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Israel launches large-scale attack on Syria

Israel launches large-scale attack on Syria
By Lyndal Rowlands, Federica Marsi, Umut Uras, Maziar Motamedi, Farah Najjar and Patrick Keddie
Published On 10 Dec 2024

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10 Dec 2024 - 23:59
 (23:59 GMT)

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To learn more about why some European countries are freezing asylum applications for people from Syria, read this explainer.

For more about what al-Assad’s ouster means for Russia, which backed the former president throughout the war and is now hosting him in the country, read this analysis.

For a recap on how the 24-year rule of President Bashar al-Assad came to an end in 11 days, read here.

10 Dec 2024 - 23:45
 (23:45 GMT)

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We are about to close this live page. But before that, let’s get you up to speed with the latest developments:

  • Mohammed al-Bashir, appointed Syria’s new interim prime minister until March 1, 2025, has met with members of the country’s former government to facilitate a political transition.
  • The Israeli military has said that it conducted about 480 strikes over the past 48 hours on strategic military sites in Syria, including airports and infrastructure in the capital, Damascus.
  • Lebanon’s Hezbollah armed group, which fought in Syria’s war in support of al-Assad, expressed hope that Syria’s new rulers would reject the “Israeli occupation” of their land.
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned the new rulers in Syria not to follow in the footsteps of al-Assad and allow Iran to “re-establish” itself in the country, following large-scale attacks across the country.
  • US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reiterated that his country fully supports Syria’s political transition process and wants it to lead to a credible, “inclusive”, and non-sectarian governance that meets international standards of transparency and accountability.
  • Qatar has said it is unacceptable for Israel to exploit the current situation in Syria, occupy the country and violate its sovereignty, while Turkiye said Israel’s actions in the country “once again display its occupying mentality”.
10 Dec 2024 - 23:35
 (23:35 GMT)

US top diplomat calls UAE counterpart

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke today with Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller says.

“The secretary and the foreign minister discussed the situation in Syria and the importance of maintaining Syria’s institutions, key services, and protections for civilians, particularly vulnerable communities,” Miller said.

“The secretary emphasised that it is incumbent on all opposition groups who seek a role in Syria to demonstrate their commitments to the rights of all Syrians.”

Blinken has made a flurry of calls to Middle Eastern leaders today, including to those of Egypt, Jordan and Qatar.

10 Dec 2024 - 23:25
 (23:25 GMT)

WATCH: How can Syria be rebuilt and who will pay?

Years of war and sanctions have left much of the country in ruins, meaning Syria is in dire need of reconstruction.

Foreign funding is essential, along with political stability, so that work vital to the country’s future can begin.

So how can this be achieved? And who will pay?

Watch Al Jazeera’s Inside Story to hear the debate:

10 Dec 2024 - 23:10
 (23:10 GMT)

‘Syria needs efforts of all its people’: New Damascus government

A spokesperson for the Department of Political Affairs in Damascus has issued a statement urging unity in the country as it transitions away from the al-Assad government’s administration of Syria.

“Syria needs the efforts of all its people in the coming period,” the spokesperson said, as reported by our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic.

“The revolution has many cadres,” the spokesperson continued, saying that the new administration would not ignore them.

“We do not accept a divided Syria, and everyone must prepare themselves for the change that has occurred. There will be no room for carrying weapons outside the state.”

10 Dec 2024 - 23:00
 (23:00 GMT)

Syrian opposition forces claim complete control over Syria’s Deir Az Zor

Syrian rebel commander Hassan Abdul Ghany says that the rebel forces completely took control over the eastern Syrian city of Deir Az Zor.

Opposition forces have been battling US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the area.

10 Dec 2024 - 22:50
 (22:50 GMT)

More than 200 killed in fighting between pro-Turkish and Kurdish-led forces

Fighting between Turkish-backed and Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria has killed 218 people in just three days, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor has reported.

The United Kingdom-based monitor said that at least “218 members of pro-Kurdish forces and pro-Ankara factions were killed during three days of fighting in and around Manbij”, where Turkish-backed factions launched an offensive.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday that the US is “not in a position to verify the exact operational status of [Manbij]”, amid reports that pro-Turkish rebels seized control of the city.

10 Dec 2024 - 22:40
 (22:40 GMT)
Analysis

Psycho-social support urgently needed amid Syria’s ‘decimated’ health sector

Years of war, neglect and corruption have “decimated” Syria’s healthcare system, which is crippled by shortages of staff and supplies, the president of the Syrian American Medical Society, has told Al Jazeera.

Mufaddal Hamadeh, speaking from Chicago in the United States, said that sanctions on Syria must be lifted, and aid groups need to work with the new authorities to provide much-needed support.

“They need to allow the new government to be able to find ways to rebuild their lives again,” he said.

Hamadeh said the biggest immediate health priority should be to provide psycho-social support, particularly for the thousands of prisoners who were released following the fall of al-Assad.

