Sunday 15 December 2024
Islamabad (News International / Pakistan News - DW - 15 December 2024) It has been almost a week since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government by the hardline Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other rebel groups in Syria. During this time, a lot has happened in the Middle East and significant progress has been made internally in Syria. Global and regional powers are mobilized to take Syria's future in a positive direction.
Schoolchildren were seen returning to educational institutions on Sunday, December 15. Universities also opened. Although the number of students was seen as low on the first day after the fall of the Assad regime, it will gradually increase.
Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Guler said on Sunday that his country is ready to provide military support to the Islamist-led government in Syria if it requests it.
Guler added that the new leadership should be given 'a chance' and that Turkey is 'ready to provide the necessary support' if needed. Turkey reopened its embassy in Damascus on Saturday, 12 years after it closed its diplomatic mission during the Syrian civil war. Ankara's government is a key player in the Syrian conflict.
Jordan hosts meeting on Syria's future
EU announces 'air bridge' aid to Syria
Israeli army ordered to stay on occupied Golan Heights
G7 countries discuss latest situation in Syria
Meanwhile, the Israeli government has approved a plan to expand Israeli settlements on the Golan Heights.
A statement said the move was made "in light of the war and the new front facing Syria" and the desire to double the Israeli population on the Golan.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "Strengthening the Golan is a step towards strengthening the state of Israel and is particularly important at this time." Netanyahu said the Golan would remain with Israel.
Meanwhile, the UN special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, arrived in Damascus on Sunday and called for “justice and accountability” in the country, rather than “acts of revenge.” He also called for urgent aid for the war-torn country.
A Qatari delegation was also in Syria on Sunday to meet with officials from the transitional government. The talks were expected to discuss reopening the embassy.
Unlike other Arab states, Qatar has not restored diplomatic relations with the Assad government since it severed them in 2011.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday that Washington had reached out to the Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which had previously been designated a terrorist group.
“We are in contact with HTS and other parties,” Blinken told reporters after talks on Syria in the Red Sea resort of Aqaba, Jordan.
The United States and other Western governments designate HTS a terrorist group because it has ties to al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch.
HTS leader Abu Muhammad al-Julani criticized Israel this week for its incursion into southern Syria but said his country was too tired for a fresh conflict.
“The Israelis have clearly crossed the line in Syria, which risks a new unnecessary escalation in the region,” said al-Julani.
“However, he said, “the general exhaustion in Syria after years of war and conflict does not allow us to enter into new conflicts.” Earlier, Israeli forces entered a UN-mandated buffer zone.
Naim Qassem, the leader of the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, has acknowledged that his group can no longer be supplied militarily through Syria because Islamist-led rebels have overthrown its ally Assad. “Hezbollah has lost a military supply line through Syria,” Qassem said.
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