Dec 8: US official: Iran weakened by events in Syria, improving chance for Gaza deal

Seeing chance for peace with Syria, Druze communities in Israel celebrate Assad’s fall

Residents in the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights celebrate on December 8, 2024, after Islamist-led rebels declared that they have taken the Syrian capital in a lightning offensive, sending president Bashar al-Assad fleeing and ending five decades of Baath rule in Syria. (Jalaa Marey/ AFP)

Residents of Majdal Shams, in northern Israel’s Golan Heights, take to the streets to celebrate the dramatic fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

With speakers blasting patriotic Syrian songs, residents of the Druze Arab town welcome the political change across the border, saying it would bring peace to the region, including with Israel.

“We are part of the Syrian people, and we are very happy today,” Mais Ibrahim, 33, tells AFP. “We want to see a free Syria and a range of different people and voices there.”

Ibrahim says the Syrian people “paid a high price under Assad’s regime” and that she hopes the change will “end the wars and bring peace.”

There are around 150,000 Druze living in Israel, with most holding Israeli citizenship and serving in the army. However, those living in the Golan Heights — captured from Syria in the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed — differ, with most still seeing themselves as Syrian nationals.

For more than a decade, the Druze community watched the unrest in Syria, fearing for the fate of close relatives and friends.

Alaa Safadi, 52, a doctor whose brother-in-law was imprisoned and killed in a Syrian jail under Assad’s rule, says the Druze people are “one body,” whether they live in Israel, Syria, Lebanon, or Jordan.

Safadi, who, under a special arrangement between Israel and Syria, spent seven years studying in Damascus, says he was happy to see Assad fall.

He says it brought him hope that it would break the physical borders and cultural barriers that exist in this war-torn region.

“In the end, I believe that within two years, we will be able to go freely from here and drink coffee in the cafes of Damascus,” he says.

US official: Iran weakened by events in Syria, improving chance for Gaza hostage deal

A senior Biden administration official suggests that the Syrian rebels’ overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad improves chances to secure a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.

In a briefing with reporters, the senior US official says the developments in Syria “dramatically changed the balance of power” in the region, referring to the weakening of Iran and its proxies.

Accordingly, the US is intensifying efforts to secure a hostage deal, the official says.

The US has several times over the past year speculated that various developments in the region — including Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and a ceasefire in Lebanon — opened windows to secure a hostage deal. However, negotiations have yet to bear fruit.

Hamas has refused to budge from its demands for a permanent end to the war and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza in exchange for releasing the remaining 100 hostages, and Israel is insisting that it will only agree to temporary ceasefires along with one that allows it to initially maintain a troop presence in Gaza.

Regardless, the overthrow of Assad has created a new balance of power in Syria that is “far more aligned with American interests,” the US official says.

The senior US official says Iran bucked President Biden’s warning not to take advantage of Hamas’s October 7 onslaught to further target Israel through its proxies, and has ended up paying a massive price for that decision.

Israeli counterattacks against Iran and its proxies led to the near dismantlement of Tehran’s main proxy Hezbollah, and the dismantlement of its missile program, the official says.

The “fundamental change” will impact Iran’s calculations, the Biden official speculates, while warning again that the US will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.

The Biden administration has had good conversations with the Trump transition team on this topic, with both sides seeing eye to eye on it, the official says.

The US supports Israel’s freedom of action against Iranian networks in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime, the senior Biden administration official tells reporters.

The official adds that the US will support allies Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon against threats from Syria.

Biden says US will work with partners in Syria to manage risk, build a better future

President Joe Biden speaks about the sudden collapse of the Syrian government under Bashar al-Assad from the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, December 8, 2024. (AP Photo/ Manuel Balce Ceneta)

“The United States will work with our partners and the stakeholders in Syria to help them seize an opportunity to manage the risk,” says US President Joe Biden, after rebel fighters overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.

In remarks at the White House, Biden says the United States will support Syria’s neighbors through the period of transition and will assess the words and actions of rebel groups.

Biden says the United States does not officially know Assad’s whereabouts, but noted reports that he fled to Moscow. He says Assad “should be held accountable.”

Biden says Syria is in a period of risk and uncertainty, and that it is the first time in years that neither Russia nor Iran nor the Hezbollah militant organization hold an influential role in Syria.

“For years, the main backers of Assad have been Iran, Hezbollah and Russia. But over the last week, their support collapsed — all three of them — because all three of them are far weaker today than they were when I took office,” says Biden, who became president in 2021.

Biden says US forces on Sunday conducted a dozen precision strikes within Syria targeting camps and operatives of the Islamic State.

“It’s a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria to build a better future for their proud country. It’s also a moment of risk and uncertainty,” Biden says.

Gaza records show senior staff at UNRWA schools were members of Hamas military wing — NYT

A member of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) checks the courtyard of a school after an Israeli airstrike hit the site where Hamas had set up a command center, in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on September 11, 2024. (Eyad Baba/AFP)

Documents shared by Israeli officials with the New York Times have shown that at least 24 people employed in UNRWA schools in the Gaza Strip were members of Gaza terrorist groups, including Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Times reports.

Citing data shared by the IDF and the Foreign Ministry, the New York Times reports that many of the terror operatives employed in UNRWA schools held senior positions, such as principal or vice principal, while others were teachers or school counselors. Most of those with ties to Hamas were said to be directly linked to the Al-Qassam Brigades, the terror group’s military wing.

The paper notes that although it could not independently verify the documents, which it says it asked for, after Israel accused UNRWA of employing staff with ties to Hamas, they were similar to other Hamas records previously verified by the news outlet.

One of the documents seized by the IDF in Gaza reveals Hamas’s plans to use school buildings as a place to store weapons, the report states, while another describes the enclave’s schools as “the best obstacles to protect the resistance [Hamas]” in a war against Israel.

The documents also reveal that several of the school administrators remained employed by UNRWA even after Israel warned the agency that they were tied to various terror groups, the New York Times adds.

IDF confirms strike on south Lebanon village, says it targeted Hezbollah operatives at weapons depot

The IDF confirms carrying out an airstrike in the southern Lebanon village of Dibbine, close to Marjayoun, earlier today, saying it targeted a group of Hezbollah operatives at a weapons depot.

According to the IDF, the weapons depot and operatives “posed a threat… while violating the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”

“These terrorists directed and carried out terror plots against IDF troops and Israeli civilians in recent months,” the military says.

The IDF says it carried out strikes in other areas of southern Lebanon today, targeting Hezbollah operatives. Under the ceasefire agreement, the operatives are meant to withdraw to north of the Litani River.

The IDF is still deployed to southern Lebanon, and it has until late January to withdraw under the ceasefire deal.

כלי טיס של חיל האוויר, בהכוונת מרכז האש של אוגדה 98, תקף מחבלים מארגון הטרור חיזבאללה שפעלו במחסן אמצעי לחימה בדרום לבנון והיוו איום במרחב, תוך הפרת ההבנות בין ישראל ללבנון.
מחבלים אלו הכווינו והוציאו לפועל מתווי טרור נגד כוחות צה״ל ואזרחי מדינת ישראל בחודשים האחרונים >> pic.twitter.com/1PJg2gKuU4

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) December 8, 2024

Syria’s rebel leader hails ‘historic’ victory for the region at landmark Damascus mosque

The leader of Syria's Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that headed a lightning rebel offensive snatching Damascus from government control, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, addresses a crowd at the capital's landmark Umayyad Mosque on December 8, 2024. (Abdulaziz Ketaz/AFP)

Syria’s rebel leader hails a “historic” victory from a landmark Damascus mosque after his Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group headed a lightning offensive, snatching the capital from government control in less than two weeks.

His speech comes as Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad fled — for Moscow, according to Russian news agencies — triggering celebrations across Syria and beyond at the end of his oppressive rule.

“This victory, my brothers, is historic for the entire region,” HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani, now using his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, says in a speech at the Umayyad Mosque.

He also says the rebel takeover was a victory “for the entire Islamic nation,” in the video statement shared by rebels on Telegram.

“Today, Syria is being purified,” he says, adding that “this victory is born from the people who have languished in prison, and the mujahideen (fighters) broke their chains.”

He says that, under Assad, Syria had become a place for “Iranian ambitions, where sectarianism was rife,” in reference to Assad’s allies Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah.

He further accuses the toppled ruler of turning the country into a “farm for Iran’s greed.”

As he entered the mosque, crowds can be seen cheering him on and chanting “Allahu akbar (God is greatest),” as videos circulating online show.

HTS is rooted in the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, with which it broke ties in 2016.

Proscribed as a terrorist organization by Western governments, HTS has sought to soften its image in recent years.

The government fell more than 13 years after Assad’s crackdown on anti-government protests ignited Syria’s brutal civil war, which has drawn in foreign powers as well as jihadists, and claimed more than half a million lives.

Trump says Israel needs ‘victory’ in Gaza, expresses doubt that many hostages are still alive

In the first sit-down interview since his electoral victory last month, US President-elect Donald Trump tells NBC News that he does not think many of the hostages held in Gaza are alive, 14 months on from the October 7 Hamas onslaught in southern Israel.

“I’m not a big believer in the fact that there are too many of them living, sadly,” he says, when asked about the 96 hostages still believed to be captive in Gaza.

“I’ve seen the way they’ve been treated,” he says, recalling a video he had seen of “a young girl that was pulled by her hair violently and thrown into the back of a car like she was a sack of potatoes.”

