Syria News Live Updates: Syrian mass graves expose 'machinery of death' under Assad, top prosecutor says

An international war crimes prosecutor stated on Tuesday that evidence from mass grave sites in Syria has revealed a state-run system responsible for the torture and killing of over 100,000 people under the rule of former leader Bashar al-Assad since 2013.

Stephen Rapp, former U.S. war crimes ambassador-at-large, made the statement after visiting two mass grave sites in Qutayfah and Najha near Damascus. Speaking to *Reuters*, he said, "We certainly have more than 100,000 people that were disappeared into and tortured to death in this machine."

"I don't have much doubt about those kinds of numbers given what we've seen in these mass graves," Rapp added.

German diplomats held discussions on Tuesday with Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the leader of Syria's Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), regarding Syria's "political transition" following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, according to a statement from Berlin.

The German foreign ministry reported that representatives met with Jolani, who now goes by his real name, Ahmed al-Sharaa, along with HTS's head of international relations and the education minister of the HTS-backed interim government.

The talks focused on the process of political transition in Syria after Assad was overthrown last week in a swift offensive led by HTS, the ministry stated.

Syria's "conflict has not ended yet," even after the departure of former president Bashar al-Assad, the UN's envoy to the country warned Tuesday, highlighting clashes between Turkish-backed and Kurdish groups in the north.

"There have been significant hostilities in the last two weeks, before a ceasefire was brokered... A five-day ceasefire has now expired and I am seriously concerned about reports of military escalation," said Geir Pedersen, the UN's special envoy for Syria.

"Such an escalation could be catastrophic."

Pedersen also said he had met with Syria's new de facto leadership following the rebels' lightning takeover, and toured Sednaya prison's "dungeons" and "torture and execution chambers," operated under Assad's government.

He called for "broad support" for Syria and an end to sanctions to allow for reconstruction of the war-ravaged country.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan stated on Tuesday that Syria requires an inclusive administration and urged the European Union to assist in facilitating the return of Syrians who fled during the country's 13-year civil war.

"We have seen that we agree on the establishment of an inclusive administration in Syria," Erdogan said during a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Ankara.

The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, stated on Monday that extremism, as well as Russian and Iranian influence, should not be part of Syria's future. Speaking after discussions with European foreign ministers, Kallas said, "Many foreign ministers emphasized that it should be a condition for the new leadership to eliminate Russian influence (in Syria)."

News agency Reuters reported on Saturday that while Russia is scaling back its military presence in northern Syria and the Alawite Mountains, it is maintaining control of its two main bases in the country following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.

Syrian caretaker Prime Minister Mohammad al-Bashir disclosed to Al Jazeera TV on Tuesday that Syria possesses severely depleted foreign currency reserves.

Current and former Syrian officials have revealed to Reuters that the dollar reserves have been virtually exhausted as Bashar al-Assad's government increasingly utilised them to finance food, fuel and its military operations.

The central bank's foreign exchange reserves stand at merely around $200 million in liquid assets, one of the sources informed Reuters, whilst another indicated the US dollar reserves were "in the hundreds of millions".

French special envoy for Syria Jean-Francois Guillaume announced on Tuesday that France was ready to support Syrians following Bashar al-Assad's removal by rebel forces this month.
"France is preparing to be with Syrians for the long term" including the present transitional phase, "which we hope will be peaceful", Guillaume stated to the press.

Leading a French diplomatic contingent, his Syria visit aimed to "make contact with the de facto authorities in Damascus", he explained.

A journalist from AFP reported that whilst the French embassy in Damascus remains officially closed since March 2012, French security staff accessed the building on Tuesday through the kitchen entrance after breaking the main door's lock.

For the first time since 2012, the French flag was displayed in the embassy's entrance hall.

Previously, president Nicolas Sarkozy had ordered the embassy's closure in protest against Assad's violent suppression of anti-government protesters.

The embassy's closure was swift, involving the burning or removal of archives and destruction of computer equipment.

The UN's humanitarian chief expressed optimism on Tuesday following discussions with Syria's newly appointed leadership in Damascus, indicating potential for significant expansion of crucial humanitarian aid efforts.

