Israel strikes at ‘strategic weapons systems’ in Syria as Kremlin says Putin authorised Assad’s asylum – Center East disaster dwell

UN excessive commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, has known as for “accountability for perpetrators of serious violations” inside Syria underneath the Bashar al-Assad regime, Reuters studies.

It quotes Türk saying:

Any political transition should guarantee accountability for perpetrators of great violations, and assure that these accountable are held to account.

What must occur in Syria itself is to construct up a home authorized system that permits for honest trials, in relation to all these the place there are critical grounds to consider that they’ve dedicated atrocity crimes. And that goes additionally for the previous president of Syria and whoever was in senior management positions.

Tass studies that the Syrian embassy in Moscow, the place an opposition flag to Bashar al-Assad’s toppled regime was hoisted earlier this morning, has advised the Russian information company that it’s “awaiting instructions” from a brand new authorities in Damascus.

Tass studies that there was no contact between the embassy and Assad, who has been granted asylum in Russia by Vladimir Putin.

William Christou studies for the Guardian from Sednaya:

Vehicles raced in direction of Sednaya jail, regionally often known as “the human slaughterhouse,” essentially the most infamous torture complicated of the Syrian authorities’s huge community of detention centres. The Guardian adopted as site visitors got here to a standstill and rumours had been handed between lowered home windows: there have been 1,500 prisoners trapped underground that wanted rescuing; maybe your family members are amongst them. Vehicles had been ditched by the roadside and other people started to stroll.

A procession lit by 1000’s of telephone torches streamed by the jail complicated gates, which till rebels took management of the power earlier on Sunday, had assured entry however not exit. Households huddled round fires within the jail floor to maintain heat, whereas maintaining a tally of the jail doorways to see if they may recognise any faces popping out.

Insurgent fighters tried to cease folks from coming into the jail itself, firing rounds within the air – however the crowd surged ahead undeterred.

Inside, folks roved in regards to the labyrinthine facility, transferring from cell to cell, looking for any clue that might them inform them the place their family and mates may be. They had been racing to find the hidden underground wing – which they known as the “red wing” – amid fears prisoners had been ravenous with out meals and asphyxiating from lack of air.

Learn extra from William Christou’s report right here: Contained in the hunt for hidden cells in Sednaya jail, Syria’s ‘human slaughterhouse’

After Syrian rebels led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham captured Damascus, William Christou, reporting for the Guardian, had a first-hand take a look at the flood of individuals determined to seek out disappeared members of the family in one in all Syria’s most infamous prisons – Sednaya.

Israeli media is carrying extra particulars in regards to the deaths of 4 Israeli troopers inside Lebanon, which it invaded in the beginning of October.

The Occasions of Israel studies the 4 males had been killed on Sunday throughout “a suspected operational accident”, writing:

In keeping with an preliminary IDF probe, the troopers had been scanning a tunnel within the Labbouneh space of southern Lebanon when a cache of Hezbollah weapons and explosives saved there detonated.

The reason for the blast is underneath additional investigation, although the army suspects that it was not a Hezbollah booby entice, however slightly as a result of explosives beforehand positioned by Israeli forces there.

Patrick Wintour

Patrick Wintour, the Guardian’s diplomatic editor, studies from Doha:

Qatar expects to determine within the subsequent few days whether or not to ask senior US, Israeli and Egyptian intelligence figures to journey to Doha to barter the ultimate phases of a Gaza ceasefire deal.

The Gulf state was requested by Donald Trump’s transition group to re-engage with the mediation after discussions with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyau, led to a perception {that a} deal that had been stalled for months was now in attain.

Individually Egypt has held talks with Hamas leaders and mentioned an alternate of Palestinian political prisoners and Israeli hostages, together with some US-Israeli twin residents.

Qatar’s overseas ministry spokesperson, Majed bin Mohammed al-Ansari, mentioned it could decide on inviting senior negotiators to Doha this week after assessing whether or not “we have something robust”.

Qatar pulled again from the mediation course of final month saying it felt the talks weren’t being performed in good religion.

Learn extra of Patrick Wintour’s report from Doha right here: Qatar to determine on restarting Gaza ceasefire talks

Israel’s army mentioned on Monday 4 of its troopers had been killed in preventing in southern Lebanon.

The IDF gave no additional particulars past the truth that the 4 members of its forces “fell during combat in southern Lebanon.”

It didn’t specify when the deaths occurred.

Below phrases of the ceasefire settlement with Lebanon reached in November, Israel is to withdraw its forces from inside southern Lebanon, which it invaded in the beginning of October. The IDF claimed to be concentrating on Hezbollah infrastructure used to fireplace rockets into northern Israel.

Turkey’s overseas minister, Hakan Fidan, has mentioned his nation will work to return refugees to Syria, after the autumn of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

Reuters quotes Fidan, talking in Ankara, saying:

Within the coming interval, we would like a Syria the place totally different ethnic and spiritual teams dwell in an inclusive understanding of governance and in peace. We need to see a brand new Syria that has ties with its neighbours, that provides peace and stability to its area. We are going to proceed our work to make sure the protected and voluntary return of Syrians and for the nation’s reconstruction.

Turkey has backed insurgent Syrian militias often known as the Syrian Nationwide Military, and has a longstanding battle with Kurdish separatist forces based mostly within the north of Syria. Turkish officers have strongly rejected claims of any involvement within the current offensive that led to the deposing of Assad.

Throughout his common morning media briefing, in addition to saying that it had been Vladimir Putin who had accepted asylum for Bashar al-Assad in Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was additionally requested in regards to the continued presence of Russian army sources inside Syria.

Peskov mentioned it was “premature” to speak about the way forward for the bases in Khmeimim and Tartus. Tass reported that Peskov mentioned it could be “a subject for discussion with those who will lead Syria.”

Israel has mentioned it has carried out airstrikes on “strategic weapons systems” inside Syria and that floor troop operations on Syrian territory had been a “limited, temporary” step, because the Kremlin mentioned it had been Vladimir Putin’s private choice to grant Bashar al-Assad asylum there.

Talking in Jerusalem, Israel’s overseas minister Gideon Saar mentioned “the only interest we have is the security of Israel and its citizens … that’s why we attacked strategic weapons systems, like, for example, remaining chemical weapons, or long-range missiles and rockets, in order that they will not fall in the hands of extremists.”

Earlier Israel’s army issued images of IDF troops working within the area of Mount Hermon, which is to the north-east of the Golan Heights, disputed territory which Israel seized from Syria in 1967 and unilaterally annexed in 1981.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned Russia’s president had made the choice to grant asylum to Assad and his household, however there have been no plans as but for the 2 to satisfy.

The Syrian embassy in Russia’s capital was seen flying the three-starred flag of opposition to Assad’s fallen regime.

Senior officers from Iran advised Reuters that the nation had opened direct communications with the leaders who overthrew Assad, saying “engagement is key to stabilise ties and avoiding further regional tensions.”

A senior minister within the UK indicated the nation would possibly rethink the proscribed terrorist standing of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist insurgent group which led the cost into Damascus. The UK authorities outlawed it in 2017 in its place identify for al-Qaida.

Performing French overseas minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, mentioned the nation would shortly ship a particular diplomatic envoy to Damascus.