Former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's Baath Party has said it will support a transitional phase in the country, following the overthrow of Assad by a rebel coalition.
“We will remain in favor of a transition phase in Syria aimed at defending the country's unity,” the party's secretary general, Ibrahim al-Hadid, said in a statement.
At least two explosions were heard in Damascus, witnesses told Reuters.
The Israeli army demolishes buildings and houses in Maroun al-Ras (Bint Jbeil), according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Michel Moawad, MP for Zgharta, said he was turning the “page of injustice” and that the time had come for Lebanon to reclaim its “sovereignty,” as he spoke the day after the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, at a prayer vigil in front of the burial vault of his father, former Lebanese President René Moawad, in Zghorta.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims that the annexed Golan Heights belong to Israel “for eternity,” reports AFP.
An Israeli strike targeted an Air Defense installation near the Syrian port of Latakia, Syrian security sources told Reuters.
Washington has announced economic sanctions against the father-in-law of overthrown Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, for the material, financial and technological support he has given him, as well as against an official responsible for running the Houthi prisons in Yemen.
Switzerland has in turn decided to suspend decisions on asylum applications from Syrians, the federal authorities have announced, following the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
“The SEM is suspending asylum procedures and decisions for Syrian asylum seekers until further notice,” wrote the State Secretariat for Migration on social network X. It says it is “currently not in a position to examine on a well-founded basis whether there are grounds for asylum and whether the execution of a removal is reasonably exigible.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also asserted that Turkey is not seeking to expand its territory in Syria.
“Turkey has no sights on the lands and sovereignty of another country. The sole aim of our cross-border operations is to protect our homeland and our citizens from terrorist attacks,” he said in reference to Syria during a speech after his cabinet meeting.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced the reopening of a border crossing closed since 2013 for the return of Syrian refugees to their country.
“In order to avoid traffic jams and facilitate movement, we are opening the Yayladagi border crossing to crossings,” the Turkish head of state said in a speech following his cabinet meeting.
Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah described the “developments in Syria as a significant and dangerous turning point,” asserting however that the fall of the Assad regime will not weaken the Shiite party.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, in response to the court's refusal to postpone Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's testimony in his criminal trial, that “the judges are harming Israel's security,” according to Haaretz.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin called the legal proceedings against Netanyahu “a long chain of shameful and illegal behavior, as well as an abuse of legal procedures.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he expects a “rejection of terrorism and violence” from the radical Islamist group HTS, which heads the coalition of rebels that brought about the downfall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Asked about the group's possible removal from the U.K.'s list of “terrorist” organizations, he said that “no decision is being taken on this.” “It's far too early,” he told reporters, correcting what a senior government official had said in the morning. “For the moment, the important thing is to make sure that this is a turning point in the right direction,” added Starmer from Riyadh, where he is visiting.
(Screenshot from video)
Syrian rebel leader Abu Muhammad al-Jolani met with former Prime Minister Mohammzd al-Jalali to “coordinate the transition of power,” the rebels announced.
Al-Jolani, who now uses his real name Ahmad al-Shaareh, met with Jalali “to coordinate a transition of power guaranteeing the provision of services” to the Syrian population, the rebels said in a statement, accompanied by a brief video clip of their meeting. The Prime Minister heading the “Salvation Government” of the rebel stronghold in north-western Syria was also present.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has called Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, ousted from power by a coalition of rebels, a “butcher,” a “drug dealer” and a “Damascus rat,” while warning that his fall “brings no guarantee of peace.”
“We must not be blind to the risks of this moment, the fall of Assad brings no guarantee of peace,” the British Foreign Secretary told MPs.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has called for “patience and vigilance” on the issue of Syrian refugees returning to their country after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
“UNHCR advises to remain focused on the issue of returns” and hopes that developments on the ground will "finally enable voluntary, safe and sustainable returns, with refugees able to make informed decisions," wrote the head of the U.N. agency Filippo Grandi in a statement.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has called for “patience and vigilance” on the issue of Syrian refugees returning to their country after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
“UNHCR advises to remain focused on the issue of returns” and hopes that developments on the ground will "finally enable voluntary, safe and sustainable returns, with refugees able to make informed decisions," wrote the head of the U.N. agency Filippo Grandi in a statement.
