International Rebels in Syria try to establish contacts abroad

Following the change of power in Syria, the rebel group HTS and the new transitional government are apparently making efforts to increase contacts with other states in the region.

The HTS Office for Political Affairs thanked Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states as well as Italy for keeping their embassies open in Damascus. Turkey and Qatar would also reopen their embassies soon. They hope for "good relations with all countries" that respect Syria's sovereignty and the will of the Syrian people.

The HTS office also made use of the previously state-run media of the ousted government of ruler Bashar al-Assad. The office also disseminated the message on the Telegram channel of the former Syrian state agency Sana. However, its website has been offline for days. Syria's state television is currently only broadcasting images of HTS statements without sound and has no other regular program.

Consular representations most recently for eight EU states

Many Western countries closed their embassies in the course of the civil war in Syria from 2011. Some Arab states reopened their representations and also readmitted Assad to the Arab League. In 2022, there were consular representations for eight EU states, including Italy, Spain, Poland and Greece.

In an important step for contacts with other countries, the international airport in Damascus could also resume operations this weekend. The move is planned for Sunday, dpa was told by transport ministry circles. After Assad's fall, there had been looting and vandalism, including the theft of doors, windows and cables. Repair work is now underway.

Situation still unclear - Israel with combat groups

The situation in the still divided country, where Kurdish and Turkish-affiliated militias are also fighting, remains unclear. If these groups and the Islamist rebels struggle for power outside the former Assad areas, for example, Syria could be plagued by violence and conflict for a long time to come. Meanwhile, Assad's Baath Party has announced that it has suspended its work indefinitely.

It is also unclear how the relationship between the forces in Syria and neighboring Israel will develop. According to the military, four Israeli army combat groups are still deployed in southern Syria.

According to the Israeli military, a brigade combat team is taking action against threats along the border. It had also seized several Syrian army tanks that were no longer in use. Following the fall of Assad, Israel massively bombed military facilities and suspected chemical weapons.

Hope for breakthrough in Gaza negotiations

Following the upheaval in Syria, mediators in the parallel Gaza war are hoping for a breakthrough. In negotiations for a ceasefire with Israel, the Islamist Hamas is now prepared to reach an agreement that would allow Israeli troops to remain in Gaza temporarily if the fighting stops, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Arab mediators. Hamas is also said to have handed over a list of the hostages it would release in the event of an agreement.

For months, Hamas had made a permanent end to the war and a complete withdrawal of Israel a prerequisite for a new agreement. Now there seems to be new movement in the talks.

The German Press Agency had already learned days ago from Hamas circles that Qatar and Egypt had been given the names of some hostages for a possible release. Hamas is now showing more flexibility in the negotiations than before, according to mediators.