Vivek Ramaswamy turns to conservative youth to shape the movement’s next phase, analyzes 2026 races
Ohio gubernatorial candidate and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy warned conservatives not to take any political races for granted, including his own, and commented on what AmericaFest means for the future of the right as it draws in thousands of voters and activists, including youth. Ramaswamy spoke to Fox News Digital shortly after arriving at the Phoenix Convention Center Friday and said he had already met several people there who told him they were energized to join him at the conference. “Funny enough — and I often like to do this when I travel west — I went for a hike earlier today to what’s called Camelback Mountain, and we saw tons of young people who are going to be here tonight that were getting their outdoor time, so I got to talk to a lot of them,” he said. “I would say the mood is a combination of enthusiastic and determined, but with a sober sentimentality as well. It’s clear that a lot of these young people were, I mean, just like me and the rest of us, affected by Charlie’s death. And they’re hungry for direction.” CONSERVATIVES NEED TO EMBRACE ‘FUSION’ OF POPULISM, TOP LEADER SAYS, CALLING AMFEST SCENES ARE ‘ENCOURAGING’ Many of the young conservatives he met appeared to want to find the direction the conservative movement and TPUSA would go after Kirk’s death. In Ohio, where he is seeking to succeed term-limited moderate Republican Mike DeWine, Ramaswamy stressed that even though Ohio has been reliably red, he isn’t taking the race for granted. Republicans are reeling from a string of losses from Florida to Pennsylvania just weeks ago. VIVEK RAMASWAMY CRITICIZES POCKETS OF ‘ONLINE RIGHT’ FIXATED ON HERITAGE IN TURNING POINT ADDRESS “I think we’ve got to worry less about just defeating the left because we did that last year. That’s not good enough. We have to offer our own vision of what do we actually stand for,” Ramaswamy said. “And, in Ohio, what I know I’m going to be able to deliver is two things that Ohio needs and I believe this country needs: No. 1 is to put more money back in people’s pockets,” he said. He noted that government cannot immediately rein in rising commodity costs as voters demanded in selecting President Donald Trump over Kamala Harris’ continuation of the Biden agenda. “We can do certain things, like bring down electric bills by producing more energy. We’ll do those things. But the direct way we can help people is put more money in people’s pockets by bringing down the property tax burden, by taking the income tax rate down to zero so people are actually able to have more money to afford things, not just waiting for costs to come down,” he said. GEN Z IS STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE — AND REPUBLICANS CAN’T AFFORD TO LOOK AWAY “And, No. 2, is preparing our young people to be useful, contributing members of the workforce with a better education system.” Ramaswamy said the education system has failed American youth for years, through “woke indoctrination” and “victimhood psychology” is something that states should be able to fix. “As someone who did run for president, I can tell you that a governor can make an even bigger difference than a president when it comes to education,” he said. CHARLIE KIRK ALLY WARNS GOP NOT TO TAKE GEN Z FOR GRANTED, CALLING FOR ‘SENSE OF URGENCY’ “I hope we in Ohio set an example of what the other 49 states can actually aspire to.” Looking past Trump’s term limit in 2028, Ramaswamy said the conservative movement will continue so long as it maintains its “aspirational” focus. “That’s my message to those young people tonight, and it is a challenging message. It’s not sugar-coated. The No. 1 factor that determines whether you achieve your goals in life is actually you. That’s a tough message, but it’s the truth. JFK, who famously said, right, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.’ Now’s the moment to remember that message,” he said. HUSTED FILES FOR 2026 SENATE RACE, LAUNCHING AGGRESSIVE STATEWIDE RE-ELECTION PUSH Turning to another Kennedy, Ramaswamy, who founded biotech pharma company Roivant Sciences, was asked his view of the MAHA agenda being pursued by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Ramaswamy said MAHA has established youth health as paramount to healthy future generations. Kennedy’s pursuit of healthier foods in schools and returning to stronger physical education standards underlies the “core thesis behind MAHA.” “That is, that the best way to bring down health care costs — who would have ever thought? — is actually to have a healthier population in the first place,” Ramaswamy said. “That’s something that most Americans are behind. The ‘how’ is, of course, easier said than done, but there are commonsense state-level changes that I’m confident we can implement in Ohio that aren’t about right versus left. It’s about right versus wrong. It’s common sense, and I’m sure we’re going to be able to get those delivered quickly after I win this election.”
