According to the United Nations humanitarian agency, over one million individuals, primarily women and children, have been newly displaced in Syria since rebels launched an offensive to remove President Bashar al-Assad.
“As of December 12, 1.1 million people have been newly displaced throughout the country since hostilities escalated on November 27. The majority are women and children,” stated the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Syria’s interim government has pledged to establish the “rule of law” following years of abuses under the ousted president Bashar al-Assad, while the United States cautioned against actions that could lead to further conflict.
Mr. Assad fled Syria after a rapid offensive led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and its allies, ending a repressive rule that lasted five decades.
Yesterday, a spokesman for the new government informed AFP that the country’s constitution and parliament would be suspended during a three-month transition period.
A Syrian man waved the independence-era Syrian flag over Umayyad Square in Damascus.
“A judicial and human rights committee will be formed to review the constitution and recommend amendments,” said Obaida Arnaout. Speaking from the state television headquarters now under the control of the new rebel authorities, Mr. Arnaout emphasized they would uphold the “rule of law.”
“All individuals who have committed crimes against the Syrian people will be held accountable under the law,” he further stated.
Regarding personal and religious freedoms, Mr. Arnaout affirmed, “we respect the religious and cultural diversity in Syria.”
Concern Over ‘Additional Conflicts’
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, currently in Jordan, stressed the importance of avoiding actions that could ignite further conflicts.
His remarks came after he referenced recent Israeli and Turkish military activities on Syrian territory.
Mr. Blinken stated that Washington aims to ensure Syria does not become a “base for terrorism” and does not pose “a threat to its neighbors,” clarifying that the US has hundreds of troops in Syria as part of a coalition against the Islamic State group.
This situation has raised concerns for Turkey, which opposes the US military alliance with Syrian Kurds, as well as for Israel, which has targeted military sites in Syria since the fall of Mr. Assad.
UN chief Antonio Guterres is “particularly concerned” about the Israeli airstrikes, according to his spokesman.
From Jordan, Mr. Blinken proceeded to Ankara for discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkey has appointed a new chief-of-mission to its long-closed embassy in Damascus, as reported by the Anadolu news agency.
Israeli strikes near Damascus were reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, with AFP correspondents noting loud explosions.
Mr. Blinken mentioned that the Israeli airstrikes aim “to ensure that the military equipment abandoned by the Syrian army does not fall into the hands of the wrong people.”
The top US diplomat also indicated that Washington is “working to bring home” American Travis Timmerman, following announcements from Syria’s new leadership about his release.
The Syrian leadership expressed its readiness to cooperate with Washington in locating US citizens who disappeared under Assad’s regime, including an “ongoing” search for US journalist Austin Tice, who was abducted in 2012.
‘Inclusive’ Transition
Leaders from the Group of Seven democratic nations expressed their willingness to support the transition towards an “inclusive and non-sectarian” government in Syria.
They emphasized the need for the protection of human rights, particularly for women and minorities, while also highlighting the importance of holding the Assad regime accountable for its crimes.
Hundreds of Syrians mourned the passing of outspoken activist Mazen al-Hamada, who had publicized the torture he experienced while imprisoned in Syria during his testimony in the Netherlands.
He later returned, and his body was among more than 30 located in a hospital morgue in Damascus this week.
While many celebrated Mr. Assad’s removal, uncertainty looms over the future of the diverse, multi-ethnic country.
HTS, rooted in Syria’s Al-Qaeda faction and labeled a terrorist organization by numerous Western governments, has made attempts to moderate its rhetoric.
The new leadership has also committed to seeking justice for the victims of Mr. Assad’s regime.
HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, now known as Ahmed al-Sharaa, called upon nations to extradite criminals who may have escaped to ensure they face justice.
UN investigators reported the compilation of secret lists containing 4,000 individuals implicated in serious crimes in Syria since the onset of the civil war.
‘Remaining Hopeful’
The UN’s World Food Programme has requested $250 million (€238 million) in food assistance for displaced and vulnerable populations in Syria over the next six months.
Jordan announced it will host a summit on the Syria crisis tomorrow, with participation from foreign ministers of various Western and Arab nations, as well as Turkey.
After the Baath party, a feared tool of oppression, announced its activities would be suspended, members like Maher Semsmieh, 43, surrendered their weapons and denounced the party.
The UN’s World Food Programme has delivered aid to Syria since November 27.
“We are no longer Baathists,” he declared with a smile, explaining that individuals had felt “obliged” to be part of the party.
Mr. Assad’s regime was sustained by Russia, where a senior official recently informed US media that he had fled, along with support from Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group.
The rebels initiated their offensive on November 27, coinciding with a ceasefire implemented in the Israel-Hezbollah war, which resulted in significant losses for Mr. Assad’s Lebanese ally.
On Sunday, Israel announced it had deployed troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights, a move that the UN stated contravened a 1974 armistice.
In the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which Israel seized from Syria in 1967 and later annexed—an action not recognized by most of the international community—many Druze Arab residents expressed hope for a return to Syrian governance.
“I can’t imagine anything worse than his regime existing,” Talal Abu Saleh, 69, told AFP regarding Mr. Assad.
“While uncertainty abounds, I choose to remain hopeful.”
