Although a ceasefire was declared yesterday between Kurdish militias and Syria's Islamist government, a senior Kurdish official told Reuters he is desperately hoping that the US and Israel will step in on the Kurds' behalf in the current confrontation with the government of Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The ceasefire announcement has so far failed to stop the ungoing violence. Overnight, attacks were reported in the area of the city of Raqqa. According to the al-Sharaa government, Kurdish forces are expected to withdraw from the provinces of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa.
The Kurdish official, Sipan Hamo, said that a weekend meeting between US envoy Tom Barrack and senior Kurdish figures did not produce a roadmap toward a lasting ceasefire. He denied claims that the Kurds seek to establish an independent state, stressing that their future lies within Syria.
"We believe that the responsibility for everything currently happening inside Syria lies with the Western countries, and especially the United States of America," Hamo added.
He also emphasized Kurdish hopes regarding Israel. "Of course, we consider Israel a powerful state in the region with its own agenda," he said. "We hope that the same stance taken by other countries in the region towards certain minorities in Syria will be extended to the Kurds as well."
Asked to clarify his remarks, Hamo confirmed that he was referring to Israeli strikes in the Damascus area over the summer, which were carried out as part of assistance to the Druze community in Sweida. At the time, al-Sharaa's forces launched an assault on the southern city, during which massacres were carried out against members of the community.