Woman who filed a complaint against Epstein to Clinton FBI vindicated after DOJ release of files
A woman whose concerns about Jeffrey Epstein were brushed off by the FBI three decades ago was vindicated Friday after the Department of Justice finally made her complaint public. Maria Farmer’s complaint was buried in the thousands of files related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking cases that the DOJ published as part of its obligations under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The document was dated Sept. 3, 1996, more than 10 years before Epstein first faced prosecution for sex crimes involving girls. In it, Farmer accused Epstein of stealing and selling photos of her young sisters. Farmer worked as an artist for Epstein and has long been outspoken about what she said was his abusive behavior. Farmer has said the photos of her sisters cited in the 1996 complaint included nudity, and the complaint is labeled as a possible “child pornography” case. DOJ PUBLISHES TROVE OF EPSTEIN FILES, SAYS MORE TO COME AFTER FRIDAY DEADLINE Names on the complaint were redacted, but The New York Times confirmed with Farmer that she was the person who filed it. Farmer told the outlet she felt “vindicated.” “I’ve waited 30 years. … I can’t believe it. They can’t call me a liar anymore,” she said. The complaint noted that Farmer was a professional artist whose work included the images of her sisters, who were 12 and 16 at the time. SCHUMER ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF EPSTEIN FILES ‘COVER-UP’ AMID DOCUMENT DISPUTE “Epstein stole the photos and negatives and is believed to have sold the pictures to potential buyers,” the complaint stated. “Epstein at one time requested [redacted] to take pictures of young girls at swimming pools. Epstein is now threatening [redacted] that if she tells anyone about the photos he will burn her house down.” Farmer and her sister Annie brought separate lawsuits in 2019 alleging Epstein and Maxwell sexually assaulted them, but the suits were dropped as part of a settlement involving accepting compensation from Epstein’s estate. Farmer also sued the DOJ in July, alleging the Clinton administration FBI “chose to do absolutely nothing” with her complaint in 1996 and that, in the years since, Epstein was able to victimize more women. Farmer said she also complained again to the FBI in 2006 during the Bush administration. Farmer’s complaint was among the tens of thousands of documents related to Epstein and Maxwell that the DOJ released on Friday, the transparency bill’s deadline. Other accusers, such as Marina Lacerda, have spoken out about their dissatisfaction with the file release, observing that it was incomplete and contained heavy redactions. The department has said more files are coming within the next two weeks.
