Evacuate 800 White Helmets in Jordan

The Israeli army, in coordination with its American and European allies, evacuated hundreds of Syrian rescuers known as White Helmets near its volatile border with Syria, in a complex and unique operation. , who have been cornered by hostile Syrian troops and others by militants affiliated with the Islamic State group, have been transported to Jordan, from where they are expected to be resettled in Europe and Europe. Canada in the coming weeks

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan, Ayman Safadi, said that 422 White Helmets volunteers were evacuated, instead of the first 800 authorized for the operation. The Israeli army said that the night operation was "an exceptional humanitarian gesture" at the request of US and European allies because of an "immediate threat to (Syrian) life".

He posted an online video showing his soldiers delivering bottles of water to the evacuees.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a separate video statement that US President Donald Trump Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and others had asked him to help evacuate the group members.

"They are people who have saved lives and whose lives are now in danger. I have allowed their transfer through Israel to other countries as an important humanitarian gesture, "said Netanyahu.

Britain said the operation had made possible by joint diplomatic efforts living in areas of opposition

Jeremy Hunt, the UK's foreign minister, described the successful evacuation as a "fantastic news" and thanked Israel and Jordan in a tweet for acting promptly after the request. "Blancos, he said," are the bravest of the brave and in a desperate situation it is at least a glimmer of light. " Hope. "

White Helmets and their families were stranded along the border with Israel's Golan Heights following the Syrian government's offensive in south-west Syria, which started in June

Raed Saleh, Chief White Helmets Also with As a Civil Defense of Syria, he stated that several volunteers and their families had been evacuated from a dangerous and besieged area. He did not provide exact figures.

This was the first Israeli intervention in the protracted civil war in Syria, now in its eighth year. Although he sent aid to Syria and treated thousands of Syrians arriving at the Golan Heights border, the Israeli army said that his actions did not reflect a change in the political situation. Israeli non-intervention in the war in Syria.

It was an unprecedented operation to provide protection and asylum to the allies of the western nations in the complex battlefield of Syria.

White Helmets benefited from support and because of their work in the opposition areas, where they were almost exclusively the only ones offering rescue services in the face of the government's military advances, the Syrian government regarded them as the number one public enemy.

They offered services where institutions and state services are non-existent. His facilities were attacked and his volunteers were attacked during so-called "double-strike" attacks that forced volunteers to bomb areas to hit them once in the place.

The Syrian Government and Its Ally Russia, They Called the "White Helmets" to "White Helmets", Accused them of Being "Agents" of Foreign Powers and Cooperating with Groups of Foreigners radical insurgents. Moscow and Damascus accused the White Helmets of organizing rescue missions and chemical attacks to blame the government.

On Sunday, state media continued their campaign against the group, noting that Israel, with whom Syria is officially fighting, has facilitated the evacuation, citing this as evidence that the group was collaborating with an enemy power. Syrian state television Al-Ikhbariya called the evacuation a "scandal". The official SANA news agency said the group's "secret" had been revealed and that its "agent role had ended".

Syrian MP Khaled Abboud said that "foreign powers are removing their agents from the battlefield." Because of Syrian military victories that canceled "aggression" against Syria.

In a swift offensive, Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air forces, advanced from the east into the areas occupied by the opposition in Syria. the southwestern strategic region that stretches on both sides of the Jordanian border and the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel in 1967. First, it seized the border with Jordan, squeezing the border. opposition to the center and gradually destroying rebel areas. They had for years. For the first time since the start of the war in 2011, government forces resumed positions along the line of separation following a ceasefire agreement with Israel in 1974.

Rebels and white helmets besieged by the government on the one hand, the sealed border with Israel and the group affiliated with the Islamic State of the South.

Surrender agreements were concluded with the armed groups, allowing thousands of people to evacuate the northern province of Idlib, where opposition still dominates.

But a civilian defense official, who refused to be identified for his safety, said the Russians, allies of the Syrian government and mediators of the surrender agreements, refused to allow the white helmets to evacuated to the north.

The Associated Press reported for the first time Friday that US officials were finalizing plans to evacuate several people. Hundreds of Syrian civil defense workers and their families in southwestern Syria when Russian-backed government forces approached the area along the Golan Heights border.

The evacuation plans have accelerated after the NATO summit last week in Brussels

Sunday, the British Secretary for International Development, Penny Mordaunt, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Hunt said the volunteers and their families "were able to leave Syria to ensure their safety". diplomatic effort by Britain and its international partners. They said that because of the risk to volunteers and their visibility, the necessary measures were taken to protect "as many volunteers and their families" as possible.

Evacuees are badisted by the United Nations Refugee Agency. Jordan awaiting international resettlement, said secretaries

. Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Kayed said the Syrians would remain in a closed area in Jordan for three months. Safadi, Jordan's foreign minister, said in a tweet that his government had approved the evacuation after the promise of Britain, Germany and Canada that the evacuees will be resettled in three month

. Targets that have been previously evacuated to Idlib from other parts of Syria will receive similar treatment.

Since the beginning of the offensive, Jordan has declared that it will not open its borders to newly displaced Syrians. Jordan is hosting at least 650,000 registered Syrian refugees, according to the UN, but Amman says that a similar number of undocumented Syrians are also in the kingdom.

About 300,000 have been displaced by the fighting, and only a few have opted for evacuation to Idlib, which should be the target of the next government offensive.

Aron Lund, a Syrian expert from Century Foundation, said that after funding and promoting the White Helmets for years, the evacuation should not be a surprise.

"It seems to me that a simple matter of mathematical morality, when the uprising fails, they should try to bring their men, with their families, to life," he told the Associated Press in a statement. email. "If the international community had done so much earlier and also offered a haven for rebel leaders that they supported, they could have helped to break the irreconcilable of the equation and reduce it. the number of killings and destruction. " [19659002"D'unautrecôtéal-IkhbariyaTVacitéunresponsablemilitairequiaffirmaitcequisuitentantquepostemilitairedanslavilledeMasyafdanslaprovincedeHamaaétéfrappéparunefrappeaérienneisraélienneLazoneabriteplusieursinstallationsduministèredelaDéfense