“We need to rehabilitate those prisoners, and not only that but deal with effects on society. For every prisoner that is released, there are to be thousands of families who are grieving today because their loved ones could not be found. Or if they’ve died, their wounds have reopened again,” he said.

“You have a lot of grieving and a lot of uncertainty of how to deal with the trauma that the Syrian people have endured for many, many years. I think that is the number one problem we have to address right now.”

10 Dec 2024 - 22:30
 (22:30 GMT)

Residents in Idlib, where opposition was based, say living conditions are improving

In Idlib, where Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group that led the Damascus takeover, established the Syrian Salvation Government, many are hopeful for a prosperous future under the new leadership.

A displaced Syrian from the nearby, almost destroyed town of Maarat Al Numan, says: “I live very well here.”

“The Salvation Government is doing a very good job here. I have heard so many good things about al-Julani [Ahmed al-Sharaa, HTS leader]. He brought security – most people here believe that,” he told Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javid.

Muhammad Ali, a Syrian who returned from neighbouring Turkiye after years of displacement, says conditions in Idlib are “better now”.

“I came back from Turkiye two years ago. Even a month ago, finding a job was challenging as planes were targeting us continuously,” Ali told Al Jazeera.

“But it is better now. We are working in peace. Hopefully, everything will be much better in Syria.”

10 Dec 2024 - 22:20
 (22:20 GMT)

Video shows Syrian opposition forces entering Deir Az Zor government building

Posted on Facebook, the video shows convoys of opposition fighters at the doors of the seat of power of the Deir Az Zor governorate in eastern Syria.

The area was previously under the control of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

The fighters do not encounter any resistance.

This footage has been verified by Al Jazeera’s fact-checking agency.

10 Dec 2024 - 22:10
 (22:10 GMT)
Analysis

HTS’s ‘terrorist’ designation could hamper the transition process in Syria

The designation of Syrian rebel forces such as the HTS as “terrorist groups” by many countries could hamper the transition process in unintended ways, according to Brian Phillips, a reader in the department of government at the University of Essex.

“There are debates about what extent this designation can actually reduce violence – the intended goal. But there are a number of unintended consequences in terms of reduction in remittances and donations to charities – there are chilling effects because one legal consequence of the designation is that it becomes a crime to materially support the group,” he told Al Jazeera from Colchester in the United Kingdom.

“So this is a real concern for individuals who might be thinking about supporting the transitional government, or NGOs or businesses who might even be going there to support the important process, as there’s the potential they could be charged with material support to a terrorist organisation.”

He said that groups generally have a “terrorist” designation removed on the basis of criteria such as whether they are still affiliated with other proscribed groups, what kind of violence are they engaged in, and whether they are committing human rights violations.

“I know governments have said they’re looking to see what extent the new [Syrian] government will be inclusive of various ethnic groups in the country,” Phillips said.

“So these are some things they’ll be watching for beyond simply the use of violence.”

10 Dec 2024 - 22:00
 (22:00 GMT)

Al-Assad in Russia after ‘secure’ transfer of ousted president, Russia’s deputy FM says

In an interview with US news network NBC, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov confirmed that al-Assad was sheltering in the country, having transported the former president there “in the most secure way possible” following his ouster.

“He is secured, and it shows that Russia acts as required in such an extraordinary situation”, Ryabkov said, becoming the first Russian official to confirm al-Assad’s presence in the country.

When asked whether the Kremlin would hand over al-Assad for trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC), Ryabkov said his country was not a party to the ICC convention.

“I have no idea what is going on with him right now”, Ryabkov said.

He added that it “would be very wrong for me to elaborate on what happened and how it was resolved”.

10 Dec 2024 - 21:50
 (21:50 GMT)

US has no ‘immediate’ plans to reopen embassy in Syria

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller has responded to a reporter’s question about plans to reopen the embassy, which closed in 2012.

“It’s not something we have immediate plans to do, but we have made clear the steps that we want to see the government of Syria take,” Miller said.

Since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad days ago, the US has repeatedly said that it is waiting to evaluate the actions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the main victorious opposition group in Syria, before making a decision on how to engage with it.

“Should we see a process that follows those principles, we are prepared to recognise a Syrian government that does so, and of course … the opening of an embassy is the type of step that follows such recognition,” Miller said.

10 Dec 2024 - 21:40
 (21:40 GMT)

Syria ‘exhausted from war’, opposition leader tells Sky News

The leader of the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) says Syria will not face another war, telling Sky News that its citizens were already “exhausted” by years of conflict.

“People are exhausted from war. So the country isn’t ready for another one and it’s not going to get into another one,” Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, said.

“The source of our fears was from the Iranian militias, Hezbollah and the regime which committed the massacres we are seeing today. So their removal is the solution for Syria. The current situation won’t allow for a return to panic.”

Al-Sharaa said Syria will be rebuilt and he sought to reassure foreign countries.

“Their fears are unnecessary, God willing. The fear was from the presence of the [al-Assad] regime. The country is moving towards development and reconstruction. It’s going towards stability,” he said.