DOT cracks down on thousands of illegal immigrant truckers as agency looks to holiday travel: Duffy
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy offered an update on his agency’s work alongside the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in cracking down on an influx of illegal immigrants given a non-domiciled commercial driver’s license (CDL) without proper vetting, which has led to several deaths on America’s highways. Duffy was set to speak this weekend at AmericaFest and also touched on his special friendship with Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk, who was murdered Sept. 10 during an event in Utah. “First off, President [Donald] Trump has been a remarkable leader. What he cares about is making government work better, making sure he’s implementing the right policies for the American people. Not the rich, not the powerful, but average, everyday Americans,” Duffy said when asked about the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) crackdown on the trucking crisis. Duffy sprang into action earlier this year after an Indian national who authorities said was issued a CDL by California allegedly killed a carload of people after he attempted an illegal U-turn on Florida’s Turnpike. FLORIDA CFO ROLLS OUT NEW PUSH TO BLOCK ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM TAPPING STATE SYSTEMS: ‘LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST’ Duffy expanded his efforts, warning Pennsylvania’s PennDOT and other agencies after illegal immigrants captured out of state were found to have non-domiciled CDLs issued by blue state agencies. In PennDOT’s case, an agency official told Fox News Digital a Philadelphia resident named in the sweep had not drawn any red flags in a federal database it used to verify him. “As you’ve seen, Homeland Security focused on the border and illegal migrants in the country. What we found at DOT is a different set of problems,” Duffy said, adding that too many states have offered licenses to ineligible foreigners. “They’re not qualified to get a license. And under [former President] Joe Biden’s tenure, [former Transportation Secretary] Pete Buttigieg’s tenure, millions of people have come into the country. And it seems like states across the country have offered commercial driver licenses to many of those people,” he said. AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT KILLED MY DAUGHTER. KATIE AND ILLINOIS ARE BOTH GETTING JUSTICE “The problem is that you endanger the safety of everyday Americans who use our roadways. And, so, what we’ve done at DOT is say, ‘Listen, unless you comply with our rules, we are going to take money away from your state.’” He added that DOT has pressed for compliance from problem states, sharing that California has since revoked 17,000 problematic non-domiciled CDL licenses. On the other side of the country, Duffy said that more than half of the non-domiciled CDLs issued by NYSDOT were “issued illegally.” ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CAUGHT AND RELEASED BY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION NOW CHARGED IN WASHINGTON VEHICULAR HOMICIDE Those New York drivers, he said, may not even be legally present in the U.S., or they may have had a work permit for a few months but wrongfully parlayed that into a truck or school bus driving license with a seven-year expiry date. “So, we are going to use every resource, every tool that we have at DOT, to make sure that we have the right people on our road that are well qualified, well licensed. That are proficient in the English language to make sure we’re maximizing safety.” He noted that while many people are focused on non-domiciled CDL holders driving big rigs, many are also qualified to therefore drive school buses, potentially putting children in danger. SHAPIRO RESPONDS TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER FIASCO, SAYS DRIVER WAS IN FED DATABASE FIRST As the Florida tragedy showed, those drivers also don’t just stay in the states with lax policies. “We are going to maximize everyone’s safety on American roadways, and that means going after states, pulling money from states. We 100% under Donald Trump‘s leadership will,” Duffy said. Speaking about his friendship with Kirk, Duffy said AmFest shows the impact Kirk had on America’s youth, drawing them into the conservative movement. SEAN DUFFY ACCUSES ‘NO-SHOW’ PETE BUTTIGIEG OF TRYING TO ‘REWRITE HIS RECORD’ AFTER TRUMP CRITICISM “To be here with my wife at this event and the meaning behind it is incredibly honoring for us and to be able to talk to the young people who are here to honor Charlie and have our voices heard,” he said. “It couldn’t be more thrilling and exciting, and I’m looking forward to taking the main stage but also having a chance to talk to a lot of the … young people, but people of all ages, are here to come and celebrate Charlie in this movement.” Duffy later said Friday was to be the busiest travel day of the year, and that 51,000 flights took off, a