Tom Fletcher shared his thoughts on X after his meeting with Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani), the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The HTS, under al-Sharaa's command, successfully conducted a swift offensive that resulted in the removal of president Bashar al-Assad from power.

The US military conducted a bombing operation on a Houthi military installation in Sanaa, Yemen's capital, as part of ongoing US-led strikes against the Iran-supported militants. According to the Houthi media division, the attack struck a section of the complex housing their Defence Ministry, though no immediate casualty figures were available.

The US Central Command confirmed conducting the operation late Monday, stating it struck a crucial command facility that served as a coordination centre for Houthi activities, including assaults on American naval vessels and commercial ships traversing the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Since the commencement of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza in October 2023, Houthis have launched numerous missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels. Their campaign has resulted in the capture of one ship, the sinking of two vessels, and the deaths of four sailors.

Whilst the rebels assert their attacks specifically target vessels associated with Israel, America, or Britain in an effort to halt Israel's Gaza operations against Hamas, numerous targeted vessels have demonstrated minimal or no connection to the conflict, including some ships destined for Iranian ports.

A diplomatic team from France reached Damascus on Tuesday and visited their embassy premises, as reported by an AFP correspondent, marking the first diplomatic presence from France since Islamist rebels removed Bashar al-Assad from power.

The AFP video journalist documented the delegation's arrival at the long-closed embassy building, joining other international diplomatic representatives who have travelled to Syria following the rebel takeover of Damascus on December 8.

Israeli forces conducted strikes across Gaza Strip that resulted in at least 14 Palestinian casualties on Tuesday, with a single strike in Gaza City's Daraj suburb claiming 10 lives in one household, according to medical personnel. The strikes caused structural damage to nearby properties. Additional strikes in Gaza City and Beit Lahiya in the northern enclave resulted in four more fatalities, medical sources confirmed.

Residents reported that Israeli tanks advanced further into the western section of Mawasi in Rafah, adjacent to the Egyptian border. This area has been designated for humanitarian purposes.
The tank advancement, accompanied by intense firing, compelled numerous families seeking shelter in the area to evacuate northward towards Khan Younis.

The conflict initiated when Hamas, the Palestinian militant organisation, launched an attack into Israel on October 7, 2023. Israeli authorities report that this attack resulted in 1,200 fatalities, predominantly civilians, and the capture of over 250 people who were taken to Gaza as hostages.

Health officials in Gaza reported on Monday that the Palestinian death toll has exceeded 45,000 in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas militants, whilst negotiations for a ceasefire show promising developments.

Recent diplomatic initiatives by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have intensified, with Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz expressing optimism about reaching an agreement. He noted that prospects appear more favourable now than during the previous November 2023 truce, which facilitated the release of 105 hostages.

Speaking before a private session of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, Katz stated, "We all estimate that an opportunity is being created following Hamas's need to become more flexible, and I really hope we can advance to a practical stage in this process."

A ceasefire agreement was recently established between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant organisation allied with Hamas.

According to Palestinian health authorities, the casualties in Gaza have reached 45,028 deaths and 106,962 injuries since the conflict's inception. Officials caution that actual figures could be higher, with numerous bodies remaining inaccessible under debris or in unreachable areas.

Whilst the health ministry's figures do not differentiate between civilians and fighters, they indicate that women and children constitute over half of the casualties. The Israeli military claims to have neutralised more than 17,000 militants, though this assertion remains unverified.

Two individuals, one of whom holds dual Iranian-American citizenship, face charges for allegedly conspiring to send advanced technology to Iran. This technology was subsequently used in a drone strike in Jordan that resulted in the deaths of three American military personnel and wounded numerous others in early 2024, according to the Justice Department's announcement on Monday.

FBI investigators discovered the connection after analysing the drone's navigation system, which was traced to an Iranian firm managed by one of the accused. The technology and components were allegedly channelled into Iran by his associate, according to prosecutors.

"We often cite hypothetical risk when we talk about the dangers of American technology getting into dangerous hands," US Attorney Joshua Levy, the top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts, said at a news conference announcing the charges. "Unfortunately, in this situation, we are not speculating."

The accused individuals are Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, employed at a Massachusetts semiconductor company, and Mohammad Abedininajafabadi, who was apprehended in Italy on Monday. The Justice Department is currently pursuing his extradition to Massachusetts.

The leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which spearheaded Bashar al-Assad's removal from power, has announced plans to dissolve rebel groups, whilst the ousted president has labelled Syria's new leadership as "terrorists".

Following Assad's departure to Russia on December 8, HTS-led forces seized Damascus, concluding a prolonged period of authoritarian rule and civil conflict.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, who heads HTS, has offered assurances to domestic minorities and international governments regarding the protection of all Syrian citizens and state structures.

During discussions with Druze representatives, he confirmed that rebel groups would "be disbanded and the fighters trained to join the ranks of the defence ministry."

According to the group's Telegram channel, he stated that everyone would be accountable to the law.

He stressed the importance of maintaining cohesion in Syria's diverse religious and ethnic landscape.

"Syria must remain united," he declared. "There must be a social contract between the state and all religions to guarantee social justice".

These statements emerged after Assad's first public remarks since his departure to Russia, where he claimed his evacuation from a military installation was conducted at Moscow's behest.
Assad's regime had received substantial support from Russia, Iran, and Lebanon's Hezbollah throughout his rule.

Weakened by US-led forces, ISIS remnants in Syria exploit instability, particularly in the eastern desert. A potential Assad regime fall and US troop withdrawal risk empowering the group, despite its current weakened state. Increased attacks and shadow governance indicate a potential resurgence, raising concerns for regional stability.

European Union nations on Monday set out conditions for lifting sanctions on Syria and kick-starting aid to the conflict-ravaged country amid uncertainty about its new leaders' intentions just over a week after they seized power.
At a meeting in Brussels, the EU's top diplomats said they want guarantees from members of Syria’s interim government that they are preparing for a peaceful political future involving all minority groups, one in which extremism and former allies Russia and Iran have no place.

Since Damascus fell on Dec. 8 and leader Bashar Assad fled to Moscow, Syria’s transition has been surprisingly smooth. Few reports have surfaced of reprisals, revenge killings or sectarian violence. Most looting or destruction has been quickly contained.

But the new leadership has yet to lay out a clear vision of how Syria will be governed. The interim government was set up by former opposition forces led by the Islamic militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, a former al-Qaida affiliate that the EU and U.S. consider to be a terrorist organization.

The interim government is set to rule until March. Arab foreign ministers have called for U.N.-supervised elections based on a new constitution. The U.N. envoy to Syria has pressed for removing sanctions.

To understand more, the EU is sending an envoy to Damascus for talks with those at least temporarily in charge.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc wants a “stable, peaceful and all-comprising government in place,” but that it will probably take weeks, if not months, for Syria’s new path to be clear.

“Syria faces an optimistic, positive, but rather uncertain future, and we have to make sure that this goes to the right direction,” she told reporters at a meeting of EU foreign ministers. “For us, it’s not only the words, but we want to see the deeds.”

In a message aimed at the new leaders, Kallas said: “Russia and Iran are not your friends, are not helping you if you are in trouble. They left Assad’s regime, and that is a very clear message showing that their hands are full elsewhere and they are weakened.”

Syria has been shattered by five decades of Assad family rule. Its economy has been destroyed, poverty is widespread, inflation and unemployment are high and corruption seeps through daily life. Millions of people have fled the country.

Hundreds of thousands of them live in Europe, and while some EU countries have suspended asylum applications from Syrian refugees, only those willing to return will be helped to get home, for now.

In 2011, the EU began imposing asset freezes and travel bans on Syrian officials and organizations in response to Assad’s crackdown on civilian protesters, which turned into civil war. The sanctions have been slapped on some 316 people and 86 entities accused of backing Assad.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said that before any sanctions are lifted or EU development aid sent to Syria, “a certain number of conditions must be met.” They include, he said, “a political transition that allows all Syrian minority groups to be represented, the respect of human rights, the rights of women in Syria (and) the rejection of terrorism and extremism.”

His Spanish counterpart, Jose Manuel Albares, said Syria’s new leaders must understand that the EU has some “red lines” which should be respected before support comes.

“We must guarantee the territorial integrity of Syria and we must make sure that there (is) no foreign interference,” he said. “If those questions are correctly addressed by the new authorities, then we can have a second conversation about sanctions.”

