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Canada to accept up to 250 Syrian White Helmet volunteers, family after dramatic escape

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Rescue operation came about after requests from leaders including Trudeau, Israeli PM says

A member of the White Helmets carries a child after airstrikes hit a school in Syria's Daraa province, in an image made from video on June 14, 2017. Hundreds of people, volunteers belonging to the rescue organization and their families, were extracted late Saturday from the southwestern part of the country. (Syria Civil Defence via Associated Press)

Canada is among three Western nations that will take in nearly a hundred volunteer emergency workers and their families that Israeli forces plucked from Syria under the cover of darkness in a dramatic international rescue, CBC News has learned.

Several hundred people — volunteers and their families — belonging to the rescue organization known as the White Helmets were extracted late Saturday from the southwestern portion of the war-torn country that's being overrun by forces loyal to leader Bashar al-Assad.

The Israeli military said Sunday it was responsible for rescuing members of the Syrian volunteer organization from the volatile frontier area and evacuated them to a third country — the first such Israeli intervention in Syria's lengthy civil war.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement on Sunday saying the rescue came about as a result of recent requests by U.S. President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau "and others."

"These are people who have saved lives and whose lives were in danger," Netanyahu said of the White Helmets. "Therefore, I approved their passage through Israel to additional countries as an important humanitarian gesture."

The notion the White Helmets would be targeted for retribution has long been a fear of the human rights community. (Abdalrhman Ismail/Reuters)

James Le Mesurier, who is considered the group's founder, said Sunday that 422 people were rescued, including 98 White Helmets.

However, as many as 800 others have been unable to leave Syria, according to Canadian government sources. Three groups were supposed to be lifted out of the country but only one made it out successfully.

The White Helmets and their families have been trapped in what had been — until recently — rebel-held territory. The area has for more than a week been the focus of a furious assault by Russian-backed Syrian government forces.

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The volunteers were spirited out of Syria in a highly secret international operation that involved the U.K., France, Germany, the Netherlands and Canada, multiple sources told CBC News.

Canada was not involved militarily in the evacuation, ​but ​helped lead the effort to bring them out of Syria and ​into Jordan.

'Impassioned plea'

Canadian officials are expected​ to​ immediately begin working with United Nations​ ​officials to help process families that will make their way to Canada in the coming weeks, possibly months.

The Liberal government has agreed to accept up to 50 of the White Helmet volunteers and their families, which could mean up to 250 people, according to senior officials who could not speak on​ ​the ​record because of the sensitive nature of the operation.

The number, officials said, could change.

The plight of the White Helmets, who claim to have nearly 3,000 volunteers in total, was the subject of intense debate among foreign ministers at the recent NATO conference, the sources said.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland made 'an impassioned plea' to her NATO colleagues, according to several sources. (Patrick Doyle/Canadian Press)

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland made "an impassioned plea" to her colleagues, according to several sources.

The families would follow in the footsteps of thousands of other Syrian refugees who were resettled early in the Liberal government's mandate.

Britain and Germany have also stepped forward, but the sources said other countries are expected to join the effort and offers to resettle them are expected to exceed the number of evacuees by a large margin.

The German government said in a statement Sunday it will take in eight White Helmets rescue workers.

The White Helmets are known for rescuing people from war-torn Aleppo. (Sultan Kitaz/Reuters)

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas was quoted as saying that "the efforts of the White Helmets deserve admiration and respect." Maas noted that the group has saved more than 100,000 lives since the start of the Syrian conflict.

German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said giving the rescue workers shelter "is a humanitarian obligation. Germany has provided the group with 12 million euros ($18.5 million Cdn) in funding since 2016.

At the moment, there are no plans for the United States to take any of the White Helmets, whose rescue efforts and documentation of civilian atrocities date back to 2013. Those volunteer efforts have drawn international praise as well as condemnation.

At one point, they were thought to be favoured for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Russia, Syria pose threats

Russia and the Syrian regime, however, have labelled the organization, officially known as the Syria Civil Defence group, as terrorists and purveyors of fake news.

Ibrahim Olabi, executive director of the Syrian Legal Development Program, said those two governments have been trying to erode the group's credibility "because the White Helmets have done an incredible job documenting the crimes particularly of the Syrian regime and of Russia."

