Syria

Albanese says won't help Australians in Syrian camp holding families of suspected IS terrorists

"We have a very firm view that we won't be providing assistance or repatriation," Albanese told ABC News.

|ByREUTERS
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks on the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Firearms and Customs Laws) Bill 2026 during a federal parliament sitting following the Bondi terror attack at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, January 20, 2026.
Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani speaks during a press conference in Damascus, May 20, 2025; illustrative.

Why Syria's FM is changing his messaging to Israel - and why it matters - analysis

Syria’s foreign minister is hinting that Damascus and Jerusalem may be able to come to more arrangements in the future, in the wake of talks held in Paris in January.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A woman and child walk in the the al-Hol camp in Syria's northeastern Al-Hasakah Governorate on July 28, 2024, as Syrian families of suspected Islamic State fighters prepare to return to their homes in the countryside of Deir Ezzor.

Thirty-four Australians released from a camp holding families of suspected ISIS terrorists in Syria

Hukmiya Mohamed, a co-director of Roj camp, told Reuters that the 34 Australians had been released to their families, who had come to Syria for the release.

|ByREUTERS
Israeli soldiers stand on rubble in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, December 8, 2025.

IDF kills six terrorists in Rafah terror tunnel

In a statement, the IDF said the operative’s activity violated the ceasefire framework and posed a threat to Israel’s northern communities.

|ByJAMES GENN, SHIR PERETS

Damascus says it took over Ash Shaddadi base as part of US-coordination framework

In a short statement, the defense authority in Damascus said its army assumed control of the facility south of Al Hasakah city. The announcement did not specify when the transfer took place.

FEBRUARY 16, 2026ByTHE MEDIA LINE STAFF
Syrian security forces take control of Al-Hol camp in the desert region of Hasakeh Province, Syria, on January 21, 2026

Israel’s law shaped Trump’s historic recognition of Golan Heights - opinion

President Donald Trump’s 2019 recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights sparked global debate over law, history, and security.

FEBRUARY 15, 2026ByURI PILICHOWSKI
CLOUDS OVER a village on the Golan Heights

Moving suspected ISIS prisoners to Iraq shows Washington doesn’t fully trust Damascus, expert says

Professor Eytan Gilboa warned that Tehran may pressure Iraq to allow the country to become a ground to challenge the Sharaa regime.

FEBRUARY 15, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Women and children seen inside al-Hol camp, amongst them some 6,200 women and children from around 40 nationalities, and including relatives of suspected Islamic State jihadists in the desert region of Hasakah province on January 25, 2026 in Al Hasakah, Syria.

Iraq's Kurds emerge as Middle East's key diplomatic players at Munich Security Council - analysis

The KRG has helped smooth the transition in eastern Syria by working with Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces, also hosting US forces and other anti-ISIS coalition forces.

FEBRUARY 15, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Nechirvan Barzani, President of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Region, gives a joint press conference with France's Foreign Minister in Arbil, the regional capital, on February 5, 2026.

Syria projects unity at Munich Security Conference, but the real test awaits back home - analysis

The question is whether the Syria on display in Munich is the future or whether hurdles back home could derail its situation.

FEBRUARY 15, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio shakes hands with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani in Munich, Germany, February 13, 2026, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

Israel never annexed the Golan Heights: Why it still matters - opinion

Israel extended its sovereignty to the Golan Heights. The difference between extending sovereignty and annexing is important and instructs Israel's future policies.

FEBRUARY 15, 2026ByURI PILICHOWSKI
IDF SOLDIERS take part in a military training exercise in the Golan Heights on Wednesday. Although most of the world assumes Israel annexed the Golan Heights, and did so illegally, the Jewish state never actually did, the writer says.

US strikes 30 Islamic State targets in Syria as part of Operation Hawkeye Strike

According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the forces used precision munitions delivered by fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and unmanned aircraft.

FEBRUARY 14, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS
US CENTCOM attacks ISIS targets.

Iraq nears end of US-led ISIS prisoner relocation as thousands are transfered from Syria

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces gave up control of most of eastern Syria, including around 30 ISIS detention facilities, to the Syrian government in January.

FEBRUARY 12, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A soldier in an ISIS uniform prepares ammunition.

US security firm used in Gaza aid in talks with Trump administration for role in Board of Peace

UG Solutions made the disclosure after Reuters reported it was recruiting Arabic-speaking contractors with combat experience for work in undisclosed locations.

FEBRUARY 11, 2026ByREUTERS
Palestinians seek aid supplies from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), in the central Gaza Strip, August 4, 2025.

US pulls out of Syria’s al-Tanf base after 15-day equipment removal, relocating to Jordan - report

The al-Tanf base is strategically located in the tri-border area of Syria, Jordan, and Iraq. It was established as a key hub for operations by the global coalition against Islamic State terrorists.

FEBRUARY 11, 2026ByJAMES GENN
Syrian Democratic Forces and U.S. troops are seen during a patrol near Turkish border in Hasakah, Syria November 4, 2018