reminder of the sacrifices air traffic control and other DOT subdivision workers make at Christmastime. ICE ARRESTS UZBEK TERROR SUSPECT WORKING AS TRUCK DRIVER AS HOMAN BLAMES BIDEN ADMIN’S LACK OF VETTING “They’re going to work overtime. We appreciate their service. But I think what’s also important is when there are a lot of flights like this, so many people are traveling, I think the American traveler has to pack their best attitude, their best perspective as they go to the airport,” he said. “[They should] know there could be some mishaps because it’s so busy. But if you have that little angel on your shoulder and saying, ‘I’m going to roll with the flow, and I’m going to do my best as a person who’s going to get on an airplane and travel with multiple of the people,’ I think the experience is going to be great.” Suggesting the DOT or FAA could receive complaints as they tend to during holiday seasons, Duffy said travelers should remember an important maxim when it comes to his agency’s work. “If there’s any issue in any of those spaces —whether it’s the controllers, the weather, mechanical — we will slow down traffic or we will stop traffic because we want you to be safe when you travel,” he said. “I don’t want your flight delayed, but I’ll
Second tanker seized near Venezuela as US enforces oil blockade
A U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Special Response Team (MSRT) assisted by the U.S. Navy, seized a second oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela Saturday, a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem took to X to share further details of the operation: “In a pre-dawn action early this morning on Dec. 20, the US Coast Guard with the support of the Department of War apprehended an oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela.” “The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region,” Noem said. “We will find you, and we will stop you.” Noem also praised the service members involved in the operation, thanking the “brave men and women” of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of War for carrying out the interdiction. BONDI SHARES HEART-POUNDING FOOTAGE OF US SEIZING VENEZUELAN OIL TANKER IN RARE ACTION LAST SEEN IN 2014 The operation involved a U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Special Reaction Team assisted by the U.S. Navy, marking the latest enforcement action tied to President Donald Trump’s announced blockade of sanctioned oil tankers. The seizure comes days after Trump announced a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela on Tuesday. The first tanker seized this week occurred on Wednesday, with video released by the Justice Department showing agents rappelling onto the vessel with weapons drawn. WORLD’S BIGGEST OIL RESERVE HOLDER FACES US CHOKEHOLD AS TRUMP TARGETS VENEZUELA’S SHADOW TANKER FLEET Attorney General Pam Bondi took to X to share details of the seizure, writing, “for multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.” “This seizure, completed off the coast of Venezuela, was conducted safely and securely—and our investigation alongside the Department of Homeland Security to prevent the transport of sanctioned oil continues,” Bondi concluded. China is the world’s greatest user of Venezuelan crude oil, Reuters reported. Before this month, the last time Venezuelan oil tankers were seized by the U.S. military was in 2014, under President Barack Obama. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 15% of U.S.-deployed Navy ships are currently in the Caribbean region, the Navy confirmed to Fox News Wednesday. The Pentagon referred Fox News Digital to the White House, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Alex Koch contributed to this reporting.
Meet Minnesota’s fraud ‘mastermind’ accused of playing ‘God,’ wielding ‘fake’ racism claims in Somali scandal
The alleged “mastermind” behind Minnesota’s $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud scandal tied to the Somali community is accused of wielding extraordinary power through threats and what the government described as “fake claims of racism.” Aimee Bock, who founded the Feeding Our Future nonprofit in 2016, used her growing authority to silence dissent, discourage scrutiny from state regulators and cut off operators who refused to comply, prosecutors said. While other defendants splurged on luxury homes, cars and overseas property, prosecutors said, Bock instead controlled the levers of approval and reimbursement that allowed the scheme to flourish. One witness even recently described Bock as a “God” in how she enforced her authority. Court records show that more than $1 million flowed to Bock’s longtime boyfriend, who appeared in trial exhibits posing inside a Rolls-Royce with Bock standing nearby, underscoring her alleged proximity to the wealth generated by the scheme. BESSENT TURNS UP HEAT ON SPRAWLING MINNESOTA FRAUD SCHEMES AS TREASURY PERSONNEL DEPLOY ON THE GROUND Trial evidence painted a picture of a dramatic