Show more An extraordinary rescue team of Syrian civilians called The White Helmets run toward the scene of an attack to try to save lives. The team has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for saving tens of thousands of lives during Syria's civil war. 15:05

There are fears that the volunteers will be killed once forces loyal to Assad retake southwest Syria.

"Sensitive" international negotiations to arrange their extraction have been underway since the NATO leaders summit in Brussels.

Both Freeland and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke at length with their alliance counterparts to galvanize support. Negotiations between the international community and the White Helmets have been more delicate, an official close to the discussions told CBC News.

Syria Civil Defence group, better known as the White Helmets, risk their lives scouring through rubble in Syria after bombings to find survivors. (Khalil Ashawi/Reuters)

An important part of those talks has involved how many of the volunteers' family members can be brought with them and the fear anyone left behind might be killed, said the sources.

The Russians have made it clear they want to "interrogate" the White Helmets on the way out of Syria, said a senior diplomatic official.

Borders shut

The U.S. has taken a hands-off approach to the unfolding drama in southwest Syria.

The territory under assault had been designated as a U.S.-protected safe zone, but the Trump administration has not made a move to enforce that as government forces tighten their grip on the region.

An evacuation of rebel-held territory has been underway since last weekend, but neighbouring countries have shut their borders to refugees.

A tweet by the White Helmets on Tuesday showed video of them helping people flee the city of Daraa, located about 13 kilometres from the border with Jordan.

The region is known as the cradle of the rebellion against the Assad regime, the place where some of the first Arab Spring protests originated.

The notion the White Helmets would be targeted for retribution has long been a fear of the human rights community. The group's website says it has nearly 3,000 volunteers in total.

Watch: White Helmets in action

Show more Syria Civil Defence group, better known as the White Helmets, scour through rubble after bombings to find survivors 0:44

Members of the White Helmets run toward the site of an attack in Aleppo, Syria, in an image made from video posted online by the group on April 24, 2016. (Syria Civil Defence via Associated Press)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Murray Brewster

Defence and security Murray Brewster is senior defence writer for CBC News, based in Ottawa. He has covered the Canadian military and foreign policy from Parliament Hill for over a decade. Among other assignments, he spent a total of 15 months on the ground covering the Afghan war for The Canadian Press. Prior to that, he covered defence issues and politics for CP in Nova Scotia for 11 years and was bureau chief for Standard Broadcast News in Ottawa.

With files from The Associated Press</s>The Jordanian government accepts the Syrian White Helmets rescuers and their families from Israel and plans to transfer them to Britain, Germany, and Canada

AMMAN, Jordan – Israel has evacuated 800 White Helmets rescuers and their family members threatened by advancing Syrian regime forces to Jordan for resettlement in Britain, Canada and Germany, the kingdom said Sunday, July 22.

An Israeli government source confirmed Israel's military had rescued 800 people who were taken to Jordan.

"Upon request of the US, Canada and European states Israel has completed a humanitarian effort to rescue members of a Syrian civil organization ("White Helmets") and families," Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon tweeted.

Founded in 2013, the Syria Civil Defence, or White Helmets, is a network of first responders which rescues wounded in the aftermath of air strikes, shelling or blasts in rebel-held territory.

Jordan said on Sunday that it had taken in 800 White Helmets rescuers and their families from Israel and plans to transfer them to the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany.

"The Jordanian government said it had authorized the United Nations to organize the passage of 800 Syrian citizens through Jordan to be resettled in western countries," the kingdom said.

"The government gave the permission after Britain, Germany and Canada made a legally binding undertaking to resettle them within a specified period of time due to 'a risk to their lives'," it said in an English-language statement.

"These Syrian citizens who were working in the civil defense, had fled the areas controlled by the Syrian opposition after the Syrian army's attack in those areas."

Canadian foreign minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement that "Canada, working in close partnership with the United Kingdom and Germany, has been leading an international effort to ensure the safety of White Helmets and their families."

"At a meeting of foreign ministers on the occasion of the NATO leaders' summit in Brussels a week ago, I called for global leadership to support and help these heroes."

The White Helmets have rescued thousands of civilians trapped under the rubble or caught up in fighting in battered opposition-held zones along various fronts of Syria's conflict.

Since its formation, when Syria's conflict was nearing its 3rd year, more than 200 of its volunteers have died and another 500 have been wounded.

The group's motto – "To save one life is to save all of humanity" – is drawn from a verse in the Koran, although the White Helmets insist they treat all victims, regardless of religion.

