Syrian rebels close in on central city of Homs as thousands flee lightning advance
Syrian rebel forces are closing in on the central city of Homs as they push to take control of the country’s third-largest city, according to pro-government media and an opposition war monitor.
Insurgents in the Middle Eastern country entered the towns of Rastan and Talbiseh the day after they captured Syria’s fourth-largest city Hama.
It is part of a lightning offensive led by the jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), which said it will march on Homs and then the capital Damascus, where President Bashar al Assad has consolidated power.
Homs sits on a major crossroads in Syria, linking Damascus to the north and Syria’s Mediterranean coast provinces of Latakia and Tartus, where the majority back Mr Assad and where his ally Russia has a naval base and air base.
A map showing the advance of Syrian rebels towards Damascus
Insurgents have entered the towns of Rastan and Talbiseh
The capture of the two towns puts the rebels within three miles (5km) of Homs, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
“The battle of Homs is the mother of all battles and will decide who will rule Syria,” said the monitor’s chief, Rami Abdulrahman.
An image of Syrian President Bashar al Assad riddled with bullets at the provincial government office building in Hama. Pic: AP
The insurgents entered the towns without any resistance, according to pro-government Sham FM.
State news agency SANA quoted an unnamed military official saying Syrian and Russian air forces were attacking rebels in Hama province and had killed dozens of fighters.
The fall of Hama sent thousands of Homs residents loyal to Mr Assad fleeing towards Damascus and the coastal region, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Residents flee Hama with their belongings. Pics: AP
Future of Assad regime ‘all depends on Russia’
Whether or not Mr Assad’s regime falls now “all depends on Russia” and whether it continues to prop up the Syrian government, according to Dr Neil Quilliam, associate fellow at Chatham House.
He told Sky News that HTS had spent the last four years getting ready for its lightning campaign by “equipping, training and preparing itself”, in contrast to Mr Assad’s forces, which he said were “poorly resourced, poorly trained and demotivated”.
“Damascus is clearly in its sights and unless Russia comes in at the last minute, and given that the Russian embassy has told Russians to evacuate the country immediately, it seems that the regime may well fall,” he said.
“We could expect a much longer bloodier battle than we’ve seen at present,” he added. “I would think that the Assad regime will fall, but it all depends on Russia.”
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On Thursday a Syrian rebel who took part in the offensive on Hama told Sky News the fight to push on will continue.
“Just as we liberated Aleppo and now Hama, we will proceed to Homs, and Damascus, and Deir el Zor,” he said.
He also claimed to have received support from the people in Hama.
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Celebrations in Syrian city as govt driven out
Government forces’ withdrawal ‘a tactical measure’
Syria’s defence minister said the withdrawal of government forces from Hama was a tactical measure and vowed the government would win back the areas it had lost.
General Ali Mahmoud Abbas said in a televised statement late on Thursday the insurgents, who he described as “takfiri” or Muslim extremists, were being backed by foreign countries – in an apparent reference to Turkey – the main backer of the opposition – and the United States.
“We are in a good position on the ground,” General Abbas added, saying the Syrian army’s withdrawal from Hama was “a temporary tactical measure and our forces are at the gates of Hama”.
He made the remarks before the rebels marched south of Hama towards Homs.
Analysis: The immense significance of rebel offensive
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Syria rebels ‘backed by foreign countries’
Elite Hezbollah forces cross into Syria
Iran has provided significant support to Mr Assad during the country’s 13-year civil war.
Elite forces from the Tehran-backed group Hezbollah have crossed into Syria from Lebanon overnight to take up positions in Homs, a Syrian military officer and two regional officials told Reuters news agency.
Meanwhile the head of the US-backed Syrian Kurdish forces said the Islamic State group, which captured and ruled over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before it was defeated by a US-led coalition in 2017, had taken control of some areas in eastern Syria.
“Due to the recent developments, there is increased movement by Islamic State mercenaries in the Syrian desert, in the south and west of Deir el Zor and the countryside of al Raqqa,” said the head of the force, Mazloum Abdi, making reference to areas in the east of the country.
It comes after rebels led by HTS and Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army captured much of Syria’s largest city of Aleppo last weekend, reigniting Syria’s civil war, after front lines had largely remained unchanged over the last four years.
Mr Assad was able to cling to power largely through the help of his allies, Russia and Iran, though both countries and Hezbollah have been distracted by their own wars, with Russia preoccupied with its invasion of Ukraine since 2022 and Hezbollah in Lebanon suffering heavy losses in its war with Israel.