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said Europe’s support for Syria’s new leaders should not be “a blank check in advance,” whereby the bloc would be expected to lift all its sanctions and economic restrictions and then start talks.

Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp also told reporters that “regarding the Russian military bases in Syria, we want the Russians out.”

Bashar al-Assad on Monday said he fled Syria only after Damascus had fallen and denounced the country's new leaders as "terrorists", in his first remarks since rebels seized the capital and unseated him.
An Islamist-led rebel alliance launched a lightning offensive from its northwest Syria bastion on November 27, swiftly capturing major cities from government control and taking the capital on December 8.

"My departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles, as some have claimed," said a statement from Assad on the ousted presidency's Telegram channel.

"I remained in Damascus, carrying out my duties until the early hours" of Sunday December 8, it added.

"As terrorist forces infiltrated Damascus, I moved to Latakia in coordination with our Russian allies to oversee combat operations," the statement said, adding that he arrived at the Hmeimim base that morning.

"As the field situation in the area continued to deteriorate, the Russian military base itself came under intensified attack by drone strikes," it said, and "Moscow requested that the base's command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening" of December 8.

Five former officials previously told AFP that hours before rebel forces seized Damascus and toppled Assad's government, the former Syrian president was already out of the country.

The officials said that the night before, Assad had even asked his close adviser to prepare a speech -- which the ousted leader never gave -- before flying from Damascus airport to Russia's Hmeimim air base, and from there out of the country.

"When the state falls into the hands of terrorism and the ability to make a meaningful contribution is lost, any position becomes void of purpose," the statement from Assad added.

Though Assad has long branded any who oppose his rule "terrorists", Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group that led his overthrow, has also been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the United States and other Western governments.

With its roots in a former branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria, HTS broke with the jihadist group in 2016 and has sought to soften its image.

In recent days, both the US and Britain have established contact with the group.

Bashar al-Assad said Monday his departure from Syria was not planned and that Moscow requested his evacuation from a military base that was under attack, in the former president's first statement since his ouster.
"My departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles," said a statement on the ousted presidency's Telegram channel, adding "Moscow requested... an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday December 8" after he moved to Latakia early that day.

"When the state falls into the hands of terrorism and the ability to make a meaningful contribution is lost, any position becomes void of purpose," the statement added.

A week after a lightning rebel offensive toppled longtime leader Bashar al-Assad, the United Nations special envoy for Syria on Sunday called for justice to prevail, not revenge.
Syrians are only now beginning to scratch the surface of the atrocities committed, after the former despot fled the country for Russia.

"We need to see of course justice and accountability for crimes," UN envoy Geir Pedersen said after arriving in Damascus.

"And we need to make sure that that goes through a credible justice system, and that we don't see any revenge."

Pedersen also called for "increased, immediate" aid to war-ravaged Syria, saying it had been through "an enormous... humanitarian crisis".

"We need to make sure that Syria receives increased, immediate humanitarian assistance," he said.

Assad fled Syria last Sunday following an 11-day rebel offensive led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), bringing to a dramatic end more than 50 years of Assad rule.

It came more than 13 years into the civil war sparked by Assad's violent crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011.

The war has killed upwards of 500,000 people and displaced more than half the country's population.

In the week since the rebels took Damascus, each day has seen more light shed on the depths of the despair visited upon Syria's people over the past decades.

Journalist Mohammed Darwish was one of those held in the so-called Palestine Branch, a jail run by Syria's feared intelligence services.

"I was one of those they interrogated the most," Darwish told AFP as he returned to the prison years after his ordeal. He said he was questioned "every day, morning and night" for 120 days.

- Back to school -

Calm is slowly returning to the streets of Damascus, with dozens of children streaming back to school Sunday for the first time since Assad fled.

An official at one school said "no more than 30 percent" were back on Sunday, but "these numbers will rise gradually".

On the diplomatic front, US State Secretary Antony Blinken said Saturday Washington had "been in contact with HTS and with other parties," without specifying how.

After meeting in Jordan, Western and Arab states along with Turkey -- a key backer of anti-Assad rebels -- called for a united peaceful Syria.