Some members have received training abroad, including in Turkey, returning to instruct colleagues on search-and-rescue techniques.

The Israeli army said it evacuated the White Helmets at the request of the United States and European countries, in what it called "an exceptional humanitarian gesture.”

"Following an Israeli government directive and at the request of the United States and additional European countries, the IDF recently completed a humanitarian effort to rescue members of a Syrian civil organization and their families," the army said.

"The civilians were evacuated from the war zone in southern Syria due to an immediate threat to their lives.”

"The civilians were subsequently transferred to a neighboring country," it said without elaborating.

"Israel continues to maintain a non-intervention policy regarding the Syrian conflict and continues to hold the Syrian regime accountable for all activities in Syrian territory."

Israel has been sending medical aid to civilians who have fled fighting in the Syrian-controlled part of the Golan Heights.

Israel seized 1,200 square kilometers (460 square miles) of the Golan area from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, in a move never recognized internationally. – Rappler.com</s>The White Helmets act as first responders in war-hit areas of Syria - Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets

Israel has evacuated 800 White Helmets rescuers and their family members threatened by advancing Syrian regime forces to Jordan for resettlement in Britain, Canada and Germany, Amman said Sunday.

Founded in 2013, the Syria Civil Defence, or White Helmets, is a network of first responders which rescues wounded in the aftermath of air strikes, shelling or explosions in rebel-held territory.

Jordan "authorised the United Nations to organise the passage of 800 Syrian citizens through Jordan to be resettled in western countries," the kingdom said.

"The government gave the permission after Britain, Germany and Canada made a legally binding undertaking to resettle them within a specified period of time due to 'a risk to their lives'."

An Israeli government source confirmed Israel's military had rescued 800 people who were taken to Jordan.

"Upon request of the US, Canada and European states Israel has completed a humanitarian effort to rescue members of a Syrian civil organisation ('White Helmets') and families," Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon tweeted.

White Helmets head Raed Saleh said the evacuees had arrived in Jordan after being "surrounded in a dangerous region".

They were encircled in the provinces of Daraa and Quneitra, he said, including a number trapped between the border with the Golan Heights and advancing Russia-backed regime troops, he told AFP.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said she "called for global leadership to support and help these heroes" during a meeting of foreign ministers at the NATO leaders' summit in Brussels a week ago.

The White Helmets have rescued thousands of civilians trapped under the rubble or caught up in fighting in battered opposition-held zones along various fronts of Syria's seven-year conflict.

Since its formation, when Syria's conflict was nearing its third year, more than 200 of its volunteers have died and another 500 have been wounded.

The group's motto - "To save one life is to save all of humanity" - is drawn from a verse in the Koran, although the White Helmets insist they treat all victims, regardless of religion.

Some members have received training abroad, including in Turkey, returning to instruct colleagues on search-and-rescue techniques.

The group receives funding from a number of governments, including Britain, Germany and the United States, but also solicits individual donations to purchase equipment such as its signature hard hats.

Last year, a Netflix production called "The White Helmets" won an Academy Award for best short documentary.

A second film on the group, named "Last Men in Aleppo," was nominated for an Oscar in 2018.

The Israeli army said it evacuated the White Helmets overnight at the request of the United States and European countries, in what it called "an exceptional humanitarian gesture".

"The civilians were evacuated from the war zone in southern Syria due to an immediate threat to their lives.

"The civilians were subsequently transferred to a neighbouring country," it said without elaborating.

Israel has been sending medical aid to civilians who have fled fighting in the Syrian-controlled part of the Golan Heights.

Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, in a move never recognised internationally.

On June 19, forces of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad launched an Russia-backed offensive to retake Daraa and Quneitra provinces.

Just a month later, government institutions look set to return to most of these two provinces through a combination of deadly bombardment and Moscow-brokered surrender deals.

These deals provide for rebels to hand over their heavy weapons and those who disagree with a regime takeover to be bussed with family members towards opposition-held areas in the north of the country.

Jihadists are not party to these deals, and Russian planes bombarded a holdout of the Islamic State group in Daraa province overnight, a Britain-based war monitor said.

More than 20,000 civilians have fled bombardment on the IS-held corner on the border with Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan in the past 24 hours, fleeing into regime-held areas, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor.</s>Jordan said on Sunday that it has taken in 800 Syrian White Helmets rescuers and their families from Israel and plans to transfer them to the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany.

