Israel vs Palestine/Lebanon/Iran/Yemen/Syria: a New Middle East War

[shaberon]

History repeating itself, it is the 11th anniversary of Kobani being surrounded on all four sides by ISIS, and the Kurds liberating it.

This was a major setback for the project, and prevented it from extending more tentacles, such as into Europe. It was gradually beaten down into smaller and smaller pockets, and newer plots such as Al Nusra picked up some of the remainder. The pockets were used by the United States to continuously plunder Syrian oil, and, the relationship with SDF is generally considered "abandoned".

During the cease-fire, it apparently means that SDF are not the targets.


Drone attack caused material damage in Cizir.


More seriously:

One child was killed and three others were wounded as a result of continuous artillery shelling by Damascus factions on the village of Al-Qasimia, west of Kobane, in a clear violation of the ceasefire extension agreement.

The attack killed 8-year-old girl Sabrîn Ehmed Elawî, while Cûdî Ehmed Elawî (14), Mihemed Ehmed Elawî (10), and Ehmed Îbrahîm Elawî (5) were wounded.

The wounded children were taken to a hospital in Kobanê.

Since the early hours of the morning, Damascus factions have launched attacks on the villages of Zarik and Al-Qasimia west of Kobani, as well as the village of Al-Jalabiya southeast of the city, in a dangerous escalation that came just hours after the ceasefire extension agreement was reached.

I'm not sure how that is supposed to make you interested in joining that government.

[Ravenlocke]

Seyed Mohammad Marandi

CIA, MI6, and Mossad-backed rioters and terrorists destroyed large numbers of ambulances across the country so casualty figures would rise. They also destroyed many expensive fire engines so fires would rage.

Never trust Western media. It is controlled by Zionist oligarchs.

https://x.com/s_m_marandi/status/2015420799696666676

[rgray222]

Remains of last Israeli hostage found in Gaza, paving way for next phase of ceasefire

The return of Ran Gvili's body will mark an end to the more than two-year saga for captives' families, and is supposed to be followed by a partial reopening of the Rafah crossing with Egypt.


Search operations in the Gaza Strip to recover the body of an Israeli hostage Sunday.

The remains of the last hostage held in Gaza have been identified, the Israeli military said Monday, ending a more than two-year saga for captives' families in Israel — and paving the way for the second phase of the ceasefire in the war-torn enclave.

For months, only one hostage body remained in Gaza, that of Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer killed during the Hamas-led attack Oct. 7, 2023.

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement Monday that Gvili's family had been informed "that their loved one has been identified and will be returned for burial."

"With this, all hostages from the Gaza Strip have been returned," it said.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem separately confirmed the last of the hostage remains had been found, saying the development confirmed its commitment to the requirements of the ceasefire deal.

On Sunday, Israeli officials said they had launched a "large-scale operation" to locate Gvili's body amid growing pressure to move into the second phase of the ceasefire deal with Hamas.

"Ran Gvili, the last hostage in Gaza, has been brought home," the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families of Israeli hostages, said in a statement Monday.

"First to enter. Last to return," it said, noting that Israeli authorities have concluded that Gvili was killed in battle during the Oct. 7 attack before his remains were taken into Gaza.

The development marks the completion of a key pillar of the truce brokered in part by President Donald Trump, after months of mounting tension over delays and alleged violations.

According to the agreement, the next stage will include the partial reopening of Gaza’s key Rafah border crossing with Egypt, Israel has said.

The truce's second stage, which Trump said earlier this month was getting underway, would also require the disarmament of Hamas, a key sticking point in negotiations, and the makeup of Trump's international force to oversee security in Gaza.

Under phase one of the truce, which came into effect Oct. 10, Hamas agreed to release all living and dead hostages in Gaza. In exchange, Israel released scores of Palestinian prisoners and detainees back to Gaza, including remains.

The completion of the first phase was delayed, however, as Hamas said it had struggled to locate all the remains under the rubble of buildings.

Many of the 251 total hostages held in Gaza had been released under previous ceasefire deals throughout the conflict, while several, including Noa Argamani, were rescued in operations carried out by Israeli forces.