World
Number of dead in Gaza reaches 63,000, health ministry says – as Israel declares city a combat zone
More than 63,000 Palestinians have now reportedly been killed during Israel’s war in Gaza, a figure likely to rise after the IDF declared Gaza City a combat zone on Friday.
The number of people killed, reported by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, follows nearly 23 months of war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing ahead with his plan to militarily occupy the Gaza Strip, starting with Gaza City, with the goal of destroying Hamas and returning the remaining Israeli hostages.
A mourner during the funeral of Palestinians killed while trying to receive aid. Pic: Reuters
Israel on Friday claimed the city was a Hamas stronghold and alleged that a network of tunnels remains in use despite several previous large-scale raids on the area.
Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee urged Palestinians to flee south, calling evacuation of the city “inevitable”.
But the head of the Red Cross warned it would be impossible to keep people safe during such a mass evacuation.
Many people in Gaza City would not be able to follow evacuation orders because they are starving, sick or injured, Mirjana Spoljaric said.
Palestinians are being urged to flee Gaza City by the Israeli military. Pic: Reuters
International humanitarian law requires Israel to ensure civilians have access to shelter, safety and nutrition,
when evacuation orders are issued.
“These conditions cannot currently be met in Gaza. This makes any evacuation not only unfeasible but incomprehensible under the present circumstances,” Ms Spoljaric added.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced it had targeted Abu Obeida, a spokesperson for Hamas’s armed wing, in a strike on Gaza City, according to Israeli media.
And Mr Netanyahu later said the body of hostage Idan Shtivi was retrieved from Gaza.
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A Palestinian child waits to receive food from a charity kitchen. Pic: Reuters
Four people were killed by Israeli gunfire on Saturday while trying to get aid in central Gaza, according to health officials at Awda hospital, where the bodies were brought.
Their deaths join the almost 1,900 people who the UN say have been killed while seeking food since 27 May, including more than 1,000 killed in the vicinity of the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites.
“Most of these killings appear to have been committed by the Israeli military,” a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Thameen Al-Kheetan said.
Israel has previously blamed Hamas militants for fomenting chaos and endangering civilians at aid sites.
The conflict began with a Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which saw around 1,200 people killed and about 250 people taken hostage.
Greta Thunberg has rejected accusations of antisemitism as she embarks on her second flotilla to Gaza.
The 22-year-old and other activists are setting sail on the largest flotilla to Gaza on Sunday, despite having been detained by Israeli forces and deported when they approached on a British-flagged yacht in June.
Israel later accused the group of activists of being antisemitic – an accusation Thunberg told Sky News’ Europe correspondent Siobhan Robbins she rejects.
“It is not antisemitic to say that we should not be bombing people, that one should not be living in occupation, that everyone should have the right to live in freedom and dignity, no matter who you are,” she said.
Greta Thunberg is embarking on a flotilla to Gaza again
In June, Thunberg and others were detained by the IDF on board a ship to Gaza
Before the dozens of boats carrying aid embarks from Spain, the activists called on governments to pressure Israel to allow their flotilla through the naval blockade.
Israel imposed the blockade on Gaza after Hamas took control of the coastal enclave in 2007 and has blocked numerous attempts to reach Gaza since, including a vessel in 2010 by its special forces in which at least nine Turkish activists were killed.
But Thunberg brushed concerns about the dangers of the trip aside, saying she was instead worried about the “silence of the world” in light of what is happening in Gaza.
“I’m terrified to see that we seem to have lost all the humanity that we have, and there seems to be no compassion left in the world amongst the vast majority of people who are able to sit on the couch and watch the genocide unfold that I am terrified for,” she added.
The new, bigger flotilla, will set off from Spain on Sunday
Greta Thunberg brushed concerns about the dangers of the trip aside
Israel has repeatedly denied claims of genocide and previously described the first ship, Madleen, as “the selfie yacht”, dismissing the aid ship as a propaganda stunt in support of Hamas.
In a statement to Sky News, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said: “The IDF enforces the security naval blockade on the Gaza Strip and is prepared for a wide range of scenarios, which it will act upon in accordance with the directives of the political echelon.”
Thunberg said: “It’s important that by doing so, by continuing this blockade, Israel is violating international law. And what we are trying to do is to use our rights to sail on international waters and to deliver humanitarian aid, which Israel is not allowed to block from coming in.”
Greta Thunberg aboard the Madleen on 2 June. Pic: Freedom Flotilla Coalition/Reuters
The Madleen was intercepted before reaching Gaza
The naval blockade has remained in place through conflicts, including the current war, which began when Hamas fighters attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive against Hamas has since killed almost 63,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, while part of the Strip is suffering from famine, according to a global hunger monitor – something Israel denies.