"The Jordanian government said it had authorised the United Nations to organise the passage of 800 Syrian citizens through Jordan to be resettled in western countries," the kingdom said.

"The government gave the permission after Britain, Germany and Canada made a legally binding undertaking to resettle them within a specified period of time due to 'a risk to their lives'," it said in an English-language statement.

"These Syrian citizens who were working in the civil defence, had fled the areas controlled by the Syrian opposition after the Syrian army's attack in those areas."

Founded in 2013, the Syria Civil Defence, or White Helmets, is a network of first responders who rescue wounded in the aftermath of air strikes, shelling or blasts in rebel-held territory.

Foreign ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Kayed said the kingdom had accepted the members of the Syrian rescue organisation for "purely humanitarian reasons" as their lives had been at risk.

Kayed said those evacuated would stay in "a restricted area" of Jordan until they are transferred to the three countries within three months.

More than 650,000 Syrian refugees are registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Jordan but the kingdom says it hosts 1.3 million Syrian refugees.</s>JERUSALEM (Reuters) - About 800 members of Syria’s White Helmets civil defense group and their families were evacuated via Israel to Jordan on Sunday from southwest Syria, where a Russian-backed Syrian government offensive is under way, media said.

In a statement, the Israeli military said it had completed “a humanitarian effort to rescue members of a Syrian civil organization and their families ... due to an immediate threat to their lives”.

It said they were transferred to a neighboring country, which it did not identify, and that the evacuation came at the request of the United States and several European countries.

Israeli media identified the Syrians as belonging to the White Helmets organization. Officially called the Syrian Civil Defense but known by their distinctive white helmets, the group has operated a rescue service in rebel-held parts of Syria.

Jordan’s official Petra news agency said on its website the kingdom “authorized the United Nations to organize the passage of about 800 Syrian citizens through Jordan for resettlement in Western countries”.

The agency identified the Syrians as civil defense workers who fled areas controlled by the Syrian opposition after attacks there by the Syrian army.

Petra said they would remain in a closed area in Jordan and that Britain, Germany and Canada had agreed to resettle them within three months.

The Syrian military, backed by a Russian air campaign, has been pushing into the edges of Quneitra province following an offensive last month that routed rebels in adjoining Deraa province who were once backed by Washington, Jordan and Gulf states.

The offensive has restored Syrian government control over a swathe of the southwest, strategic territory at the borders with Jordan and Israel.</s>A file picture taken on March 7, 2018 shows a member of the Syrian Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets, carrying a wounded man, during reported regime shelling on a rebel-held area outside the capital Damascus (AFP Photo/Abdulmonam EASSA)

Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel evacuated 800 White Helmets rescuers and their families from Syria to Jordan overnight at the request of the United States and European countries, army radio said on Sunday.

The request came as the volunteer rescuers were threatened by advancing forces of the Syrian regime in the south of the war-ravaged country, the radio station reported.

Jordan said it would transfer the Syrians to Britain, Canada and Germany.

Founded in 2013, the Syria Civil Defence, or White Helmets, are a network of first responders who rescue wounded in the aftermath of air strikes, shelling or blasts in rebel-held territory.

"Following an Israeli government directive and at the request of the United States and additional European countries, the IDF recently completed a humanitarian effort to rescue members of a Syrian civil organisation and their families," said the Israel Defence Forces.

"The civilians were evacuated from the war zone in southern Syria due to an immediate threat to their lives," the IDF said on its Twitter account, describing the move as "an exceptional humanitarian gesture".

"The civilians were subsequently transferred to a neighbouring country," it said without elaborating.

"Israel continues to maintain a non-intervention policy regarding the Syrian conflict and continues to hold the Syrian regime accountable for all activities in Syrian territory."

Israel has been sending medical aid to civilians who have fled fighting in the Syrian-controlled part of the Golan Heights.

Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan area from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, in a move never recognised internationally.</s>In this file photo taken on February 25, 2017, a member of the White Helmets carries a wounded girl amid the rubble following reported government airstrike on the rebel-held town of Douma (AFP Photo/Sameer Al-Doumy)

Amman (AFP) - Israel has evacuated 800 White Helmets rescuers and their family members threatened by advancing Syrian regime forces to Jordan for resettlement in Britain, Canada and Germany, Amman said Sunday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the operation an "important humanitarian step" and said he ordered it after requests from US President Donald Trump and Canadian premier Justin Trudeau.