It is not immediately clear who Trump is referring to.

“I hate to say it, I think you have far fewer hostages than people think,” he tells NBC. “It’s only my opinion, but I’ve been right on just about everything.”

Asked whether he would pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza, where Israel has been battling Hamas, Trump says: “Yeah. Sure.”

“I want him to end it, but you have to have a victory,” he says. “People forget about October 7…I noticed that a lot of people are saying ‘Oh, it never really happened.’ That’s like the Holocaust,” Trump continues. “You know, you have Holocaust deniers. Now you have October 7th deniers, and it just happened. No, October 7th happened. And I’ve seen the pictures. It is — what happened is horrible.”

Israeli strikes in Damascus today have been ‘very intensive,’ defense sources say

The Israeli Air Force strikes in Syria today have been “very intensive,” defense sources tell The Times of Israel.

Dozens of IAF aircraft struck numerous targets across Syria, with a focus on destroying “strategic weapons” that could fall into the hands of elements hostile to Israel, following the collapse of the Assad regime.

The strikes have also targeted weapon production capabilities and air defense sites, sources say.

Assad and family arrive in Moscow after Russia grants them asylum, Russian media reports

In this photo released on the official Facebook page of the Syrian Presidency, Syrian President Bashar Assad, center, casts his vote as Syrian first lady Asma Assad, right, stands next to him at a polling station, in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, June 3, 2014. (photo credit: AP/Syrian Presidency via Facebook)

Syria’s Bashar al-Assad and his family have arrived in Moscow and have been granted asylum by the Russian authorities, Russian news agencies report, citing a Kremlin source.

The Interfax news agency quotes the unnamed source as saying: “President Assad of Syria has arrived in Moscow. Russia has granted them (him and his family) asylum on humanitarian grounds.”

Footage purports to show Israeli strikes targeting airbase near Syrian capital

Footage posted to social media purports to show large Israeli airstrikes targeting the Mezzeh airbase near the Syrian capital of Damascus this afternoon.

The videos show heavy bombardment of the airbase.

قصف عنيف شنه الطيران الإسرائيلي المجرم على مطار المزة العسكري
بعد استهداف مبني الجوازات والمخابرات العامة #سوريا_حرة #سوريا_الان pic.twitter.com/0uplSqtcMB

— ساري الحمد Sari (@SariHamad6) December 8, 2024

????⚡️ عاجل
إسرائيل تدمر مطار المزة العسكري في دمشق pic.twitter.com/kGJxBAAoiJ

— الموجز الروسي | Russia news ???????? (@mog_Russ) December 8, 2024

Today, Israel has carried out numerous strikes in Syria, taking out weaponry that Israel fears could fall into the hands of hostile forces.

The strikes have reportedly targeted arms caches and air defense systems, as well as production capabilities.

Following the fall of the Assad regime, the IDF has said that it is tracking advanced weapons in Syria and working to prevent them from reaching Hezbollah or any other hostile elements that could threaten Israel.

UN chief Guterres hails end of Syria’s ‘dictatorial regime’

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday hailed the end of Syria’s “dictatorial regime” and urged the country to rebuild after president Bashar al-Assad’s sudden fall.

“After 14 years of brutal war and the fall of the dictatorial regime, today the people of Syria can seize a historic opportunity to build a stable and peaceful future,” Guterres said in a statement.

“I reiterate my call for calm and avoiding violence at this sensitive time, while protecting the rights of all Syrians, without distinction.”

Suspects behind Amsterdam attacks on Israeli soccer fans won’t be charged with terrorism

Screenshot from a video shows violence on the streets of Amsterdam in which Israelis were attacked by anti-Israel gangs on November 8, 2024. (X screenshot; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Prosecutors have ruled out terrorism charges in connection with last month’s violence during the Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer match in Amsterdam, Dutch Chief Prosecutor René de Beukelaer tells television station AT5.

Seven suspects are set to appear in court this week in connection with the violence against the Israeli soccer fans. “While some will be charged with antisemitism, Beukelaer says that “from a legal standpoint, there was no terrorism involved,” as it requires an intention to instill fear in a specific group.

The suspects seem to have acted out of “anger, frustration, and sadness over the situation in Israel and Gaza,” but not a desire to cause fear, he says.

Last month, supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv were assaulted in various parts of Amsterdam on November 7, following the soccer team’s loss to local team Ajax.

Israeli officials said 10 Maccabi fans were injured in the violence. Hundreds of other Israelis huddled in their hotels for hours, fearing they could be attacked. Many said that Dutch security forces were nowhere to be found, as Israeli tourists were ambushed by gangs of masked assailants shouting anti-Israel slogans.

Amsterdam’s mayor Femkle Halsema initially described the attacks as a “pogrom,” but later retracted her use of the word, saying that it had been used “in order to discriminate against Moroccan, Muslim residents.”

Before the match, Maccabi fans burned a Palestinian flag, attacked a taxi, and chanted anti-Arab slogans, according to Amsterdam police chief Peter Holla. Footage of the incidents was widely circulated on social media.

Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report.

IDF continuing to bolster defenses on Syrian border, including with new barrier

IDF troops with the 210th 'Bashan' Regional Division carry out engineering works on a barrier on the Israel-Syria border in the Golan Heights, in a handout photo issued on December 6, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF says it is continuing to bolster its defenses on the border with Syria in the Golan Heights, including with a new barrier.

The construction of the barrier, which resembles a trench to prevent the crossing of vehicles, began several months ago.

The military says the name of the barrier project is “New East,” and continues to build it.

The IDF says it is continuing to bolster its defenses on the border with Syria in the Golan Heights, including with a new barrier.

The construction of the barrier, which resembles a trench to prevent the crossing of vehicles, began several months ago.

The military says the name… pic.twitter.com/PuD6eHRJAt

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) December 8, 2024

IDF says it temporarily closed Gaza aid route earlier today after mortar fire on troops

The IDF says it temporarily closed a route leading from the Kerem Shalom crossing to the humanitarian zone in the Gaza Strip, used to deliver aid to Palestinians, after troops came under mortar fire from the area.

Several mortar shells were fired at troops from an area adjacent to the “humanitarian corridor.”

Following the attack, the IDF says the area was considered an active combat zone and the route was closed, as troops worked to eliminate the threat.

As a result, aid deliveries were temporarily delayed, the military says.

The IDF says that the operatives behind the mortar fire were killed, and the route was reopened a short while later for the delivery of aid to Gaza.

Syrian rebel supporters enter embassy in Athens, police detain 4 but leave rebel flag flying

A Syrian opposition flag is seen on the façade of the Syrian embassy, in Athens, Greece, December 8, 2024. (AP Photo/ Yorgos Karahalis)

Supporters of the Syrian rebels that ousted President Bashar al-Assad entered the Syrian embassy in Athens on Sunday and hoisted the rebel flag from the rooftop, police and a Reuters reporter say.

Police entered the embassy compound and detained four people, but left the flag flying, says a Reuters reporter at the scene.

Later in the day, at Athens’ central Syntagma Square, dozens of jubilant Syrian opposition supporters wave rebel flags, dance, and hug each other.

A small group of people celebrate outside the embassy compound in Athens.

“Our joy is indescribable, 55 years of horrible dictatorship has finally ended and … the dictator escaped and left the people,” says Alompeint Marouf, 59.

Greek media reports that protesters also tore down Assad’s portrait in the embassy, but a senior Greek police official cannot confirm this.

Netanyahu tells hostage families fall of Assad regime could advance hostage deal

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with relatives of the Gaza hostages, December 8, 2024. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets separately with two hostage family groups in Jerusalem, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents most families, and the Tikva Forum, which represents a hawkish minority of hostage families who have been significantly more supportive of Netanyahu’s handling of the war than the main forum has been.

According to Netanyahu’s office, he tells them that the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria “could help advance a deal to bring back the hostages.”

Israeli strikes in Syria target weaponry it fears could be acquired by hostile forces

Smoke billows following an Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of Damascus on December 8, 2024, after Islamist-led rebels declared that they have taken the Syrian capital in a lightning offensive, sending President Bashar al-Assad fleeing and ending five decades of Baath rule in Syria. (Omar Haj Kadour/AFP)

Amid the chaos, the Israeli Air Force has carried out numerous strikes in Syria today, taking out weaponry Israel fears could fall into the hands of hostile forces.

According to reports in Syria, strikes earlier today targeted ammunition and weapons depots at the Khalkhalah airbase in Suwayda, several sites in the Daraa Governorate, and the Mezzeh airbase in Damascus.

Additional strikes were reported Sunday afternoon at the Mezzeh airbase, a major security complex in the Kafr Sousa suburb of the capital, a branch of the Scientific Studies and Research Center in Damascus, and a central square in the capital that includes intelligence and customs headquarters.

Following the fall of the Assad regime, the IDF has said that it is tracking advanced weapons in Syria and working to prevent them from reaching Hezbollah or any other hostile elements that could threaten Israel.

Biden to meet with national security team to receive update on Syria, White House says

US President Joe Biden will meet with his national security team to receive an update on the situation on Syria, the White House says.

Israel struck Damascus security complex, research center said used by Iran for missile development — sources

Israel conducted three airstrikes against a major security complex in the Kafr Sousa district of the Syrian capital along with a research center where it had previously said Iranian scientists developed missiles, two regional security sources tell Reuters.