Hostages have also been killed under Israel’s military operations in Gaza, with soldiers accidentally shooting and killing three Israeli hostages in an incident in December 2023.

The fragile truce has been strained throughout, with Israeli forces launching deadly strikes after accusing Hamas of attacking Israeli forces and violating the ceasefire.

The militant group has denied those accusations and alleged that Israel has itself violated the truce by killing Palestinians in Gaza, with more than 480 people killed in the enclave since the ceasefire began, according to Gaza health officials. Israel also still controls about half of the territory.

Focus will now shift to the next phases of the plan, which is ultimately expected to bring an end to the conflict in the enclave.

Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner recently revealed plans for a "New Gaza" marked by towering high-rises and beaches filled with tourists — a far cry from the current reality of a territory reduced to rubble by the U.S. ally's more than two-year offensive.

Trump has pushed forward with his plan for a "Board of Peace," which he first pitched as a body to oversee peace efforts in the Gaza Strip before broadening its remit. Key U.S. allies have opted out amid concerns over its charter, which makes no mention of Gaza and is viewed by some as undermining the United Nations

https://www.nbcnews.com/world/middle...ump-rcna241533

[shaberon]

The SDF commander has made statements to the effect that no, you cannot enter Rojava, and no, the agreement may not work, while still saying it could but only on our terms.

Because Damascus apparently cannot command its own troops, after violating their new round of claimed cease-fire, they began to reap the rewards:

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Women's Defense Units (YPJ) have reported heavy losses among the Damascus-affiliated factions in ongoing fighting southeast of Kobanê. According to reports, several tanks and armored vehicles were destroyed or damaged in several locations, including a military vehicle with a mounted DShK machine gun. Numerous other military vehicles have been seized, it was reported.

The fighting is taking place in the town of Chalabiya, about 50 kilometers from the center of Kobanê. The attacks on Monday were directed at the village of Kharab Ashk, where five members of a Kurdish family were killed, and the former site of the French cement manufacturer Lafarge. The villages of Qasimiyah and Zêrîk are also under attack by Islamists. In Zarik, a five-year-old child and three other civilians were injured by artillery fire.

“Our fighters are responding decisively to the ongoing attacks. The enemy has suffered heavy losses, both in personnel and equipment,” SDF sources said.

Fighting is also reported from Chil Agha in the canton of Cizîrê.

Right now, one can only imagine this spreading, with no real resolution in sight.

[bojancan]

ISIS flags flowing Syria after US-backed rampage

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=NHNPj6lzdY4

The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate explain how the military assault by the new Syrian government of former Al Qaeda leader Ahmad Al-Sharaa has opened the door for a resurgence of ISIS after removing the Kurdish SDF from the country's strategically significant northeast region.

They point out that the military campaign was approved by the Trump administration, which has embraced Al-Sharaa even as it demonizes what it calls "radical Islam."

[bojancan]

We should not forget Palestinians... we have to talk... listen about them.... two state solution... we did not forget!

Jan, 24
The Young Turks
6.4M subscribers

Gaza Plan Unveiled...It's HORRIFYING

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=J4vpkFJ_dsU

"US special envoy Jared Kushner presented a detailed blueprint for the reconstruction and economic transformation of the Gaza Strip in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday. The multiphase master plan is intended to turn the enclave into a regional economic hub by 2035.

The proposal was introduced during the signing of US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace charter."

[shaberon]

More defense:

SDF, YPG, and YPJ fighters repelled all attacks carried out by the occupying Turkish state and HTŞ and ISIS gangs on the village of Safa, affiliated with Çilaxa.

As ceasefire violations continue on the second day, SDF and YPJ fighters are responding effectively both on the ground and from the air. The freedom fighters are pushing back the gangs’ attempts to advance in the rural areas of Kobanê, inflicting heavy losses.

In particularly intense clashes concentrated in Kobanê’s countryside, SDF–YPJ forces destroyed dozens of armored vehicles and tanks belonging to the gangs. Fierce fighting took place in and around Çelebiyê, Xerab Haşkê, Zêrikê, and surrounding areas; the gangs’ infiltration and ground attack attempts failed each time.