Founded in 2013, the Syria Civil Defence, or White Helmets, is a network of first responders which rescues the wounded in the aftermath of air strikes, shelling or explosions in rebel-held territory.

Jordan "authorised the United Nations to organise the passage of 800 Syrian citizens through Jordan to be resettled in western countries," foreign ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Kayed said.

"The government gave the permission after Britain, Germany and Canada made a legally binding undertaking to resettle them within a specified period of time due to 'a risk to their lives'."

The Israeli military said it had transferred the rescue workers and their families to a neighbouring country, adding the operation was "exceptional" and that Israel would continue its "non-intervention policy" in the Syrian conflict.

"A few days ago President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau and others approached me with the request to help extract from Syria hundreds of White Helmets," Netanyahu said in a statement.

"These are people who save lives and now find themselves in deadly danger, therefore I approved bringing them through Israel to another country as an important humanitarian step."

White Helmets head Raed Saleh said the evacuees had arrived in Jordan after being "surrounded in a dangerous region".

They had been encircled in the Syrian provinces of Daraa and Quneitra, which respectively border Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, he told AFP.

Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan from Syria in 1967, in a move never recognised internationally.

Britain's Foreign Office said it had helped facilitate the overnight evacuations.

"White Helmets have been the target of attacks and, due to their high profile, we judged that, in these particular circumstances, the volunteers required immediate protection," it said.

German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer told Bild newspaper that Germany would take in eight White Helmets members and their families.

The move was "an expression of my stance of ensuring humanity and order in migration policy," he said.

Canada will take in up to 50 White Helmets volunteers and their families, totalling up to 250 people, the country's public broadcaster CBC said citing senior officials.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said she had "called for global leadership to support and help these heroes" at last week's NATO summit.

Israel's Haaretz daily said the evacuees also included orphans who had been injured in the Syrian fighting.

It was unclear how many White Helmet volunteers remained in both the Daraa and Quneitra provinces after the evacuations.

But a volunteer in Daraa city, who asked to remain anonymous, said he had decided to stay despite being given the choice to leave.

"It's our country and we have a right to live in it in safety," he told AFP, however adding he was among a minority who wished to remain.

"We are first and foremost a humanitarian organisation, not a military one, or a terrorist one as the regime alleges."

The White Helmets have rescued thousands of civilians trapped under the rubble or caught up in fighting in opposition-held zones along various fronts of Syria's seven-year conflict.

Since its formation, when Syria's conflict was nearing its third year, more than 250 of its volunteers have been killed.

The group's motto -- "To save one life is to save all of humanity" -- is drawn from a verse in the Koran, although the White Helmets insist they treat all victims, regardless of religion.

Some members have received training abroad, including in Turkey, returning to instruct colleagues on search-and-rescue techniques.

The group receives funding from a number of governments, including Britain, Germany and the United States, but also solicits individual donations to purchase equipment such as its signature hard hats.</s>JERUSALEM — The Israeli military in coordination with its U.S. and European allies evacuated hundreds of Syrian rescue workers known as the White Helmets from near its volatile frontier with Syria, in a complex and first-of-a-kind operation.

The evacuees, who were hemmed in from one side by advancing hostile Syrian troops and from another by militants affiliated with the Islamic State group, were transported to Jordan, from where they are expected to be resettled in Europe and Canada in the coming weeks.

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said 422 White Helmets volunteers were evacuated, instead of the initial 800 cleared for the operation. Israel's military said the overnight operation was "an exceptional humanitarian gesture" at the request of the United States and European allies due to an "immediate threat to the [Syrians'] lives."

Britain said the operation was possible due to the joint diplomatic efforts, hailing the efforts of the White Helmets volunteers to save lives in opposition areas.

Jeremy Hunt, U.K's foreign secretary, called the successful evacuation "fantastic news," and thanked Israel and Jordan in a tweet for acting quickly following the request. The White Helmets, he said, "are the bravest of the brave and in a desperate situation this is at least one ray of hope."

The members of the White Helmets and their families had been stranded along the frontier with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights following the Syrian government offensive in southwestern Syria that began in June.

Raed Saleh, head of the White Helmets, which are also known as the Syrian Civil Defense, said a number of volunteers and their families were evacuated from a dangerous, besieged area. He did not provide exact figures.

