Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
The Israeli Walla! website: We are running out of stockpiles, our forces are exhausted, and the lives of the captives are in danger. It is time for a ceasefire deal in Gaza.
Several wounded in an Israeli bombardment of a tent in al-Mawasi, south of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli media: Three wounded, three killed in an ongoing operation in the Gaza Strip.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in southern Lebanon: Israeli artillery shelling targets the outskirts of the town of Shebaa
Al-Qassam Brigades: The targeting took place at the intersection of 'Street 5' with the western line north of Khan Younis
Al-Qassam Brigades: A NIMR armored personnel carrier carrying an Israeli soldier was targeted with an Al-Yassin missile north of Khan Younis
Israeli media: At least two soldiers killed by anti-tank missile fired at Israeli army forces in the Gaza Strip
Local Syrian sources: Mortar shells fell on more than nine villages in the Sweida countryside
Local Syrian sources: Dozens of dead and wounded have arrived at Sweida hospitals as a result of ongoing clashes at several locations in the western Sweida countryside
Local sources: Civilians, including children and women, were injured in the al-Maqous neighborhood of Sweida, in Syria, as a result of ongoing clashes

Syrian government visits Al-Hol camp in first since deal with Kurds

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News Websites
  • 24 May 2025 21:56
3 Min Read

Syrian government delegation visits Al-Hol camp for the first time since Kurdish deal, while talks focus on relocating families of ISIS suspects and integrating Kurdish regions.

Listen
  • x
  • A woman walks in the al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria's Hasakeh province, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP)
    A woman walks in the al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria's Hasakeh province, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025 (AP)

A Syrian government delegation visited the notorious al-Hol camp in the country’s northeast on Saturday, marking the first official visit since an agreement was reached between interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi, commander of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The visit, confirmed by both sides, took place in the Kurdish-administered region and was part of a tripartite meeting that included representatives from the Syrian transitional government, the US-led international coalition, and the Kurdish autonomous administration.

Al-Hol, the largest detention camp in northeastern Syria, currently houses approximately 37,000 individuals from multiple nationalities, including 14,500 Iraqis. Many detainees are relatives of suspected ISIS members, and living conditions in the camp have been widely described as dire.

Focus on relocating Syrian families

Sheikhmous Ahmed, a senior Kurdish administration official, stated that discussions during the meeting centered on "establishing a mechanism for removing Syrian families from Al-Hol camp." He added that this marked an initial practical step under the political agreement signed earlier this year.

Related News

Damascus forces move troops to Sweida, bomb villages

Russia in talks over military bases in Syria with new government

In Damascus, Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba affirmed that the al-Hol issue was "part of the agreement" between al-Sharaa and Abdi. He emphasized that a “comprehensive societal solution” is needed for families who have been victimized by ISIS.

Context: Kurdish-Syrian Agreement

In March, al-Sharaa and Abdi announced a landmark agreement to begin integrating the Kurdish civil and military structures into the Syrian national framework. The deal includes guarantees for the return of all Syrian nationals displaced by war, particularly those residing in camps across the northeast.

However, little progress has been reported on the formal integration of the Kurdish administration into the new interim Syrian government since the removal of former President Bashar al-Assad in December.

Unresolved issues: Prisons and foreign nationals

The future of high-security detention facilities in the northeast, where thousands of captured ISIS fighters are held, remains unclear. In February, Abdi said that the new authorities intended for these prisons to fall under Damascus's jurisdiction, but no formal transfer has taken place.

Al-Hol also includes a fortified section for families of foreign ISIS militants. Kurdish officials have stated that the fate of these families largely depends on the policies of their home countries and decisions from the US-led international coalition. Despite repeated appeals for repatriation, most Western governments have been reluctant to return their citizens due to security concerns and domestic political pressure.

Broader repatriation goals

In coordination with the United Nations, the Kurdish administration previously declared its aim to empty the camps of displaced Syrians and Iraqi refugees by the end of this year. Saturday’s meeting is seen as an early step toward that goal, though significant challenges remain in repatriating foreign nationals and resolving long-term legal and security issues tied to former ISIS affiliates.

Read more: Kurdish leader warns centralization may divide Syria, spark civil war

  • Syria
  • Syrian Democratic Forces
  • Ahmad al-Sharaa
  • Mazloum Abdi
  • US-backed SDF

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS