The Levant Files

In a landmark move fundamentally altering the security architecture of the Middle East, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order providing Qatar with an unprecedented security guarantee, treating any attack on the Gulf nation as a direct threat to the United States. The decision, detailed in ten key points, follows a diplomatic crisis sparked by a recent Israeli airstrike on Doha. Here are the 10 key points of the historic US-Qatar security agreement: 1. The Landmark Executive Order On September 29, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a formal security guarantee for the State of Qatar. The order declares that the United States will officially regard any armed attack against Qatar's territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure as a direct threat to its own national security. 2. A 'NATO-Style' Commitment The agreement's language deliberately mirrors NATO's Article 5 collective defense clause, marking the most significa...

Η κουρδική πλευρά έχει προχωρήσει σε αφοπλισμό, αλλά η Άγκυρα καθυστερεί το νομοθετικό πλαίσιο. Ένας χρόνος συμπληρώνεται από τη χειρονομία-ορόσημο που αναζωπύρωσε τις ελπίδες για μια ειρηνική επίλυση του μακροχρόνιου Κουρδικού ζητήματος στην Τουρκία, όμως η απογοήτευση στο κουρδικό κίνημα μεγαλώνει. Αιτία είναι η αποτυχία της κυβέρνησης να θεσπίσει τους νόμους εκδημοκρατισμού που είχε υποσχεθεί. Ενώ το κουρδικό κίνημα έχει κάνει σημαντικά βήματα, συμπεριλαμβανομένου του καλέσματος για αφοπλισμό και τη διάλυση του Εργατικού Κόμματος του Κουρδιστάν (PKK), η τουρκική κυβέρνηση δεν έχει ακόμη ανταποκριθεί με το νομοθετικό πλαίσιο που θεωρείται απαραίτητο για μια διαρκή διευθέτηση. Η τρέχουσα διαδικασία ξεκίνησε την 1η Οκτωβρίου 2024, με μια απρόσμενη χειραψία στο κοινοβούλιο μεταξύ του Ντεβλέτ Μπαχτσελί, ηγέτη του ακροδεξιού Κόμματος Εθνικιστικής Δράσης (MHP), και βουλευτών του φιλοκουρδικού Κόμματος DEM. Σύμφωνα με το κουρδικό πρακτορείο ειδήσεων ANF, παρόλο που η νέα αυτή διαδικασία «έχ...

One year after a landmark political gesture reignited hopes for a peaceful resolution to the decades-long Kurdish issue in Turkey, frustration is growing within the Kurdish movement over the government's failure to enact promised democratization laws. While the Kurdish movement has taken steps, including a call for disarmament and the dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the Turkish government has yet to reciprocate with the legal framework deemed essential for a lasting settlement. The current process began on October 1, 2024, with an unexpected handshake in parliament between Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and legislators from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party. According to the pro-Kurdish news agency ANF, although this new process "has completed its first year, no legal steps have been taken" by the AKP-led government. The gesture was followed by a proposal from Bahçeli, who suggested that imprisoned PKK leader Abdul...

Israeli military forces have begun intercepting vessels from the "Global Sumud Flotilla," an international convoy of ships attempting to deliver aid to Gaza, with organizers reporting that contact has been lost with several boats, including three from the Greek delegation. In a coordinated response, activists released pre-recorded video messages stating that if the videos were public, it meant Israeli forces had abducted them. In a dramatic turn, the activists' pre-recorded videos were published on Thursday morning, prepared specifically in anticipation of their capture. According to the Greek newspaper Efymerida ton Syntakton, in a report titled «Αν βλέπετε αυτό το βίντεο, έχω απαχθεί από τις ισραηλινές δυνάμεις...» ("If you are watching this video, I have been abducted by Israeli forces…"), the participants deliver a stark message. "If you are watching this video, we have been abducted by the Israeli occupying forces," they state, urging citizens to...