This was the first such Israeli intervention in Syria's lengthy civil war, now in its eighth year. Although it has sent aid into Syria and has provided medical treatment to thousands of Syrians who reached the Golan Heights frontier, the Israeli military said its actions did not reflect a change to Israel's nonintervention policy in Syria's war, where all the warring parties are considered hostile.

It was an unprecedented operation to provide protection and asylum to allies of Western nations in Syria's complex battlefield.

The White Helmets have enjoyed backing and received finances and training from the United States and other Western nations for years.

Because of their work in opposition areas, where they were almost exclusively the only ones to offer rescue services in the face of the government military advances, they were considered public enemy No. 1 by the Syrian government.

They offered services where state institutions and services are nonexistent. Their facilities were targeted, and their volunteers hit in what became known as "double tap" attacks that drew the volunteers to areas of bombings only to hit them once on site.

The Syrian government, and its ally Russia, have called the White Helmets "terrorists," accused them of being foreign powers' "agents," and of cooperating with radical insurgent groups. Both Moscow and Damascus have accused the White Helmets of staging rescue missions and chemical attacks to blame on the government.

On Sunday, state media kept up its campaign against the group, pointing out that Israel, with which Syria is formally at war, which facilitated the evacuation, citing it as evidence that the group was collaborating with an enemy power. Syrian state TV al-Ikhbariya called the evacuation a "scandal." The State News Agency SANA said "the secret" of the group had been revealed and their "role as an agent ended."

Syrian lawmaker Khaled Abboud said that "foreign powers are pulling their agents out of the battlefield" because of the Syrian military victories that have quashed the "aggression" against Syria.

In a quick offensive, Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air forces, have been advancing from the east on areas held by the opposition in the strategic southwestern region that straddles the Jordanian border and the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel in 1967. They first seized the border with Jordan, squeezing the opposition in the center and progressively chipping away at areas the rebels held for years. For the first time since the war began in 2011, government forces regained positions along the disengagement line following a cease-fire deal with Israel in 1974.

This left the rebels and the White Helmets besieged by the government from one side, the sealed frontier with Israel, and by the group affiliated with the Islamic State group from the south.

Surrender deals were reached with the armed groups, allowing thousands to evacuate to the northern province of Idlib, where the opposition still holds sway.

But one civil defense official, declining to be identified by name for his safety, said the Russians — allies of the Syrian government and who were mediating the surrender deals — refused to allow the White Helmets to be evacuated to the north.

The Associated Press first reported on Friday that U.S. officials were finalizing plans to evacuate several hundred Syrian civil defense workers and their families from southwest Syria as Russian-backed government forces closed in on the area along the Golan Heights frontier.

Evacuation plans were accelerated after last week's NATO summit in Brussels.

On Sunday, the British International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt and Foreign Secretary Hunt said the volunteers and their families "have been able to leave Syria for safety" following a joint diplomatic effort by Britain and its international partners. They said due to the risk the volunteers faced and their high profile, necessary steps were taken to afford protection to "as many volunteers and their families" as possible.

The evacuees are being assisted by the UN Refugee agency in Jordan pending international resettlement, the secretaries said.

Jordanian Foreign Ministry's spokesman Mohammed al-Kayed said the Syrians would remain in a closed area in Jordan for three months. Safadi, Jordan's foreign minister, said in a tweet that his government approved the evacuation after a pledge from Britain, Germany and Canada that the evacuees will be resettled in three months.

Since the offensive began, Jordan said it will not open its borders to the newly displaced Syrians. Jordan hosts at least 650,000 registered Syrian refugees, according to the UN, but Amman says a similar number of undocumented Syrians are also in the kingdom.

About 300,000 have been displaced by the fighting, with only a few thousands opting for evacuation to Idlib, which is expected to be the target of the next government offensive.

Aron Lund, a Syria expert with the Century Foundation, said after funding and promoting the White Helmets for years, the evacuation should not be a surprise.

"It seems like simple moral math to me that when the uprising fails, they should try to get their guys out alive, with their families," he told The Associated Press in an email. "Had the international community done this much earlier and also offered safe haven to the rebel leaders they've been backing, they could have helped get irreconcilables out of the equation and reduce the amount of killing and destruction."

"All sides benefit from giving the losing team a safe exit," he said.</s>The United States and Russia hailed the evacuation by the Israeli military of a Syrian volunteer civil organization from a volatile border area near the Golan Heights, although the two powers saw the operation in a sharply differing manner.