10 Dec 2024 - 21:30
 (21:30 GMT)

US talking to Turkiye about return of Austin Tice

The Biden administration says it is in conversation with Turkiye and other countries to get more information on the whereabouts of Austin Tice, an American journalist kidnapped in Syria more than a decade ago.

White House spokesperson John Kirby said officials are pushing hard to learn as much as they can about Tice.

Kirby told reporters the situation in Syria could “present an opportunity for us to glean more information about him, his whereabouts, his condition,” adding that the US assumes Tice is alive and has no information to the contrary.

Tice, a former US Marine and freelance journalist, was 31 when he was abducted in August 2012 while reporting in Damascus on the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Syria had denied he was being held.

10 Dec 2024 - 21:20
 (21:20 GMT)

Iraqi FM discusses Syria developments with UN special envoy

Fuad Hussein held a phone call with the UN special envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry says in a statement

“During the call, the current developments in Syria were reviewed and their dimensions were analyzed, in addition to discussing the potential repercussions if the international community does not make serious efforts that contribute to achieving stability and serve the interests of the Syrian people”, the statement reads.

It adds that both sides agreed on the importance of the UN’s role in whatever comes next for Syria.

10 Dec 2024 - 21:10
 (21:10 GMT)

People in Douma ‘hope to see Syria prosper’ amid hike in prices of goods

People in Douma, near Damascus, say they are resuming normalcy “as if nothing has changed’ after the ouster of al-Assad.

Many, including Riyad Abdul Mumin, say they feel “safe” and are “strolling and shopping”, despite the high prices of basic commodities.

“We pray to God that Syria will rise and improve. We hope to see Syria prosper and flourish, and this depends on the efforts of both the people and the leadership,” Mumin told Al Jazeera.

Many say the price of daily goods and services needs to “improve” amid an “extremely difficult” economic situation.

“We are struggling a lot, working from morning until evening just to secure a meal or enough ingredients for a single dish,” another resident, who remained unnamed, told Al Jazeera.

“We are suffering immensely, it feels like a near-death experience just to secure even the simplest necessities.”

Another resident agreed, saying: “Life has become extremely difficult because wages are so low.”

“This is the harsh reality we live in, filled with fear and anxiety,” added the 50-year-old vendor, who remained anonymous.

10 Dec 2024 - 21:00
 (21:00 GMT)

US embassy in Syria urges US citizens to leave country

Warning of a “volatile and unpredictable” security situation throughout the country, the X account of the embassy, which suspended operations in 2012, urged US citizens to leave if they are able.

“The US government is unable to provide any routine or emergency consular services to US citizens in Syria”, its post read, urging those who plan to leave to contact the US embassy in the country they plan to enter.

The main option it gave to citizens was fleeing through the Turkish border, but added that the US embassy in Turkiye must facilitate this transfer.

“If you are in Syria, be prepared to shelter in place should the situation deteriorate,” the post says.

10 Dec 2024 - 20:50
 (20:50 GMT)

Al-Assad must face trial for journalist killings, RSF says

Al-Assad must face justice for the killings of scores of journalists during the conflict in Syria, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says, while warning that currently detained journalists remained at risk.

“With more than 180 journalists killed and executed by the regime and its allies since 2011, and with the imprisonment and torture of reporters in his prisons, Bashar al-Assad made Syria one of the worst countries in the world for media professionals,” Jonathan Dagher, head of the watchdog’s Middle East desk, said in a statement.

“We demand that Bashar al-Assad be prosecuted for his crimes. Justice, long overdue, must finally be served for all victims of his abuses.”

The group said that since 2011, the start of mass antigovernment protests in Syria, 161 journalists have been killed by al-Assad’s forces and 17 in air attacks by his key ally, Russia.

The group warned the country remained highly dangerous for the media as leading rebel group HTS was accused of killing six journalists between 2012 and 2019, and its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as al-Julani, was responsible for the abduction of eight others, RSF said.

Since al-Assad’s ouster, two journalists have been freed as rebels open al-Assad’s prisons, RSF said: Hanin Gebran, a journalist from Syria Media Monitor detained since June 2024, and blogger Tal al-Mallouhi, detained since 2009.

As of Monday, 23 journalists remained in prison in Syria and 10 were missing, including seven kidnapped by al-Assad’s forces, it said.

10 Dec 2024 - 20:40
 (20:40 GMT)

Lebanon’s Hezbollah hopes new Syria rejects ‘Israeli occupation’

Lebanon’s Hezbollah armed group on Tuesday expressed hope that neighbouring Syria’s new rulers would reject the “Israeli occupation” of their land, days after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.

“We hope to see Syria stabilise … and take a firm stand against Israeli occupation, while preventing foreign interference in its affairs,” the Iran-backed group said in a statement.

Hezbollah fought in Syria’s war in support of al-Assad, who had played a key role in helping Iran supply the Lebanese group with weapons.

But Hezbollah has recently been battered by an intense war with Israel, and much of the group’s leadership has been killed in Israeli attacks.