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Historians seek to preserve Gaza’s cultural heritage in Geneva

It’s been more than 400 days since Israel launched its offensive on Gaza. The ongoing war has been denounced as a “genocide” of Palestinians last week by Amnesty International, which urges the global community to act. On top of the bombings of buildings

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Life 'getting back to normal' in Aleppo after fall of Assad

Life in Aleppo is getting back to normal since the ousting of former president Bashir al-Assad almost one week ago. "The streets are heaving with people and traffic going about their business, reparing damage from the conflict, [and] removing signs and s

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Live: Rebel leader Golani calls on Syrians to celebrate ‘victory of the revolution’

The leader of the Islamist group at the head of the rebel forces that ousted Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad last week, known by his nom-de-guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, on Friday called on Syrians to take to the streets and “express their joy” at the

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Yesterday

Syrian rebels uncover Assad regime's large-scale illegal drug laboratories

Sales of the synthetic drug Captagon were used as a source of funding for the brutal regime, making Syria its largest producer. Among the secrets uncovered by rebel fighters since Assad fled the country, large-scale illegal drug factories housed in villa

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'Kurdish leaders' warnings went unheeded for years and years', analyst says

Since the fall of Assad, western capitals have been voicing concern about the risk of ISIS militants exploiting the political vacuum in Syria. Thousands of former militants are currently being detained in prisons and camps controlled by the Kurds. We spe

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'Kurdish leaders' warnings went unheeded for years and years'

Since the fall of Assad, western capitals have been voicing concern about the risk of ISIS militants exploiting the political vacuum in Syria. Thousands of former militants are currently being detained in prisons and camps controlled by the Kurds. We spe

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Syrian women hope for inclusion, freedom in post-Assad era

Human Rights Watch is calling on the Syrian islamist rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, to protect women's rights as it attempts to lead the country out of chaos. It also asks for HTS to include women in any governance structure. FRANCE 24's Pete

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Alois Brunner, the Nazi war criminal at home in Assad's Syria

The regime of Bashar al-Assad and his father Hafez al-Assad managed to stay in power for five decades by exercising brutally repressive methods inspired in part by Alois Brunner, a notorious Nazi war criminal who made a life for himself in Damascus as a

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US announces first withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon under ceasefire deal

A top U.S. military officer visited Beirut on Wednesday to monitor the withdrawal of the first Israeli troops from Lebanon under a ceasefire agreement reached last month, the U.S. Central Command said. The U.S. confirmed that Israel had withdrawn its fo

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Israeli forces responsible for a third of 54 journalists killed in 2024: Reporters Without Borders

Of the 54 journalists killed due to their profession in 2024,16 were killed in Gaza and two in Lebanon by Israel's military, said a report from Reporters Without Borders published Thursday. Journalists operating in Palestinian territories experienced "a

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Blinken in Turkey for talks to ensure peaceful transition of power in Syria

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed straight into talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after landing in Ankara late Thursday, a US official said. US-Turkey talks on the fallout of Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in Syria come as Turkey-back

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Wednesday, december 11, 2024

This is a moment of real opportunity, but also real danger for Syrians, IRC's Donnelly says

Syria's new prime minister said the Islamist-led alliance that ousted president Bashar al-Assad will guarantee the rights of all religious groups and called on the millions who fled the war to return home. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks to Ciarán Donn

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Who are the main rebel factions operating in Syria?

Syrian rebels who have ousted Bashar al-Assad and seized the capital Damascus include fighters from different factions, while other groups also hold territory elsewhere. FRANCE 24's Emerald Maxwell takes a look.