IDF stresses that deployment to Syria-Israel buffer zone is temporary, defensive

The IDF stresses that its deployment to the buffer zone between Israel and Syria is a defensive and temporary measure amid the chaos in the country following the fall of the Assad regime.

According to the military, troops are deployed to specific strategic positions in the buffer zone to prevent unidentified gunmen from being in the area.

Over the weekend, gunmen were identified in the buffer zone, including during an incident where a UN post came under attack.

The IDF fears that following the fall of the regime, and with an abundance of weapons in the area, hostile forces could attack Israel.

The military says the move to capture the buffer zone is purely to ensure that attacks aren’t carried out against Israel, and it will remain there until the situation is clear.

Jerusalem court rejects Knesset speaker’s claim that it must coordinate PM’s testimony with him

The Jerusalem District Court rejects the claims of Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana that it must coordinate with him when setting the dates for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s testimony in court for his criminal trial.

In its ruling, the court says that the law Ohana referred to in his filing related to an MK giving testimony as a witness, not a defendant.

Since Netanyahu is the defendant in the trial in question the court was not required to consult with the Knesset speaker, the judges rule.

They also point out that after an MK’s immunity from prosecution has been removed, or in Netanyahu’s case since it was never granted by the Knesset in the first place, the prime minister’s standing before the court is like any other person under indictment, meaning Ohana’s claims were not relevant.

The Knesset legal adviser had made similar arguments in her submission to the court earlier in the day.

Netanyahu is now scheduled to begin his testimony in an underground room in the Tel Aviv District Court this Tuesday at 10 a.m.

In a separate decision, the court agrees to push back Netanyahu’s testimony on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 14:30 as the prime minister had requested.

Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña is set to attend a ceremony at the Knesset on Wednesday which Netanyahu would have missed if he had needed to start his testimony at 10 a.m. as scheduled, something Ohana mentioned in his filing to the court.

Lapid: Israel should avoid ‘unnecessary statements’ that push Syria’s new leadership ‘onto different path’

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid says Israel must approach the “complex” situation in Syria “with care and responsibility,” and warns Israeli officials against “unnecessary statements that could push the new Syrian government onto a different path.”

He clarifies that he supports the expansion of an Israeli buffer zone along the Syrian border “until the situation becomes clear,” but says that at the same time, Israel must work to build a regional coalition against the Iranian axis.”

Israel warns residents of Syrian border villages to ‘stay home’ as IDF pushes into buffer zone

An Israeli soldier takes a position in the Golan Heights, near the border with Syria, on December 8, 2024. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)

The IDF issues an “urgent warning” to residents of several southern Syrian villages close to the Israeli border, as troops push into a buffer zone between Israel and Syria.

“The fighting in your area is forcing the IDF to act and we do not intend to harm you,” Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman says on X.

“For your safety, you must stay at home and not go out until further notice,” he adds.

The warning is issued to residents of Ofaniya, Quneitra, al-Hamidiyah, Samdaniya al-Gharbiyya and al-Qahtaniyah, all close to the Israeli border.

#عاجل ‼️ تحذير عاجل الى السكان في جنوب سوريا في القرى والبلدات التالية:

????أوفانية
????القنيطرة
????الحميدية
????الصمدانية الغربية
????القحطانية

القتال داخل منطقتكم يجبر جيش الدفاع على التحرك ولا ننوي المساس بكم.

من أجل سلامتكم عليكم البقاء في منازلكم وعدم الخروج حتى إشعار آخر pic.twitter.com/nvY95182j5

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) December 8, 2024

Thousands attend peaceful march against antisemitism in London

Protesters attend a march against antisemitism in London, UK, December 8, 2024. (Campaign Against Antisemitism)

A demonstration in downtown London calls on authorities “to match their rhetoric with action against antisemitism and extremism.”

Thousands of participants joined the march, organized by the Campaign Against Antisemitism organization, as it paraded from the Royal Courts of Justice to Parliament Square.

Organizers stress that the demonstration was peaceful, in contrast to the violence that has been observed at anti-Israel protests.

“This is how the Jewish community and its friends march,” the organization writes on social media.

“On this march, there are no violent attempts to gain access to Downing Street or desecration of national monuments, there are no masks or glorification of terrorism, no fireworks or racist rhetoric,” it writes. “This is what a real peaceful march looks like.”

Katz: Fall of Assad is a ‘severe blow to Iranian axis of evil’

The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has dealt “a severe blow to the Iranian axis of evil,” Defense Minister Israel Katz says on a visit to Israel’s border with Syria.

“The octopus tentacles are being cut off one by one,” he says, referring to Iran’s influence over the Middle East via proxy groups, which include Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

Vowing that the communities in Israel’s Golan Heights will remain safe amid the developments across the border in Syria, Katz says Israel is “determined not to allow a return to the situation of October 6 – not in the Golan Heights or anywhere else.”

נפילת אסד היא מכה קשה לציר הרשע האיראני, ששם לעצמו מטרה להביא להשמדתה של מדינת ישראל.

זרועות התמנון נגדעות בזו אחר זו.

אנחנו באנו לכאן כדי לומר בבירור שאנחנו נחושים להקנות ביטחון ליישובי רמת הגולן.

הנחינו את צה"ל, ראש הממשלה ואני, באישור הקבינט, לתפוס את אזור החיץ ונקודות… pic.twitter.com/PmlEtrvQS2

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) December 8, 2024

Yemen’s president welcomes fall of Assad, says it’s time for Iran to stop ‘meddling in Yemen’

Yemen President Rashad al-Alimi speaks during a plenary session at the COP28 UN Climate Summit, Friday, December 1, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

The head of Yemen’s internationally recognized government welcomes the fall of the government of President Bashar Assad of Syria.

“It’s a historic moment,” Rashad al-Alimi, who chairs the ruling presidential council, writes on X platform of Assad’s downfall. “It’s time for the Iranian regime to stop meddling in Yemen, respect its sovereignty and identity.”

Al-Alimi, who is backed by Saudi Arabia, is referring to Iran’s support of the Houthi rebels who have been at war with Yemen’s internationally recognized government for a decade.

Syrian and Arab media report fresh Israeli strikes in Damascus

Syrian and Arab media report fresh Israeli airstrikes in Damascus a short while ago.

According to Al Jazeera, explosions are reported at the Mezzeh airbase, the Kafr Sousa suburb of Damascus and a central square in the capital which includes intelligence and customs headquarters.

نشوب حرائق كبيرة بعد قصف طيران الاحتلال الإسرائيلي المربع الأمني الذي يضم مباني المخابرات والجمارك في دمشق. pic.twitter.com/6BkIwxjOY9

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) December 8, 2024

Sa’ar calls to postpone PM’s testimony in criminal trial, citing ‘developments in Syria’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) shakes hands with New Hope leader Gideon Sa'ar after the latter announces his reentry into government, September 29, 2024. (Chaim Tzach/GPO)

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar calls for Benjamin Netanyahu’s testimony in his criminal trial to be postponed, writing to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara that the prime minister’s request to do so was “reasonable” in light of recent events on Israel’s borders.

“As someone who sits in cabinet meetings, you are familiar with the security situation, including the recent dramatic developments in Syria,” Sa’ar writes.

“At this time, a heavy responsibility rests on the government and even more so on the prime minister. The state’s interest is to take this into account and allow optimal functioning for the good of the state and its security.”

Netanyahu is due to take the stand on Tuesday, after the Jerusalem District Court rejected his request, due to the ongoing wars, to testify two days a week instead of three.

Families of hostages say PM told them ‘time is ripe’ for a deal

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the families of the Gaza hostages earlier today that “the time is ripe” for a deal to release their loved ones, the families say in a joint statement following the first meeting with the premier in several months.

The meeting was attended by Malki Shem-Tov, father of Omer Shem-Tov; Sharon Sharabi, brother of Eli and Yossi Sharabi; Shir Siegal, daughter of Keith Siegal; Lishay Lavi Miran, wife of Omri Miran; Udi Goren, cousin of Oct. 7 victim Tal Chaimi whose body is in Gaza; and Gil Dickmann, cousin of slain hostage Carmel Gat.

During the meeting, the families say they called on the prime minister to “act now for the release of all the hostages, both the living and the dead,” and stressed that all the captives must be released for humanitarian reasons.

“The prime minister told us that he too understands that the hostages will only return through a deal, and that he is ready for a ceasefire to promote the release of the hostages. What worked in the north will work in the south,” they say, referring to the ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

According to the families, Netanyahu “noted that there are reasons for optimism” regarding the viability of a deal. “We called on him not to miss the opportunities as may have happened in the past,” they say.

They say that the premier also reassured them that the considerations of his coalition would not influence the negotiating process, calling the idea “nonsense.”

“We understand from the prime minister that he recognizes significant progress in the ability to reach a deal,” the families say. “We hope to hear about progress in the coming days.

Israeli Air Force captures Syrian side of Mount Hermon, located within buffer zone, without resistance

The Syrian side of Mount Hermon was captured by the Israeli Air Force’s elite Shaldag Unit.

The troops did not face any resistance during the operation.

The IDF earlier today said it was deploying forces to the buffer zone between Israel and Syria, which also includes the Mount Hermon area.

Syrian rebel leader Golani arrives in Damascus after ousting of Assad

Syria’s rebels say the leader of Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has arrived in Damascus, hours after fighters took the capital and said they ousted President Bashar al-Assad.