(Credit: Mohammed Al-Rifai/AFP)
Thousands of people are gathered this evening in front of the sinister Saydnaya prison, some 30 kilometers from Damascus, waiting for news of their detained or missing loved ones.
The line of cars stretched for more than seven kilometers, and families lit campfires in front of the prison in the evening, AFP journalists observed. “I'm waiting in the hope that one of my loved ones will be found,” says Youssef Matar, 25, who has been there since Sunday.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and U.N. chief Antonio Guterres discussed the post-Assad transition period in Syria and possible measures to rebuild the country, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry source quoted by Reuters.
The two men also discussed humanitarian aid access in Syria and exchanged ideas on what the U.N. could do to contribute to reconstruction efforts.
Three Israeli soldiers were killed in an anti-tank missile strike in the northern Gaza Strip, the Israeli army announced, according to Haaretz.
They are Staff Sergeant Barak Daniel Halpern, 19; from Kiryat Ono, Staff Sergeant Ido Zano, 20; from Yehud-Monosson and Sergeant Omri Cohen, 19, from Ashdod. All three were serving in the elite Shaked Battalion of the Givati Brigade.
Two other soldiers were seriously injured in the same incident, according to the troop.
The French Interior Ministry said it was “working on a suspension of pending asylum cases from Syria,” following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime over the weekend.
“A decision is expected in the coming hours,” said the same source. In 2023, more than 4,000 asylum applications from Syrian nationals were registered in France, according to the latest figures from the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA), which is responsible for examining applications.
The Syrian parliament said it respected the will of the people to build “a new Syria,” hailing “a historic day” in the wake of the rebel takeover of the capital and the flight of ex-president Bashar al-Assad.
“Dec. 8 was a historic day in the lives of all Syrians. We support the will of the people to build a new Syria looking towards a better future, governed by law and justice,” said the parliament in a statement relayed by the official Sana news agency, whose logo on Telegram now features the three stars of the rebel flag.
The coalition led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) announced on Telegram a general amnesty for all military personnel, conscripts and reservists in Syria. “Their lives are safe and no one can attack them,” she added.
She also affirmed that all borders with Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq were open to the return of refugees.
Israel, which stepped up the pace of its strikes in Syria after the fall of ex-president Bashar al-Assad, today carried out a new series of air strikes against Syrian military sites, notably in Damascus, an NGO reported.
“Israel launched air strikes against Syrian military sites in various locations, including the coast, the southern province of Deraa and the capital,” Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), told AFP.
Greece, through which many Syrian refugees have passed, hopes that the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad will eventually enable “the safe return of Syrian refugees” to their country, the government spokesman said.
“The transition to democratic normalcy makes us cautiously optimistic,” Pavlos Marinalis stressed at a regular press briefing, hailing "the fall of Assad's authoritarian regime" but without directly commenting on the Islamist HTS group that overthrew him.
Swedish authorities have announced that they will suspend the examination of asylum applications from Syrian refugees, as well as their deportations, in the wake of the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
“Given the situation, it is simply not possible to assess the grounds for protection at this time,” Carl Bexelius, head of legal affairs at the Swedish National Migration Board, said in a statement.
The formal decision will be taken on Tuesday.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar told a press conference that “indirect negotiations are taking place” with a view to reaching an agreement on the release of the hostages.
“We can be more optimistic than before, but we're not there yet,” he noted. According to him, Israel is serious about reaching an agreement, and any deal “will be linked to a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.”
UNIFIL, the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon and the French Embassy said in a joint statement that the International Cease-fire Monitoring Committee held a meeting today in Naqoura “to coordinate its support for the cessation of hostilities” between Hezbollah and Israel.
The committee “will meet regularly and closely coordinate its work to advance the implementation of the cease-fire agreement and Resolution 1701,” the text adds.
(Credit: Syrian White Helmets Telegram channel)
The Syrian White Helmets digging in Sednaya prison, Damascus, in search of prisoners who may be held underground.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Syrian rebels to ensure "humane" treatment for all, including former officials, following the overthrow of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, reports AFP.
