Syria Druze leader condemns ‘genocidal campaign’ against community

GENEVA: At least 542 civilians have been confirmed killed in Sudan’s North Darfur region in the past three weeks, the United Nations said Thursday, warning the actual death toll was likely “much higher.”
“The horror unfolding in Sudan knows no bounds,” UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement, referring to the country’s ongoing civil war.
Darfur in particular has become a key battleground in the war that erupted on April 15, 2023 between the regular army, led by Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), headed by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The war has left tens of thousands dead and triggered what aid agencies describe as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises.
The battle for El-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur to elude RSF control, has intensified in recent weeks as the paramilitaries have sought to compensate for their loss of the capital Khartoum last month.
Turk pointed to an attack three days ago by the RSF on El-Fasher and the Abu Shouk camp that killed at least 40 civilians.
“This brings the confirmed number of civilians killed in North Darfur to at least 542 in just the last three weeks,” he said.
“The actual death toll is likely much higher.”
He also cited “the ominous warning by the RSF of ‘bloodshed’ ahead of imminent battles with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their associated armed movements.”
“Everything must be done to protect civilians trapped amid dire conditions in and around El-Fasher.”
Turk also highlighted “reports of extrajudicial executions in Khartoum state,” which he described as “extremely disturbing.”
“Horrific videos circulating on social media show at least 30 men in civilian clothing being rounded up and executed by armed men in RSF uniforms in Al-Salha in southern Omdurman,” he said, adding that in a subsequent video, “an RSF field commander acknowledged the killings.”
Those videos came after “shocking reports in recent weeks of the extrajudicial execution of dozens of people accused of collaborating with the RSF in southern Khartoum, allegedly committed by the Al-Baraa Brigade,” a pro-SAF militia, Turk said.
“Deliberately taking the life of a civilian or anyone no longer directly taking part in hostilities is a war crime,” he insisted.
The UN rights chief said he had “personally alerted both leaders of the RSF and SAF to the catastrophic human rights consequences of this war.”
“These harrowing consequences are a daily, lived reality for millions of Sudanese. It is well past time for this conflict to stop.”

JERUSALEM: Israeli firefighting teams battled bushfires that threatened Jerusalem for a second day on Thursday, with police reporting the reopening of several major roads that had been closed.

The fires broke out on Wednesday along the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway, prompting police to shut roads and evacuate thousands of residents from nearby communities.

Israel’s firefighting service said 163 ground crews and 12 aircraft were working to contain the blaze, which authorities said was the country’s largest in a decade.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned the flames could reach Jerusalem, declaring the situation a “national emergency.”

Crews worked through the night, allowing the reopening of main roads, including the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv route, according to police.

“All routes have been reopened to traffic,” they said in a statement, adding residents of the Mavo Horon settlement had been allowed to return.

AFP footage on Thursday showed firefighters dousing scorched fields near a church and a stand of charred tree trunks.

Several ceremonies scheduled for Wednesday — the eve of Israel’s Independence Day — were canceled due to the fires, but events to mark the occasion were still being held on Thursday.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir hinted that arson may be behind the fires, though authorities have not presented any evidence to support such claims.

While wildfires are not unheard of in Israel this time of year in the past, they are not considered a regular occurrence.

Rescue agency Magen David Adom said it treated 23 people on Wednesday, mostly for smoke inhalation and burns.

Seventeen firefighters were injured, according to public broadcaster Kansas

The Israeli military said its personnel were helping in Jerusalem and other central districts.

“Overnight dozens of engineering vehicles started operating throughout the country to form lines to prevent the fire from spreading into other trees,” said a military statement.

“The IAF (air force) continues assisting in the effort to extinguish the fires,” it said, adding that about 50 firetrucks were dispatched to where the blaze had spread.

Fanned by strong winds, the fires spread rapidly through wooded areas on Wednesday, prompting evacuations from at least five communities, police said.

“It’s just very sad because we knew the weather, we kind of knew that would happen, and still we feel like they weren’t ready enough with the big planes that can drop large amounts of water,” evacuee Yuval Aharoni, 40, said on Wednesday.

“A lot of police arrived, a lot of firefighters, but it didn’t really help. The fire had already completely taken over the whole area here,” student Yosef Aaron said from the side of a highway, flames visible in the distance.

Late Wednesday, the foreign ministry said firefighting aircraft were expected to arrive from Croatia, France, Italy, Romania and Spain to join the operation.

Cyprus and Serbia also announced they were sending firefighting helicopters to Israel.