Date: 2025-01-08 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00027806
SYRIA
AFTERMATH OF ASSAD'S FLIGHT INTO EXILE
Syria updates: Opposition leader says ‘notorious prisons’
will close ... and much more.
AFTERMATH OF ASSAD'S FLIGHT INTO EXILE
Syria updates: Opposition leader says ‘notorious prisons’
will close ... and much more.
Original article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/12/11/syria-live-news-new-leaders-call-for-stability-israel-launches-480-raids
Peter Burgess COMMENTARY
The fall of Assad is long overdue!
I am 'pretty damn mad' that a national leader like Assad has been able to stay in power in Syria for such a long time ... more than a decade!
The modern world has become far too tolerant of evil powerful people, and far too little is now being done to change this, a problem that has become a growing issue during all of my adult life since around 1960!
My father whose academic subject was history made the point when I was in my teens that the 'good old days' were pretty grim, and modern times post WWII were actually better than most everything that had gone before. While I respect what my father was saying back then, there has been, in my view a serious divergence during the past five decades between the good possibilities that now exist and the accomplishments actual available to most of us!
Peter Burgess
Families search Syria’s Sednaya Prison for loved ones
Banks and shops reopen in Damascus as life returns to post-Assad normal in Syria
Written by Alastair McCready, Maziar Motamedi, Usaid Siddiqui, Federica Marsi and Edna Mohamed
Published On 11 Dec 2024
Syria’s new transitional Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir says one of his first goals is to “bring back the millions of Syrian refugees who are abroad”.
Israel’s military says it has carried out 480 attacks on Syria in the past 48 hours, destroying 15 naval vessels, anti-aircraft batteries and weapons production sites in several cities.
Al-Bashir says Syrians need “stability and calm” and that he’s working with officials from ousted President Bashar al-Assad’s regime to reset public services and institutions.
Syrian opposition fighters say they’ve taken over the northeastern city of Deir Az Zor from Kurdish-led forces.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has promised to rebuild Syria, saying Syrians are “exhausted” after 14 years of war.
Syria updates: Classrooms reopened as Israel escalates attacks
Syrian schoolchildren attend class at a school in the capital Damascus' Dweilaa neighbourhood on December 15, 2024. - Islamist-led rebels took Damascus in a lightning offensive on December 8, ousting president Bashar al-Assad and ending five decades of Baath rule in Syria. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP)
Video Duration 03 minutes 35 seconds 03:35
Families of Syrian detainees seek missing relatives at notorious 'slaughterhouse'
By Lyndal Rowlands, Zaheena Rasheed, Umut Uras, Maziar Motamedi, Virginia Pietromarchi and Nils Adler
Published On 15 Dec 2024 15 Dec 2024
- Students return to classrooms in Syria after the country’s new rulers ordered schools to reopen.
- More than 7,600 Syrian refugees crossed the Turkish border to return home in the five days after the fall of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, Turkiye’s interior minister says.
- Israel’s air force carries out 61 missile attacks on military sites across Syria while ground troops destroy roads, power lines and water networks in southeastern Quneitra.
- Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa condemns Israel’s land grabs and ongoing attacks, but says the country is too “exhausted” for a new conflict.
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the Biden administration has “been in contact” with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is led by al-Sharaa but is designated a “terrorist” organisation by Washington.
15 Dec 2024 - 23:45 (23:45 GMT)
Here’s a recap of today’s events
We are going to bring our live coverage to an end soon. Here’s a summary of the latest developments:
- The Israeli government has approved a plan aimed at doubling the population of its settlements in the occupied Golan Heights that Netanyahu said would strengthen Israel.
- The interim government in Syria has reopened schools and universities, prompting thousands of students to hold celebrations at universities across the country.
- Ahmed al-Sharaa (aka al-Julani), the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group that led the offensive that toppled Bashar al-Assad and now heads the new Syrian administration, met with UN envoy Geir Pedersen, who is visiting Damascus.
- In exclusive footage obtained by Al Jazeera, large crowds of former Syrian regime soldiers can be seen gathering outside the Hama Police Headquarters to begin the process of settling their legal and military status.
Russia evacuates Belarusian, North Korean diplomats from Syria
The Russian Foreign Ministry says a special Russian Air Force flight from the Khmeimim airbase in Syria evacuated some of the Russian diplomatic personnel in Damascus, as well as Belarus and North Korean diplomats.
“The work of the Russian Embassy in Damascus continues”, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on its Telegram messaging channel.
Russia Syria
A Russian military aircraft approaches the Hmeimim airbase in Syria’s coastal Latakia, Syria, December 15, 2024 [Umit Bektas/Reuters]
15 Dec 2024 - 23:15 (23:15 GMT)
Israeli strikes target weapon depots in Tartous: SOHR
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) says Israeli fighter jets have “targeted the missile launchers in the 107th Barracks in Hama area and weapon depots in Tartous countryside” in southern Syria.
In an article posted on its website, the SOHR said that earlier today, an Israeli fighter jet carried out an air strike on radars in Deir Az Zor military airport in eastern Syria.
It added that an “anonymous explosion took place at the only bridge on Euphrates River that connects between the city and Hatla Village, which is one of the seven villages in [US-backed Syrian Defence Forces]-held areas”.
15 Dec 2024 - 23:00 (23:00 GMT)
UAE condemns Israeal’s Golan Heights settlement plans
In a statement, the UAE says that Israel’s plans to allocate state money to expand its presence in the occupied Golan Heights “threatens further escalation and tension in the region”.
Israel’s government today announced that it had approved a plan to increase the number of settlers in the illegally occupied Golan Heights days after seizing more Syrian territory following the toppling of Syria’s longtime leader Bashar al-Assad.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the government had “unanimously approved” the “demographic development” of the occupied territory, which would seek to double the Israeli population there.
The UAE, along with its “strong” condemnation, said that it is committed to the “territorial integrity of Syria, noting that the decision to expand settlements in the Golan Heights is a continuation of the occupation and a violation of international laws.
15 Dec 2024 - 22:45 (22:45 GMT)
Photos: Syrians hold up pictures of detainees, missing persons during a protest outside Hijaz train station
Syria ... People hold placards bearing the images of Syrian detainees and missing persons during a protest outside the Hijaz train station in the capital Damascus on December 15, 2024, demanding accountability for the perpetrators of crimes in Syria, an end to arbitrary detention and the closure of prisons [Bakr Alkasem/AFP]
Syria ... [Bakr Alkasem/AFP]
Syria ... [Bakr Alkasem/AFP]
15 Dec 2024 - 22:30 (22:30 GMT)
WATCH: White Helmets pledge to rebuild Syria
After more than a decade of conflict, the United Nations reports that 7.4 million people remain displaced in Syria.
About 70 percent of the population requires humanitarian aid and 90 percent lives in extreme poverty. Aleppo, Hama and Homs have faced severe displacement crises.
Farouq Habib, deputy general manager of the Syrian White Helmets, expressed mixed emotions upon returning to Homs after a decade. He emphasised the need for justice and international assistance to rebuild the country and prevent further violence.
Play Video Video Duration 06 minutes 57 seconds 06:57 White Helmets pledge to rebuild Syria, focusing on justice amid severe poverty and ongoing hardships
15 Dec 2024 - 22:15 (22:15 GMT)
Analysis Syria’s state institutions need to be maintained: Analyst
Galip Dalay, a senior fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, told Al Jazeera that although the fall of the al-Assad regime “needs to be celebrated” as it was done without much bloodshed, a lot of work needs to be done to rebuild Syria.
He said it is essential that existing institutions be “maintained” to avoid state collapse.
The appointment of the caretaker government was a “step in the right direction” and crucial to ensure these basic services continue.
However, he said the Astana trio of Turkiye, Iran and Russia “has run its course” and left a power vacuum.
He suggested that there needs to be a new dialogue between Turkiye, the Arab states and the European nations to fill this vacuum and ensure the security of Syria’s future.
15 Dec 2024 - 22:00 (22:00 GMT)
New Damascus government calls for lifting of sanctions on Syria A spokesman for the Department of Political Affairs of the new leaders of Syria has spoken to our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic.
Here is a summary of the key points he made:
- Our priority is to activate institutions and restore life to normal.
- Life was very tough in terms of services under the previous regime.
- We aim to improve all services. The new administration wants all Syrians to have a decent life.
- The people are the ones most affected by the sanctions on Syria and they must be lifted now.
- We want Syria to return to its natural position, both Arab and international.
- A committee will be formed to review the constitution. The constitution will be reviewed to determine a form of government that suits society and its aspirations.
Al-Sharaa meets with UN’s Syria envoy
The leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group that led the offensive that toppled Bashar al-Assad and now heads the new Syrian administration, has met with UN envoy Geir Pedersen, who is visiting Damascus, a statement on the group’s Telegram channel says.
Ahmed al-Sharaa (aka al-Julani) discussed with Pedersen “the changes that have occurred on the political scene which make it necessary to update” a 2015 UN Security Council resolution that set out a roadmap for a political settlement in Syria, “to suit the new reality”, the statement said.
15 Dec 2024 - 21:30 (21:30 GMT)
Belarusian diplomats ‘withdrawn’ from Syria
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry has expressed “its gratitude” in a post on X to “Russian colleagues”, who ensured the safe arrival of its diplomats back in Minsk.
15 Dec 2024 - 21:15 (21:15 GMT)
Civil rights group condemns Israeli ‘ethnic cleansing in Syria’
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the US-based Muslim civil rights and advocacy organisation, has condemned what it describes as “Israeli ethnic cleansing” of the Quneitra governorate in southern Syria.
“The criminal Israeli government’s war of ethnic cleansing in Gaza has now spread to occupied Syrian territory, where Netanyahu’s fighters are destroying water networks and electrical towers to force Syrians out of their homes”, the statement reads.
“The Biden administration must stop enabling this radical regime’s campaign of chaos, killing and destruction. Syrians must be able to rebuild their nation, free from Israeli occupation.”
Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic have reported that Israeli tanks are now stationed in towns and villages in Syria’s southwest after the Israeli military expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights following the collapse of the al-Assad regime.
Israel fired 61 missiles at Syrian military sites
15 Dec 2024 - 21:00 (21:00 GMT)
More on reopening of Qatar’s Damascus embassy
Earlier, we reported that Qatar will soon re-open its embassy in Damascus, closed for 13 years during Syria’s civil war.
In a statement, Qatar says that the embassy will reopen this Tuesday, December 17, and that Khalifa Abdullah Al Mahmoud Al-Sharif will serve as Charge d’Affaires.
Qatar severed all diplomatic relations with former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and closed its embassy in 2011.
The re-opening of the embassy is reflective of the “continuation of the State of Qatar’s firm and supportive position towards the Syrian people and their struggle to wrest their legitimate rights to a decent life”, the statement says.
15 Dec 2024 - 20:45 (20:45 GMT)
US, UK top diplomats hold call on Syria’s future
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told British Foreign Secretary David Lammy that Washington will back “an accountable and representative” government in Syria, the US State Department said after their call today.
“The Secretary underscored US support for an accountable and representative Syrian government chosen by the Syrian people,” a statement on the call reads.
The US and UK lines on what each seeks for the future of Syria have been in near lockstep, including on how they will both choose to interact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the dominant opposition group in Syria, which both countries have placed on their lists of “terrorist” groups.
15 Dec 2024 - 20:30 (20:30 GMT)
Photos: Looters swarm a complex that housed former military officers in Damascus’s suburbs
Syria A Syrian fighter carries his weapon past a burning house during a raid to stop looters who swarmed a residential complex of ousted President Bashar al-Assad’s military officers and set some homes on fire in the village of Husseiniya, in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday, December 15, 2024 [Leo Correa/AP Photo] Syria
[Leo Correa/AP Photo] Syria
[Leo Correa/AP Photo] Syria Syrian fighters take position as looters stay inside a building at a residential complex of former al-Assad military officers in Husseiniya, Syria, Sunday, December 15, 2024 [Leo Correa/AP Photo]
15 Dec 2024 - 20:15 (20:15 GMT)
Turkiye distributes food aid in northern Syria’s Manbij
Turkiye’s disaster management agency says it distributed food packages to 1,365 families in the city, according to Anadolu.
This announcement comes just days after Turkish-backed Syrian rebel groups took control of the city, long held by the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
On Wednesday, the SDF confirmed that the United States had mediated a ceasefire agreement between it and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) faction there.
15 Dec 2024 - 20:00 (20:00 GMT)
The US has an interest in preventing the re-emergence of ISIL in Syria: US senator
US Senator Lindsey Graham says it should be left up to Syrians to form their new government and what kind of country they want “to a point”.
In an interview with NBC News in response to a question about the latest developments in Syria, he said the United States does “have an interest in preventing ISIS (ISIL) from coming back on the battlefield”.
“They want to destroy our friends in Israel; there are 50,000 ISIS (ISIL) fighters under the control of Kurdish allies of the United States in northeastern Syria”, he said.
“It is in our national security interest they do not break out of jail and re-establish the caliphate. It is in our national security interest that we help the Kurds,” he added.
“Turkiye is putting pressure on the Kurds in northeastern Syria”, Graham continued as he called for “a demilitarised zone”.
“If Turkiye attacks the Kurds and these ISIS (ISIL) fighters break out of jail, it’s a nightmare for us, it’s a nightmare for Syria, it’s a nightmare for the world” he said.
Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 19:45 (19:45 GMT) UK unveils new aid package for Syria In a statement, the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office says it is allocating 50 million British pounds (about $63m) in funding to help “the most vulnerable Syrians, including refugees across the region”. About 30 million pounds ($38m) of this support “will help provide immediate help to more than a million people including food, shelter, emergency healthcare, and protection for the most vulnerable, as well as support emerging needs including the rehabilitation of essential services such as water, hospitals and schools”, the statement reads. The majority of this money will be used to support United Nations programmes already in place, the UK says. The remaining money will be split evenly between Lebanon and Jordan, and will go to the UN’s World Food Programme and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 19:30 (19:30 GMT) WATCH: Former Syrian regime soldiers gather in Hama to settle legal status Exclusive footage obtained by Al Jazeera shows large crowds of former Syrian regime soldiers gathering outside the Hama Police Headquarters to begin the process of settling their legal and military status. Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut reports: Play Video Video Duration 01 minutes 45 seconds 01:45 Former Syrian regime soldiers gather in Hama to settle legal status Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 19:15 (19:15 GMT) UK in contact with HTS in Syria: Minister Britain’s foreign minister says that London has established diplomatic contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the offensive that ousted Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad. They remain “a proscribed terrorist organisation, but we can have diplomatic contact and so we do have diplomatic contact, as you would expect”, said David Lammy. “We want to see a representative government, an inclusive government. We want to see chemical weapons stockpiles secured, and not used, and we want to ensure that there is not continuing violence,” he added. “So, for all of those reasons, using all the channels that we have available, and those are diplomatic and of course intelligence-led channels, we seek to deal with HTS where we have to.” The United Kingdom and United States have said they are evaluating future ties to HTS, including whether or not they will be removed from ban lists, based on their actions in power. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 19:00 (19:00 GMT) Head of new Syrian administration promises an inclusive future Reporting from Damascus, Syria and Osama Bin Javaid [Ahmed al-Sharaa] spoke to journalists today, listing several visions, because Syria faces internal and external challenges. This government is going to be an interim government. There will be elections. When and where and how still remain the question. There will be a constitution, and committees will be formed to reform that constitution, which has been a longstanding demand of the Syrian people and the revolution itself. [He says a future Syria] is going to be inclusive for all of its various parts, including all of the communities. The minorities and the people who constitute this diverse country are going to be included. So, essentially, he is charting a plan for a Syria he wants to see: an inclusive Syria with freedom of expression and speech. The Syrians we’ve been speaking to say they heard it, they like it but want to see it in action. We asked them how much time they would give this government. One woman told us that it has come after 13 years of struggle and so much bloodshed that they’re ready and willing to give them time. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 18:45 (18:45 GMT) Al-Assad transferred $250m to Russia while still in power: Report UK newspaper The Financial Times says it has uncovered documents that show Syria’s central bank under former President Bashar al-Assad air lifted the money in cash to Moscow over a two-year period. Its report says that the currency was flown in $100 bills and 500-euro notes to Moscow to be deposited in sanctioned Russian banks between 2018 and 2019. The al-Assad government was frequently cash-strapped due to war and Western sanctions, and oversaw a desperate financial crisis that made life extremely difficult for Syrians. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 18:30 (18:30 GMT) Life is returning to normal in Damascus Osama Bin Javaid Osama Bin Javaid Reporting from Damascus, Syria Sunday was the first day of the week for many Syrians here in the capital. Schools were opened earlier in the day. Students are returning to the university here in Damascus. There have been reports of people going back to their offices. We also went to several ministries to check how this new government began functioning on the first day of the week. Some people there came from Idlib and used to run the Syrian Salvation Government. They said they needed a lot of time to set everything up from zero. Remember, this is a country where, all of a sudden, the top leadership left. So, ministries have been empty. They’re starting from scratch. So it is going to take time to provide services such as uninterrupted electricity and water as well as provide IDs for people. They want people to have a lot of patience. They’re doing what they can, but it will take time for them to take charge of this country, which a [single] party has ruled for more than half a century. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 18:15 (18:15 GMT) Qatar condemns Israel’s decision to expand Golan Heights settlements Qatar’s Foreign Ministry has issued a statement of disapproval on recently announced plans by the Israeli government to expand its population in the occupied Golan Heights. The statement describes the decision as “a new chapter in a series of Israeli attacks on Syrian territories and a blatant violation of international law”. Qatar also called on the international community to fulfill its obligation to pressure Israel into stopping its attacks on Syria, of which there have been hundreds since the fall of Bashar al-Assad last Sunday. The ministry once again reiterated Qatar’s unwavering support for Syria’s “sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity”. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 18:00 (18:00 GMT) Moscow evacuates ‘part’ of its diplomatic personnel from Syria Russia’s Foreign Ministry says it has evacuated some of its diplomatic staff from Syria a week after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad. “On December 15, the withdrawal of part of the personnel of the Russian [diplomatic] representation in Damascus was carried out by a special flight of the Russian Air Force from the Hmeimim airbase” in Syria, the ministry’s crisis situations department said on Telegram. During al-Assad’s rule, Moscow was able to greatly expand upon Russia’s naval base at Tartous, first established during Syria’s pact with the Soviet Union in 1971, as well as the airbase at Hmeimim, which it has operated since 2015. Syria A Russian military aircraft takes off from Hmeimim air base as a Russian military helicopter Kamov KA-50 flies over the base in Syria’s coastal town of Latakia, Syria on December 15, 2024 [Umit Bektas/Reuters] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 17:45 (17:45 GMT) Qatar set to reopen its embassy in Damascus A Qatari delegation has arrived in Damascus to pave the way for the reopening of Qatar’s embassy in Syria, which has been shut since July 2011 The country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that its delegation had reiterated its support of the Syrian people to achieve security in a meeting with Syria’s caretaker government. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 17:30 (17:30 GMT) Netanyahu, Trump discuss Gaza captives and Syria Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with US President-elect Donald Trump about developments in Syria and a recent push to secure the release of Israeli and foreign hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, he has said. “We have no interest in a conflict with Syria,” Netanyahu said in a statement. Israeli actions in Syria were intended to “thwart the potential threats from Syria and to prevent the takeover of terrorist elements near our border,” he said. Netanyahu’s comments came after the Israeli government approved his plan to encourage demographic growth in the occupied Golan Heights by allocating more than $11m. Israel has pressed deeper into Syrian territory, seizing additional land along the Golan Heights following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 17:15 (17:15 GMT) WATCH: Will Syria’s new leadership be inclusive and recognised by world powers? Ahmed al-Sharaa is promising justice, stability and unity. Syria’s new leader says he will set the country on a path to development. But it’s no easy task. Nearly half the population is displaced. The World Bank estimates more than a decade of war has destroyed infrastructure to the tune of $11bn. Parts of Syria are still under the control of rival armed groups. Religious and ethnic minorities are concerned about their future – will the new administration be inclusive? Do its leaders have the expertise to navigate this political transition? And how will they win the confidence and support of the international community? Play Video Video Duration 28 minutes 40 seconds 28:40 Syrians demand justice for crimes committed during Assad era| Inside Story Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 17:05 (17:05 GMT) Explainer Which European countries have paused Syrian asylum claims? After the fall of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, countries across the continent have announced plans to pause asylum applications for Syrian people seeking asylum. Here are some examples: Germany, which has accepted more than a million Syrian refugees, has frozen the processing of asylum applications for Syrian people, which will affect 47,770 applications that are already in the system. In Austria, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said he had “instructed the ministry to prepare an orderly repatriation and deportation programme to Syria”. Denmark said it is suspending 69 asylum cases currently being processed. It added that it is now also planning to start deporting Syrians, regardless of whether they have received asylum or not. Sweden’s Migration Agency has announced that it will suspend all asylum decisions involving Syrian citizens. France’s Interior Ministry said it would put asylum requests from Syrians on hold. The UK’s Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said the country has “paused asylum decisions on cases from Syria while the Home Office reviews and monitors the current situation”. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 16:45 (16:45 GMT) Explainer What to know about Syria’s new caretaker government After toppling the regime of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader and commander-in-chief of the new administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has appointed Mohammed al-Bashir to lead a caretaker government until March 1. The move aims to stabilise the country by providing basic services to civilians and preventing a power struggle between armed groups over state resources and ministries, experts told Al Jazeera. Here’s what we know about the caretaker government and its head. Al-Bashir Syria’s caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir chairs a meeting of the new cabinet in Damascus [Handout: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) Telegram channel /AFP] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 16:31 (16:31 GMT) LISTEN: Will the al-Assad regime be held accountable for its crimes? Syrians are demanding justice. The new leadership is promising punishment for crimes committed during more than half a century of al-Assad’s rule. But is it equipped to carry out this mammoth exercise? And will the process be transparent and fair? Listen to our discussion below: Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 16:15 (16:15 GMT) WATCH: Israel’s expansion ambition The number of Israeli settlers is now growing at a rate faster than Israel’s overall population, despite the fact that settlements are considered illegal under international law. Israel is also expanding its military operations beyond the occupied West Bank, into Syria. The concept of a greater Israel could not only have significant regional implications, but also deal a severe blow to any hope for a viable Palestinian state. Watch below to learn more: Play Video Video Duration 06 minutes 36 seconds 06:36 Israel's expansion ambition Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 16:02 (16:02 GMT) Photos: Students rally near Damascus University, topple statue of Hafez al-Assad Syria Syrian students rally near the campus of Damascus University in the Syrian capital on December 15, 2024 [Louai Al Beshara/AFP] Syria Students stand on the toppled statue of late president Hafez al-Assad during a rally near the campus of Damascus University in the Syrian capital on December 15, 2024 [Omar Haj Kadour/AFP] Syria [Omar Haj Kadour/AFP] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 15:45 (15:45 GMT) Analysis Netanyahu wants to double Golan Heights settlements before Trump’s return to office Nour Odeh Nour Odeh Reporting from Amman, Jordan Our correspondent is in Amman, Jordan, because Al Jazeera has been banned from reporting in Israel and the occupied West Bank. The Golan Heights is Syrian territory, and it was occupied by Israel in 1967 along with the West Bank, including [East] Jerusalem, and the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula. The international community and international law consider it to be an occupied territory. In 2019, Donald Trump, when he was in the White House, recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, much like he did over occupied [East] Jerusalem. There was an international uproar. This has no relevance to international law, but Netanyahu capitalized on that. What Israel has done in the Golan Heights is to restrict the ability of Syrians to build in their own communities, while it has conducted land grabs, built settlements, and now, wants to double those settlements. Why? Because Trump is coming back to office and Netanyahu wants to expand control over the Golan Heights and make it permanent. He was also encouraged by the Biden administration, which didn’t change Trump’s policy on the Golan Heights. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 15:30 (15:30 GMT) EU top diplomat: No lifting of Syria sanctions until rights and unity are guaranteed The European Union will not lift sanctions on Syria before its new rulers ensure minorities are not persecuted and women’s rights are protected within a unified government that disavows religious extremism, the EU’s top diplomat has said. An EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Monday, which had Syria on the agenda, would not discuss expanding financial support to the country beyond that already provided by the EU through United Nations agencies, the EU’s new foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said. “One of the questions is whether we are able to, in the future, look at the adaptation of the sanctions regime. But this clearly is not the question of today, but rather in the future where we have seen that the steps go in the right direction,” Kallas told Reuters in an interview. While the EU has in place a tough sanctions regime against Syria, the opposition group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has also been under sanctions for years, complicating matters for the international community. The EU was already the biggest donor of humanitarian aid to Syria, Kallas said. “We need to discuss what more can we do. But as I say, it can’t come as a blank cheque,” she added. “Syria faces a hopeful but uncertain future,” said Kallas, who is making her first visit to the Middle East in her new post. Syria’s new interim leaders had made “positive signals” but these were not enough, she said. “What everybody is looking at is, of course, the treatment of women and girls also, which shows the society and how it goes, how the institutions are built up, so that there is a government that takes on board everybody,” she added. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 15:15 (15:15 GMT) Israeli forces block road between Quneitra and Daraa in Syria: Monitor Israeli soldiers have moved to block a road at the administrative border between Quneitra and Daraa near the occupied Syrian Golan Heights inside Syria, according to a war monitor. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the village of Al-Muallaqa, on the administrative border between Quneitra and Daraa, witnessed a field escalation after groups of Israeli forces entered the area and cut off the road between the village and the town of Saida, near the occupied Syrian Golan Heights. Israeli forces have taken advantage of the downfall of Bashar al-Assad to occupy more parts of Syria as they continue to launch air strikes across the country to destroy its military infrastructure. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 15:00 (15:00 GMT) If you’re just joining us Here’s a look at the latest developments: The Israeli government approved a plan aimed at doubling the population of the settlements at the occupied Golan Heights that Netanyahu said would strengthen Israel. The interim government in Syria reopened schools and universities, prompting thousands of students to hold celebrations at universities across the country. Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said the country is ready to offer military training to Syria. The transport minister of the Syrian caretaker government said the country would soon reopen its airspace to traffic. The commander-in-chief of Iran’s IRGC said “people were living in Syria as long as we were there” and promised that invading Israeli soldiers “will be buried” in Syria in time. Six more Syrian civilians, including three children in one family, were killed by unexploded ordnance. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 14:45 (14:45 GMT) Exclusive footage shows ongoing repair work at Damascus international airport Exclusive footage obtained by Al Jazeera reveals the continuation of maintenance and repair operations for civilian aircraft at Damascus international airport, as part of efforts to restore operations and resume air traffic. The footage shows maintenance work being carried out on a civilian aircraft belonging to Syrian Airlines on the grounds, with technicians working to repair malfunctions. Earlier, Syria’s caretaker government announced that domestic flights would soon resume following the completion of maintenance operations. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 14:30 (14:30 GMT) Developing Israel approves Netanyahu’s plan to expand settlements in occupied Golan Heights The Israeli government has unanimously approved a plan put forward by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “promote demographic growth” in the occupied Golan Heights. The plan comes in light of the developments in Syria and aims to double the population of Israelis living in the occupied Syrian areas, according to a statement by the prime minister’s office. It said the plan, which received 40 million shekels (over $11m) in funding, strengthens the Israeli settlements, including Katzrin, in areas including education and renewable energy, and supports the establishment of a student village. “Strengthening the Golan is strengthening the state of Israel, and it is especially important at this time. We will continue to hold on to it, make it flourish, and settle it,” Netanyahu said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a hearing in his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [Menahem Kahana/Pool via Reuters] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 14:15 (14:15 GMT) Syria: People return to routines amid slow reopening of institutions Osama Bin Javaid Osama Bin Javaid Reporting from Damascus, Syria This is a resilient country that has seen turmoil for 14 years, and we see that people are now going back to their routines. People are turning up for work. Children are going to school. We’re now outside Damascus University, where we’re surrounded by many students who came there on the first day – Sunday being the first workday of the week across the Arab world. Whether you’re in Hama or Aleppo or here in Damascus, people are continuing to come to see what this new Syria looks like. Slowly and gradually, institutions are being reopened. We were at the Ministry of Information, and they said there’s a large number of ghost employees that existed on paper, but when they tried to contact them, there was nobody there. There were people who took with them various important documents, vehicles, keys to important places. This is a country in transition. It is slowly and gradually trying to return to normal life, but it will take a long time before everything goes back to normal, and the challenges here are immense. Last night, we were traveling from the city of Aleppo to Damascus, and there were fuel shortages. Some people could only buy fuel through electronic ID cards that were issued by the previous government. Nobody knows what to do with them. So there are a lot of challenges, but people are patient as they want to give this government a chance to try and solve those issues. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 14:00 (14:00 GMT) French diplomats to travel to Syria Tuesday: Foreign minister A French diplomatic mission will travel to Damascus Tuesday to reestablish contact after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, acting Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said. The four-strong team would “retake possession of our real estate” as well as “establishing initial contact” with the new authorities and “evaluating the urgent needs of the population”, Barrot told France Inter radio. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 13:45 (13:45 GMT) ‘Immediate threats’ to Israel from Syria still there: Defence minister Israel continues to see risks emanating from Syria despite the moderate tone adopted by the leaders of the armed fighters that toppled Bashar al-Assad, according to the country’s defence minister. “The immediate risks to the country have not disappeared and the latest developments in Syria increase the strength of the threat – despite the moderate image that the rebel leaders claim to present,” Israel Katz told officials. This comes after Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, said the country is exhausted from conflict and will not be “drawn into disputes that could lead to further destruction”. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz waits for his British and French counterparts ahead of a meeting, amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Jerusalem August 16 File photo: Incumbent Israeli Defense Minister and former Foreign Minister Israel Katz [Florion Goga/Reuters] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 13:30 (13:30 GMT) Syrians celebrate Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in Norway and Sweden Several European cities witnessed renewed celebrations late Saturday for the victory of the Syrian revolution and the ousting of president Bashar al-Assad. In the Norwegian capital Oslo, dozens of members of the Arab community gathered in a celebration that included chants and dances, where they joined in Syrian folk songs. The video below from the Norwegian capital has been verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad agency. The scenes of celebrations were repeated in the Swedish cities of Stockholm and Gothenburg, where participants called on the interim government to continue liberating the remaining Syrian areas. The Palestinian cause was present in some of the celebrations, as Palestinian flags were raised to express solidarity with Gaza and support for Jenin and the resistance factions, coinciding with demonstrations in the camps and the arrest of several resistance fighters by the Palestinian Authority. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 13:15 (13:15 GMT) WATCH: Israeli air strikes leave Homs military airport heavily damaged The Israeli military has targeted the military airport in Homs in some of its approximately 800 attacks on Syria in the past week. Translation: Scenes showing the destruction at Dabaa Airport in the countryside of Homs. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 13:00 (13:00 GMT) Former al-Assad soldiers gather in Hama to settle legal status Exclusive footage obtained by Al Jazeera’s Sanad agency today shows large crowds of former Syrian regime soldiers gathering outside the Hama police headquarters to begin the process of settling their legal and military statuses. The video captures significant numbers of ex-regime soldiers, including those who surrendered to the military operations directorate following the liberation of Hama province and others who had defected during the military operations. The directorate previously announced the establishment of settlement centres for former regime soldiers in the recently liberated provinces. These centres are issuing temporary identification cards to those seeking status resolution. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 12:50 (12:50 GMT) UN envoy urges ‘justice’, not ‘revenge’ in Syria Geir Pedersen has called for “justice and accountability” in the country, rather than acts of “revenge” following the overthrow of ruler al-Assad. “And we need to make sure that that goes through a credible justice system,” Pedersen said in Damascus. He also urged “increased, immediate” aid to the war-ravaged country. “Syria has been through an enormous … humanitarian crisis,” said Pedersen. “We need to make sure that Syria receives increased, immediate humanitarian assistance.” Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 12:40 (12:40 GMT) Swiss court mulls closing al-Assad’s uncle war crimes case Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court is considering dropping a case charging an uncle of deposed al-Assad with alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to newspaper reports. Rifaat al-Assad is accused by Swiss prosecutors of a long list of crimes, including having ordered “murders, acts of torture, inhumane treatment and illegal detentions” while an officer in the Syrian army. His part in the notorious February 1982 massacre in the western town of Hama, which left between 10,000 and 40,000 dead, earned him the nickname “Butcher of Hama”. On November 29, the Federal Criminal Court informed the victim plaintiffs that “it wished to close the proceedings” into Rifaat al-Assad, according to Swiss newspapers Le Matin Dimanche and SonntagsZeitung. The tribunal said the defendant in his 80s was suffering from ailments preventing him from travelling and taking part in his trial, the newspapers reported. The criminal proceedings were opened in December 2013 following a report by the Swiss nongovernmental organisation TRIAL International, which traced al-Assad to a major Geneva hotel. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 12:30 (12:30 GMT) Hundreds celebrate at reopened Aleppo University Aleppo University witnessed the return of its students to the classroom on the first day of classes after the fall of the al-Assad regime. Videos verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad agency showed university squares were filled with celebrations in a festive atmosphere, with the Syrian revolution flags fluttering. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 12:20 (12:20 GMT) GCC affirms support for sovereignty, stability in Syria The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has issued a statement to express support for Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, the secretary-general of the six-member group, said the GCC affirms support “for all efforts aimed at the unity, sovereignty, security and stability of Syria” and “stands with the brotherly Syrian people”. He emphasised that the “tragedy and suffering” of the Syrian people must end. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 12:10 (12:10 GMT) Syrians ‘horribly vulnerable’ to landmines, says de-mining group The Halo Trust calls for a global effort to remove landmines and explosive ordnance from Syria, with swaths of the country being contaminated with munitions after more than 13 years of war. “Returning Syrians simply don’t know where the landmines are lying in wait,” said Halo’s Syria programme manager Damian O’Brien, adding that such munitions “are scattered across fields, villages and towns, so people are horribly vulnerable”. “Tens of thousands of people are passing through heavily mined areas on a daily basis” after al-Assad’s forces “melted away from the front lines, leaving vast areas littered with explosives”, O’Brien said. “Clearing the debris of war is fundamental to getting the country back on its feet,” he added. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 12:00 (12:00 GMT) Analysis Israeli military leaders still ‘suspicious’ of new Syrian government Israel is closely monitoring Syria to see which type of regime emerges there, according to Alon Liel, former director general of the Foreign Ministry. “If you think outside Syria, Israel is also looking at other players like Turkiye and Qatar, and of course also the United States. But first, Israel is still in a war, and the Israeli government has to prove to the public that it’s taking care of security,” he told Al Jazeera from Tel Aviv, adding that this internal factor is also a reason behind its military operations in Syria. Liel said the new Syrian government is not referring to Israel as an enemy, which is important. “But people here, especially the army people, are very suspicious and took a wide margin while destroying a lot of Syrian military abilities. But if these statements go on and the Israeli military government, military and public feel that the new regime is not hostile and not turning into an enemy of Israel, I think the attitude here will gradually change,” he said. “Israel wants to create a situation that the international demand to withdraw from the Golan Heights is stopping, and I think Israel is on its way.” Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 11:50 (11:50 GMT) UN envoy for Syria urges sanctions relief following al-Assad’s fall Geir Pedersen has called for a quick end to Western sanctions after the removal of al-Assad. “We can hopefully see a quick end to the sanctions so that we can see really a rallying around the building of Syria,” Pedersen told reporters during a visit to Damascus. “We need to get the political process under way that is inclusive of all Syrians,” Pedersen said. “That process obviously needs to be led by the Syrians themselves.” Pedersen came to the Syrian capital to meet with officials of the new interim government set up by the former opposition forces who toppled al-Assad, led by the fighter group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The Syrian government has been under strict sanctions by the United States, European Union and others for years. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 11:40 (11:40 GMT) Thousands of students celebrate at reopened Damascus University There was a festive mood inside Damascus University after the interim government reopened schools along with other public institutions, with thousands celebrating. “We can see the campus is rife with students from all walks of life. We feel this light after 50 years of dictatorship. We are celebrating all over the campus,” Omar Nourredin, a student, told Al Jazeera. “We have all been dreaming for the regime to depart, but we never imagined that it would be toppled within days. Before, I always dreamed of leaving the country as soon as I can, but now, it is totally the opposite and I feel I should stay in my country and help rebuild it.” Fatima Suleiman, another student, said she welcomes the opportunity to return to school. “What I see is very positive. Now I can engage in my major without any favouritism and nepotism. Now I can express my voice,” she said. “Many Syrians outside the country are doing their best to quickly come back home. Syria is back on its feet. All the people of Syria have concerns about the future, but we hope for the best.” Syrian students walk around the campus of the Damascus University Syrian students walk around the campus of the Damascus University [Etienne Torbey/AFP] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 11:30 (11:30 GMT) WATCH: Families of Syrian detainees seek missing relatives at ‘slaughterhouse’ Syrians have been flocking to prisons and morgues, in a desperate search for loved ones who were jailed or forcibly disappeared. Thousands have been freed since the fall of President al-Assad, but many more are still missing. Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar reports from Damascus. Play Video Video Duration 03 minutes 35 seconds 03:35 Families of Syrian detainees seek missing relatives at notorious 'slaughterhouse' Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 11:15 (11:15 GMT) Thousands of Syrians have returned via Turkish border: Minister More than 7,600 Syrian refugees crossed the Turkish border to return home in the five days after the fall of al-Assad, Turkiye’s interior minister said. In a statement on X, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya listed the total number of Syrians “who returned voluntarily from Turkiye” each day between December 9 and 13, with the five-day figure totalling 7,621. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 11:00 (11:00 GMT) Photos: Christians attend the first Sunday mass in Damascus since al-Assad’s removal Sunday mass in Damascus Nuns attend the Sunday mass at Zeitoun Church in Damascus [Ammar Awad/Reuters] Sunday mass in Damascus People attend the first Sunday mass after the removal of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad [Ammar Awad/Reuters] Sunday mass in Damascus Sunday mass at Zeitoun Church in Damascus [Ammar Awad/Reuters] Sunday mass in Damascus Children walk outside Zeitoun Church [Ammar Awad/Reuters] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 10:45 (10:45 GMT) Syrian authorities reopen schools Students have returned to classrooms in Syria after the country’s new rulers ordered schools to reopen. Pupils waited cheerfully in the courtyard of a boys’ high school in Damascus on Sunday morning and applauded as the school secretary, Raed Nasser, hung the flag adopted by the new authorities. “Everything is good. We are fully equipped. We worked two, three days to equip the school with the needed services for the students’ safe return,” Nasser was quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency, adding the Jawdat al-Hashemi school had not been damaged. In one classroom, a student pasted the new flag on a wall. “I am optimistic and very happy,” said student Salah al-Din Diab. “I used to walk in the street scared that I would get drafted to military service. I used to be afraid when I reached a checkpoint.” Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 10:30 (10:30 GMT) Landmine explosion kills six, including three children, in Hama The Syrian civil defence is reporting that six civilians from the same family, including three children, were killed after a landmine left from the war exploded in the eastern Hama countryside. The White Helmets said the family was travelling by car near the village of Rahjan on Saturday when its members were killed by unexploded ordnance. The organisation called the landmines “a deferred death left by the criminal former al-Assad regime in the Syrian regions, threatening the lives of civilians”. The White Helmets cautioned civilians to stay away from any military sites and roads near them. At least 24 civilians had been killed by landmines since last week, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported earlier. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 10:15 (10:15 GMT) Israeli forces ‘will be buried in Syria’ in time: Iranian commander We have more from Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s IRGC. He asserted Tehran’s forces were not in Syria for years to turn the country into a ground for their own “ambitious and demanding interests”, but to defend Muslims. “As soon as the Syrian establishment fell, you see what terrible events are taking place. The Zionists can now see into Damascus-based families with the naked eye,” he said, in reference to Israeli advances into Quneitra near the capital, adding that this is “unbearable”. Salami reiterated a promise by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who pledged last week that occupied Syrian territories would be liberated by Syrian youth. “The Zionists will pay a heavy price. They will be buried in this very land, but this will require some time, a major endurance, and an epic will and faith.” Hossein Salami Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander-in-chief Major-General Hossein Salami speaks during a ceremony in Tehran, Iran, August 5, 2024 [Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 10:00 (10:00 GMT) Photos: Syrian authorities announce reopening of schools Syria schools Students enter a school in the early morning following the announcement of the reopening of schools by the authorities [Ammar Awad/Reuters] Syria schools Students sit in a classroom [Ammar Awad/Reuters] Syria schools [Ammar Awad/Reuters] Syria schools A teacher hoists the flag at a school, following the announcement of the reopening of schools [Ammar Awad/Reuters] Click here to share on social media Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies listen to these podcasts podcast episode artwork play From: The Inside Story Podcast What are Israel's plans in Syria? As the Assad government falls, Israel seizes more territory in Syria's Golan Heights. That move tears up a 50-year-old agr... podcast episode artwork play From: The Inside Story Podcast How will Syria be governed after the fall of al-Assad's regime? Celebrations by some in Syria after Bashar al-Assad is toppled. Overthrown by opposition forces made up of different facti... podcast episode artwork play From: The Inside Story Podcast Will the Christmas market attack impact immigration in Germany? The suspect in the Magdeburg Christmas market attack is a self-described Saudi dissident. German authorities say he suppor... Related ‘Until my last breath’: Searching for relatives at Syria’s ‘slaughterhouse’ Thousands of prisoners have been released from the notorious Sednaya prison, but many are still missing. Published On 14 Dec 2024 14 Dec 2024 Hayat al-Turki, 27, holds a phone with the picture of her brother at Sednaya prison, which was known as a slaughterhouse under Syria's Bashar al-Assad rule, as she searches the prison in the hope of finding her relatives, after rebels seized the capital and announced that they have ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Sednaya, Syria, December 11, 2024. REUTERS/Ammar Awad Iran jails journalist Reza Valizadeh for ‘hostile’ US collaboration The Iranian-American journalist has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to his lawyer. Published On 14 Dec 2024 14 Dec 2024 Iran's national flag waves in northern Tehran, Iran Eight Arab countries vow to support ‘peaceful transition process’ in Syria Syria’s new government must be ‘inclusive’, say Arab foreign ministers in Jordan, warning against any discrimination. Published On 14 Dec 2024 14 Dec 2024 Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani attend a meeting in Aqaba on December 14, 2024. US Secretary of State Blinken acknowledges contact with Syria’s HTS rebels Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, has been designated a ‘foreign terrorist organisation’ in US since Trump’s term in 2018. Published On 14 Dec 2024 14 Dec 2024 Antony Blinken waves from a US federal plane as he boards from a staircase. 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I used to be afraid when I reached a checkpoint.” Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 10:30 (10:30 GMT) Landmine explosion kills six, including three children, in Hama The Syrian civil defence is reporting that six civilians from the same family, including three children, were killed after a landmine left from the war exploded in the eastern Hama countryside. The White Helmets said the family was travelling by car near the village of Rahjan on Saturday when its members were killed by unexploded ordnance. The organisation called the landmines “a deferred death left by the criminal former al-Assad regime in the Syrian regions, threatening the lives of civilians”. The White Helmets cautioned civilians to stay away from any military sites and roads near them. At least 24 civilians had been killed by landmines since last week, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported earlier. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 10:15 (10:15 GMT) Israeli forces ‘will be buried in Syria’ in time: Iranian commander We have more from Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s IRGC. He asserted Tehran’s forces were not in Syria for years to turn the country into a ground for their own “ambitious and demanding interests”, but to defend Muslims. “As soon as the Syrian establishment fell, you see what terrible events are taking place. The Zionists can now see into Damascus-based families with the naked eye,” he said, in reference to Israeli advances into Quneitra near the capital, adding that this is “unbearable”. Salami reiterated a promise by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who pledged last week that occupied Syrian territories would be liberated by Syrian youth. “The Zionists will pay a heavy price. They will be buried in this very land, but this will require some time, a major endurance, and an epic will and faith.” Hossein Salami Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander-in-chief Major-General Hossein Salami speaks during a ceremony in Tehran, Iran, August 5, 2024 [Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 10:00 (10:00 GMT) Photos: Syrian authorities announce reopening of schools Syria schools Students enter a school in the early morning following the announcement of the reopening of schools by the authorities [Ammar Awad/Reuters] Syria schools Students sit in a classroom [Ammar Awad/Reuters] Syria schools [Ammar Awad/Reuters] Syria schools A teacher hoists the flag at a school, following the announcement of the reopening of schools [Ammar Awad/Reuters] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 09:45 (09:45 GMT) We were looking after Syrian people’s honour: IRGC chief The downfall of al-Assad and its aftermath are a “bitter lesson” for everyone involved, according to the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). “People in Damascus now understand this with full hatred that when the men of resistance are absent, what befalls a nation,” he said during a speech in Tehran. “Today, we see that the foreign powers that are creating fire in Syria have attacked like hungry wolves and are each taking a piece out of the body of a lone deer in the desert. The Zionists in the south, another in the north, another in the east, and in the middle a lonely and wandering people facing an uncertain future.” Salami said the IRGC was “looking after the honour” of the Syrian people, adding that “people were living as long as we were there.” Hossein Salami Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander-in-chief Major General Hossein Salami [Iranian Parliament website/WANA (West Asia News Agency) handout via Reuters] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 09:30 (09:30 GMT) Turkiye ready to offer military training to Syria: Minister Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler says the new administration in Syria should be given a chance to govern after their constructive messages. “The new administration that toppled al-Assad announced that it would respect all government institutions, the United Nations and other international organisations,” Guler told reporters in Ankara, according to the Reuters news agency. “We think that we need to see what the new administration will do and to give them a chance,” he added. NATO member Turkiye backed the Syrian rebels who toppled President al-Assad last weekend, ending a 13-year civil war. Since 2016, Turkiye has mounted four military operations across growing swaths of northern Syria, citing threats to its national security. Turkiye is estimated to maintain a few thousand troops in towns including Afrin, Azez and Jarablus in northwestern Syria and Ras al-Ain and Tell Abyad in the northeast. Ankara may discuss and reevaluate the issue of Turkiye’s military presence in Syria with the Syrian administration “when necessary conditions arise”, Guler said. Yasar Guler Guler thinks the new administration should be given a chance [File: Yves Herman/Reuters] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 09:15 (09:15 GMT) Iraq’s border conditions with Syria ‘reassuring’: Interior Minister There has been no trouble with armed forces in Syria amid an Iraqi army deployment near the border, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Interior. Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari described the situation at the border with Syria as “reassuring”, according to state media Iraqi News Agency. The army general also reported “the intensification of intelligence efforts in all areas of responsibility”. This comes as Iraqi soldiers are deployed along the border amid concerns that Syrian fighters and groups could once more invade Iraq. Several thousand Syrian soldiers of the former regime have also fled into Iraq in the past week. Iraqi interior minister Lieutenant-General Abdul Amir al-Shammari speaks during a meeting with US and coalition commanders in Baghdad, Iraq, December 9, 2021 [Joint Operations Command Media Office/Handout via Reuters] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 09:00 (09:00 GMT) If you’re just joining us Here’s a look at the latest developments: The Israeli military launched more than 60 strikes on Syria within five hours on Saturday evening, bringing the total number of attacks in a week to about 800. Israeli forces continue to occupy Quneitra in southern Syria close to Damascus, with our correspondent reporting that invading forces have destroyed roads, water networks and power lines. The transport minister of Syria’s caretaker government said the country would soon reopen its airspace to traffic. Israeli military officials held meetings with dignitaries and mayors in Syria’s occupied Golan Heights and asked them to collect weapons seized from abandoned regime positions. The number of civilians killed by unexploded ordnance in the past week rose to 24 after three more were killed in a landmine explosion, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 08:45 (08:45 GMT) ‘Endless torture’: Prisoner remembers horrors of Syrian prison system Mehmet Erturk, a Turkish citizen who was in a Syrian prison for about 20 years before being released recently, says he paid the price for the hatred Syria’s authorities bore for Turkish President Erdogan, who early in the war urged al-Assad to leave. Arrested in 2004 for smuggling, Erturk finally made it back to his home in Magaracik on Monday evening, a village perched at the top of a winding road dotted with olive trees some 10 minutes from the Syrian border. Erturk, 53, told the AFP news agency he cannot eat properly as half his teeth are missing and the other half are threatening to fall out. “It was torture after torture,” he told AFP, miming the truncheon blows to the mouth the guards would give him at a notorious Damascus prison known as the Palestine Branch, where he spent part of his jail time. “Our bones would pop out of the socket when they hit our wrists with hammers,” he said. “During the day, it was strictly forbidden to talk … there were cockroaches in the food. It was damp, it stank like a toilet,” Erturk said, recalling days “without clothes or water or food”. Erturk walks in his village, Magaracik, in Kilis Erturk walks in his village, Magaracik, in Kilis [Yasin Akgul/AFP] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 08:30 (08:30 GMT) Analysis High expectations from Syria’s interim government: Analyst The level of expectations for the new interim Syrian administration is very high, according to Sultan Barakat, professor of public policy at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Doha. “You can’t blame the Syrian people for expecting more, having been through this miserable existence for the past five decades,” he told Al Jazeera. “But what we should expect better of is the international community. They know that the hands of [Ahmed al-Sharaa] are tied in a number of ways, including in terms of his base of support and the actual power that made him capable of coming to Damascus.” Barakat said the lines coming from the international summit in Jordan’s Aqaba are slightly misleading. “We still expect him to deliver what the international community could not deliver in 14 years, including an inclusive and secular government that recognises the rights of women. We need to calibrate the expectations a bit more carefully in order to stabilise the situation, now that everybody seems to accept that he is the person to do it.” The expert believes the international community will keep al-Sharaa and his group on the sanctions list for now because this will be the leverage to make sure he acts the way they want. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 08:15 (08:15 GMT) Israeli military officials met dignitaries in occupied Golan Heights: Report Israeli army officers have reportedly met Syrian dignitaries and mayors in the occupied Golan Heights after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The Israeli army informed them that no harm would come to the residents and that their daily routine would continue fully, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper. “I asked the Mukhtar of Kafr Batna to collect weapons from the residents,” it quoted an unnamed commander in the 77th Battalion’s Armoured Brigade as saying. “The town’s residents returned the weapons they had seized from abandoned Syrian army positions.” The Israeli army is reportedly operating in seven villages in the occupied Syrian territory, some of them outside Quneitra. It intends to stay in the area until it is handed over to an organised state entity so that “terrorist organisations” do not reach it, the newspaper reported. Quneitra Israeli tanks enter Quneitra on December 10, 2024 [Bekir Kasım/Anadolu] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 08:00 (08:00 GMT) Analysis Israel repeatedly bombing Syria ‘simply because it can’ The Israeli military appears to be hitting everything that is associated with the former regime, according to Rob Geist Pinfold, lecturer in peace and security at Durham University. Since the start of the Israeli attacks, there’s been a growing “disconnect” between Israel and the US, he told Al Jazeera. “They’re doing it simply because they can. They don’t know about the new regime and who is on the other side,” he said. “The Israeli intelligence was taken by surprise just as the rest of the world was, so the Israelis are erring on the side of caution here. The problem is they also escalate; they’ve also taken over a lot of Syrian territory.” The expert said Ahmed al-Sharaa is now trying to call Israel’s bluff and say they have no legitimacy to strike or occupy because he is saying Syria now has no desire or intention to fight Israel. “This is a huge change because Syria has been a core state who’s been fighting Israel for decades,” Pinfold said. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 07:45 (07:45 GMT) WATCH: Blinken confirms US in direct contact with HTS in Syria US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has confirmed the Biden administration is in direct contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the armed Syrian opposition group – designated a “foreign terrorist organisation” by the US – that overthrew Bashar al-Assad. Blinken made this statement at a news conference in Jordan, where regional and Western diplomats met to discuss Syria’s future. Play Video Video Duration 00 minutes 44 seconds 00:44 Blinken confirms US in direct contact with HTS in Syria Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 07:30 (07:30 GMT) Israel conducted about 800 air attacks across Syria since fall of al-Assad Resul Serdar Atas Resul Serdar Atas Reporting from Damascus, Syria More than 60 Israeli air strikes took place over the last 12 hours and this is not the first time it is happening. Israel started bombing Syria soon after the first hours of the fall of the al-Assad regime. The focus of Israeli air strikes is Damascus and its outskirts. Last night, they hit ammunition depots and air defence systems in a district in Damascus not too far away from where we are. We have heard several loud explosions, which have been almost a routine of our reports here. Attacks also hit some of the ammunition depots in the Deraa province in the south of the country and in Homs – located 80km north of Damascus. This has been part of the Israeli strategy since the fall of the al-Assad regime to leave the country without air defences against its attacks. The country conducted about 800 air strikes across Syria since then. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 07:15 (07:15 GMT) WATCH: Syria after al-Assad After 13 years of war, an offensive by Syrian opposition groups ousted Bashar al-Assad as Syria’s president in just 11 days. What happened? Who’s running Syria now? And what could happen next? Sandra Gathmann explains in Start Here: Play Video Video Duration 12 minutes 20 seconds 12:20 Syria after Assad Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 07:01 (07:01 GMT) German unions say Syrian labour force needed Frank Werneke, the chairperson of the Verdi labour union, argues against a suggestion from a conservative politician that the government should send about one million Syrians back home. “Be it in care, in hospitals, in post and parcel services, in mail order or many other professions. In many places, people who fled from Syria help keep this country running,” he told Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper. Meanwhile, Christiane Benner, the chairperson of IG Metall, the German metalworkers union, said Germany needed more “skilled and labour forces from abroad”. “German business wants to keep Syrian workers too,” she said. The president of the Family-Run Companies Association stressed that many companies relied on “well-integrated and qualified labour”. Marie-Christine Ostermann added that they have invested in refugee training and education to compensate for the shortage of skilled and unskilled workers. “They should not then be deported,” the chairperson added. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 06:45 (06:45 GMT) More on Israel’s latest attacks We’ve been covering a series of Israeli raids on Syria on Saturday evening. SOHR has published additional details on where the 61 Israeli attacks took place. The war monitor said military warehouses in Homs, Deraa, Suwayda and the Qalamoun mountains near Damascus were hit. Air defences at the Hama airport were also struck, it added. The war monitor also published footage from what it said was an Israeli attack on a military camp in the town of Ain Mneen near Damascus. Translation: Israeli air strikes on camps of the former regime’s army in the Ain Mneen area, northwest of Damascus. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 06:30 (06:30 GMT) Berlin warns al-Assad’s ‘torturers’ against fleeing to Germany Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has warned supporters of al-Assad against going into hiding in Germany. “Anyone among al-Assad’s torturers thinking of fleeing to Germany, I can only say clearly: We will hold all the regime’s henchmen accountable with the full force of the law for their terrible crimes,” Baerbock told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper. She said the country’s security agencies and intelligence services need to work in close cooperation over the issue. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaks during a special session of the German parliament marking the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 10 Baerbock says backers of the regime will be held accountable if they are caught in Germany [File: Ebrahim Noroozi] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 06:15 (06:15 GMT) WATCH: After Syria – Is there a chance for Iran-US rapprochement? After Iran was pushed out of Syria, and its influence in Lebanon wanes, the map of the Middle East is rapidly changing. Iranian-American political scientist Vali Nasr tells The Bottom Line that Iran’s retreat in the region opens a door for improved relations with the US, which has imposed crippling sanctions on Tehran ever since the Islamic revolution of 1979. Nasr also warns that Israel should not consider all the shifts in the region to be in its favour because Israel destroyed the resistance in Lebanon in 1982 – only for it to grow much more powerful within years. Watch the latest episode below: Play Video Video Duration 23 minutes 55 seconds 23:55 After Syria: Is there a chance for Iran-US rapprochement? Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 06:00 (06:00 GMT) ‘A very high feeling in my heart’: Syrians in France celebrate al-Assad’s fall Natacha Butler Natacha Butler Reporting from Paris, France Syrians, who fled the civil war in their home country, have been celebrating al-Assad’s fall. While some are considering returning, others say they are wary of what’s next. In Paris, Hassan Alspeny, a restaurant owner who fled Syria 13 years ago, said he cannot quite believe the longtime ruler is finally gone. “It is a very high feeling in my heart, in my soul, in my breath,” he told Al Jazeera. “It is very nice for me and all the Syrians in the country.” Nearly 30,000 Syrians fled to France during the civil war. They are celebrating the fall of al-Assad but for some, the joy is mixed with deep lingering pain. Tiama Kordilo, a digital consultant, told Al Jazeera how Syrian security forces raided her home in Damascus and took away her father, brother and uncle. She and her mother never gave up the hope of finding them. “It was very hard because, from the beginning of the freeing of the [people in] prisons, we were just waiting stuck to our screens, looking in videos [hoping] we could see them,” she said. Watch more below: Play Video Video Duration 02 minutes 17 seconds 02:17 Syrians in Paris consider returning home while others are wary Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 05:45 (05:45 GMT) Syria to reopen its airspace shortly Bahaa el-Din Sharm, the caretaker government’s minister of transport, says Syria will open its airspace to air traffic in the coming hours. “We are working on equipping civilian airports and all cadres are conducting the necessary maintenance for the reception and takeoff of aircraft through Syrian airports,” he says. Sharm added that the date for the reopening of the international airports in the cities of Damascus and Aleppo will also be announced in the coming days. Planes sit on the tarmac as employees prepare Damascus International Airport before it resumes operations Planes sit on the tarmac as employees prepare Damascus airport before it resumes operations, December 14, 2024 [Ammar Awad/Reuters] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 05:30 (05:30 GMT) Redrawing the map: Israel seeks to remake the Middle East to its own design Simon Speakman Cordall Simon Speakman Cordall Israel has launched hundreds of air attacks on Syria since al-Assad’s fall and moved ground forces into a demilitarised zone located within Syrian territory along the border with Israel in the Golan Heights. Israel launched the invasion after declaring the 1974 agreement that had established the buffer zone “collapsed”. The country’s defence minister says he wants to establish a “sterile” zone in the area. The attacks on Syria, according to Mairav Zonszein, a senior analyst with the Crisis Group, were “a mixture of both opportunism and strategy”. That Israel should seek to neutralise a potential threat upon its border while it was, for all practical purposes, defenceless, was a “no-brainer”, but what the long-term plan might be is less certain. “I think what we’re seeing in reality is the strategy that Israel’s been developing since October 7th: identify a threat or opportunity, deploy troops and then figure it out.” Read more here. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 05:15 (05:15 GMT) WATCH: International push for stability in Syria gains momentum As we’ve been reporting, regional and Western diplomats gathered in Jordan on Saturday to discuss all Syria-related matters and what comes next. The Arab states formulated a united position, while Turkiye called on the world to support the new Syria. Meanwhile, the US maintained a cautious tone, opening direct lines of dialogue with Damascus. Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh reports from Aqaba, Jordan: Play Video Video Duration 02 minutes 05 seconds 02:05 Eight Arab countries vow to support ‘peaceful transition process’ in Syria Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 05:00 (05:00 GMT) If you’re just joining us These are the main developments from overnight: Three more people have been killed in a landmine explosion in northeastern Syria, raising the number of civilians killed by unexploded ordnance in the past week to 24, according to SOHR. Our correspondent in the Quneitra governorate in southeastern Syria says invading Israeli forces have destroyed roads, water networks and power lines in the area. The Syrian Red Crescent says a team of local and international engineers have completed repairs to the Tishreen Dam in rural Aleppo, following warnings that fighting in the vicinity could damage the structure and put the lives and livelihoods of millions of people at risk. The foreign ministers of 13 Middle Eastern and Western countries, as well as officials from the EU and the UN, met to agree on a common approach to the Syria crisis and called for a transitional process that is Syrian-led and Syrian-owned. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he has instructed his government to “establish food supply mechanisms” to Syria amid reports Russia has suspended wheat exports to the country following al-Assad’s fall. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 04:45 (04:45 GMT) Ukraine offers to supply food to Syria Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ordered his government to set up supply mechanisms to deliver food to Syria. Ukraine has been one of the world’s top grain and oilseeds exporters and has been exporting wheat and corn to Middle Eastern countries, but not to Syria. Damascus, under al-Assad, had been importing food from Russia. But Russian wheat supplies have been suspended amid uncertainty and payment delays, the Reuters news agency reported, citing Russian and Syrian sources. “We are ready to assist Syria in preventing a food crisis, particularly through the humanitarian program ‘Grain from Ukraine’,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “I have instructed the government to establish food supply mechanisms in cooperation with international organizations and partners who can help.” Ukraine has been embroiled in war since Russian troops launched a full-scale invasion in February 2021. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 04:30 (04:30 GMT) Al-Assad has $69.4m in frozen UK bank account: Report The ousted leader has 55 million pounds ($69.4m) deposited in a frozen HSBC bank account in London, the UK’s i paper reports, citing sources in the banking sector. According to the paper, the personal account held by al-Assad has been accruing interest since it was frozen under UK sanctions in 2011 and is part of about 163 million pounds ($205.7m) in assets held by the al-Assad family and their allies in the UK. Al-Assad and his family are now in Moscow after being granted asylum by Russian authorities. a photograph of a man on the ground Items, including a photograph of Bashar al-Assad, inside a room in the Presidential Palace in Damascus, Syria after the former president fled the country [File: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 04:15 (04:15 GMT) WATCH: Syria’s narcotic legacy Syrian opposition forces have uncovered vast quantities of the narcotic Captagon (fenetylline) in warehouses and even a military airbase. The al-Assad regime had repeatedly denied that it backed the trade. But it was seen as a lifeline for the cash-strapped government over the course of the country’s 14-year war. Al Jazeera’s Ferdia Carr reports: Play Video Video Duration 02 minutes 04 seconds 02:04 Syria's narcotic legacy: Thousands of captagon pills found in warehouses Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 04:00 (04:00 GMT) Palestinians returning to Yarmouk hope other refugees come back, too As we reported earlier, Palestinians have been returning to the Yarmouk refugee camp outside Damascus. Taghrid Halawi was among those who went back to see her old home. “You really feel that your Palestine is here, even though you are far from Palestine,” she told the Associated Press news agency. “Even with all this destruction, I feel like it’s like heaven. I hope that everyone returns, all the ones who left the country or are living in other areas.” Built to host Palestinian refugees in 1957, Yarmouk grew into a bustling suburb of some 1.2 million people, including 160,000 people from Palestine. After Syria’s war broke out in 2011, the al-Assad regime bombed the suburb heavily, targeting fighters there. The camp was all but abandoned, and the number of Palestinian refugees in the areas now stands at 8,160, according to the AP. three woman stand next to a damaged building Taghrid Halawi, left, returned to see her old home in the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk, outside Damascus, Syria, on Saturday [Hussein Malla/AP Photo] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 03:50 (03:50 GMT) Ex-prisoners recall abuses at Damascus jail Mohammed Darwish, a 34-year-old Syrian journalist, was detained for months in 2018 at one of the most feared branches of al-Assad’s intelligence services – the Palestine Branch in Damascus. “I was one of those they interrogated the most,” Darwish told the AFP news agency, as he returned to the facility, which was also known as Branch 235, after al-Assad’s fall. The journalist recalled being kept with 100 others in cell number nine, an underground windowless room with blackened and dripping walls. Among them were a young Turkish inmate, who he said was driven mad by the lashes that rained down upon him, as well as some 50 prisoners with tuberculosis. “When the door closed behind us, we were plunged into the depths of despair. This cell was witness to so much tragedy,” Darwish said. Adham Bajbouj, 32, is another former prisoner. “They told us our stay at the Palestine Branch was just for a question and answer session,” he told AFP. “But I was in there for 35 days. Or maybe it was 32, I no longer remember very well,” he said. Bajbouj’s brother, who was accompanying him, did remember one key detail. “He weighed 85 kilos (187 pounds) when he arrived, and was just 50 (110 pounds) when he got out,” he said. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 03:30 (03:30 GMT) Engineers complete maintenance on critical Syrian dam The Syrian Red Crescent says a team of local and international engineers have carried out a two-day maintenance project at Tishreen Dam in rural Aleppo. The team was sent there as aid groups warned earlier this week that fighting in the area was resulting in damage to the dam, risking the lives and livelihoods of up to one million people in the downstream subdistricts. The Syrian Red Crescent said the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Euphrates Dam General Establishment helped with the project, providing equipment, including a “water pump and fuel to ensure the dam’s safety and continuous operations”. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 03:15 (03:15 GMT) WATCH: Turkiye-backed forces vow to ‘completely remove’ Kurdish fighters from Syria Even as Syrians continue to celebrate in Damascus, fighting is still happening in other parts of the country. In the north, the Turkish-backed SNA and Kurdish-led SDF are still fighting and competing for control. There are reports that Turkiye, which accuses the SDF of harbouring groups like the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party or PKK, has been providing air support. Kurdish fighters Saif Polat, who leads an SNA brigade that spearheaded recent operations in the cities of Tal Rifaat and Manbij, says his forces aim to clear PKK all the way to the Iraqi border. “There will be no ceasefire until every PKK member is completely removed from Syrian territory,” he told Al Jazeera. “We are not fighting on behalf of anyone else. Our mission is to eradicate terrorism from Syrian soil.” Watch more below: Play Video Video Duration 02 minutes 44 seconds 02:44 Hope in northern Syria: Fighting still ongoing between SDF and SNA Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 03:00 (03:00 GMT) Photos: Funerals held for five SDF fighters killed in northern Syria an old woman holds a small blue photograph at a funeral Relatives and loved ones mourn at a funeral for five fighters from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) at a funeral in Qamishli in northeastern Syria on Saturday [Delil Souleiman/AFP] a man holds up a gun at a funeral next to coffins covered in bright colours The fighters were killed during clashes with Turkish-backed opposition factions earlier this week in Manbij, northern Syria, the AFP reported [Delil Souleiman/AFP] a man digs a grave The Kurdish administration governing a semi-autonomous enclave in northeastern Syria said earlier this week that they will raise Syria’s independence flag in a show of support for the country’s new de-facto leaders in Damascus [Delil Souleiman/AFP] a girl gets dirt in her eyes as people dig a grave in a large crowd [Delil Souleiman/AFP] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 02:45 (02:45 GMT) Analysis Al-Assad ‘broke axis of resistance’ during Israel’s war on Gaza As we’ve been reporting, Hezbollah’s chief has made his first public comments since al-Assad’s ouster. Elijah Magnier, a military and political analyst, broke down the main takeaways. He noted that Qassem did not mention al-Assad by name in his speech. This is because “in the last 13 months, Assad took a position that broke ‘the axis of resistance’ by refusing to allow Iran or Hezbollah to fire against Israel”, Magnier said. Al-Assad “crippled all the warehouses, particularly the strategic missiles that Hezbollah and Iran had stored in Syria, along the borders, mainly in Qalamoun and in the [occupied] Golan Heights”, impacting Iran and Hezbollah’s ability to fire against Israel as needed. From Qassem’s speech, “we see today… a reverting of Hezbollah to conditions similar to those in the 1980s and 1990s, when Syria was not supportive and the organisation faced limited access to weapons,” Magnier explained. His remarks “also highlighted Hezbollah’s effort to project adaptability in the face of major setbacks, compounded with several blows from losing its support from its close allies for the last 13 months – that is Assad – and enduring pressure from its fiercest enemy – that is Israel”. According to Magnier, Qassem is essentially saying that Hezbollah “will look for other possibilities”, including countries such as Yemen and others that are under sanctions. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 02:30 (02:30 GMT) Explainer Diplomats from the Middle East and the West call for Syrian-owned transition As we’ve been reporting, top regional and Western diplomats have met in the Jordanian city of Aqaba to agree a common approach to the crisis in Syria. Here’s what to know: The foreign ministers from 13 countries, as well as officials from the European Union, the United Nations and Arab League affirmed their “full support to the Syrian people” at the meeting. The participating countries were Bahrain, Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the US. They agreed that a “transitional political process must be Syrian-led and Syrian-owned” and lead to “an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government”. They also affirmed their “full support for Syria’s unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty” and called for the UN to increase its “presence on the ground”. They also stressed the importance of “respect for human rights, including for women and minorities”. The statement followed a communique from the eight Arab nations – Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, UAE, Bahrain and Qatar – which said political process in Syria should be supported by the UN and the Arab League, in accordance with the principles of Security Council Resolution 2254. jordan Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas hold a news conference in Aqaba, Jordan on Saturday [Alaa Al Sukhni/Reuters] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 02:15 (02:15 GMT) WATCH: What does al-Assad’s fall mean for Syria and the region? Al-Assad’s ouster last week ended more than 50 years of dynastic rule in Syria. While the toppled leader fled to Russia and has been granted asylum, Syria’s future hangs in the balance. A transitional government has been put in place, but uncertainty over who will ultimately lead the country remains. Will this moment lead to democracy for Syrians after decades of brutality? Will foreign interference and internal conflict undermine a new and independent Syria? Watch the discussion below: Play Video Video Duration 25 minutes 00 seconds 25:00 What does Bashar al-Assad’s fall mean for Syria and the region? Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 02:00 (02:00 GMT) Photos: At Syria-Lebanon border, some Syrians flee as others return home people walk through a rocky area Syrians make their way to the Al-Masnaa crossing from the Syrian side of the Lebanese-Syrian border, on Saturday [Wael Hamzeh/EPA] people carry their belongings behind trucks Reuters, citing a Lebanese official, reports that tens of thousands of Syrians, mostly Shia Muslims, have fled Syria in recent days [Wael Hamzeh/EPA] a girl leans on another girl in front of barbed wire Syrians wait with their belongings at the Al-Masnaa crossing [Wael Hamzeh/EPA] a car loaded with belongings Syrians are also returning to Syria from Lebanon, where more than a million Syrian refugees have been sheltering [Wael Hamzeh/EPA] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 01:45 (01:45 GMT) ‘Until my last breath’: Searching for relatives at Syria’s ‘slaughterhouse’ For decades, Sednaya prison was only ever mentioned in hushed tones in Syria. Torture and death were known to be routine in this place everyone called the “human slaughterhouse”. But on the evening of December 7, that all ended when Syrian opposition fighters burst through doors and liberated the prisoners. In no time, thousands of Syrians descended on the prison in the mountains north of Damascus, desperately seeking news of the loved ones they believed had disappeared behind the prison’s walls. Standing in front of the prison, Jumaa Jubbu, who is from al-Kafir in Idlib, said: “The liberation [of Syria] is an indescribable joy. “But the joy is incomplete because there are [hundreds of thousands] of missing detainees, and we haven’t heard any news about them at all.” Jubbu said he was searching for 20 people from his village, among them his cousins. All had been taken in the early years of the war, between 2011 and 2013 and were believed to have ended up at the “slaughterhouse”. “We’re waiting, hoping that God will guide us to find the underground prison, because most of the prisoners who were released before, they say the prison has three underground levels,” Jubbu said. “We only saw one floor.” Read more here. Sednaya prison, families seeking loved ones Jumaa Jubbu feels the joy of liberation is incomplete so long as people remain disappeared in Sednaya prison [Ali Haj Suleiman/Al Jazeera] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 01:30 (01:30 GMT) Analysis What role does the US want to play in Syria? James Jeffrey, a former US ambassador to Iraq and Turkiye, says Washington’s interests in Syria range from establishing an inclusive government to keeping Iran out of the country “permanently”. He said the US wants to see a “political process led by the international community, particularly the UN” that results in a Syria “that is free, integrated and inclusive” and “does not exclude people or oppress anyone”. Beyond that, the US is looking to keep up the pressure on ISIL (ISIS) and keep Iran “out of Syria permanently”, in particular, cut its supply lines to Hezbollah in Lebanon, Jeffrey said. “And also, the US wants to see chemical weapons secured, all fighting to end and missing people, including the American journalist Austin Tice returned,” he said. “The US has a general goal of ensuring that the interests of the various outside players – that’s Turkey, Israel and the Arab states – are taken into consideration and neither rub up against each other, or impact Syria’s sovereignty – that means a plan for all foreign forces in the country, including Americans, to eventually leave.” Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 01:15 (01:15 GMT) WATCH: The millions of untold stories flooding out of Syria With the end of the al-Assad regime and half a century of dictatorship, Syria’s media space is undergoing tumultuous changes. State TV and social media users are weaving new narratives, while Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group that ousted al-Assad, continues its rebrand. Watch the latest episode of The Listening Post: Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 01:00 (01:00 GMT) Photos: Syrians return to destroyed neighbourhoods in Eastern Ghouta a man walks near destroyed buildings A Syrian man walks past destroyed buildings in the town of Jobar in Eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus on Saturday [Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP] a boy rides a bicycle past a destroyed building A Syrian boy rides his bicycle past destroyed buildings in the city of Harasta in Eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus [Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP] a newly paved road goes through a destroyed city The al-Assad regime’s military heavily bombarded Eastern Ghouta before claiming the opposition-held area in 2018 [Ozan Kose/AFP] a mosque tower lies on a destroyed building A destroyed mosque in the city of Harasta [Omar Haq Kadour/AFP] Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 00:45 (00:45 GMT) Syria’s new administration sends ‘major military convoy’ to Latakia SOHR says the Administration of Military Operations has brought a “major military convoy” to the coastal province of Latakia to “arrest gunmen supporting the former regime”. The offensive also aims to “cleanse the area of weapons,” the war monitor said. It added that the fighters have closed the area for civilians. Latakia, home to the Alawite Shia minority, had previously been a stronghold for al-Assad’s family. The Reuters news agency reported last week that the forces that overthrew al-Assad met elders in the former president’s hometown of Qardaha in Latakia and received a statement of support from them. Click here to share on social media 15 Dec 2024 - 00:30 (00:30 GMT) Israeli forces destroy streets, water networks in Quneitra Muntasir Abou Nabout Muntasir Abou Nabout Reporting from Quneitra, Syria We are at the centre of the Quneitra governorate in the southeastern part of Syria. Here, Israeli military tanks have made incursions into a number of nearby villages and towns. Al-Hamidiyah city is at the end of the street that I am standing on. And that’s where an Israeli tank is positioned. Israeli tanks and vehicles have damaged the streets here. They have cut down the trees on both sides of the road and destroyed electricity poles. The Israelis asked the residents to evacuate the cities and towns which they have entered. But when a large number of residents refused to leave, Israeli forces destroyed water supply networks and power lines in a deliberate attempt to cut off life support to these areas so that the residents would leave. Yesterday, Israeli forces conducted a manoeuvre into an empty command centre of the Syrian military here. They passed through this road into the command centre and conducted a search operation. According to witnesses, Israeli forces searched for weapons in these areas. They conducted their military operations with support from the Israeli air force, as every now and then we hear the sound of warplanes above. 15 Dec 2024 - 00:15 (00:15 GMT)
- Three killed by land mine near Deir Az Zor: Monitor
- SOHR reports that three people have been killed by shrapnel after a landmine exploded in the Ma’izila desert east of Deir Az Zor in eastern Syria.
The aid group, Humanity and Inclusion estimates that more than 300,000 landmines and other unexploded weapons are littered across Syria after more than a decade of war.
15 Dec 2024 - 00:07 (00:07 GMT)
- WATCH: Hospitals in Syria lack essential supplies needed to reopen
- Years of civil war have left Syria’s hospitals underfunded, with many doctors and nurses forced to flee the country due to al-Assad’s regime.
- In the hours after the government fell, residents across the country had to stop equipment from being looted from hospitals.
- Al Jazeera’s Omar Al-Hajj reports from Deir Az Zor in eastern Syria.
- How will Syria be governed after the fall of al-Assad's regime?
- Celebrations by some in Syria after Bashar al-Assad is toppled. Overthrown by opposition forces made up of different facti...
- podcast episode artwork
- Will the Christmas market attack impact immigration in Germany?
- The suspect in the Magdeburg Christmas market attack is a self-described Saudi dissident. German authorities say he suppor...
- ‘Until my last breath’: Searching for relatives at Syria’s ‘slaughterhouse’
- Thousands of prisoners have been released from the notorious Sednaya prison, but many are still missing.
- Hayat al-Turki, 27, holds a phone with the picture of her brother at Sednaya prison, which was known as a slaughterhouse under Syria's Bashar al-Assad rule, as she searches the prison in the hope of finding her relatives, after rebels seized the capital and announced that they have ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Sednaya, Syria, December 11, 2024. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
- Iran jails journalist Reza Valizadeh for ‘hostile’ US collaboration
- The Iranian-American journalist has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to his lawyer.
- Iran's national flag waves in northern Tehran, Iran
- Eight Arab countries vow to support ‘peaceful transition process’ in Syria
- Syria’s new government must be ‘inclusive’, say Arab foreign ministers in Jordan, warning against any discrimination.
- Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani attend a meeting in Aqaba on December 14, 2024.
- US Secretary of State Blinken acknowledges contact with Syria’s HTS rebels
- Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, has been designated a ‘foreign terrorist organisation’ in US since Trump’s term in 2018.
Published On 14 Dec 2024 14 Dec 2024
Antony Blinken waves from a US federal plane as he boards from a staircase.
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- Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during his annual news conference and call-in show, at Gostiny Dvor in Moscow, Russia on December 19, 2024 [Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP Photo]
- Turkiye FM meets Syria’s new leader, calls for lifting of global sanctions
- Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan meets with Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus [Turkish Foreign Ministry/Handout via Reuters]
- The humble South African shoe that Hollywood A-listers, British royals love
- Veldskoen shoes are a reimagination of a centuries-old South African field shoe [Courtesy of Veldskoen]
- US army says two navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in ‘friendly fire’
- A fighter jet lands on the USS Dwight D Eisenhower in the Red Sea [File: Bernat Armangue/AP]