Major labor action announced for October 3 as Israeli Navy confirms seizure of Alma and Sirius vessels; Greek activists rally outside Foreign Ministry tonight The Israeli naval interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla has triggered immediate international responses, with Italian trade unions calling a general strike and Greek activists organizing emergency protests, as Israeli forces continue seizing control of multiple humanitarian vessels in international waters. Italian Unions Declare General Strike for October 3 Italian trade unions have announced a general strike for October 3 in response to the Israeli attack on the flotilla, fulfilling their advance pledge to take action if the convoy was intercepted, according to Greek newspaper Efimerida ton Syntakton. In an apparent attempt to calm reactions, the Italian Foreign Ministry rushed to declare that Israel has "committed" not to use violence against the activists. Similarly, 76 trade union organizations in Greece have is...

İsrail donanma güçleri, çarşamba gecesi Gazze'ye uygulanan deniz ablukasını kırmayı hedefleyen Küresel Sumud (Kararlılık) Filosu'na yönelik kapsamlı bir askerî operasyon başlatarak çok sayıda gemiye el koydu ve gemilerdeki aktivistleri gözaltına aldı. İsrail Yayın Kurumu ve Al Jazeera'nin doğruladığı bilgilere göre, operasyon uluslararası sularda gerçekleşti. Yerel saatle 21:44'te İsrail Yayın Kurumu, donanma güçlerinin filonun kontrolünü ele geçirmek üzere operasyona başladığını resmen duyurdu. Açıklamada, "Deniz kuvvetleri unsurları, Sumud Filosu'na katılan gemilere çıkmıştır" denildi. Al Jazeera'nin haberine göre ise, filodaki "Alma" ve "Sirus" isimli gemilerde bulunan aktivistler İsrail güçleri tarafından gözaltına alındı. Operasyon öncesinde dramatik anlar yaşandı. Filo katılımcıları, gece boyunca İsrail tarafından havadan ve denizden taciz edildiklerini bildirdi. "Alma" gemisinden yapılan bir video anonsunda, "İ...

Δυνάμεις του ισραηλινού πολεμικού ναυτικού εξαπέλυσαν ευρεία στρατιωτική επιχείρηση το βράδυ της Τετάρτης εναντίον του στολίσκου «Παγκόσμιος Στολίσκος Sumud (Σθένος)», ο οποίος είχε ως στόχο να σπάσει τον ναυτικό αποκλεισμό της Γάζας. Η επέμβαση, που πραγματοποιήθηκε σε διεθνή ύδατα, οδήγησε στην κατάσχεση πλοίων και τη σύλληψη ακτιβιστών που επέβαιναν σε αυτά. Σύμφωνα με διεθνή μέσα ενημέρωσης και αναφορές από τον στολίσκο, η επιχείρηση ξεκίνησε καθώς τα πλοία πλησίαζαν την ακτή της Γάζας. Ισραηλινά πολεμικά σκάφη περικύκλωσαν τα πλοία του στολίσκου, ενώ υπήρξαν αναφορές για διακοπή των επικοινωνιών. Συγκεκριμένα, οι ισραηλινές δυνάμεις έθεσαν υπό τον έλεγχό τους το πλοίο «Alma», συλλαμβάνοντας το πλήρωμά του. Επιθέσεις και παρενοχλήσεις καταγγέλθηκαν και εναντίον των πλοίων «Sirius» και «Καπετάν Νίκος». Λίγο πριν την επέμβαση, επικρατούσε δραματική ατμόσφαιρα. Συμμετέχοντες στον στολίσκο είχαν καταγγείλει παρενόχληση από ισραηλινά σκάφη καθ' όλη τη διάρκεια της νύχτας, κάνοντας λ...

An unexpected chain of events beginning with a failed Israeli military operation has led to President Trump's ambitious plan to end the war in Gaza. What initially appeared as a diplomatic crisis transformed into an opportunity for peace negotiations, according to insider accounts of the high-stakes discussions that unfolded over recent weeks. According to reporting by Axios, the foundation for Trump's peace plan was laid three weeks before its Monday announcement, when Israel conducted an unsuccessful airstrike in Qatar aimed at eliminating Hamas leadership. The strike united Arab leaders in opposition to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and intensified domestic pressure within Israel for a hostage deal and war resolution. Trump advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, though initially outraged by the strike, recognized the unified Arab response as a potential catalyst for peace negotiations. "It became clear, particularly to Steve, that this rallying cry that...

