discovered bodies at Al-Shifa Hospital.
Last year, the UN Security Council expressed “deep concern” after reports of mass graves containing hundreds of bodies in or near hospitals in Gaza.
The Oct. 7 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, according to official Israeli figures.
During the attack, militants took 251 people hostage, 58 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has since killed at least 48,524 people, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The UN considers these figures reliable.
Chief of Bahraini National Guard holds talks with heads of Pakistan’s armed forces and air force
Sheikh Mohammed bin Isa Al-Khalifa is visiting the country to take part in celebrations for Pakistan Day on March 23
The military leaders discuss shared concerns and review military cooperation between their countries
Updated 6 sec ago
Arab News
LONDON: Sheikh Mohammed bin Isa Al-Khalifa, the commander of Bahrain’s National Guard, held talks with the heads of Pakistan’s armed forces and air force on Thursday during an official visit to the country.
When he arrived at the headquarters of the armed forces in Rawalpindi for his meeting with Gen. Sahir Shamshad Mirza, chairperson of Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Sheikh Mohammed was greeted by a guard of honor and a formal ceremony during which the national anthems of Bahrain and Pakistan were played.
He praised the strong military cooperation between the two nations, and acknowledged the contribution of Pakistan’s armed forces to regional and international security. He and Mirza discussed shared concerns and reviewed joint military operations, the Bahrain News Agency reported.
Sheikh Mohammed, who is visiting Pakistan to take part in celebrations for Pakistan Day on March 23, also met separately with the country’s air force chief, Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber, at its headquarters in Islamabad.
Baber highlighted the significance of the sheikh’s visit as part of efforts to strengthen military relations between Manama and Islamabad, the news agency added.
Pakistan Day, a public holiday celebrated on March 23 each year, commemorates the day in 1956 when the country adopted its first constitution and became the world’s first Islamic republic.
Lebanese boy, 12, dies of head injury after man opens fire over half a chicken
Reports that Chadi Yousef was mistakenly shot before iftar
Lebanese Internal Security Forces search for shooter who fled crime scene
Updated 13 March 2025
Bassam Zaazaa
BEIRUT: A 12-year-old Lebanese child died on Thursday after suffering a critical head injury on Monday, shortly before iftar at a chicken restaurant in northern Lebanon.
A man opened fire at the location in the Al-Zahriyeh area of Tripoli, reportedly because the owner had refused to sell him half a chicken after running out of the dish.
It was reported that Chadi Yousef was mistakenly shot, sustaining a head injury before being rushed to hospital.
A staff member at the Tripoli hospital where Yousef was treated told Arab News: “He was in an ICU (intensive care unit) and today (Thursday) his situation deteriorated as he slipped into a coma and passed away a while ago.”
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that the shooter, identified as MK, opened fire at the restaurant after the owner refused to sell him half a grilled chicken. In addition to the boy, a man, referred to as AT, was shot in the hand and also rushed to hospital.
Lebanese Internal Security Forces arrived at the scene, opened an immediate investigation, and began searching for the shooter who had escaped the crime scene immediately following the incident.
UNICEF chief warns of ‘generational catastrophe’ if war in Sudan is not urgently addressed
Risk of disease outbreaks, and threat of famine in at least 5 regions; 30m people, including 16m children, will need humanitarian assistance this year to survive
2 years of war between rival military factions has resulted in more 15,000 civilian deaths and what UN describes as the worst displacement crisis in the world
NEW YORK CITY: UNICEF’s executive director delivered a stark warning to the UN Security Council on Thursday as she urged the international community to address the situation unfolding in Sudan, which she described as the world’s largest and most devastating humanitarian crisis.
The situation in the country remains dire, Catherine Russell said, and without immediate intervention could result in a generational catastrophe that threatens not only the future of Sudan but also regional stability.
Two warring factions, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, are locked in a power struggle that has resulted in more 15,000 civilian deaths and what the UN said is the worst displacement crisis in the world. More than 8.2 million people have fled their homes.
Nearly two years into the war, infrastructure, the economy and social services in the country are in ruins, and more than 30 million people, including 16 million children, will require humanitarian assistance this year.
Russell highlighted the catastrophic effects of the conflict on children in particular, including the threat of widespread famine in at least five regions and the imminent risk of outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, malaria and dengue fever due to the failing healthcare system.
The war has also caused an unprecedented educational crisis, with 16.5 million children now out of school.
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“Children in Sudan are enduring unimaginable suffering and horrific violence,” Russell said.
