Orientul Mijlociu

TOL special operations units affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in coordination with the International Coalition to fight the Islamic State group, carried out a security operation in the countryside of Deir Ezzor (eastern Syria) on 7 December.

In a statement published on its official platforms on Tuesday, 9 December, the SDF said the operation resulted in the arrest of the Islamic State group’s “military emir”, codenamed “Abu Zubair/Sammak”, along with two members of his cell.

One of the keynote speakers at the conference [hosted by Turkey] was Khaled Mashaal, a senior Hamas leader based in Qatar.

Mashaal declared that the time has come for the Muslim nation to “commit to the liberation of Jerusalem.” He defined this act as the symbol and strategic key to “liberating all of Palestine” — meaning the destruction of Israel and replacing it with an Islamist state.

One year on from Assad’s fall, Syria is still grappling with the ruins of dictatorship, sectarian violence, and a fragile economic future, writes Shady Hamadi.

Violence in Homs raises questions over whether Syria’s new authorities can enforce the rule of law, or if the country risks reproducing patterns of warlordism

In late November and early December, the Syrian central city of Homs descended into a cycle of revenge killings and sectarian-coded attacks that exposed deep fractures in Syria’s nascent post-Bashar Al-Assad governance.

A leak of videos featuring Bashar Al-Assad has sparked outrage in Syria and beyond, with the latest revelation involving his Russian ally, Vladimir Putin.

Bashar Al-Assad mocked his Russian ally, President Vladimir Putin, according to a series of leaked videos where the former dictator shows his callous disregard for Syrians’ suffering.

Syrian soldiers chanted slogans in support of Gaza at a military parade on Monday in Damascus, as the country marked the first anniversary of fall of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Footage of the parade has been shared widely on social media in recent days, raising concerns within Israel – which has occupied more Syrian territory and regularly bombed areas of the country since December 2024.

Recent election results have placed Nouri al-Maliki in a strong position to name the next prime minister.

The Iraqi Construction and Development Coalition, led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, emerged as the leading bloc in Iraq’s parliamentary elections on November 11, winning a plurality of 46 out of 329 seats. However, diplomatic sources say it is unlikely that Sudani will become the next prime minister, given that, among other factors, Iraq’s political system favors compromise candidates. Sudani has become too powerful to still be viewed as such.

Our enemies are down but not out; potential regional allies are moving away; global and notably US public and political mindsets are changing for the worse; and we are again riven inside. This is not a time for complacency

Perhaps the best single-word summation of the reasons for Israel’s catastrophic failure to recognize that Hamas was about to invade 26 months ago, and thus to prevent the ensuing massacre, is hubris.

In rare engagement with Israeli media, source in terror group argues weapons are used to ‘liberate’ Palestinians from Israeli rule, and therefore can’t be ceded until statehood secured

DOHA, Qatar — A Hamas source told The Times of Israel on Sunday that the group will only agree to give up its weapons through negotiations that result in the establishment of a Palestinian state.

As demolition of damaged buildings continues, new construction is set to begin, with aim of resettling evacuees and absorbing dozens of new families – especially those with babies

KISSUFIM — Looking to build a brighter future, Kibbutz Kissufim, near the Gaza border, is planning to double its population and already has dozens of new families eager to settle in the war-torn community.