As it happened-West Asia crisis: There's a chance for Gaza hostage deal, Israel tells US

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz told his American counterpart Lloyd Austin that there was current a chance for a hostage deal in the Gaza Strip, as the war between Israel and Hamas rages on.

"There is currently a chance for a new deal. We are hoping for the release of all the hostages, including US citizens," Katz told Austin in a phone call, the news agency AFP reported. 

Pope Francis on Wednesday for mutual respect between religions in Syria.

"I pray... that the Syrian people may live in peace and security in their beloved land and the different religions may walk together in friendship and mutual respect for the good of that nation afflicted by so many years of war," said Francis. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken would on Thursday head to Jordan and then Turkey for talks on the ongoing situation in Syria.

According to the State Department, Blinken during his visit would reiterate Washington's support for an inclusive, Syrian-led transition to an accountable and representative government. 

The French foreign ministry on Wednesday urged Israel to withdraw its troops  from the buffer zone separating the annexed Golan Heights from Syrian territory.

Speaking to the news agency AFP, a foreign ministry spokesperson said, "Any military deployment in the separation zone between Israel and Syria is a violation of the disengagement agreement of 1974."

Germany on Wednesday urged Israel and Turkey not to jeopardise the peaceful transition in Syria following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad.

"We must not allow the internal Syrian dialogue process to be torpedoed from the outside," Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said during a press conference.

"Neighbours such as the Turkish and Israeli governments, which are asserting their security interests, must not jeopardise the process," Baerbock added. 

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani said on Wednesday at officials involved in torturing detainees will not be pardoned, after thousands were released. 

"We will not pardon those involved in torturing detainees," al-Jolani said. He urged countries to "hand over any of those criminals who may have fled so they can be brought to justice."

Greece has suspended all decisions on asylum applications by Syrians following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. 

"We are temporarily freezing ... all procedures (for Syrians) until we have evaluated the new data," Migration Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos told a radio station.

Lebanese authorities said on Wednesday that one person was killed in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon. 

"An Israeli enemy drone strike on the town of Ainata killed one person and wounded another," the Lebanese health ministry said in a statement.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel, the United States (US), and Turkey for the downfall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria. 

"There should be no doubt that what happened in Syria is the product of a joint American and Zionist plan," Supreme Leader Khamenei said, according to state media.

Khamenei said he had proof to back his claims.

Qatar said on Wednesday that it would soon reopen its embassy in Syria's capital city of Damascus.

In a statement, Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said that the Gulf country would reopen its embassy in Damascus after completing the necessary arrangements. 

New Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir on Wednesday called for Syrians who sought refuge abroad to return to their homeland. 

Speaking to an Italian media outlet, al-Bashir said that one of his first goals was to bring back the millions of Syrian refugees who were abroad. 

The Kremlin said on Wednesday (Dec 11) that it was in touch with the transitional government in Syria over the fate of the Russian bases in the West Asian country. 

"We are in contact with those who control the situation in Syria. This is necessary since our (military) base and diplomatic mission are there," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.