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Celebrations in central Damascus on first night without curfew

Joyful scenes in Damascus' Umayyad Square as Syrians celebrate the fall of the Assad regime. The first night without a curfew sees crowds gathering in the capital brandishing the three-starred independence-era flag. FRANCE 24's James Andre reports from D

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Scramble for Syria? Foreign powers pounce amid post-Assad uncertainty

Taking advantage of a brief power vacuum or are we witnessing a scramble for Syria? As Islamist-led rebels savour their surprise swoop on Damascus, foreign powers are seizing the moment to either clean house or settle scores: Turkey targeting Kurds in th

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Preparing for potential 'chaos' in post-Assad Syria, Israel goes on the offensive

The Israeli military says it carried out nearly 500 strikes against Syrian military targets in the days since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, while its troops moved into a demilitarised zone in the Golan Heights that was established following the

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Fall of Assad reveals the death of Mazen al-Hamada, symbol of the regime’s atrocities

The body of Syrian activist Mazen al-Hamada was found Monday in a military hospital morgue near Damascus, according to a number of NGOs. Imprisoned and tortured by the Syrian military after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, Hamada fled to Europe to d

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Struggling to cope with horrors of war, Israeli soldiers turn to equine therapy

Since the October 7 Hamas attack last year, some 350,000 Israeli reservists have been called up to fight. The ongoing fighting, now entering its 14-month mark, has left its mark on Israel troops as more and more suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder

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Dozens killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza, say Palestinian medics

Palestinian medical officials said separate Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip killed at least 29 people overnight and into Wednesday. Hospital records showed that one of the strikes killed several generations of one family, including four children, their

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Assad’s Baath party suspends work indefinitely in Syria

Former Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad’s Baath party announced Wednesday that it was suspending work indefinitely, ending more than half-a-century of the Assad family’s rule. Read our blog to see how the day's events unfolded.

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Tuesday, december 10, 2024

HTS' record in Idlib ‘not a liberal democracy by any stretch of the imagination’, analyst says

International diplomats reacted cautiously Monday to the prospect of the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group taking control in Syria after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad. HTS has its roots in the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda and is proscribed a

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Any decision to force people to return to Syria would be very premature: migration policy analyst

As some semblance of normality slowly settles in in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, questions are turning to what's next for the millions of Syrian refugees spread out across the world. FRANCE 24's Andrew Hilliar reports from Gaziantep in Turkey

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Israeli PM Netanyahu testifies in corruption trial

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday dismissed the allegations against him as he testified in court for the first time in his corruption case. Netanyahu, who has repeatedly sought to delay his court appearance, is the first sitting prime

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Refugees start to return, what will they find? Syria's new future starts now

Refugees, asylum seekers, Syrians in exil: the return to Syria begins with people who have given up on returning now back on their home soil.

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The fall of Bashar al-Assad: ‘Turkey proves, once again, that it cannot be ignored’

The toppling of Ankara’s archenemy Bashar al-Assad in Syria may have increased Turkey’s regional influence but it also represents a strategic challenge for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as regional expert Didier Billion explains.

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Syria: Mohammed al-Bashir becomes caretaker prime minister

The rebels who ousted president Bashar al-Assad and are now in power in Syria appointed a transitional head of government to run the country until March 1. Analysis by FRANCE 24 International Affairs Editor, Philip Turle.

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'Huge opportunity to craft a new Syria,' says UN Human Rights Chief

FRANCE 24 spoke to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk about the end of the Assad regime, brought down by a lightning offensive led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). With the old regime gone, Turk said there is n

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Israel airstrikes target over 250 strategic sites in Syria

The Israeli military targeted at least six Syrian naval vessels in an attack on the Syrian port of Latakia. They are part of the over 250 strategic sites in Syria that Israel has targettted over the past few days. Story by Antonia Kerrigan.

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Rebel-backed figure takes charge as Syria's interim prime minister

Syria's new interim leader announced he was taking charge of the country as caretaker prime minister with the backing of the former rebels who toppled President Bashar al-Assad three days ago. Story by Carys Garland and Eliza Herbert.