Identifying him by his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, the statement on Telegram says he “knelt down” on the ground after arriving in the Syrian capital. A video shows him kneeling in a field and bringing his head to the ground.

Ahmad Al-Sharaa (Jolani) arrives to Damascus after the Assad regime fell. pic.twitter.com/ADsU99FRoh

— Mazen Hassoun (@HassounMazen) December 8, 2024

Saudi report: Israeli forces take over Syrian side of Mount Hermon

The Saudi Al Hadath outlet reports that Israeli forces have taken over the Syrian side of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights.

The IDF earlier today said it was deploying forces to the buffer zone between Israel and Syria, though it hasn’t commented on the specific deployments.

Visiting Syria border, Netanyahu claims credit for process that led to Assad’s fall

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, tours Mount Bental on Israel's border with Syria along with military officers and Defense Minister Israel Katz, left, on December 8, 2024. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims credit for starting the chain of events that led to the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria.

“This is a historic day in the history of the Middle East,” says Netanyahu during a visit to Mount Bental on Israel’s border with Syria. “The Assad regime is a central link in Iran’s axis of evil — this regime has fallen. ”

“This is a direct result of the blows we have inflicted on Iran and Hezbollah, the main supporters of the Assad regime,” Netanyahu argues, referencing the 14 months of combat against Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies since October 7 of last year.

“This has created a chain reaction throughout the Middle East of all those who want to be free from this oppressive and tyrannical regime,” he adds.

Netanyahu warns that alongside new opportunities, the flight of Assad from Syria also brings risks.

“We are acting first and foremost to protect our border,” says the premier. “This area has been controlled for nearly 50 years by a buffer zone agreed upon in 1974, the Separation of Forces Agreement. This agreement has collapsed, the Syrian soldiers have abandoned their positions.”

Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF to seize the buffer zone yesterday, he says, adding that Israel will not allow any hostile forces to set up on the border.

He hearkens back to the “Good Neighbor” policy Israel pursued at the height of the Syrian civil war, saying that Israel will pursue a similar policy of giving humanitarian aid to Syrian civilians while avoiding taking an active part in internal conflicts. “Hundreds of Syrian children were born here in Israel,” he says.

Netanyahu stresses that Israel is also extending a hand in peace to Druze, Kurds, Christians and Muslims in Syria.

Syrian rebel leader Golani says no room for turning back, ‘the future is ours’

Rebel commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani says in a statement read on Syria’s state TV after his forces took over Damascus that there is no room for turning back and the group is determined to continue the path they started in 2011 during the Arab Spring.

“The future is ours,” al-Golani’s statement says.

IDF says large Hamas terror tunnel found, demolished in Gaza’s Jabalia

A Hamas tunnel found by troops in northern Gaza's Jabalia, in a handout photo issued by the military on December 8, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

A Hamas tunnel that spanned several hundred meters in northern Gaza’s Jabalia was recently demolished by combat engineers, the IDF says.

The operation to demolish the tunnel was carried out by the Gaza Division’s combat engineering unit and the elite Yahalom unit.

During the operation, dozens of booby-trapped tunnel shafts and numerous explosive devices in the area were destroyed, the military says.

According to the IDF, the several-hundred-meter-long tunnel was used by Hamas operatives to attack troops in Gaza. The military says troops found RPGs hidden inside the tunnel, which also featured blast doors and several rooms to reside in.

The IDF says the troops also encountered Hamas operatives who emerged from the tunnel and fired anti-tank projectiles during the operation. The operatives were eliminated in an airstrike and from fire from the ground, the IDF adds.

IDF troops demolish a Hamas tunnel in northern Gaza’s Jabalia, in a video issued by the military on December 8, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

Herzog decries coalition’s planned divisive judicial bills – ‘touching on our democracy, risking our cohesion’

President Isaac Herzog speaks at an event marking one year since hostages were released from Gaza during a one-week ceasefire with the Hamas terror group, at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, November 24, 2024. (Haim Zach/GPO)

President Isaac Herzog slams the government’s upcoming legislative agenda, stating that he is “very worried about the wave of legislation” being advanced by the coalition, in a speech at a memorial ceremony for former prime minister David Ben Gurion in southern Israel.

“This wave of legislation in the Knesset touches our democratic foundations — from the courts, to the judicial system, to law enforcement, to civil rights in elections and in general, to the independence of the media, academia and so on,” he states.

Herzog calls on elected officials and political leaders to “lower the flames and do everything to reach understandings and agreements,” rather than pushing through far-reaching measures without a responsible and reasoned discourse.

“Any irresponsible shaking up of the delicate democratic fabric that we have built here; any uncautious busying with our most foundational core issues; any unnecessary unstitching of Israeli statehood and cohesion – especially now, in the midst of the war – are a threat to our national resilience and our unity.”

Critics have pointed to a number of controversial legislative initiatives by the coalition — including moves to allow the Knesset to appoint the state ombudsman for judges and allow the justice minister to determine the rate of bar association membership dues — as evidence that it seeks to revive the judicial overhaul agenda frozen at the beginning of the war in Gaza.

Additional recent legislative initiatives include bills to grant the government oversight of television ratings data and privatize the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation and Army Radio, moves that are seen as targeting outlets critical of the government and benefitting a channel that staunchly supports it.

Gantz says more pressure needed to free Syria and Lebanon from Iranian influence

National Unity chairman Benny Gantz says that now is the “time to free Lebanon and Syria” from Iran, now that Tehran has been weakened over 14 months of war against it and its proxies.

Addressing reporters alongside regional council chairman Uri Kellner in the Golan Heights along the Syrian border, Gantz says that the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria marks a “strategic turning point in the entire Middle East.”

Israel has long prepared defensive infrastructure in the north against the Syrian military threat and now it needs to “strengthen the defense of the communities themselves and the buffer zone, and monitor developments,” Gantz says.

“But no less important than that, we need to look beyond Syria. Iran is no longer a reliable supporter [of regional proxies], Hezbollah has been severely damaged and [Iran’s] influence has been weakening both in Lebanon and in Syria. We need to continue the pressure on it and for local actors in both Syria and Lebanon to free themselves from the Iranian yoke,” Gantz continues, adding that “in the long term, it will be possible to expand the Abraham Accords in order to establish a buffer against Iran.”

The Abraham Accords was a series of normalization agreements between Israel and Arab countries in the region. Efforts have long been underway to have Saudi Arabia join as well.

France’s Macron hails fall of ‘barbaric’ Assad regime in Syria

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s “barbaric state” in Syria, and sends wishes of peace to the war-torn nation’s people.

“The barbaric state has fallen. At last,” Macron writes on X. “I pay tribute to the Syrian people, to their courage, to their patience. In this moment of uncertainty, I send them my wishes for peace, freedom and unity.”

Preparing for deal, Hamas tells fellow Gazan terror groups to identify hostages they hold

Sources within various Palestinian terror groups in Gaza say that Hamas has told them to compile information on the hostages they hold in preparation for a ceasefire and hostage deal with Israel.

Hamas has told factions including Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front and the Popular Resistance Committees to prepare information such as whether their hostages are alive or dead, the sources tell AFP.

It is believed that 96 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas in the October 7, 2023, onslaught remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF. Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.

Qatar’s prime minister said yesterday that there was renewed “momentum” for a ceasefire and hostage release deal following the election of Donald Trump in the United States.

A Hamas source told AFP there had been “intensified contacts” recently between Hamas and Qatari, Egyptian and Turkish mediators, and that the group expects a new round of talks in Cairo “will begin in the coming days.”

The same source called on Israel to halt the war, claiming the presence of its forces made it “difficult to reach all the captive groups to know the details of the living and dead prisoners.”

Israel has long said it won’t halt fighting without the return of all hostages and the defeat of Hamas as a military and governing force in Gaza.

Despite AG’s objection, cabinet set to not extend civil service commissioner’s term

Daniel Hershkowitz, head of the Civil Service Commission at the Health Ministry, Jerusalem, January 12, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The cabinet is due to mark the end of Civil Service Commissioner Daniel Hershkowitz’s tenure during its next meeting tomorrow amidst an ongoing struggle over the appointment of his replacement.

While Hershkowitz’s term was extended in early September until December 12 or until another permanent commissioner could be appointed, he is leaving office without a successor and the government is only expected to appoint a temporary placeholder commissioner.

This is due to a recent High Court of Justice decision to freeze the appointment of his replacement as a result of the ongoing legal battle over the procedure for appointing the next civil service commissioner. In August, the government approved a measure allowing Netanyahu to directly nominate the next commissioner, rather than using a search committee.

Responding to High Court petitions on the matter, Baharav-Miara has argued that the plan is illegal and “creates a new situation whereby the prime minister will be able to choose a person he wishes to be appointed to the position who does not have to meet minimum professional threshold conditions of experience, skills or suitability.”

Baharav-Miara’s office has told the Prime Minister’s Office that it supports extending Hershkowitz’s term until the matter is resolved.

Recent hostage clips signal Hamas wants comprehensive deal, says Israeli official

The two recent hostage videos released by Hamas — of Matan Zangauker and Edan Alexander — lead Israel to believe that the Palestinian terror group is looking for a comprehensive deal to free all captives, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.

Both young men are not in the “humanitarian” category, and as such would not have been released in the partial release proposal that was discussed last week.