rise, with Bock going from running a little-known nonprofit to overseeing one of the largest federal meal sponsors in Minnesota as she gained influence, visibility and access to powerful political circles. For years, Feeding Our Future operated modestly, handling roughly $3 million to $4 million annually in federal child nutrition reimbursements, according to prosecutors. That trajectory changed abruptly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when emergency rule changes loosened oversight and allowed sponsors to submit claims without normal verification. As executive director of Feeding Our Future, Bock approved meal sites, some of which were fake, and then certified the claims, signing off on the reimbursements from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). She would soon preside over a network that claimed to have served 91 million meals, for which prosecutors say the scammers fraudulently received nearly $250 million in federal funds, a scale of growth that far outpaced the nonprofit’s pre-pandemic size and internal capacity. Later filings and sentencing releases described the total impact as closer to $300 million. To keep the scheme going, prosecutors said, Bock used her authority to intimidate and control operators, approving implausible meal counts and cutting off those who refused to comply. “Aimee Bock was a God,” cooperating witness Hanna Marekegn testified, according to trial exhibits, which were used to describe how much power Bock allegedly held over the network. Marekegn was the owner of Brava Café, a meal site sponsored by Feeding Our Future. INSIDE MINNESOTA’S $1B FRAUD: FAKE OFFICES, PHONY FIRMS AND A SCANDAL HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT Marekegn told jurors Bock had the power to make operators rich but also the ability to shut off the cash spigot entirely if they did not comply with unrealistic numbers being submitted. Prosecutors said site operators like Marekegn paid kickbacks to Feeding Our Future employees or intermediaries to avoid being cut off, a system witnesses described as necessary to keep money flowing. Refusing to comply, they testified, meant losing all payments. Operators also told jurors they understood that rejecting demands, including submitting implausible meal counts or paying kickbacks, would cost them their contracts and leave them with no money at all. Qamar Hassan, who operated S&S Catering, testified bluntly, “If I say no, I’m not getting any more money.” The Department of Justice also introduced slides showing emails and communications in which Bock accused the MDE of racism when regulators questioned suspicious claims. In 2021, when the MDE grew suspicious and tried to stop the flow of funds, Feeding Our Future sued, alleging racial discrimination. A judge ordered an injunction blocking the state from terminating Feeding Our Future as a sponsor, after which reimbursements — a ruling that prosecutors said enabled the scheme to escalate. “Bock lied to MDE and falsely accused state officials of racism to keep the money flowing,” one of the slides says. Earlier in the trial, prosecutors had shown how she approved 21 meal sites along a 1.8-mile stretch of Lake Street, which together claimed to serve as many kids as there were in the entire Minneapolis school district. Bock testified that the concentration of sites was justified because several grocery stores in the area were damaged during the George Floyd riots. “This large area became what’s known as a food desert,” she testified, according to FOX 9 Minneapolis. A federal jury found Bock guilty on all counts she faced, including wire fraud, conspiracy and bribery. Her co-defendant, Salim Said, was also convicted on multiple charges, including wire fraud, bribery and money laundering. At least 78 people have now been indicted in the ongoing investigation. HOW FEARS OF BEING LABELED ‘RACIST’ HELPED ‘PROVIDE COVER’ FOR THE EXPLODING MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL Court documents revealed that many of those convicted spent their ill-gotten gains on large homes, luxury vehicles and property in Kenya. However, one witness testified that Bock warned beneficiaries not to spend the ill-gotten gains lavishly. The only money movement directly tied to Bock in the exhibits was a picture of her making a $30,000 cash withdrawal, which prosecutors said was evidence she was involved in a kickback scheme by accepting cash payments from meal site operators in exchange for site approvals and reimbursements. A series of reimbursement checks she signed for alleged fraud sites were also shown, evidence prosecutors said captured her role as the scheme’s “gatekeeper,” though not a big personal spender. While prosecutors did not accuse Bock of buying mansions or luxury cars herself, public records show that more than $1 million flowed to her longtime boyfriend, Empress Malcolm Watson Jr., who spent the money on travel, jewelry, vehicles and cash withdrawals. Watson appears in some of the exhibits. One showed him inside a Rolls-Royce with Bock standing next to him. He’s pictured in another photo standing in front of a Lamborghini, and that exhibit also shows designer bags, jewelry and a white Mercedes-Benz, items prosecutors labeled as “Handy Helpers Spending” to illustrate the lavish lifestyle surrounding Bock’s network. Watson has not been charged in the Feeding Our Future