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‘More than a hero’: Lebanese man returns home after 33 years in Syrian prison

After 33 years languishing in Syrian jails, including the infamous Sednaya dubbed “the human slaughterhouse”, Suheil Hamawi, a 61-year-old from Lebanon, finally returned home on December 9. He was one of thousands of prisoners freed from Syria’s notoriou

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Syrian Oscar-nominated filmmaker who survived civil war, Waad al-Kateab, speaks to FRANCE 24

Waad al-Kateab came to prominence when she filmed and documented the Assad's regime's brutal crackdown in Aleppo right from the street protests in 2011. Through years of bombing, living under the shelling with her husband, a doctor, and her baby girl Sam

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UN urges patience as several EU countries suspend Syrian asylum bids

The U.N. special envoy for Syria said European nations should not rush to repatriate refugees to the country following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government, and he urged foreign players, including Israel, not to intervene militarily.

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Syria rebels name Mohammed al-Bashir head of transitional government

The Syrian rebels now in power in Damascus have appointed Mohammed al-Bashir as head of a transitional government that will be in place until March 1, state media said. More information with FRANCE 24 Reporter in Damascus, James Andre.

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Netanyahu assails media as he testifies for first time in his corruption trial

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the witness stand for the first time in his long-running corruption trial, saying he was being hounded for his hawkish security policies. Details by FRANCE 24 correspondent in Tel-Aviv, Noga Tarnopolsky.

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Syrian refugees gather on Turkish border, desperate to return home

Hundreds of Syrian refugees gather at two border crossings in southern Turkey, eagerly anticipating their return home following the fall of President Bashar Assad’s government. More information with FRANCE 24 journalist, Andrew Hilliar, in Gaziantep, Tur

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The road to Damascus: Syrian exiles return home to celebrate the fall of Assad

Following the shock collapse of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, Syrians who have lived in exile for more than a decade are starting to return to their homes. FRANCE 24's James André, Julie Dungelhoeff and Sofia Amara crossed into Syria from Lebanon and dr

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European countries put Syrian asylum bids on hold after Assad's fall

European countries put asylum applications from Syrians on hold until further notice after rebels seized the Syrian capital and President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia following 13 years of civil war. Details with FRANCE 24 correspondent in Brussels, Da

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Israel's Netanyahu takes the stand in long-running corruption trial

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the stand in his long-running trial for alleged corruption, setting off what’s expected to be a weekslong spectacle that will draw unwelcome attention to his legal woes as he faces an international arrest wa

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Power vacuum in Syria: key players jockey for influence

The toppling of Bashar al-Assad has set off a mad scramble among the most prominent regional players to shore up their interests - and jockey for position in a newly reshaped Middle East. FRANCE 24 International Affairs Commentator, Douglas Herbert, offe

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Syria begins transfer of power, Assad's prime minister hands reins to rebel leaders

Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the Islamist leader who headed the offensive that forced Assad out, has begun talks on a transfer of power and vowed to pursue former senior government officials responsible for torture and war crimes. Ousted Syrian President Bash

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The road to Damascus: Syrian exiles return home to celebrate the fall of Assad

FRANCE 24 reporters James André, Julie Dungelhoeff and Sofia Amara crossed into Syria from Lebanon and drove to Damascus just after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. This is what they saw on the way.

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Israel's Netanyahu takes the stand in historic corruption trial

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in court in Tel Aviv Tuesday to testify in a corruption trial where he faces charges of fraud, accepting bribes and breach of trust. Netanyahu is the first sitting Israeli prime minister to appear in cou

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UN Security Council holds Syria meeting behind closed doors

France 24 correspondent Jessica Le Masurier reports from the UN, where the Security Council met behind closed doors to discuss the stunning developments unfolding in Syria. Member States agreed on the need to protect the country's territorial integrity,

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Israel orders forces to set up ‘sterile defence zone’ in southern Syria

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz instructed his military on Tuesday to create a “sterile defence zone”, a weapons-free zone, in southern Syria. The zone would be patrolled, Katz said, without permanent Israeli presence – as the country tightens its h

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Monday, december 9, 2024

The fall of the House of Assad: What next for Syria?