There are low-level talks about the hostages all the time, says the official, but a senior official delegation will only be sent to Cairo if Israel sees that there is real progress.

Now that there is some positive movement toward a deal, says the official, Qatar is trying to “get back into the spotlight” and be in the position to take credit for a hostage release and ceasefire.

Israeli officials: Early to assess Assad fall’s impact since many rebels ‘are basically al-Qaeda’

Explaining Israel’s approach to the end of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel that it’s too early to say exactly what the dramatic development means for the Jewish state.

“At the moment, the Iranian regime has been significantly weakened,” says the official. “But many of the rebels are basically al-Qaeda.”

“The historic events are a chain reaction to the pounding of Hamas, the decimation of Hezbollah and, most importantly, the targeting of Nasrallah and exposing Iran’s vulnerability,” a second official, from the Prime Minister’s Office, says. “Israel wants peace with all those who truly want peace with Israel.”

For now, Israel is trying to limit its involvement so that it can focus on Iran, explains the first official.

Assad’s Damascus home looted

Dozens of Syrians explore ousted president Bashar al-Assad’s luxurious Damascus home after it was looted, following the fall of the capital to rebel forces.

Women, children and men can be seen inspecting the six-story home and its large garden, with the entrance to the residence burnt down and the rooms completely empty, save some furniture and a portrait of Assad thrown on the floor.

Bashar Al Assad's home being looted. pic.twitter.com/TeBLGwYC5T

— 5Pillars (@5Pillarsuk) December 8, 2024

Watch: Inside the private residence of Syrian President Bashar al Assad hours after he fled the country.

Live updates: https://t.co/OTbVB2OuQS

???? Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/1IP93whGU2

— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 8, 2024

Syrian rebels announce curfew in Damascus starting 4 p.m. local time until 5 a.m.

Newly in power, Syria’s rebel forces announce a curfew in Damascus starting at 4 p.m. local time until 5 a.m. Wednesday.

Russia claims Assad has left office and fled Syria, but doesn’t say where he is

The Russian foreign ministry says Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has left office and departed the country after giving orders there be a peaceful handover of power.

In a statement, the ministry does not say where Assad is now and says Russia did not take part in the talks around his departure.

It says Russia’s military bases in Syria have been put on a state of high alert, but that there is no serious threat to them at the current time.

It says Moscow is in touch with all Syrian opposition groups and urges all sides to refrain from violence.

Hezbollah pulled all forces out of Syria yesterday, Lebanese security sources say

Lebanese terror group Hezbollah withdrew all of its forces from Syria yesterday as rebel factions approached the capital Damascus, two Lebanese security sources tell Reuters.

One of the sources says the supervising forces that Hezbollah deployed to Syria overnight between Thursday and Friday were sent to oversee the pullback.

Multiple Israeli strikes reported on airbases in southern Syria

Syrian media reports Israeli airstrikes in the Daraa and Suwayda areas in southern Syria, not far from the Israeli border, as well as at the Mezzeh airbase near the capital Damascus.

According to the reports, the strikes targeted ammunition and weapons depots at the Khalkhalah airbase in Suwayda, several sites in the Daraa Governorate and the Mezzeh airbase.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF.

Earlier, the military said it was tracking weapons in Syria and working to prevent them from reaching Hezbollah or any other elements that could threaten Israel.

#شام #عاجل :: غارات جوية اسرائيلية تستهدف عدة مواقع في الجنوب السوري وأيضا في مطار المزة العسكري، تستهدف بغالبها مستودعات للذخيرة والأسلحة. pic.twitter.com/KvZnksRQ5p

— شبكة شام الإخبارية (@ShaamNetwork) December 8, 2024

مراسلنا: مطار خلخلة تعرض لغارات جوية أدت لاتفجارات عنيفة داخل المطار ويرجح أنها استهدفت مستودعات داخل المطار pic.twitter.com/JOKpiFWI3u

— السويداء 24 (@suwayda24) December 8, 2024

Lebanese army boosts forces in northern, eastern borders amid chaos in Syria

The Lebanese Army says it has deployed reinforced units to the northern and eastern borders in response to the current situation in Syria.

IDF troops continue finding Hezbollah weapons, destroying terror tunnels

A truck-mounted multiple rocket launcher found by IDF troops in southern Lebanon, in a handout photo issued on December 8, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon amid the ceasefire continue to find Hezbollah weaponry, the military says.

The IDF says soldiers of the 7th Armored Brigade stationed in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon have located a truck-mounted multiple rocket launcher.

The troops also found hundreds of anti-tank missiles, mortars, grenades and other weapons in several arms caches, according to the IDF. Several Hezbollah tunnels were also demolished amid the operations.

Turkish source claims Syrian rebels close to defeating Kurdish forces in north

Turkey-backed Syrian forces have taken control of some 80% of northern Syria’s Manbij area and are close to victory against Kurdish forces there, a Turkish security source claims.

“The fight against the YPG/PKK is very close to victory. Both air and land interventions are ongoing to take Manbij from the hands of the YPG/PKK,” the source says, referring to the Kurdish militia which has long been in control of Manbij.

Knesset legal adviser rebuffs Ohana’s claim that court must coordinate PM’s testimony with him

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana attends a plenum session on the appointment of Israel Katz as defense minister and Gideon Sa'ar as foreign minister at the Knesset in Jerusalem, November 7, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Despite Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana’s claims to the contrary, there is no legal requirement to coordinate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming testimony in his criminal trial with Ohana, according to Knesset legal adviser Sagit Afik.

Afik’s stance, delivered in a nine-page-long legal opinion submitted to the Jerusalem District Court, comes in response to Ohana’s allegation on Friday that failing to coordinate with him was a breach of the separation of powers.

Ohana’s accusation came after the court on Thursday rejected Netanyahu’s request, due to the ongoing wars, to testify two days a week instead of three. Netanyahu’s testimony is set to start on Tuesday.

Citing the Knesset Members (Immunity, Rights and Duties) Law, Ohana said in a letter to judiciary director Judge Tzachi Uziel that the court was required to seek the Knesset speaker’s consent for the timing of any lawmaker’s testimony.

In its response, Afik’s office states that in cases in which lawmakers are defendants, there is no need for such consultation, although this would not apply to any additional MKs who are not defendants and who may be required to testify later in Netanyahu’s trial.

Turkey says Syrians can’t rebuild country on their own, new administration must be inclusive

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says Syria’s new administration must be inclusive because the Syrian people will now determine their future after the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad by rebels.

Islamist Syrian rebels declared Assad’s ouster after seizing control of Damascus today, ending his family’s iron-fisted rule after more than 13 years of civil war in a seismic moment for the Middle East.

In a press conference in Doha, Fidan says Syrian people are not in a position to rebuild on their own and that international actors and regional powers have to act with prudence and preserve its territorial integrity, warning that “terrorist organizations” must not be allowed to take advantage of the situation.

Asked about the whereabouts of Assad, Fidan says he cannot comment on the issue but that he believes he is out of Syria. He also says Turkey had no contact with Assad despite a call from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to hold normalization talks.

Russian lawmaker: Syrians must face full-scale civil war by themselves

Syrians will have to cope with a full-scale civil war alone, Konstantin Kosachyov, deputy chairman of Russia’s upper house of parliament, says according to the Interfax news agency.

Syrian rebels have announced on state television that they have ousted President Bashar al-Assad, eliminating a 50-year family dynasty in a lightning offensive that raises the specter of a new wave of instability in a Middle East gripped by war.

Russia, a staunch Assad ally, intervened decisively in 2015 to prop him up during Syria’s civil war, which began in 2011.

Russian war bloggers have raised fears about the fate of two strategically important Russian military facilities in Syria.

Syrians in Berlin celebrate the downfall of Assad’s government

Hundreds of Syrians take to the streets to celebrate the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government.

Some cheer and rejoice in front of a Syrian bakery on the German capital’s Sonnenallee boulevard in the neighborhood of Neukoelln, famous for its many Arabic stores, restaurants and coffee shops.

People wave flags emblazoned with “Free Syria” while others flock in motorcades, according to German news agency dpa.

Many, originally from Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, live in Neukoelln.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians fled the civil war in their home country and reached Germany by crossing the Mediterranean on flimsy rubber boats and trekking up the Balkan, often for days and weeks by foot.

Lebanese media reports deaths, injuries in IDF strike on house

Lebanese media outlets report an Israeli drone strike against a house in the village of Dibbine in southern Lebanon, close to Marjayoun.

The reports say there are several fatalities and injuries in the strike.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF.

Syrian sources say Assad may have been killed in plane crash during escape

This handout picture provided by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on November 11, 2023, shows Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attending an emergency meeting of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in Riyadh. (Saudi Press Agency/AFP)

A Syrian airplane took off from Damascus airport around the time the capital was reported to have been taken by Syria’s rebels, according to data from the Flightradar website, suggesting ousted president Bashar al-Assad may have been onboard.

The aircraft initially flew towards Syria’s coastal region, a stronghold of Assad’s Alawite sect, but then made an abrupt U-turn and flew in the opposite direction for a few minutes before disappearing off the map.

Reuters has not been able to ascertain who was on board.

Two Syrian sources say there is a very high probability that Assad may have been killed in a plane crash as it was a mystery why the plane took a surprise U-turn and disappeared off the map.