A motorcade from the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was seen arriving at the Syrian border crossing of Joussieh during a tour of the border with Lebanon, according to a video shared by Lebanese TV channel LBC.
Électricité du Liban (EDL) has announced that it has finished repairing the damage caused by Israeli strikes on the Zahrani-Nabatieh line in southern Lebanon.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has announced that it has asked the Syrian authorities to ensure that chemical weapons stockpiles are safe, following the overthrow of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, reported AFP.
The OPCW said it had contacted Syria "to underline the paramount importance of ensuring the safety and security of all chemical weapons-related materials and facilities" in the country.
Today, Hamas released a statement congratulating the Syrian people for "realizing their aspirations for freedom and justice" by toppling President Bashar al-Assad, and the group called for unity in the country.
"We stand firmly by the Syrian people and reaffirm our commitment to Syria's national unity and territorial integrity," the statement read. It also felt that Syria "can regain its historic and central role in supporting the Palestinian cause and its resistance, while reaffirming its leadership within the Arab and Islamic worlds," it continued.
Finally, Hamas strongly condemned "the repeated acts of aggression by the Israeli occupation against Syrian territory" and rejected any "Zionist ambition or plan aimed at Syria."
Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a drone strike on Israel, where an explosion occurred this morning without causing any casualties in a building in the town of Yavneh, south of Tel Aviv.
"Drone units targeted a sensitive Israeli enemy objective in Yavneh," the Houthi military spokesman said in a statement.
To find out more about the strike, press here.👈
Israel announced "terrorism" charges for Palestinians captured in Gaza since Oct, 7, reported AFP.
"For the first time since the start of the war, indictments were filed today in an Israeli court against Hamas members from Gaza, accused of belonging to a terrorist organization and intending to commit attacks in Israel against civilians and security forces," police said. "The investigation has been completed" and "the military prosecutor's office filed indictments against them [on Monday]," the police added in its statement.
⚡ Germany, home to the largest Syrian diaspora in the EU, has suspended decisions on pending asylum applications from Syrian nationals following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced, according to AFP.
Amid "current uncertainty," the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has imposed a freeze on asylum decisions for cases still under review, Faeser said in a statement.
NATO chief Mark Rutte said today that Russia and Iran were complicit in Assad's crimes against the Syrian people, and his fall showed they were "unreliable partners."
"Russia and Iran were the main backers of the Assad regime, and they share the responsibility for the crimes committed against the Syrian people," Rutte said.
"They also proved to be unreliable partners, abandoning Assad when he ceased to be of use to them." He said the end of Assad's rule "is a moment of joy but also uncertainty for the people of Syria and the region."
"We hope for a peaceful transition of power and an inclusive Syrian-led political process," Rutte added.
The Syrian Central Bank said deposits are safe and will not be affected, according to a statement posted on Facebook.
"The Central Bank of Syria continues its work and will continue to control and supervise the work of banking and non-banking financial institutions," it assured, noting that it has not withdrawn any amount of Syrian pounds in circulation.
The new Syrian administration is expected to choose Mohammad al-Bashir as Prime Minister of the transitional government, reported Al-Jazeera.
He is expected to form a new government to manage the transition phase.
The Austrian authorities announced, the day after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, that they are suspending asylum applications from refugees from Syria and preparing "a deportation program," reports AFP.
"From now on, all current procedures will be stopped," said the Interior Ministry in a statement, while nearly 100,000 Syrians live in Austria and thousands have filed applications.
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is scheduled to visit Israel on Thursday to discuss Syria and efforts to broker a hostage deal and cease-fire in Gaza, Axios reported, citing Israeli officials.
Lebanese General Security announced that it is "controlling the situation" at the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing between Syria and Lebanon, in cooperation with the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces. This comes after a large number of Syrian nationals attempted to enter Lebanon illegally, according to the National News Agency (NNA).
In a statement, General Security explained that the absence of Syrian General Security at Jdeidet Yabous led many Syrians to flock to the Masnaa border crossing on the Lebanese side. Some individuals attempted to force their way through, bypassing standard procedures.