And suddenly, they were gone. For more than half-a-century, the Assads ruled Syria with an iron fist, seeing off uprisings, plots and a civil war. But in less than two weeks, encountering little resistance, an Islamist-led rebellion managed to swoop into

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'Death camp': the haunting history of Syria's Sednaya prison

Syrian rebels led by Islamist armed group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham announced Sunday that they had liberated thousands of political prisoners after a dramatic 10-day military campaign that toppled the Assad family’s 50-year rule. As former prisoners reunite w

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Turkish-backed forces launch offensive in a Kurdish-held area of Northern Syria

A Turkish drone strike in a Kurdish-held area in northern Syria killed 11 civilians including six children, a war monitor said Monday. The attack comes a day after Islamist-led rebels ousted president Bashar al-Assad in a lightning offensive that saw the

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Russia says will discuss status of its Syria bases with new authorities

The Kremlin said it would discuss the status of Russia's two military bases in Syria with the country's new rulers following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad by opposition rebels. Story by Emerald Maxwell.

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'At the border with Lebanon, there are more people fleeing Syria' than the opposite

Millions of refugees could finally go home from camps in Lebanon, following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad by rebels over the weekend. However, some Syrians are also lining up on the other side of the border with Lebanon, fleeing the uncertain times to

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Syria: the role of foreign fighters in the latest battles

Damascus stirred back to life on Monday at the start of a hopeful but uncertain era after rebels seized the capital and President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia, following 13 years of civil war and more than 50 years of his family's brutal rule. There ar

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Israel says conducted airstrikes on 'chemical weapons' in Syria

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that his country had struck "chemical weapons" in neighbouring Syria, where rebel forces ousted president Bashar al-Assad over the weekend. More information with FRANCE 24 correspondent in Jerusalem, Noga Tarnopo

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Iran and Russia, the two big losers following Assad's ouster from Syria

The ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, after rebel forces swept into Damascus this weekend, shattered both Iran's network of influence and Russia's leverage in the Middle East, making them the two main losers of the recent days events. Analysis

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Hundreds of Syrians line up at Turkish border crossing, awaiting return home

Hundreds of Syrian refugees gathered at two border crossings in southern Turkey, eagerly anticipating their return home following the fall of President Bashar Assad’s government. Story by Camille Knight.

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With Assad gone, new era starts in Syria as the world watches

Damascus stirred back to life at the start of a hopeful but uncertain era after rebels seized the capital and President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia, following 13 years of civil war and more than 50 years of his family's brutal rule. Story by Noémie Ro

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Syrian rebels free prisoners from Assad's notorious dungeons who celebrate in Damascus streets

As the insurgents swept across Syria in just 10 days to bring an end to the Assad family’s 50-year rule, they broke into prisons and security facilities to free political prisoners and many of the tens of thousands of people who disappeared since the con

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UN rights chief urges accountability in Syria, sees huge chance for fair transition

The U.N. human rights chief called for accountability for perpetrators of abuse under toppled Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, but said there was a "huge chance" for an inclusive political transition, and that early signs were promising.

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Syria: Prisoners freed from infamous Sednaya jail

Syrian rebels, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, announced on Sunday, December 8, that they had taken control of Sednaya prison in Damascus and released all of the detainees. The detention center, infamous as a symbol of some of the worst abus

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In the Middle-East, Syria's neighbors react cautiously to Assad's ouster

The fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria has sparked a wave of mixed emotions ranging from joy to trepidation, with some fearing Assad's ouster will pour more fuel on the fire already engulfing the Middle East. More information about the reaction of other co

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Syria: how did Bashar al-Assad's downfall happen so quickly?

Syrian rebels seized the capital Damascus unopposed after a lightning advance that sent President Bashar al-Assad fleeing to Russia after a 13-year civil war and six decades of his family's autocratic rule. Details with FRANCE 24 international affairs ed

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Biden says Assad's fall in Syria is a 'fundamental act of justice,' but also 'a moment of risk'

US President Joe Biden said deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad should be "held accountable" but called the nation's political upheaval a "historic opportunity" for Syrians to rebuild their country.

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