Developing:

A Syrian IL-76T coming from Damascus lost fast altitude near Homs and possibly crashed west of that city. There are rumors that it was Assad‘s plane. pic.twitter.com/K6IvQILlsw

— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) December 8, 2024

IDF says it has killed some 25 Hezbollah members who violated Lebanon ceasefire

Since the start of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the IDF says it has killed some 25 Hezbollah operatives who were violating the truce.

Several dozen Hezbollah positions were also hit since the ceasefire took effect. Under the agreement, Hezbollah must withdraw from southern Lebanon.

The IDF is still deployed to southern Lebanon, and it has until late January to withdraw under the ceasefire deal. During that time, the Lebanese army will gradually take responsibility for southern Lebanon and an American-led committee that will adjudicate complaints regarding potential ceasefire violations will be established.

IDF declares closed military zones on Israeli side of border with Syria

View from northern Israel of the border with Syria, December 8, 2024. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)

The IDF has imposed closed military zones in the Golan Heights on the Israeli side of the border with Syria, as it beefs up defenses following the fall of the Assad regime.

The military says agricultural areas near Merom Golan, Ein Zivan, Buq’ata and Khirbet Ein Hura will be off-limits for civilians until the end of the month.

Farmers will be allowed to enter some areas within the closed zones “for periods of a few hours, based on military necessity” and in coordination with the IDF.

Meanwhile, the IDF Home Front Command has ruled that schools in the four Druze communities in the northern Golan Heights — Buq’ata, Ein Qiniye, Mas’ade and Majdal Shams — will carry out studies online. Daycares will still operate as usual in those towns.

IDF: Buffer zone deployment coordinated with UN, will go on until things are clear in Syria

Israeli soldiers near the border with Syria, December 8, 2024. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)

The Israeli military says its deployment of troops to the buffer zone between Israel and Syria is a temporary measure, but it may end up staying there for a long time depending on the developments.

The IDF is on high alert in the Golan Heights, and early this morning deployed forward defenses in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria.

The military says it will remain there until things are clear in Syria.

The deployment is being carried out in coordination with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which is tasked with the buffer zone. UNDOF members are currently staying in their positions.

Israel has sent warnings to the rebel forces in southern Syria not to approach the buffer zone. Yesterday, the IDF intervened with artillery fire to repel gunmen who tried to attack a UN post near Hader.

The IDF says it is following the developments in Syria, but without getting involved.

The military is also tracking weapons in Syria and working to prevent them from reaching Hezbollah or any other elements that could threaten Israel.

US official Shapiro: American military presence will continue in eastern Syria

Dan Shapiro, a deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, says American deployment in eastern Syria will continue, explaining that the US presence is “solely to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS and has nothing to do with other aspects of this conflict,” using an acronym for the Islamic State group.

“We call on all parties in Syria to protect civilians, particularly those from Syria’s minority communities, to respect international military norms and to work to achieve a resolution to include the political settlement,” Shapiro says.

“Multiple actors in this conflict have a terrible track record to include Assad’s horrific crimes, Russia’s indiscriminate aerial bomb bombardment, Iranian-back militia involvement and the atrocities of ISIS.”

Shapiro, however, is careful not to directly say Assad has been deposed by the insurgents.

“If confirmed, no one should shed any tears over the Assad regime,” he adds.

Inspired by Assad’s fall, Yemeni minister says Iran-backed Houthis can be ousted too

Moammar al-Eryani, information minister of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, says Iran’s “expansionist project, which used sectarian militias as tools to complete the Persian Crescent, sow chaos, undermine the sovereignty of states … is collapsing,” as rebel groups take over the Syrian capital, Damascus.

He also expresses hope that Yemenis will drive out the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of the country’s north in 2014.

“The Yemenis, with their wisdom and steadfastness, are able to thwart the plans of Iran and its Houthi tool to violate their land and tamper with their destiny, just as those plans failed in Syria and Lebanon,” he writes on social media platform X.

UN envoy voices ‘cautious hope’ for Syria at its ‘watershed moment’

The UN special envoy to Syria says the country is at “a watershed moment,” after Islamist-led rebels declared they have taken Damascus, sending President Bashar al-Assad fleeing and ending five decades of Baath rule.

Describing nearly 14 years of civil war in Syria as a “dark chapter [that] has left deep scars,” Geir Pedersen says in a statement that “today we look forward with cautious hope to the opening of a new one — one of peace, reconciliation, dignity and inclusion for all Syrians.”

After they collaborated to oust Assad, Syrian rebels say they’re attacking Kurdish forces in north

Syrian rebels say they have started an attack on Kurdish-led forces in the northern Syrian town of Manbij, according to a statement posted today — but dated yesterday — on X by the Defense Ministry of the Syrian Interim Government.

The Islamist rebels collaborated with the Kurds to overthrow the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, but now appear to have rapidly turned on each other.

Iraq evacuates embassy in Syria, moves staff to Lebanon

Iraq has evacuated its embassy in Syria and moved staff to Lebanon, the Iraqi state news agency reports, hours after rebels overthrew President Bashar al-Assad and took control of the capital.

Reasons behind the evacuation are not made public.

Rebels storm Iranian embassy in Damascus, rip banner of Nasrallah and Soleimani

Iran’s embassy is stormed by Syrian rebels following their capture of Damascus, Iran’s English-language Press TV reports.

Footage on social media shows a banner of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and slain Iranian Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani after it was defaced by the crowd.

#BREAKING Iran’s embassy in Damascus is being stormed by protesters
pic.twitter.com/0PYznrFQTw

— Guy Elster (@guyelster) December 8, 2024

Syrian rebel coalition says it is working to hand power to transitional governing body

The Syrian rebel coalition says it is continuing work to complete the transfer of power in Syria to a transitional governing body with full executive powers.

“The great Syrian revolution has moved from the stage of struggle to overthrow the Assad regime to the struggle to build a Syria together that befits the sacrifices of its people,” it adds in a statement.

Netanyahu to meet hostage families today, in first such meeting in 3 months

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet today with families of hostages held in Gaza, the first such sit-down in over three months, according to Hebrew media.

In addition to relatives of captives from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents most families, the premier will also meet members of the Tikva Forum, which represents a hawkish minority of hostage families who have been significantly more supportive of Netanyahu’s handling of the war than the main forum has been.

Senior Emirati diplomat declines to answer if Assad was heading to UAE

Senior Emirati diplomat Anwar Gargash dismisses a question directly asking him if ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad was going to the United Arab Emirates, saying it was a “footnote in history,” without answering.

There has been speculation Assad could flee to the UAE, where his extended family is known to own properties in Dubai. Flight-tracking data showed private jets moving yesterday between Damascus, Syria and the UAE.

Gargash is speaking at the International Institute of Strategic Studies’ Manama Dialogue in Bahrain.

Trump claims Assad fled Syria after losing Russia’s support

US President-elect Donald Trump says Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had “fled his country” after losing the backing of Russia.

“Assad is gone,” he says on his Truth Social platform. “His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer.”

Minister says Netanyahu’s court testimony must be delayed in light of Syria upheaval

Education Minister Yoav Kisch says that in light of the strategic uncertainty created by the Assad regime’s fall in Syria, he is calling on the Jerusalem District Court to rethink its decision to start Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s testimony in his corruption trial on Tuesday.

Kisch tweets that the testimony should be delayed by three months, adding that “in light of the dramatic changes, insisting on holding the hearing at this time would be wrong and impractical.”

Reports: Assad fled Damascus planning to fly to Russia; unclear if he left Syria

Multiple Israeli news outlets cite official saying they don’t know where ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad is and whether he has left the country.

Channel 12 cites unnamed Israeli officials saying it is not certain Assad has fled Syria.

The Walla news site says that according to an Israeli official, Assad flew last night from Damascus to Russia’s Hmeimim airbase, intending to continue from there to Moscow. A US official is cited by the outlet as saying the US spotted Assad leaving the capital and “we believed he was planning to escape to Russia.”

However, there are no current indications the Assad has left Syria.

Syrian PM calls for free elections, says he’s in touch with rebel leader as contact with Assad lost

Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Jalali says Syria should hold free elections to allow its people to decide their leadership.

In an interview with Al-Arabiya, Jalali also says he has been in contact with rebel commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani to discuss managing the current transitional period, marking a notable development in efforts to shape Syria’s political future.

Jalali adds that he doesn’t know the whereabouts of ousted president Bashar al-Assad and his defense minister, saying they lost communication last night.

Head of US-backed Kurdish-led forces hails Syrian regime’s fall

“This change presents an opportunity to build a new Syria based on democracy and justice that secures the rights of all Syrians,” Mazloum Abdi, the leader of the Syrian Democratic Forces, says in a written statement, praising the fall of the “authoritarian regime in Damascus.”

The Kurdish-led group has a significant presence in northeastern Syria, where they have clashed with the extremist Islamic State group and Turkey-backed militias over the years.

Despite regime’s fall, Syrian army says it’s operating against ‘terrorist groups’ in key regions

The Syrian army says its forces are pressing ahead with military operations against “terrorist groups” in the countryside of Hama, Homs and Daraa, areas that have witnessed escalating clashes in recent days.

The statement comes after rebel forces announced on television they had freed Damascus and ousted President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

The Syrian army says there is a need for awareness of what it describes as a large-scale plot targeting the country, urging citizens to remain vigilant in defending Syria’s stability and sovereignty.

