The positions of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, during their meetings with Congressmen Darin Lahoud and Josh Gottheimer, intersected with what was brought about by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s visit to Washington, regarding demands to pressure Israel to stop its operations in the south and implement the agreements, in parallel with Lebanese pledges to fully implement the agreements.
Aoun stressed the importance of the American role in obligating Israel to implement the “Framework Agreement,” while Berri considered that the continuation of Israeli operations hinders the establishment of the state, stressing Washington’s ability to exert pressure.
In Washington, Salam discussed with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio the situation in the south, the future of UNIFIL and its alternative, and pressure on Israel to prevent the expansion of its security zone, in addition to resuming negotiations.
Washington is intensifying its efforts to create conditions for holding the eighth round of negotiations before the Knesset elections on October 27.
Today (Tuesday), the Syrian authorities announced that they had arrested a Hezbollah cell near the occupied Golan, which they said was “planning to carry out operations,” without providing further details, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.
A statement by the Internal Security Forces, broadcast by Syrian state television, said: “In a pre-emptive security operation, the General Intelligence Service, in cooperation with the Internal Security Forces, foiled a sabotage plan in the Yarmouk Basin in Daraa and arrested a cell belonging to the (Hezbollah) militia, consisting of 3 people: (F.K.), (Z.M.), and (L.A.).”
The statement continued, "The operation came as a result of careful monitoring of the cell's attempt to prepare missile launching platforms with the aim of launching attacks to destabilize security and stability. The platforms were completely dismantled while investigations continue with the detainees in preparation for their referral to the competent judiciary to receive their just punishment."
Hezbollah fought alongside the forces of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the years of the conflict that began in 2011.
Under Assad's rule, Syria was part of the "axis of resistance" led by Iran and formed a supply chain and link between Tehran and Hezbollah.
The new authorities who ousted Assad in late 2024 took a conservative stance against Iranian influence and the party.
It repeatedly announced the dismantling of cells affiliated with the Hezbollah group, which it said were planning to carry out attacks in Syria, and the seizure of arms shipments that it said were destined for it, while the party denied these accusations.
With funding from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, Syria witnessed, yesterday and today, the opening of a number of schools in rural Damascus and rural Homs as part of the damaged schools rehabilitation project, which targets schools in the governorates of rural Damascus, Aleppo, Idlib, and Homs, with the aim of creating an environment conducive to education and supporting recovery.
The program includes the rehabilitation of 60 schools, benefiting more than 50,000 students, with the aim of improving the educational environment and raising the readiness of schools, according to media statements by the director of the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid in Syria, Dr. Nayef Al-Shammari.
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, established in May 2015, is headquartered in the capital, Riyadh, and provides assistance in the areas of food security, health, education, shelter, and others.
The importance of the project is highlighted in returning Syrian children to school, according to a statement by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Syria, Ghazi bin Rafi Al-Anzi, during the opening of a school in the town of Harran Al-Awamid, in the Damascus countryside, today, Tuesday. The ambassador said that the program includes restoring and furnishing schools and equipping them with solar electrical energy.
Ambassador Al-Enezi indicated that the selection of the targeted schools and areas is done according to their needs and in coordination with government agencies, pointing out that there are plans to implement other projects in Syria, including rehabilitating additional schools and caring for orphans, to support recovery and improve services for the most needy groups.
The commercial school was opened in Harran Al-Awamid in the Damascus countryside, among ten schools that were rehabilitated, implemented by the “Sham Humanitarian Foundation” and funded by the “King Salman Centre”, in coordination with the Ministry of Education, within the context of the partnership between government agencies, donors, organizations and the private sector in supporting the educational process.
As for the Homs countryside, 35 schools were rehabilitated with an estimated capacity of about 18,000 students, to meet the increasing need with the return of people to their areas.
With much gratitude, the people of the city of Qusayr in the Homs countryside in central Syria expressed their joy at the opening of six rehabilitated schools in their city on Monday. Engineer Zaid, who leads a volunteer team, said that the schools, which were out of service, returned much better than we expected, and what we dreamed that our schools would be in terms of educational equipment, the provision of alternative energy systems, and the furnishing of classrooms. He pointed out that the rehabilitation work included maintaining doors and windows, painting the walls, rehabilitating the courtyard, facilities, and bathrooms, in addition to carrying out tiling work and installing curtains, fans, and heaters.
Zaid considered rehabilitating schools and advancing the educational process in Syria after the war one of the most important priorities, especially with the presence of thousands of Syrian children out of school, especially those returning from displacement and asylum camps in neighboring countries to destroyed areas where most of the schools are out of service.
It is worth noting that the Directorate of Education in Homs has completed maintenance work for 70 schools in service in the city of Homs and its countryside, as part of efforts to improve the reality of schools, support the continuation of the educational process, and increase the absorptive capacity of the educational system, according to SANA.