Conservatives need to embrace ‘fusion’ of populism, top leader says, calling AmFest scenes ‘encouraging’
The future of the conservative movement rests on the ability of candidates and activists to embrace the best tenets of populism while addressing issues that are uncomfortable in “establishment Washington,” the leader of one of America’s oldest conservative policy groups told Fox News Digital. Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, in Phoenix for the first AmericaFest following the murder of Charlie Kirk, said that despite a wave of recent losses for conservatives, there is great hope for the future. The event was packed with thousands of conservatives from around the nation. “I was expecting to be really encouraged, and I am,” Roberts said of people he has engaged with at AmericaFest. “There’s a lot of passion and encouragement in that room. And I think we have to keep in mind, moving on to a second point, that you have to ignore sort of the naysayers and the doomsayers about conservative politicians losing the midterms.” He said that despite bad press and wipeouts for the right in Virginia, New Jersey, Florida and Pennsylvania, conservatives “ought to be more optimistic” after what he called a great first year of the Trump-Vance administration and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., working together. VIVEK RAMASWAMY CRITICIZES POCKETS OF ‘ONLINE RIGHT’ FIXATED ON HERITAGE IN TURNING POINT ADDRESS “What we’ve got to do for 2026 is articulate to the American people — starting with this crowd here at AmFest — what those policy priorities need to be; not just for the short term but for the long term and Heritage certainly is in the middle of that conversation.” To keep conservatism at the fore in 2026, given recent setbacks, conservatives must run on an “aspirational vision” he said was lacking in several 2025 races – while noting Jack Ciattarelli’s failed bid for governor of New Jersey bid as one of the better-run campaigns. Looking to the new year, Roberts said Heritage is interested in seeing policymakers asking those uncomfortable questions inside the Beltway, like what the future of the American family looks like, whether the workplace is one where Americans earn dignity and not just a paycheck, and more directly, “what it means to be an American.” TIM SCOTT TELLS MAGA VOTERS TRUMP ‘IS ON THE BALLOT’ AS GOP FIGHTS TO GROW SENATE MAJORITY IN 2026 “[That’s] to say something, of course, that establishment Washington doesn’t like to talk about,” he said. “What’s the future, not just of immigration policy, but how can we assimilate the highest percentage of foreign-born population we’ve had in modern American history? This is important for all of us if in fact we’re going to have a healthy society,” he said. “The bottom line is this, if establishment Washington talks about just sort of sidebar issues in this campaign, then the midterms are going to be a disaster. “ WHY 2026 SHOULD TERRIFY REPUBLICANS AFTER TENNESSEE SPECIAL ELECTION “They, to state the obvious, have to talk about what the American people are asking, and they actually have to offer policy solutions where I happen to think Heritage has some good things to say.” In 2028, Trump will be term-limited and a new conservative leader will have to rise. The best way for conservatives to move forward, he said, is to embrace a “good fusion of the best elements of populism.” SETTING THE STAGE: WHAT THE 2025 ELECTIONS SIGNAL FOR NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERM SHOWDOWNS “Namely, exercising popular will over longstanding conservative principles like diminishing the size of the administrative state, but also making sure that we’re sustaining our longstanding, conservative principles,” Roberts said. “Whoever the standard-bearers are for conservatism in 2028, 2032, 2036, their policy ideas are going to sound a lot like Trump’s, but of course they are going to bring their own imprint into that.” “Those of us who focus on ideas and policy for a living need to do our jobs zealously well to keep offering not just the long-standing policy ideas, but some innovative ones as well,” he added. Looking ahead to Heritage’s work in 2026, Roberts said the think tank will focus on family, the future of free enterprise, national security, and citizenship. “And then we’re also focused, especially on the side of our enterprise that works on advocacy and campaigns, “Heritage Action [For America]“, what those particular places are where we can tell that story to the American people. And hopefully, people running for office will take those issues and run with them,” he said.