IDF says it entered Golan buffer zone to prevent Syrian gunmen from entering

The IDF confirms that it has taken up new positions in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights, following the fall of the Assad regime.

“The IDF has deployed troops in the buffer zone and in a number of areas that are necessary to defend, in order to ensure the security of the communities in the Golan Heights and the citizens of Israel,” the military says in a statement.

The move comes following a fresh assessment and “the possibility of gunmen entering the buffer zone,” the IDF says.

“We emphasize that the IDF does not intervene in the events taking place in Syria,” the military adds.

It marks the first time since the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement was signed that Israeli forces have taken up positions in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria. The IDF has entered the zone briefly on several occasions in the past.

The disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria concluded the Yom Kippur War.

Ra’am party fetes Assad’s fall, says Syrian refugees can return to help rebuild country

Israel’s Islamist Ra’am party and the affiliated Southern Branch of the Islamic Movement issue a statement welcoming the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s “dictatorial regime,” framing it as “a historic turning point in the Syrian people’s journey.”

The statement says the Syrian nation has made immense sacrifices to restore its honor after living “for decades under a tyrannical regime that served as a tool for persecution, killing, deportation and violation of rights.”

Ra’am adds that the developments are a ray of hope for millions of Syrian refugees worldwide to return to their homeland and help “build a new Syria that will highlight the values of liberty and human respect.”

IDF bolsters defenses in Golan, sets up positions in buffer zone with Syria

An IDF army tank is transported into position in the Golan Heights on December 7, 2024. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP)

The IDF’s 98th Division with the Paratroopers and Commando brigades has been dispatched to the Golan Heights as Israel bolsters its defenses on the border with Syria.

The move comes following the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria overnight.

Also early this morning, the IDF pushed into a buffer zone between Israel and Syria in the Golan and took up new positions.

The IDF declines to comment on the latest developments at this stage.

Over the weekend, amid the rebel offensive against the Syrian regime, the IDF said it sent more forces to the Golan Heights.

Lapid: Israel should form regional coalition with Saudis, Gulf to deal with instability

Following the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, Israel’s Opposition Leader Yair Lapid says it is “more important than ever to create a strong regional coalition, with Saudi Arabia and the Abraham Accords countries, do deal together with the regional instability.”

The countries that signed the Abraham Accords normalization deal with Israel are the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.

Lapid says that “the Iranian axis has been significantly weakened, and Israel should strive for a comprehensive diplomatic achievement” that will also help it deal with challenges in Gaza and the West Bank.

Minister says Israel should take over buffer zone with now-jihadist-controlled Syria

Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli of the ruling Likud party says Israel should take over the buffer zone with Syria that was established in 1974, warning of the ramifications of the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria.

“The events in Syria are far from being a reason for celebration,” Chikli tweets, arguing that the Islamist rebel forces have been rebranded and that, “bottom line, most of Syria is now controlled by subsidiaries of al-Qaeda and ISIS.”

The good news, he contends, is “the strengthening of the Kurds and the expansion of their rule in the country’s northeast (Deir Ezzor region).”

He asserts that “Israel should renew its control of the peak of the Hermon and establish a new defensive frontier on the basis of the 1974 disengagement line — we must not let jihadists entrench themselves near our communities.”

On state TV, Syrian rebels declare Damascus taken, Assad regime ousted, prisoners freed

Syrian rebels announce in a televised statement that they have freed Damascus and overthrown President Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year regime, adding that all prisoners have been released.

Assad, who had crushed all forms of dissent and jailed thousands, flew out of Damascus for an unknown destination earlier today, two senior army officers have told Reuters, as rebels entered the capital with no sign of army deployments.

Pro-Assad newspaper distances itself from fallen president: ‘We only carried out instructions’

Organizations that had previously been close to the government of Bashar al-Assad attempt to distance themselves after its rapid fall.

Syria’s al-Watan newspaper, historically pro-government, writes: “We are facing a new page for Syria. We thank God for not shedding more blood. We believe and trust that Syria will be for all Syrians.”

It adds that media workers should not be blamed for publishing government statements in the past.

“We only carried out the instructions and published the news they sent us,” it says. “It quickly became clear now that it was false.”

A statement from the Alawite sect — to which Assad belongs and which has formed the core of his base — calls on the youth to be “calm, rational and prudent and not to be dragged into what tears apart the unity of our country.”

“We were and still are advocates of peace and advocates of unity,” it says. It called for “the language of reason and dialogue to prevail over all parties in the service of Syria and its great people.”

Crowds of Syrians celebrate Assad’s ouster in central Damascus: ‘Damn his soul’

Crowds of Syrians have gathered to celebrate in the central squares of Damascus, chanting anti-Assad slogans and honking car horns. In some areas, celebratory gunshots ring out.

“My feelings are indescribable,” says Omar Daher, a 29-year-old lawyer. “After the fear that he [Bashar al-Assad] and his father made us live in for many years, and the panic and state of terror that I was living in, I can’t believe it.”

Daher says his father was killed by security forces and his brother is in detention, his fate unknown. Assad “is a criminal, a tyrant and a dog,” he says.

“Damn his soul and the soul of the entire Assad family,” says Ghazal al-Sharif, another reveler in central Damascus. “It is the prayer of every oppressed person and God answered it today.”

Syrian army command tells officers Assad rule has ended — source

Syria’s army command has notified officers that President Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year authoritarian rule has ended, a Syrian officer informed of the move tells Reuters, following a rapid rebel offensive that took the world by surprise.

Syrian rebels, who say Damascus is “now free of Assad,” are expected to broadcast their first statement to the Syrian people on state television, two rebel sources say.

Assad, who had crushed all forms of dissent, flew out of Damascus for an unknown destination earlier today, two senior army officers tell Reuters, as rebels say they have entered the capital with no sign of army deployments.

No changes to restrictions for Golan residents, army decides

There will be no changes to guidelines for residents of the Golan Heights, local authorities say, following a fresh assessment held by the military.

Earlier, Army Radio reported that the IDF was considering imposing restrictions on gatherings and schools following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria.

The Golan Regional Council in a statement to residents says that a decision has been made by the army to not change the restrictions.

The statement also tells citizens that sounds of explosions may be heard as Israeli forces carry out operations in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria.

Reports claim Israeli tanks crossing into Syria buffer zone

After the collapse of the Assad regime overnight, Syrian reports claim that Israeli tanks have crossed the border into Syria from the Golan Heights.

The unconfirmed reports say that Israeli forces pushed into the buffer zone in the Quneitra area, and launched artillery shelling in the area.

The IDF has not yet commented.

White House watching as Syrian regime seems to crumble

White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett says US President Joe Biden and his team are closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria and staying in constant touch with regional partners.

The last several hours have appeared to mark the stunning end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family in Syria, brought down by a lightning rebel offensive this week.

After reports that President Bashar al-Assad left the country for an undisclosed location, Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalili says the government is ready to “extend its hand” to the opposition and hand over its functions to a transitional government.

“I am in my house and I have not left, and this is because of my belonging to this country,” Jalili says in a video statement.

IDF shoots down missile fired from Yemen

The Israel Defense Forces says it shot down a missile fired from Yemen a short time ago.

The army says the projectile was intercepted before reaching Israeli airspace.

No sirens were activated.

It marks the second day in a row that missiles have been fired at Israel from Yemen.

Army to restrict activity in Golan over Syria worries — report

IDF troops with the 210th 'Bashan' Regional Division carry out engineering works on a barrier on the Israel-Syria border in the Golan Heights, in a handout photo issued on December 6, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

The Israel Defense Forces is reportedly set to announce tightened restrictions for a handful of towns near the Syrian border following the apparent fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime at the hands of Islamist rebels.

The restrictions mean that schools will be canceled in four Druze villages near the border, according to the report carried by Army Radio.

Lands adjacent to the border will be declared a closed military zone, meaning civilians will not be able to access it, including farmers attempting to tend their fields.

According to the report, roadblocks are also being set up around the Golan Heights, with traffic being limited as needed.

There is no confirmation from the military’s Home Front Command about the new rules.

Restrictions are already in place for much of the north and the northern Golan limiting gatherings and prohibiting schools in places where there is no bomb shelter.

Offering olive branch, Syrian PM says he’ll work with any leader backed by citizens

Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali says he is ready to “cooperate” with any leadership chosen by the people and for any handover process, after the apparent fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

“This country can be a normal country that builds good relations with its neighbors and the world… but this issue is up to any leadership chosen by the Syrian people. We are ready to cooperate with [that leadership] and offer all possible facilities,” Jalali says in a speech broadcast on his Facebook account.

Assad rule in Syria has ended, rebels say, as army appears to disband

A boy steps over pictures of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his late father, Hafez al-Assad, right, in Salamiyah, east of Hama, Syria, December 7, 2024. (AP/Ghaith Alsayed)

Syria’s army command has notified officers that President Bashar al-Assad’s rule has ended following a lightning rebel offensive, a Syrian officer who was informed of the move tells Reuters.

Syrian rebels also say Damascus is “now free of Assad,” calling on Syrians abroad to return to their newly freed country.

An Associated Press journalist in Damascus reports seeing groups of armed civilians along the road in the outskirts of the capital and hearing sounds of gunshots. The city’s main police headquarters appeared to be abandoned, its door left ajar with no officers outside, they say.