The statement confirmed that General Security sent the offenders back to Syria and allowed entry only to those who met the necessary conditions.
Demonstrators celebrate the fall of Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime in Tripoli, Northern Lebanon, on Dec. 8, 2024. (Credit: Ibrahim Chalhoub/AFP)
The fall of Bashar al-Assad ushers a new era for the entire region, with significant implications for Lebanon. In the wake of a devastating war with Israel, Hezbollah is left in an unprecedented position, weaker than ever — read Salah Hijazi's analysis: After the fall of Assad, Hezbollah more vulnerable than ever.👈
The Israeli army announced on X that its 210th Division forces are continuing "defense activities" along the Israel-Syria front line.
Israeli army Arabic spokesman Avichay Adraee emphasized that "paratroopers are entering the buffer zone inside Syria to reinforce border protection." He added that these forces, along with others, are conducting forward defense actions on the ground to neutralize any threats and are stationed at checkpoints within the buffer zone. Adraee concluded that "engineer, infantry and armored forces are operating under the command of regional brigades to strengthen defense along the Israel-Syria border."
Gaza's Health Ministry announced an updated casualty toll, stating that 44,758 Palestinians have been killed and 106,134 others injured in the enclave by Israel since the start of the war over 14 months ago, reported AFP.
At least 50 people have been killed in the last 24 hours, it added in a statement.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry condemned Israel's "further occupation of Syrian lands" and considered the army's movement into the buffer zone an attempt to force a new reality on the ground, reported Reuters.
Israel is now more optimistic about a possible hostage deal in Gaza, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said today, reported Reuters.
He said indirect negotiations were under way about the return of about 100 hostages and that, while it was still too early to be sure, prospects had improved.
"We can be more optimistic than before but we are not there yet. I hope we will be there," Saar told a press conference in Jerusalem, reiterating Israel's position that the hostages still held in Gaza must be returned before Israel agrees an end to the fighting.
"There will not be a cease-fire in Gaza without a hostage deal," he said.
A shopping mall, homes and neighboring businesses were evacuated in Jdeidet Marjayoun in southern Lebanon, after an Israeli phone call asked someone to evacuate the stores in the mall, located near a Lebanese Army post, reported the National News Agency.
Security measures were taken to prevent access to the area.
Israeli Foreign Minister confirmed that his country has carried out strikes in recent days on "chemical weapons" depots in Syria, to prevent them falling into the hands of radical Islamist rebels who overthrew Bashar al-Assad on Sunday, reported AFP
"Those who control ... Damascus" today are driven by "an extreme ideology of radical Islam" and "that's why we attacked strategic weapons systems [in Syria] such as chemical weapons remnants or long-range missiles and rockets, so that they don't fall into the hands of extremists," said Gideon Saar at a press conference in Jerusalem.
Syrians at the Masnaa border crossing in the Bekaa, Dec. 8, 2024. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/L'Orient Today)
Lebanon's caretaker Interior Minister, Bassam Mawlawi, visited the Masnaa border crossing in the Bekaa region on Monday to oversee the movement of Syrians at the border following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime.
According to the state-run National News Agency, Mawlawi urged General Security, responsible for border entry and exit procedures, to "take urgent measures to prevent illegal entry attempts" by Syrians fleeing the country. He also called for an "immediate reinforcement" of personnel at the crossing. To support these efforts, he directed the Internal Security Forces to deploy reinforcements, including a motorized unit, to monitor the area and establish additional roadblocks.
The border has seen a surge in activity since Sunday, with hundreds of Syrians gathering on both sides. On the Lebanese side, refugees and migrants are preparing to return to Syria, while on the Syrian side, others are seeking to escape the rebel advance.
Read Caroline Hayek's report on the situation in Masnaa: In Masnaa, two Syrias meet👈
The UK will decide "quickly" whether to remove the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which spearheaded the offensive to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, from its list of terrorist organizations, a senior minister said on Monday.
Pat McFadden, whose ministerial role includes responsibility for UK national security, on Monday said that the government was considering removing the group from the blacklist.
"If the situation stabilizes, there'll be a decision to make about how to deal with whatever new regime is in place there," he told BBC Radio 4.