LIVE: Tottenham vs Liverpool – Premier League
blinking-dotLive MatchLive Match, Follow our live build-up, with full team news coverage, before our text commentary stream of the EPL clash in London. Published On 20 Dec 202520 Dec 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Israel launches new raids in Syria’s Quneitra, establishes checkpoints
Syrian state television denounces the Israeli incursion as another violation of the nation’s sovereignty. Israeli forces have advanced into the Quneitra area of Syria’s occupied Golan Heights and set up two military checkpoints, an Al Jazeera correspondent on the ground reports. The Israeli military operation on Saturday took place in the villages of Ain Ziwan and al-Ajraf in the southern part of the country. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list For months, Israeli forces have conducted near-daily incursions into southern Syria, particularly in the Quneitra governorate, carrying out arrests, erecting checkpoints, and bulldozing land, all of which have prompted growing public anger and unrest. Syrian state television said the Israeli incursion was a violation of Syrian sovereignty, noting that the army used five military vehicles to set up the checkpoint in Ain Ziwan. The latest raid comes one day after Israeli forces advanced towards the towns of al-Asha, Bir Ajam, Bariqa, Umm al-Azam and Ruwayhina in the southern Quneitra countryside, according to the Syrian News Agency (SANA). Dozens of Syrians on Friday protested the Israeli incursion in the city of al-Salam in the Quneitra Governorate, condemning the ongoing Israeli attacks against citizens and their properties. The demonstrators, part of a group called “Syrians with Palestine”, held banners denouncing what they stated were repeated Israeli violations of Syrian lands. Despite a reduction in direct military threats, the Israeli army continues to carry out air raids that have caused civilian casualties and destroyed Syrian army sites and facilities. Over the past year, Israel has launched more than 600 air, drone or artillery attacks across Syria, averaging nearly two attacks a day, according to a tally by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED). Advertisement Israeli military incursions have become more brazen, more frequent and more violent since Israel expanded its occupation of southern Syria following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Disengagement accord After al-Assad’s fall, Israel declared the 1974 Disengagement Agreement – brokered after the 1973 war, in which Syria failed to regain the occupied Golan Heights – void. The agreement had established a UN-patrolled buffer zone, which Israel has since violated, advancing deeper into Syrian territory. Citing al-Assad’s flight, Israel says the accord no longer applies, while carrying out air raids, ground incursions, reconnaissance flights; setting up checkpoints; and arresting or disappearing Syrians. Syria has not responded with attacks. In September, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa stated that Israel had conducted more than 1,000 air attacks and more than 400 ground incursions in Syria since al-Assad was overthrown, describing the actions as “very dangerous”. Syrians believe that the continuation of these violations hinders efforts to restore stability in the region and undermines attempts to improve the economic situation in southern Syria. Al Jazeera visited Quneitra in recent weeks and spoke to Syrians about Israeli incursions and abductions there, which have stoked fears. Syria and Israel are currently in talks to reach an agreement that Damascus hopes will secure a halt to Israel’s air raids on its territory and the withdrawal of Israeli troops who have pushed into southern Syria. In the background, the United States has been pushing diplomatic efforts to restore the 1974 deal. Adblock test (Why?)
US aerial bombardment strikes ‘ISIS thugs’ in Syria
NewsFeed In a ‘declaration of vengeance’ for a deadly attack on US soldiers last week, the US military launched more than 70 strikes on alleged ISIL targets in Syria. Published On 20 Dec 202520 Dec 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
PM Modi’s chopper forced to return to Kolkata due to…, will now address Ranaghat event virtually, here’s all you need to know
PM Modi arrived in Kolkata at 10:40 am and departed for Nadia. However, due to dense fog, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s helicopter was unable to land at the Taherpur helipad in West Bengal.