Syria

Syria’s only female minister warns: 'We can’t survive without unity'

“I don't feel that I am a Christian or a woman when I do my job. I feel like I am a Syrian citizen. The minute I start feeling like I’m a minority or I’m a woman, I will lose my legitimacy," she said

|ByESTHER DAVIS
Newly appointed Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Hind Kabawat speaks during a Ministerial formation of the government of the Syrian Arab Republic, in Damascus, Syria March 29, 2025.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) is welcomed by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, on January 28.

Syria's old dangers remain: Don’t be fooled by the Syrian strongman’s suit - opinion

Israel saw elected Hamas turn Gaza into a terror enclave, Hezbollah enter Lebanese politics while building a missile empire, and now al-Shaara massacre minorities while wearing a suit.

|ByMICHAEL FREUND
A MEMBER of the Kurdish Internal Security Forces rides on a car, while vehicles of the internal security forces of the Syrian government arrive in the city of Qamishli during the curfew, following an agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government on Tuesday.

Syria’s Sunni Islamist regime consolidates power, ending Kurdish autonomy

BEHIND THE LINES: The arrival of Syrian forces to Qamishli sets the seal on the effective demise of the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).

|ByJONATHAN SPYER
Abdul Hamid Thunaibat of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, speaks as he addresses people gathered to pay condolences after the killing of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri, at the headquarters of Jordan's Islamic Action Front, in Amman, Jordan January 3, 2024

Trump’s Muslim Brotherhood policy collides with Erdogan - opinion

Donald Trump will have to choose which side of history he is on as a collision between principle and power is coming.

|ByLIRON ROSE, AMIT SHABI

As Syrian forces push northeast, Kurds mobilize against new jihadi assault

BEHIND THE LINES: As Syrian forces push into Kurdish regions, the Syrian Democratic Council calls for urgent global intervention to prevent a massacre.

JANUARY 24, 2026ByJONATHAN SPYER
Soldiers ride on a tank as Syrian government forces make their way to the city of Hasakeh in northeastern Syria on Tuesday.

US considering complete withdrawal of troops from Syria - WSJ

Around 1,000 US troops are stationed in Syria, the Wall Street Journal reported, and are mainly co-stationed with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) troops.

JANUARY 24, 2026ByGOLDIE KATZ
Members of the Syrian security forces gather at a back of a vehicle outside al-Aqtan prison, where some Islamic State detainees are held, in Raqqa, Syria January 23, 2026.

US to complete transfer of Islamic State detainees from Syria to Iraq in coming days, official says

The US military is transferring up to 7,000 ISIS detainees from Syrian prisons to Iraq, focusing on high-risk fighters amid growing security concerns following recent prison escapes.

JANUARY 23, 2026ByREUTERS
Children and women, relatives of suspected Islamic State jihadists, walk inside Al-Hol camp in the desert region of Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province on January 21, 2026; illustrative.

Iraq says it will begin legal proceedings against ISIS prisoners transferred from Syria

More than 10,000 members of the ultra-hardline terror group have been held for years in about a dozen prisons and detention camps guarded by the SDF in Syria's northeast.

JANUARY 22, 2026ByREUTERS
A Syrian national flag flutters next to the Islamic State's slogan at a roundabout where executions were carried out by ISIS militants in the city of Palmyra, in Homs Governorate, Syria April 1, 2016.

Beyond the Headlines: Stronger than we think

A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news.

JANUARY 22, 2026BySIVAN RAHAV MEIR
A protester waves the pre-Islamic Revolution Iranian flag outside UN headquarters during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Iran in New York on January 15, 2026.

Syria accuses Kurds of breaking truce in 'dangerous escalation,' tenuous peace deal threatened

The Syrian army said an attack took place as soldiers were securing a captured military base containing explosives, calling it a dangerous escalation.

JANUARY 22, 2026ByREUTERS
Soldiers of Syrian government forces stand by on a position 10 km away from the city of Hasakah in northeastern Syria on January 21, 2026.

Protesters outside US embassy demand US, Israeli action after Kurdish massacre

Several signs pointed to Israel’s close relationship with the Kurdish community. One read “Israel loves Kurdistan,” while others went further, openly calling for military action against the regime.

JANUARY 22, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Around 50 protesters gathered outside the US embassy to protest against what they described as Washington's inaction in the face of the latest massacre in Syria carried out by the Sharaa regime, on January 21, 2026.

CENTCOM says up to 7,000 ISIS detainees could be moved to Iraq from Syria

"Ultimately, up to 7,000 ISIS detainees could be transferred from Syria to Iraqi-controlled facilities," CENTCOM said.

JANUARY 21, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
U.S. soldiers attached to the Iowa National Guard sign GBU-31 munitions systems in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Dec. 18, 2025 as the U.S. military launched large-scale strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria in retaliation for an attack on U.S. personnel.

After SDF withdrawal, Syrian government takes control of Al-Hol, ISIS family detention camp

Experts believe Al-Hol camp represents one of the most dangerous security challenges in the region, citing repeated killings and cases of enforced disappearance.

JANUARY 21, 2026ByRIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE
A group of detainees gather at al-Hol camp after the Syrian government took control of it following the withdrawal of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Hasaka, Syria, January 21, 2026.

High-stakes truce between SDF and Syrian forces: Four days to resolve Hasakah issue - analysis

A statement published by the Syrian presidency said that over the next few days, the SDF is expected to develop a detailed plan for practical integration into Syrian institutions.

JANUARY 21, 2026ByRIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE
Members of the Syrian government security forces stand guard as a group of detainees gather at al-Hol camp after the government took control of it following the withdrawal of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Hasaka, Syria, January 21, 2026.