Israel approves plan to double population of annexed Golan: Live coverage

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British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said the U.K. has "diplomatic contacts" with Syrian Islamist group HTS, which led the rebellion that toppled President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, AFP reports.

HTS "remains a banned terrorist organization [in the U.K.], but we can have diplomatic contacts, so we have diplomatic contacts," particularly to ensure the establishment of a "representative government" and the securing of chemical weapons stocks in Syria, the British diplomat stated.

A Qatari delegation arrived in Syria and met with the new authorities, according to a statement reported by AFP.

Israel has "no interest in confrontation" with Syria, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, quoted by AFP

Saudi Arabia denounced an Israeli plan to double the population of the annexed Golan Heights, AFP reports

Part of the Russian diplomatic personnel were evacuated by plane from Syria on Sunday, according to Moscow, reports AFP.

Israel approved a plan to double the population of annexed Golan Heights, AFP reports, according to a statement.

UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita discussed the situation in Syria during a phone call, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported.

The Emirati minister stressed the importance of concerted efforts by Arab countries and cooperation with the international community to preserve the unity and sovereignty of Syria, to maintain the security and stability of its people and to meet their aspirations for development and prosperity.

A French diplomatic mission will visit Damascus, Syria, on Tuesday for the first time in 12 years, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced on France Inter.

He added that the four diplomats sent to Syria will aim to “regain possession of our holdings on the ground,” “establish initial contacts” with the new authorities, and “assess the urgent humanitarian needs of the population.”

Medical teams in the Gaza Strip said on Sunday that 39 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli strikes since the morning, with 35 of them occurring in north Gaza, according to Haaretz.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has issued a statement to express support for Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

Jasem Mohamed al-Budaiwi, 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 emphasized that the “tragedy and suffering” of the Syrian people must end.

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 emphasized that the “tragedy and suffering” of the Syrian people must end.

Dozens of students in uniform have returned to school in Damascus for the first time since the fall of the Assad regime, AFP journalists reported.

In the streets of the Syrian capital, where the coalition of rebel factions led by the radical Islamist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) entered on Dec. 8, the festive atmosphere and euphoria have given way to the calm of daily life.

"The school (...) asked us to send middle and high school students back to class. The younger children will return in two days," said Raghida Ghosn, 56, a mother of three, to AFP. According to a public school employee, Sunday’s attendance rate "does not exceed 30 percent," but "the numbers are expected to gradually increase."

The U.N. envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, has arrived in Damascus, his spokesperson said, without revealing his agenda.

"He has just arrived" and "is expected to speak upon arrival," stated Jenifer Fenton to AFP, though she did not confirm whether Pedersen would meet Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of the armed coalition that has taken power in Syria.

Around 7,600 Syrians have returned to Syria through the Turkish border within five days following the fall of Assad, according to Turkish authorities cited by AFP.

Turkey is “ready” to provide military aid if requested by Syria's new government, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Güler said on Sunday.

Turkey is “ready to provide the necessary aid if the new government asks for it,” he said in remarks relayed by the Turkish press. The minister also argued that the new government in Damascus, dominated by the Islamist rebels who overthrew President Bashar al-Assad a week ago, should be given a chance.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump held a phone call on Saturday evening, amid the incoming president's demand to reach a deal on the release of hostages before he takes office in January, Haaretz reported.

An Israeli source told Haaretz that the two spoke about regional developments, following the toppling of the Assad regime in Syria.

Israeli forces have released Abdo Mohammed Abdel Aal, who was detained yesterday in the Majidieh plain (Hasbaya), our correspondent in the South reported. "It was revealed that he is a soldier in the army and a livestock owner," according to our correspondent.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, in his first televised appearance since the fall of Assad, whom his group supported militarily for over a decade of conflict in Syria, admitted that “Hezbollah has lost its military supply route via Syria.” However, he downplayed its significance, calling it “a small detail that could change with time.”

Qassem expressed hope that “this route could be restored with the new regime, or that new methods could be found.” 

Qassem further expressed hope that the new Syrian regime would not “normalize” relations with Israel. “We supported Syria because it contributed to strengthening the resistance’s capabilities through its territory toward Lebanon and Palestine. Today, the regime has fallen. We can only judge the new forces when they take clear positions and when the situation stabilizes in Syria,” he explained. He noted that Hezbollah’s relationship with Syria would depend on these developments.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced yesterday that the United States has established “direct contact” with Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group leading the coalition that recently seized power in Syria, resulting in the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

“We have been in contact with HTS and other parties,” Blinken told reporters in Aqaba, Jordan. While he provided no further details on the nature of the exchanges, he confirmed a “direct contact” when asked. Blinken explained that this communication is part of broader efforts, including locating Austin Tice, an American journalist abducted in 2012 at the onset of Syria’s civil war. Blinken’s remarks came as he concluded a regional tour that included visits to Turkey, Iraq, and Jordan, neighboring countries of Syria.

A British organization has called for an “international effort” to eliminate mines and unexploded ordnance in Syria, emphasizing the extreme vulnerability of thousands of people returning home after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

After more than 13 years of devastating war, vast areas of Syria remain heavily contaminated with landmines. “An international effort to remove millions of cluster munitions, mines, and other unexploded ordnance is urgently needed to protect the lives of hundreds of thousands of Syrians returning home and to lay the groundwork for lasting peace,” the British demining organization Halo Trust stated.

“These mines are scattered across fields, villages, and cities, leaving people extremely vulnerable,” said Damian O’Brien, Halo Trust’s Syria director.

Last night, over 60 Israeli strikes targeted military sites across Syria in the span of a few hours, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported.

The NGO recorded “61 strikes in less than five hours” carried out by Israel, which has intensified its operations in Syria since Assad’s fall. The total number of air raids since Dec. 8 now stands at “446,” according to the Observatory.

At least four fighters from a faction within the coalition that toppled Bashar al-Assad were killed yesterday in an ambush in Latakia, the coastal stronghold of the former president, according to a member of the faction and an NGO.

In response, the coalition now in power in Damascus, led by Islamist forces, announced the deployment of “significant reinforcements around Latakia, Tartus, and Jableh,” key cities on the Syrian coast and strongholds of the Alawite minority to which the ousted president belongs.

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of events in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Throughout the day, we will provide updates on developments in the country, major statements, and the situation in Damascus through our on-the-ground reporters.