The U.S. State Department on July 22 issued a statement saying it “welcomes the safe evacuation of more than 400 members of the Syrian Civil Defense” -- also known as the White Helmets.

“We are glad that these ‎brave volunteers, who have saved thousands of lives, are now out of harm's way.”

“We renew our call on the [Syria] regime and Russia to abide by their commitments, end the violence, and protect all Syrian civilians, including humanitarians such as the White Helmets, in areas formerly part of the southwest de-escalation zone and throughout Syria,” it added.

Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in the Netherlands welcomed the departure of the “notorious” White Helmets.

"Definitely there will be less chances of new so-called #CW (chemical weapon) attacks in Syria after forced evacuation by the collective West of the notorious #WhiteHelmets," it wrote on Twitter.

 

 The White Helmets work exclusively in rebel-held areas and receive donations from several Western governments, including Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States.

Its members say they are neutral, but Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government and his Russian ally accuse the White Helmets of being tools of their international donors.

Western powers have accused Syria of attacking rebel-held areas with illegal chemical weapons. Syria and Russia claim the Western-backed rebels and their supportershave staged the attacks in an attempt to frame Assad’s government.

The evacuation of the White Helmet members and their families came overnight on July 21-22 as they fled advancing Syrian government forces and slipped over the border into Jordan.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement on July 22 that he aided the evacuation at the request of U.S. President Donald Trump and other leaders based on fearsthe volunteer workers' lives were in danger.

"A few days ago, President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau and others approached me with the request to help extract from Syria hundreds of White Helmets," Netanyahu said.

Reuters quoted a Jordanian government source as saying that 422 people had been brought from Syria over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and into Jordan. Earlier reports had said some 800 people had been evacuated.

Those rescued will be kept in a "closed" location in Jordan before being resettled in Britain, Germany, and Canada within three months, the source told Reuters.

The U.S. statement said that “we deeply appreciate Israel's role in facilitating the transit of the White Helmets and their family members. We commend Jordan's generosity in supporting their processing by UNHCR and the commitment of the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany to provide the White Helmets and their families with permanent homes.”

Russia and Iran back Assad's government in Syria's seven-year civil war, while the United States supports antigovernment rebels. Islamic State (IS) and other militant groups have also been involved in the fighting but have mainly been driven from their strongholds.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP</s>The Israeli military has evacuated hundreds of rescue workers known as White Helmets from the Syrian border and transported them to Jordan.

The Israeli military has evacuated hundreds of rescue workers known as White Helmets from the Syrian border and transported them to Jordan.

The volunteers were rescued from the volatile frontier area on the Golan Heights following a request by the United States and its European allies, according to officials.

It was the first such Israeli intervention in Syria’s civil war, now in its eight year.

Jordan confirmed the Syrian citizens entered its territory to be resettled in Western countries in weeks.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the total number of evacuees was 422, even though the initial request was to evacuate 800. It was unclear what happened to the remainder.

Mr Safadi later tweeted that Jordan approved the evacuations after a pledge from the UK, Germany and Canada that the Syrian evacuees would be resettled in three months.

The White Helmets and their families had been stranded along the frontier with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights following the Syrian government offensive in southwestern Syria which began in June.

The group, which operates in opposition-held areas, is often targeted in Syrian government attacks on its members and facilities.

The Syrian government considers the group a “terrorist” organisation because it works in areas controlled by its opponents, where state institutions and services are non-existent.

The Israeli military said the overnight operation was an “exceptional humanitarian gesture” done at the request of the United States and its European allies due to “an immediate threat to the (Syrians’) lives”.

The military said its actions did not reflect a change to Israel’s non-intervention policy in Syria’s war, where all the warring parties are considered hostile.

Jordanian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Mohammed al-Kayed said the Syrians would remain in a closed area in Jordan for three months before moving on to the UK, Germany and Canada.

Raed Saleh, head of the Syrian Civil Defence as the White Helmets are also known, said a number of volunteers and their families were evacuated from a dangerous, besieged area and had reached Jordan.
Israel Defense Forces extract 98 White Helmets and 324 others from recently recaptured southwestern Syrian territory into Jordan, at the request of Canada and the United States. Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany offer refuge to some of them. Two other groups intended for rescue, comprising about 800 people, do not escape.