In March, Israel also sealed off Gaza by land, not letting in supplies for three months, claiming Hamas was diverting aid.
Palestinians wait to receive food from a charity kitchen. Pic: Reuters
Asked what would be her message to Hamas, which is still holding 48 hostages in Gaza, around 20 of whom Israel still believes to be alive, Thunberg said she does “not stand behind killing civilians”.
“But we translate that into reality and we’re seeing how many hundreds of thousands of people are dying in Gaza now, how many hundreds of thousands of people have been deprived [of] their dignity and justice and freedom by Israel,” she added.
Sky News’ Europe correspondent Siobhan Robbins interviewed Greta Thunberg in Spain
The IDF said in its statement: “Israel allows and facilitates the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Since the beginning of the war, over two million tons of aid have been delivered to Gaza – approximately one ton of aid per person on average.
“The last few months 9,000 aid trucks have entered through land crossings, as publicly reported.
“In recent weeks, approximately 300 aid trucks have entered daily, primarily carrying food, medical supplies, hygiene products, and other essential items according to needs identified by international organisations and the UN. Israel does not impose quantitative limits on aid trucks entering Gaza.
“Several significant measures have been implemented to expand aid volume and facilitate collection by the UN and international organisations. Recent data on aid deliveries demonstrates Israel’s commitment to facilitating humanitarian assistance to Gaza.”
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Thunberg, who is among hundreds of people from 44 countries on the flotilla, hopes their mission will bring symbolic aid and help open up a humanitarian corridor to deliver more aid.
She said the activists’ goal is to send “hope and solidarity to the people of Gaza, showing a clear signal that the world has not forgotten about you”.
World
US blocks Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials from United Nations’ annual meeting in New York
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials have been blocked from attending September’s annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio has revoked the US visas of delegates from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), and denied others from applying for one.
It is the latest step by Donald Trump’s administration to target Palestinians with visa restrictions, and follows the suspension of a programme to allow injured children from Gaza to receive treatment in the US.
Mahmoud Abbas addressed the general assembly in 2024, but is barred from next month’s meeting. Pic: Reuters
“It is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace,” a statement from the US State Department said.
It added that, to be considered partners for peace, both groups “must consistently repudiate terrorism, and end incitement to terrorism in education, as required by US law and as promised by the PLO”.
Offensive will cause ‘intolerable deaths’
Several US allies, including France, Malta, and Australia have announced plans to recognise Palestine as a state at September’s United Nations General Assembly. Canada and the UK will too, unless Israel meets certain conditions.
Israel declared Gaza’s largest city a dangerous combat zone on Friday.
The army launched a planned offensive that has drawn international condemnation.
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Thick smoke rises from Gaza City after Israeli strikes
Foreign ministers from Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia and Spain released a joint statement saying the military operations in Gaza City will cause “intolerable deaths of innocent Palestinian civilians”.
Gaza latest: Israel’s Gaza City offensive condemned
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering in Gaza City while enduring famine.
An Israeli armoured vehicle in northern Gaza on Friday. Pic: AP
Palestinians ride a truck carrying humanitarian aid in Gaza City. Pic: AP
The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Riyad Mansour, said Mr Abbas had planned to lead the delegation to the UN meetings and was expected to address the general assembly at the general debate, which begins on 23 September.
He was also expected to attend a high-level meeting co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia on 22 September about a two-state solution, a broad idea involving Israel coexisting with an independent Palestinian state.
The State of Palestine is an observer member of the UN, meaning it can speak at meetings but not vote on resolutions.
The State of Palestine cannot vote on UN resolutions. Pic: AP
US decision ‘contravenes international law’
The Palestinian Authority “expressed its deep regret and astonishment” at the visa decision, calling it “a violation of US commitments” as the host of the UN, and claiming it “contravenes international law”.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the world body would be seeking clarification in the “hope that this will be resolved”.
Hundreds of diplomats left when Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu began speaking at the general assembly in 2024. Pic: Reuters
The State Department said that the Palestinian Authority’s mission to the UN, comprising officials who are permanently based there, would not be included in the restrictions.
Under a 1947 UN agreement, the US is generally required to allow access for foreign diplomats to the UN in New York.
But Washington has said it can deny visas for security, extremism and foreign policy reasons.
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The death toll in Gaza has now risen to 63,025, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
It also reported five more malnutrition-related deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number during the war to 322, with 121 of them children.
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