SDF–YPJ fighters shared footage of air operations carried out against gang targets in the countryside of Kobanê. The footage shows the results of four separate airstrikes, in which the gangs themselves, their positions, and their vehicles were hit hard.

The "powers" countries have not really changed their tune -- which would result in a dis-armed SDF -- and are still on this task:

We reiterate the need to maintain and focus collective efforts on the fight against ISIS. We call upon all parties to avoid any security vacuum in and around ISIS detention centres. To address these concerns, we agreed to promptly convene a meeting of the International Coalition against ISIS.

Not surprisingly, U. S. S. Lincoln picked something up and turned around:

[Ravenlocke]

dana

🇺🇸⚔️🇮🇶 Iraq: Nouri Al-Maliki must be a very good politician if Trump doesn't like him so much.

jharnous

https://x.com/dana916/status/2016254119313301960

[Ravenlocke]

Suppressed News.

⚡️🇺🇸🇮🇱JUST IN: Pro-Israel activist Karys Rhea to Dan Diker of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs:

Israel should target Americans with "information warfare" and "psychological operations" to win them over to the ‘Zionist cause.’

https://x.com/SuppressedNws1/status/2016128596125814896

[Ravenlocke]

Disclose.tv

NEW - U.S. Ambassador to Israel on Trump: "The President believes, as so many of us—if you bless Israel, you will be blessed, and if you curse Israel, you will be cursed. He'd rather America be blessed. And I believe, he's well on the way to making that happen."

https://x.com/disclosetv/status/2016201993342144557

[Ravenlocke]

The Resonance

German police officer to a protester: “Please don’t say it. If you say ‘From the river to the sea,’ we have to arrest you again. The phrase is forbidden in Germany.”

https://x.com/Partisan_12/status/2016127137200406701

[Rizotto]

Israel has gone into censorship overdrive...

"In this episode of 51-49, James investigates the reality behind the newly "Americanized" TikTok and the sudden shift in its search algorithm. We uncover the app's new leadership under Larry Ellison, whose team of former intelligence operatives is now accused of silencing US creators to manufacture consent for a foreign nation."

WARNING: Delete TikTok Immediately!!

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=pQ0jKNJ6SYw

[Ravenlocke]

The Cradle

Son of caregiver held in ICE detention over unfounded PLO allegations dies; father barred from funeral
——
Wael Tarabishi, a 30 year old US citizen with severe Pompe disease, died on 23 January in a Texas intensive care unit after his father and full time caregiver, Maher Tarabishi, was detained by US immigration authorities. Maher, a Jordanian national, was arrested on 28 October 2025 during a routine check in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Dallas and held more than 200 miles away.

Relatives said Wael, who had undergone 36 surgeries and was confined to bed, suffered a rapid health decline without his father’s daily care. He was hospitalized with sepsis and pneumonia and spent days in intensive care calling for his father, including during a month long ICU stay, before his death.

Family members said officers ignored Maher’s long standing legal permission to remain in the US as his son’s caregiver and detained him despite explanations at the scene. ICE later alleged that Maher was a criminal and a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which has not been designated a terrorist group since 1987, a claim relatives described as unfounded. ICE did not allow him to attend his son's funeral

https://x.com/TheCradleMedia/status/2016085610507682096

[Ravenlocke]

Quds News Network
Jan 25
We’re now on
@realUpScrolled
!

As platforms tighten censorship and silence critical voices, Quds News Network is expanding to new spaces. UpScrolled gives our journalism room to exist, reach, and be seen with no shadowbans.

Follow us there.

https://x.com/QudsNen/status/2015472881291919463

[Ravenlocke]

Al Mayadeen English


#Trump's interventionist approach heads east, with his eyes locked on #Iraq this time, warning that reappointing Nouri al-Maliki for the premiership would cost the country US "help".

https://x.com/MayadeenEnglish/status...68351736025543

[Ravenlocke]

The Cradle

Israel kills Lebanese journalist Ali Noureddine

https://x.com/TheCradleMedia/status/2016198662699799003

[Ravenlocke]

Pepe Escobar

ISIS/Daesh hits the Kremlin.