In a joint statement, diplomats from the United States, Turkey, the European Union and Arab countries called for a Syrian-led transition to "produce an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government formed through a transparent process", with respect for human rights.

France said a four-strong diplomatic team would arrive on Tuesday to "retake possession of our real estate" as well as "establishing initial contact" with the new authorities and "evaluating the urgent needs of the population", acting Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.

A Qatari delegation was due in Syria Sunday to meet transitional government officials for talks on aid and reopening its embassy.

Unlike other Arab states, Qatar never restored diplomatic ties with Assad after a rupture in 2011.

Turkey was ready to provide military support to Syria's new Islamist-led government set up by rebels if it requests it, Defence Minister Yasar Guler said on Sunday.

Guler said the new leadership should be given "a chance" and that Ankara was "ready to provide the necessary support" if needed, in remarks reported by Turkish media.

Sunni Muslim HTS is rooted in Syria's branch of Al-Qaeda and is designated a "terrorist" organisation by many Western governments.

Although it has sought to moderate its rhetoric in recent years, its seizure of power has sparked concerns both domestically and internationally over the protection of religious and ethnic minorities.

The interim government insists that the rights of all Syrians will be protected, as will the rule of law.

On Sunday, Syrian Christians attended their first church service since Assad's fall.

Pubs and stores selling alcohol in Damascus initially closed following the rebel victory, but are now tentatively reopening.

The landlord of one Damascus bar said the rebels told him: "'You have the right to work and live your life as you did before'."

Syria's main port of Latakia was functioning normally on Monday and cargo ships that had been waiting for several days were unloading their cargo, port official Hasan Jablawi told Reuters.

A Qatari delegation arrived in Damascus to pave the way for the re-opening of Qatar's embassy in Syria, the Gulf country's foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
Qatar's embassy in Damascus has been shut since July 2011 when it withdrew its ambassador from Damascus after a series of deadly crackdowns by Bashar al-Assad's regime on street protesters - violence that led to the 13-year-long civil war.

Ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad says he had no plans to leave the country after the fall of Damascus a week ago but the Russian military evacuated him after their base in western Syria came under attack. The comments are the first by Assad since he was overthrown by insurgent groups.
Assad said in a statement on his Facebook page that he left Damascus on the morning of Dec 8, hours after insurgents stormed the capital. He said he left in coordination with Russian allies to the Russian base in the coastal province of Latakia, where he planned to keep fighting.

Assad said that after the Russian base came under attack by drones, the Russians decided to move him on the night of Dec 8 to Russia. "I did not leave the country as part of a plan as it was reported earlier," Assad said.

Israeli airstrikes targeted missile warehouses on Syria’s coast early Monday, described by the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as the "most violent strikes" in the region since 2012. The strikes followed the collapse of President Bashar Assad's rule and ongoing regional tensions, including Israel's confrontation with Hamas and Hezbollah. Syria’s new administration has condemned the attacks but seeks to avoid military conflict with Israel. Meanwhile, the US embassy urged Americans to leave Syria, citing security concerns, while Islamic State sleeper cells continue to pose a threat with sporadic attacks.

During a meeting in Damascus, UN Syria envoy Geir Pedersen assured Syrian rebel leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa and caretaker prime minister Mohammad al-Bashir that the United Nations would provide comprehensive assistance to the Syrian population. This commitment was detailed in an official statement issued by the UN envoy's office on Monday.

The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced on Monday that the EU's diplomatic representative to Syria would travel to Damascus for discussions with the newly established Islamist leadership, following increased Western diplomatic activity in the aftermath of Bashar al-Assad's removal from power.

"Our top diplomat in Syria will go to Damascus today. We'll have the contacts there," Kallas informed reporters before a gathering of European Union foreign ministers.

Syrian rebel leader Riad al-Asaad tells AFP he is confident that the myriad of factions which helped topple Bashar al-Assad after years of war will now unite as one force.

Syrian rebel leader Riad al-Asaad tells AFP he is confident that the myriad of factions which helped topple Bashar al-Assad after years of war will now unite as one force.

Pedersen met with HTS chief Ahmed al-Sharaa -- previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani -- and called for "justice and accountability for crimes".

"We need to make sure that that goes through a credible justice system, and that we don't see any revenge," he said.

"I said we would change the Middle East and this is what is happening. Syria is not the same Syria. Lebanon is not the same Lebanon. Gaza is not the same Gaza. Iran is not the same Iran," Netanyahu said in a post on X.

Israel launched a series of airstrikes in Syria's coastal Tartus region late Sunday, marking the most intense bombardment in the area since 2012, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The strikes targeted military sites, including air defence units and surface-to-surface missile warehouses, causing several large explosions that were captured on video.

UN envoy Geir Pedersen met with Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly Abu Mohammed al-Jolani), leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), in Damascus to discuss updates to the 2015 UN Security Council Resolution 2254 on Syria's political settlement. HTS, rooted in Al-Qaeda's Al-Nusra Front and listed as a terrorist group, has sought to rebrand itself since 2016. Jolani emphasized Syrian territorial unity, reconstruction, refugee returns, and economic development. Pedersen acknowledged the challenges posed by HTS's designation but stressed the need for an inclusive, Syrian-led political process supported internationally.

The Israeli government approved on Sunday a plan to increase the population of the annexed Golan Heights, while insisting it had no intention of confronting Syria after seizing a UN-monitored buffer zone.

As Islamist-led rebel forces swept Syrian president Bashar al-Assad out of power last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered troops to seize the demilitarised zone between the two countries' forces on the Golan Heights.

On Sunday, his office said the government approved a plan to double the population on the Israeli-held Golan Heights.

The government "unanimously approved" the 40 million shekel ($11 million) "plan for the demographic development of the Golan... in light of the war and the new front in Syria and the desire to double the population", Netanyahu's office said.

Israel has struck Syria more than 450 times since the collapse of the Assad regime a week ago, according to the Observatory, destroying Syria's navy and dozens of air bases, ammunition depots and other military equipment. Israel's military has also seized and occupied an expanse of territory in Syria over the de facto border between the two countries, including on the Syrian side of the strategic Mount Hermon. Israel has given no timeline for its departure, apart from saying that it would stay until its security demands were met.

Israel struck Syrian weapons depots and air defenses overnight, a group monitoring the conflict said Sunday, in what appeared to be part of an effort Israel says is aimed at depriving "extremists" of military assets after rebels seized power in Syria.

Foreign countries stepped up efforts Sunday to establish contacts with Syria's interim rulers, a week after Islamist-led rebels sent president Bashar al-Assad fleeing to Moscow, ending decades of brutal rule. The United Nations special envoy for Syria was among those arriving in the Syrian capital.

Qatar will reopen its embassy in Syria on Tuesday after it was closed for more than 13 years, the Gulf country's foreign ministry said on Sunday, a week after Bashar al-Assad was removed from power. Qatar's embassy in Damascus has been shut since July 2011 when it withdrew its ambassador from Damascus after a series of deadly crackdowns by Assad's regime on protesters - violence that led to the 13-year-long civil war.

Syria's de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa discussed with the United Nations envoy for Syria the need to reconsider a roadmap outlined by the Security Council for the country in 2015, the Syrian ruling General Command said on Sunday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed holding a phone call with US President-elect Donald Trump, during which he reaffirmed his country's 'determination' to continue acting against Iran and its armed proxies, CNN reported. Netanyahu said in the video message that he had a "very friendly, very warm, and very important conversation" on Saturday (local time) and told about the need for Israel to "complete its victory."

Since the rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) overthrew the over two-decades-long Bashar al-Assad regime on December 8, Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes across Syria and carried out a land incursion that stretches past the occupied Golan Heights into a previously demilitarized buffer zone, as reported by The Washington Post. The Israeli army swiftly took control of the abandoned army positions, and air attacks have decimated most of Syria's military capabilities. Syria's de facto new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, denounced what he described as Israel's "uncalculated military adventures" on Saturday, ahile emphasising he was more interested in state-building than opening another conflict.

The Israeli cabinet on Sunday (local time) unanimously approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan, which aims to double the settler population in the Golan Heights, Times of Israel reported. Around 50,000 people live on the Israeli-controlled side of the heights, evenly split between Jews and Druze. The new plan worth 40 million Israeli New Shekel (NIS) (USD 11 million) plans to double it.