President Donald Trump announced a comprehensive peace proposal on September 29, 2025, aimed at ending the two-year conflict in Gaza, presenting the plan alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. The initiative has garnered significant international support but faces fierce criticism over what Palestinians describe as a colonial imposition—with Trump himself chairing an international oversight body that would control Gaza's future. How the Plan Works: Step by Step The proposal follows a precise sequence designed to end hostilities and establish new governance in the Gaza Strip. Step 1: Immediate Ceasefire and Hostage Exchange Once both parties agree, all fighting must stop within 72 hours. During this period, Hamas must release all 48 remaining Israeli hostages—approximately 20 believed alive. In return, Israel would free 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 Palestinians detained since October 7, 2023. Step 2: Hamas Disarmament Ha...

Qatar’s Prime Minister has sharply highlighted the ambiguity surrounding the full withdrawal of Israeli forces as a major hurdle in the new American-backed plan for Gaza. While signaling that the proposal contains positive steps toward ending the war, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stressed that its lack of clarity on a complete Israeli pullout from the strip is a critical issue that requires significant and detailed negotiation before the plan can be successfully implemented. In a detailed interview with Al Jazeera, Sheikh Mohammed confirmed that Qatar, in its role as a key mediator, had delivered the proposal to Hamas and was awaiting its formal response. He framed Qatar's primary objective as ending the dire humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory. "Our main focus in the state of Qatar is how to end the suffering of the people in Gaza," he stated, emphasizing the need to stop the "famine, killings, and displacement." He urged all parties to ...

Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s forceful unveiling of a comprehensive Gaza cease-fire plan, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly signaled his compliance. However, the Israeli leader’s apparent acceptance is being viewed with profound suspicion by analysts and critics, who warn that his history points toward a strategy of quiet obstruction. There is growing concern that Netanyahu will employ "sophisticated sabotage and delay efforts" to methodically undermine the very agreement he was seemingly pressured to accept, potentially by dragging out negotiations and leveraging political opposition to scuttle the high-stakes peace initiative. This skepticism is rooted in the prime minister's past actions, with a recent analysis in Haaretz by Amos Harel, positing that the Israeli leader will likely revert to his "old tactics." These tactics could include launching protracted negotiations over the deal’s fine print and leveraging vocal objections...

A senior leader in the Kurdish movement has issued a sharp warning to both Turkey and Syria, stating that the sincerity of ongoing peace negotiations is being judged by their actions, particularly concerning the treatment of imprisoned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan. The movement insists that tangible, reciprocal steps are required to advance a peaceful settlement to the long-standing Kurdish issue. In a comprehensive interview with Medya Haber TV , Mustafa Karasu, a member of the KCK Executive Council, declared that the approach toward Abdullah Öcalan is the primary "benchmark" for the Turkish government's commitment to the peace process. "How Öcalan is approached is the measure of how sincerely the process is being handled... A law that does not include Öcalan will have no meaning whatsoever," Karasu stated, underscoring that the Kurdish leader's freedom is a central and non-negotiable component of any viable solution and should...

In a significant escalation of economic tensions, Yemen's Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) has imposed sanctions on 13 American entities, nine individuals, and two vessels. The move, announced on September 30, 2025, targets major players in the U.S. energy and maritime shipping sectors for their alleged violation of a Yemeni decision prohibiting the export of American crude oil. According to a statement from Houthi-controlled The Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) on September 30, 2025, the sanctions are a direct response to what it terms "hostile measures" by the United States. The HOCC asserts that these entities and individuals have facilitated the "export, re-export, transport, loading, purchase, or sale of U.S. crude oil from U.S. ports." This action is being framed as an application of the "principle of reciprocity" following sanctions imposed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets...