In July news, Israel transported several hundred Syrian civil defense workers and their families from southwest Syria to Jordan overnight Saturday, saying it participated in “a humanitarian effort” at the request of the United States and European countries. The Israel Defense Forces said it engaged in the “out of the ordinary” gesture due to the “immediate risk” to the lives of the civilians, as Russian-backed regime forces closed in on the area. It stressed that it was not intervening in the ongoing fighting in Syria. According to Jordan’s official Petra state news outlet, the evacuees included 800 White Helmets personnel and their families.
The Jordanian government, which has consistently refused to accept Syrian refugees in recent years, said an exception was made in this case as the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany agreed to take the 800 White Helmet rescuers and their families. The Syrian refugees are scheduled to resettle in those three countries by the end of October, according to Petra. Germany’s Bild newspaper reported that a convoy of dozens of buses crossed the Syrian border into Israel late Saturday, and were escorted to the Jordanian border by Israeli police and UN forces.
The Temporary International Presence in Hebron “regrets” the incidents of violence by its civilian observers against the Jewish community in Hebron, a Foreign Ministry source said on Tuesday night. Earlier in the day Israel summoned TIPH head Brig.-Gen. Einar Johnsen to the Foreign Ministry over the publication of a video that showed one of its staff members slashing the tire of a Jewish-owned vehicle in the city. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Foreign Ministry to act after the incident, which occurred a year ago, was published on Channel 2.
Israel will partially re-open the sole commercial entry point to the Gaza Strip at noon on Tuesday, hinging the resumption of full operations at the Kerem Shalom crossing on a complete cessation of hostilities, including the launching of incendiary devices across the border.
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman decided that the crossing will return to partial activities at 12:00 p.m. (0900 GMT) on Tuesday, with fuel, food, and medicine to be permitted transfer into the Strip.
“The minister’s decision stems from the fact that Hamas has not completely stopped its terrorist attacks, but is trying to maintain a low level of firing of Molotov cocktails and friction on the [border] fence, behind which are known Hamas operatives,” a statement from the defense ministry said.
“The return of the Kerem Shalom crossing to full operation is contingent on a complete cessation of the firing of the flares and friction on the fence,” the statement added.