Another AP journalist shoots footage of an abandoned army checkpoint where uniforms are discarded on the ground under a poster of Assad’s face.

Syrian exile group celebrates Assad’s apparent exit from Damascus

The head of Syria’s main opposition group abroad Hadi al-Bahra Syrian says Damascus is now “without Bashar al-Assad”.

Assad flew out of Damascus for an unknown destination on Sunday, two senior army officers told Reuters, as rebels said they had entered the capital with no sign of army deployments.

Thousands in cars and on foot congregate at a main square in Damascus waving and chanting “Freedom,” witnesses say.

Video of people celebrating the fall of Assad in the heart of Damascus. It’s over. pic.twitter.com/MxaLSiPQ1J

— Liz Sly (@LizSly) December 8, 2024

Assad said to flee Damascus for unknown destination

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has boarded a plane and left Damascus for an unknown destination on Sunday, two senior army officers tell Reuters.

The report comes as rebels say they had entered the capital with no sign of army deployments.

There is no confirmation of the claim, which is also reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights opposition war monitor.

The New York Times reports that screen captures shared on social media purport to show only a single flight leaving Damascus as the rebels moved in. That flight went to Moscow.

Other footage appears to show chaos at the airport as staff and security leave their posts.

At Damascus Airport, Footage captures a scene of complete Chaos as Staff and Security Personnel suddenly vanish, leaving Travelers in a state of Panic, with many running in all directions. Meanwhile, Flights are abruptly Canceled, adding to the Confusion. pic.twitter.com/y2PXHLf1Sk

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) December 8, 2024

Australian PM says synagogue arson is ‘definition of terrorism’

Fire crew members and police officers work the scene of an arson attack at Adass Israel Synagogue in the suburb of Ripponlea, Melbourne, Australia, December 6, 2024. (Con Chronis/AAP Image via AP)

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says a deliberately lit fire in a Melbourne synagogue was an act of “terrorism” and warns about the “worrying rise in antisemitism” in the country.

Mask-wearing arsonists set the Adass Israel Synagogue in a Melbourne suburb of Ripponlea ablaze before dawn on Friday, gutting much of the building, though there were no serious injuries. Authorities are still on the hunt for the perpetrators.

Albanese says the fire at the synagogue was the “definition of terrorism”.

“There has been a worrying rise in antisemitism,” the prime minister tells reporters, adding that he would continue to “call it out.”

“Terrorism is something that is aimed at creating fear in the community and the atrocities that occurred at the synagogue in Melbourne clearly were designed to create fear in the community,” he says.

Australian police — who determine whether an incident is a terrorist act — will meet Monday to see if the fire meets the official criteria, as they continue to hunt down the two arsonists.

Conservative politicians and Jewish groups have criticized Albanese’s government for what they say is a failure to call out antisemitism, drawing a direct line to the government’s opposition to Israeli actions in Gaza and the West Bank.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton accuses Albanese of thinking “that by not taking a strong stance in relation to antisemitism, that somehow that will deliver him political benefit domestically.”

Insurgents claim to free inmates from large prison near Damascus

Syrian rebels say they are freeing inmates from a large military prison on the outskirts of Damascus where the Syrian government detained thousands.

“We celebrate with the Syrian people the news of freeing our prisoners and releasing their chains and announcing the end of the era of injustice in Sednaya prison,” the group says.

The insurgents say they have begun entering the capital without any sign of army deployments.

Rebels said to enter Damascus as army reportedly abandons airport

Rebel sources tell Reuters that insurgent forces have begun entering Damascus, with no sign so far of the Syrian army.

The Britain-based, pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, which relies on sources inside the country, says the Syrian military and other security forces have left Damascus airport in the face of the rebel advance.

The claims cannot be verified.

Hezbollah pulling forces out of Damascus outskirts, sending some to Latakia

Hezbollah is pulling its forces from the outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus, a source close to the Lebanese group says, as rebel fighters move in on the capital.

The source also confirms that Hezbollah fighters have retreated from Homs, a central city taken by the rebels hours earlier, with some being redeployed in the coastal Latakia region, where many think the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad will make its last stand should the rebels continue making gains.

The group “has instructed its fighters in recent hours to withdraw from the Homs area, with some heading to Latakia and others to the Hermel area in Lebanon,” the source tells AFP.

Fighting reported inside Damascus in possible start of rebel assault on capital

Syrian citizens walk in front of the building of the Syrian Central Bank in Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP/Omar Sanadiki)

Residents of Damascus report that rebels appear to have begun entering the city, seemingly marking the start of the most significant stage yet of the insurgents’ lightning blitz.

It was not immediately clear where was the source of the shooting, two residents who live in a residential area close to the center of the capital tell Reuters they heard intense sounds of shooting nearby.

In Barzeh, a neighborhood on Damascus’s north side, a resident tells CNN that fighting is already taking place between regime soldiers and rebel fighters.

“I saw rebel fighters moving through the inner alleys of Barzeh toward Police Club Street, and I can hear very loud sounds of clashes,” the resident is quoted saying.

A rebel source claims the city is all but fallen, and claims recon units ae already in the city searching for Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.

Rebel fighters have been massing near Damascus over the past day after the opposition force ran through major cities in central Syria, cutting access between the capital and Assad’s power base on the coast, where Russia maintains a major naval base.

Hezbollah retreats from key city on Syria-Lebanon border, in major blow to group

People inspect a bridge allegedly damaged in an Israeli strike near the Syrian village of Tall al-Nabi Mando, in the countryside of Qusayr on October 28, 2024. (Louai Beshara / AFP)

Lebanon’s pro-Iranian Hezbollah terror group has withdrawn from the Syrian city of Qusayr along the border with Lebanon shortly, before rebel forces seized it, Syrian army sources say.

The city had been a key holding for Hezbollah, which relies on a nearby crossing to smuggle Iranian weapons into Lebanon and fighters in and out of Syria since the terror group seized Qusayr in 2013 at the early phase of the Syrian conflict.

The Syrian sources tell Reuters at least 150 armored vehicles carrying hundreds of Hezbollah fighters left Qusayr in phases.

عاجل | المعارضة السورية المسلحة: سيطرنا على مدينة القصير بريف #حمص على الحدود مع #لبنان pic.twitter.com/jesnk5nAZb

— الجزيرة سوريا (@AJA_Syria) December 7, 2024

Israel, which has repeatedly hit Hezbollah weapons depots and underground fortifications it had built in the city, hit one of the convoys that was leaving, one source says, without elaborating.

Earlier, the Hezbollah-linked al-Manar network reported that Israeli planes had carried out an attack in the area Qusayr.

The Israel Defense Forces said Friday it had bombed several roads in the Qusayr area as part of a concerted campaign to stymie attempts to smuggle Iranian weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Top Biden official says US will not jump into Syrian fighting

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during a press conference at the US embassy in Beijing on August 29, 2024. (Adek Berry/AFP)

US President Joe Biden’s national security advisor says the country does not plan on getting involved in Syria’s civil war.

“The United States is not going to … militarily dive into the middle of a Syrian civil war,” Jake Sullivan tells an audience in California.

He adds that the US will keep acting as necessary to keep the Islamic State from exploiting openings presented by the fighting.

Sullivan points to rebels’ quick gains as proof of just how weak Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s patrons have become due to the recently concluded war in Lebanon and the invasion of Ukraine.

“Assad’s backers — Iran, Russia and Hezbollah — have all been weakened and distracted,” Sullivan tells the annual gathering of national security officials, defense companies and lawmakers at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.

“None of them are prepared to provide the kind of support to Assad that they provided in the past,” he adds.

Robert Wilkie, President-elect Donald Trump’s defense transition chief and a former secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, says during the same panel that the collapse of the “murderous Assad regime” would be a major blow to Iran’s power.

Loud explosions heard in several cities said to be from IDF operations in Gaza

Loud blasts reported across southern and central Israel were the result of military activity in northern Gaza, Hebrew media outlets report, citing the army.

The booms are reported as far away as the Jerusalem area and Tel Aviv, both of which are some 60 kilometers (38 miles) away.

Syrian rebels say Homs completely captured

Syrian rebel commander Hassan Abdul Ghany says insurgent forces have “fully liberated” Syria’s central city of Homs.

The announcement comes moments after Abu Mohammed al-Golani, leader of the Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former al Qaeda affiliate, said in a video message that the rebels were “in the final moments of liberating” Homs.

Homs is an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces that are the Syrian leader’s base of support. In Damascus, residents have described a city on edge, with security forces on the streets and many shops running out of staple foods.

Rebels enter Homs as Syrian soldiers flee; Western officials say Assad could be ousted in days

A Syrian opposition fighter holds a rocket launcher in front of the provincial government office, where an image of Syrian President Bashar Assad is riddled with bullets on the facade, in the aftermath of the opposition's takeover of Hama, Syria, December 6, 2024. (AP/Ghaith Alsayed)

Syrian rebel commander Hassan Abdul Ghany says that rebel forces have started entering the key city of Homs.

The rebels later say they have freed more than 3,500 inmates from the Homs military prison.

Security personnel from the main security headquarters in Homs are fleeing on motorcycles, residents tell Reuters.

The rebel advance suggests that Assad’s government could be on the verge of collapse, officials tell Reuters on condition of anonymity. One US official puts the potential timeframe at five to 10 days, while another says Assad could be ousted in the coming week. A Western official agreed with the latter assessment.