There has been an alarming rise in the recruitment of youngsters by armed groups, she added, and more than 900 reports of grave violations against children between June and December 2024. These violations included killings, maiming and the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, including recent incidents that killed 21 children in Kadugli, South Kordofan.
Sexual violence is also rampant, with more than 12 million women and girls at risk of assault.
“This is not just a crisis, it is a polycrisis affecting every sector,” Russel told members of the council.
The fighting is happening at people’s “doorsteps, around their homes, their
schools and hospitals, and across many of Sudan’s cities, towns and villages,” she added.
Russell called for immediate deescalation of the conflict, unrestricted humanitarian access and a ceasefire agreement, to allow the worsening famine to be addressed and aid to reach the most vulnerable people.
Russell called for immediate deescalation of the conflict. (AFP/File)
“Humanitarian actors face frequent impediments in obtaining the necessary permits for the delivery of supplies in areas affected by armed conflict,” she said.
“The front lines continue to be fluid. Avenues that are open today may be closed tomorrow. Humanitarian actors must be ready to seize all cross-line, cross-border opportunities, to be able to deliver lifesaving supplies across the country.
“Unfortunately, parties have not mutually agreed on common routes through conflict lines for the delivery of aid, especially to the areas most impacted by the conflict. This lack of agreement means that aid organizations can seek safety and security guarantees only on an ad-hoc basis, reducing aid flow and preventing children and their families from accessing the basics they need to survive.”
Russel urged the international community to hold perpetrators or war crimes and other violations accountable, and to support humanitarian workers operating in dangerous conditions.
UNICEF is currently involved in life-saving interventions in Sudan, including the delivery of clean water to more than 9.8 million people, and malnutrition treatment for more than 400,000 children.
However, Russell warned that these efforts alone are insufficient without greater international action and additional funding, as UNICEF requires $1 billion to sustain its operations in the country this year alone.
On 14th anniversary of Syrian civil war, UN chief warns nation’s future hangs in the balance
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemns immense human suffering caused by a conflict in which chemical weapons were used, and food and medicine were weaponized
‘The Syrian people have endured unimaginable hardship,’ he says, but despite the devastation they remained ‘steadfast’ in their calls for freedom and dignity
NEW YORK CITY: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for urgent action to secure the future of Syria, as the country marks the 14th anniversary of the start of its devastating civil war.
He condemned the immense human suffering caused by the conflict, which included the use of chemical weapons, barrel bombings, and prolonged sieges that turned food and medicine into weapons of war.
The civil war, which began in mid-March 2011, became one of the most devastating conflicts in modern history, as peaceful protests against the regime of President Bashar Assad quickly escalated into a brutal war involving multiple factions and foreign powers.
More than 500,000 people were killed, and over 13 million Syrians were displaced, about 6.7 million of whom sought refuge in neighboring countries and beyond. The war caused widespread destruction, leaving cities in ruins, and severe humanitarian crises, including shortages of food, water and medical care.
“The Syrian people have endured unimaginable hardship,” Guterres said, highlighting in particular the indiscriminate killing of civilians and the destruction of hospitals, schools and homes. Despite the devastation, he added, the calls of the Syrian people for freedom and dignity have remained “steadfast.”
On Dec. 8 last year the Assad regime collapsed in the face of a major offensive by opposition forces, spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham. Since then, there has been a glimmer of hope for rebuilding and reconciliation, said Guterres.
However, he warned that “this much-deserved brighter future hangs in the balance.” All violence must end, he said, and he called for a credible, independent investigation into ongoing civilian deaths.
Entire families have been killed in the country’s coastal region in a recent series of sectarian attacks among rival groups, according to the UN. The violence broke out last Thursday when armed groups loyal to the ousted former president, Bashar Assad, ambushed security forces in the province of Latakia, killing at least 16 of them, the Syrian Ministry of Defense said.
“The caretaker authorities have repeatedly committed to building a new Syria, based on inclusive and credible foundations for all Syrians,” said Guterres.
“Now is the time for action. Bold and decisive measures are urgently needed to ensure that every Syrian — regardless of ethnicity, religion, political affiliation or gender — can live in safety, dignity and without fear.”
He also reaffirmed the readiness of the UN “to work alongside the Syrian people and support an inclusive political transition that ensures accountability, fosters national healing, and lays the foundation for Syria’s long-term recovery and reintegration into the international community.”
Guterres added: “Together, we must ensure that Syria emerges from the shadows of war into a future defined by dignity and the rule of law, where all voices are heard, and no community is left behind.”
He urged the international community to stand with the Syrian people as they work to achieve this more peaceful and inclusive future.