To find out more, press here.👈
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that Israel carried out multiple overnight airstrikes targeting military positions and arms depots across Syria following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad, according to AFP.
"Since the initial hours after the announcement of the fall of the former regime, Israel began launching intensive air strikes, deliberately destroying weapons and ammunition depots," the SOHR stated.
The strikes reportedly hit "air defense weapons depots and ammunition depots" belonging to the Syrian military in the coastal Latakia and Tartus provinces. Additional strikes were reported in southern Syria, targeting Tal al-Hara near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, as well as military positions in Izraa, Deraa province.
In the Damascus outskirts, Israeli strikes destroyed warehouses said to contain "anti-tank weapons" in the Qalamoun region, SOHR added.
To find out more, press here. 👈
Two Lebanese men, brothers of the Sinane family, kidnapped yesterday by the Israeli army, were released this morning, reported our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Samer and Samir Sinane were freed via the Israeli-annexed village of Ghajar, which straddles the Blue Line but whose northern part was forcibly annexed by Israel in July 2023.
The two men were freed in cooperation with the Lebanese Army and the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
The Israeli army has announced that four reservists, two of them officers, died in southern Lebanon when a building collapsed after an explosive device was detonated on Sunday, Haaretz reported. The Israeli army radio reported that their death was due to an "operational accidents." The army is investigating whether the building was booby-trapped by a different Israeli army unit before the four entered it.
Here’s an update of the security situation in southern Lebanon:
- An Israeli drone strike targeted Doura neighborhood in Bint Jbeil, residents reported.
- Israeli artillery shelling targeted the town of Zibqine (Sour), causing damage to homes. Israel also targeted Majdal Zoun (Sour), residents reported.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has asserted that the perpetrators of abuses committed during Bashar al-Assad's rule in Syria must be held to account as part of the forthcoming political transition process.
"Any political transition must ensure accountability for perpetrators of serious violations and guarantee that those responsible are held to account," said Türk, speaking at a press conference.
To find out more, press here. 👈
Russia declined to confirm reports of Bashar al-Assad's presence in the country, after Russian news agencies, citing a Kremlin source, reported that the Syrian leader had taken refuge there with his family, reports AFP.
"As for President Assad's whereabouts, I've got nothing to tell you," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, adding: "What happened has surprised the whole world and, in this case, we are no exception."
Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and the East urged rebel leaders to "strive to curb violations and uphold the dignity of every citizen, to move forward together toward a brighter future," according to the National News Agency (NNA). The Church also called on "all Syrians, regardless of ethnic, political or religious affiliation, to unite, safeguard public and private property, foster security in their communities and engage constructively with authorities."
Jordan has denounced yesterday's Israeli army deployment in the Golan buffer zone in southwestern Syria, adjacent to the Israeli-occupied part of the Syrian Golan heights since 1967, reports AFP.
"We condemn the fact that Israel has entered Syrian territory and taken control of the buffer zone," Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told parliament in Amman. He denounced "an aggression" that represents "a violation of international law, an unacceptable escalation and an attack on the sovereignty of an Arab state." "We categorically reject this aggression and affirm that, when we speak of Syria's unity, territorial integrity and cohesion, this also includes its borders with Israel," Syria's and Jordan's neighboring country.
An explosion occurred Monday morning in a building in Yavneh, south of Tel Aviv, Israeli emergency services said. The army reported the incident was caused by a drone "likely" originating from Yemen.
"There was an explosion on a balcony on the 15th and top floor in Yavneh," Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's equivalent of the Red Cross, said in a statement. The army described the incident as "a drone likely from Yemen causing an impact in the Yavne area." Rescue workers reported "thick smoke rising from the balcony" and "destruction on the balcony," according to MDA, but confirmed that "no casualties were found" at the scene.
To find out more, press here.👈
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Monday that his country's military takeover of the buffer zone along its border with Syria was a "limited and temporary step."
"This is a limited and temporary step we took for security reasons," Saar said in a press conference at the foreign ministry in Jerusalem.
This comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Israeli military to "seize" a demilitarized buffer zone on the border with Syria after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.
To find out more, press here.👈
Following an Israeli strike on the Saf al-Hawa road in Bint Jbeil, southern Lebanon, near a Lebanese Army checkpoint, the army confirmed the casualty figures reported by our correspondent: one civilian killed and four soldiers injured.
"The Israeli enemy targeted a car near the army checkpoint at Saf al-Hawa in Bint Jbeil, killing one civilian and moderately wounding four soldiers," the army said in a statement on X.
Israeli foreign minister says we are determined to avoid rearming of Hezbollah through Syria, Reuters reported.
Iran has opened a direct line of communication with rebels within Syria's new leadership after Tehran's key ally Bashar al-Assad's fall, a senior Iranian official told Reuters today, in a bid to "prevent a hostile trajectory" between the two countries.
France will support Syria's political transition following the fall of Bashar al-Assad and will send a special diplomatic envoy to the country in the coming days, France's caretaker foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said today, AFP reported.
The events in Syria were a stunning defeat for Russia, Barrot told France Info radio, as Moscow could now lose access to military assets it has in the Arab country.
In southern Lebanon, an Israeli drone strike on a car killed one person in Bint Jbeil. The vehicle was targeted near a Lebanese Army checkpoint in the town. Four people, including Lebanese soldiers, were also injured.
Early morning, Israeli machine-gun fire targeted Naqoura, in the Sour district.
China's foreign ministry today called for a "political solution" to be found in Syria as soon as possible to restore stability and order after rebels seized the Syrian capital over the weekend and its president fled to Russia, reported AFP.
"The future and destiny of Syria should be decided by the Syrian people, and we hope that all the relevant parties will find a political solution to restore stability and order as soon as possible," Mao Ning spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry said at a press conference.
China's foreign ministry today called for a "political solution" to be found in Syria as soon as possible to restore stability and order after rebels seized the Syrian capital over the weekend and its president fled to Russia, reported AFP.
"The future and destiny of Syria should be decided by the Syrian people, and we hope that all the relevant parties will find a political solution to restore stability and order as soon as possible," Mao Ning spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry said at a press conference.
In Lebanon, Avichay Adraee issued his daily threats to the population, warning the Lebanese that they are prohibited from going "south of the line," which marks the presence of the Israeli army. This line is defined by the villages of Shebaa, Hebbarieh, Marjayoun, Arnoun, Yohmor, Kantara, Shakra, Baraasheet, Yater, and Mansouri, as well as other areas in southern Lebanon where Israeli forces remained stationed after the cease-fire.
"The defense forces have no intention of targeting you," he said, emphasizing on X. "However, at this stage, you are forbidden from returning to your homes south of this line until further notice."
🔴 The Israeli army has not claimed responsibility for the recent bombings but announced that its troops have entered the Syrian side of Mount Hermon (also known as Jabal al-Shaykh) in the Golan Heights, describing the move as part of its deployment in the "buffer zone." The army stated that the operation aims to "protect the safety of the citizens of the occupied Golan" and the rest of Israel. "The army is not involved in the events in Syria and will continue to protect the buffer zone," said Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesman, on X.
This marks the first time Israel has seized territory in Syria since the 1973 war. According to Axios, Israel notified the United States ahead of the operation, which is focused on securing the buffer zone along the Syrian border and several key sites on the Syrian side. Israeli and U.S. officials said the operation is expected to be temporary, lasting from a few days to a few weeks, until the security situation along the border stabilizes.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday said a 50-year-old "disengagement agreement" between the two countries had collapsed and "Syrian forces have abandoned their positions." So, he said, "I directed the Israeli [military] yesterday to seize the buffer zone and the commanding positions nearby. We will not allow any hostile force to establish itself on our border."
Following the rapid collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime amid a swift rebel offensive, the Israeli army has intensified its strikes in Syria — bombing military bases, research centers and arms depots across multiple regions, including Damascus and Deir ez-Zor, have been targeted in successive waves.
Good morning ☀
Thank you for joining our live coverage of the ongoing developments in the Middle East — Today, marks day 2 of the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, day 430 of the war in Gaza and second week of cease-fire in Lebanon.
To catch up on key events you missed over the weekend, read the Morning Brief.👈
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