After being normalized in Washington and Brussels.

Realpolitik may take precedence, but the optics are dreadful.

https://x.com/RealPepeEscobar/status...09500312723605

[Ravenlocke]

Sputnik

🇸🇾🇷🇺Syria's Al-Sharaa speaks about snow as a historic shield while opening talks with Putin in Moscow.

https://x.com/SputnikInt/status/2016509154479759526

[bojancan]

In Iran there were/are Treasury sanctions... economic statecraft from... sanctions by Trump's regime... because of that people were on streets... and US news were not reporting the truth...


Jeffrey Sachs: U.S. War on Iran - "An Attack Is Imminent"

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=sYAW_XvvreU

Prof. Jeffrey Sachs discusses how the U.S. has amassed military capabilities for a massive war on Iran and communicates its clear intention. The Europeans continue to encourage U.S. warmongering and then have the audacity to complain when they themselves are the target.

[shaberon]

Turkey dispatches F-16s to Somalia.

There is an impending alliance between Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Somalia, that Turkey may perhaps join. Obviously, this is a counter to Israel possibly investing in the region.

So far, Egypt is not really a backer of Syria, so these may not all be completely on the same page. Turkey remains a wild card, considered capable of anything from grabbing Iranian territory, to facing an internal breakdown over the Kurds.

Practically all of them have advised the US not to do anything to Iran; Qatar, the Saudis, and Turkey, while seeming to be pro-Syrian Transitional Government, are adamant against attacking the Islamic Republic. This idea may only be important to Israel, as most of the traditional US partners are most likely walking out of its adventurism. Yemen will obviously be the first to jump to Iran's defense if need be.


Here are some remarks from a Kurdish representative of Turkey's Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM):

Konukçu said that for Kurdish political parties and women’s organizations, the most critical issue is the protection of the gains of the revolution. Konukçu also said: “Among the Kurdish parties there are those aligned with the Democratic Union Party (PYD), as well as those aligned with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (YNK). What matters to them is preserving a women-centered, egalitarian system of governance and safeguarding the gains of the revolution. They emphasize that they will not take a single step back on this.”

Repudiating the Turkish stance:

Even the parliamentary group chair of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) says that ‘Kurds have seized 95 percent of the oil.’ If people live there, of course they will benefit from the resources there. They may establish a federative arrangement with the central government and make their own decisions, but what does ‘seize’ even mean? What does it mean to portray them as if they came from outside and took over land that is not theirs? No one can be deceived by such arguments. They constantly speak of ‘nation and homeland.’ That is their homeland as well. Why does the oil there concern the AKP? Why are they interfering? This shows that they have other intentions, and through these statements they are revealing those intentions themselves.

And in Syria:

Konukçu said: “There is a segment in this country that defines itself as secular yet behaves in a deeply hypocritical way on this issue. What actually drives them is not secularism as an ideology, but chauvinism. When it comes to Kurdish rights, they immediately line up their ‘buts’ and ‘however.’ They put forward excuses such as relations with the United States or ties with Israel. Yet the Kurds are engaging in certain talks precisely to secure the gains they have achieved there.

Kezban Konukçu said that during their visit to Rojava, they also met with Kurdish parties other than the PYD. Konukçu said: “In those meetings, there was not a single woman present; all the participants were men above middle age. In contrast, in our meeting with the PYD, there were women, young people and equal representation. This is precisely the egalitarian, women-centered structure that is creating a different wind in the Middle East, like a spring blooming in the desert. Its significance must be fully understood.

Defending Rojava means defending humanity, women’s freedom, and equality. Despite the ceasefire, Kobanê is currently under siege by jihadist groups that are remnants of ISIS. Children are dying from the cold, and Kobanê is being turned into Gaza. Yet the people there are doing everything they can to prevent this from happening. We, too, must stand with the Kurdish people who are resisting, with the women’s liberation-based and egalitarian system they have built, and with the gains of the Rojava Revolution.”