Syria's government recently announced a major ceasefire and integration deal with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) following intense fighting, effectively ending Kurdish autonomy in northeastern Syria and bringing those areas,including oil fields, under government control, with SDF forces slated for integration into the Syrian army, though some clashes persist as the deal's details are finalized.
There had been so much fighting coming out of Syria with SDF, Kurds, Israel, Syrian army, Iranian terrorists, that it must have been a mess to follow.
In early 2026, Israel's "fight" in Syria involves significant military actions, including frequent airstrikes targeting Iranian-linked forces and expanded occupation in the south following the Assad regime's fall in late 2024, alongside efforts to support Druze communities and counter threats from post-regime instability, conflicting with new Syrian government and Kurdish (SDF) forces in a complex, evolving regional dynamic, as seen in intense Aleppo clashes and border tensions.
How Israel was involved was: Intensified Air Campaign:Israel has dramatically increased airstrikes, primarily targeting Iranian military infrastructure and operatives, nearly tripling the rate from previous years.
Other ways they were involved was:
Expanded Southern Presence: Israeli forces have occupied territory deeper into southern Syria (Daraa/Sweida) and are fostering ties with local Druze communities, positioning them as a buffer against jihadist threats.
Response to Power Vacuum: Israel aims to prevent anti-Israeli militias from establishing themselves in southern Syria after the Assad regime's collapse, notes J Street and Israel Policy Forum.
Support for Druze: Israel is actively supporting Syrian Druze populations, leveraging familial ties and protecting them from attacks by the new Syrian government, according to J Street and Israel Policy Forum.
Security Negotiations: Secret talks are reportedly underway between Israel and Syria to update the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, notes Wikipedia and Al Jazeera.
The 1974 Syrian-Israeli Disengagement Agreement, signed in Geneva on May 31, 1974, ended hostilities from the 1973 Yom Kippur War, establishing a UN-monitored buffer zone (Area of Separation) on the Golan Heights, limiting military forces, and creating a demilitarized zone, all based on UN Resolution 338, though it wasn't a peace treaty but a step towards one, leading to decades of relative calm until recent escalations after the Syrian government's fall.
Showing off letters of credence from Qatar, UAE, etc.
"Abu Mohammad al-Golani (born Ahmed al-Sharaa) is the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)" under the name of Jolani, "a Syrian militant group that played a key role in overthrowing President Bashar al-Assad, and he has worked to rebrand himself as a moderate, moving away from his past ties with al-Qaeda (Jabhat al-Nusra) by promoting pluralism, though the U.S. still designates him and his group as terrorists. He's known for his efforts to present a more tolerant face, seeking wider acceptance after consolidating power in northwest Syria.Controversy: Despite efforts to appear moderate, he remains a designated terrorist by the U.S. and other nations, with a $10 million bounty on his head, while striving to build stability", he says.
2003: Joins al-Qaeda at age 21
2006: Captured by the U.S. and held at Camp Bucca
2008: Released from prison, joins Aabu BakR al-Baghdadi (Leader of ISIS)
2010: Appointed as the head of al-Qaeda operations in Mosul Province
2012: Forms the al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate, and serves as its general emir.
2017: Forms HTS, uniting al-Qaeda, al-Nusra, and ISIS under one banner.
2024: Appointed by jihadist factions as the President of Syria following the fall of the Assad Regime.
Trump is enthralled by al Sharaa AKA Jolani, the terrorist. As Jolani, he commanded men by being a leader and that's all that's important these days. Now he's commanding Syrian civilians and many do not like it. Some say he's a cruel man. You just have to show your leadership background and you are made in the shade. Will people ever want a different sort who wants peace in the Middle East? It just happens that most here in Syria are ready, possibly feeling like the citizens of Iran at this time.Iran's Prince of the former Shah hasn't had experience being a leader, but I bet he is chosen as President of Iran for a few years, anyway. Some people are just born with leadership qualities.
This is Jolani's mug shot in 2003: Abu Mohammad al-Jolani from his time in U.S. detention (he was later imprisoned at Camp Bucca from 2006–2011)
Iraq is Camp Bucca Prison -Sept. 6, 2009
May 20, 2008 in Camp Bucca At Camp Bucca, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the leader of Syria'sHayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), was imprisoned by U.S. forces after joining al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) following the 2003 invasion; during his time there, he strengthened his jihadist network, met Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and was influenced by AQI's internal dynamics, which shaped his later militant activities and leadership in Syria.
Based on the provided search results, in 2003, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani (born Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa in 1982) was a young man in his early 20s who moved from Damascus, Syria, to Iraq to join the insurgency against the U.S.-led invasion.
Move to Iraq: He traveled from Damascus to Baghdad by bus shortly before the 2003 invasion began.
Early Activities: He joined al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and became a foreign fighter against U.S. forces.
Detention: In 2003, he was briefly detained and questioned by Syrian Military Intelligence for illegally leaving the country for Iraq, but was released after denying affiliation with extremist groups.
Rise in Ranks: He quickly rose through the ranks of AQI, becoming associated with its leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Hewas a Jordanian militant jihadist who ran a training camp in Afghanistan.
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani was an Al Qaeda commander in Syria, leading its affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, but he officially broke ties with Al Qaeda in 2016, rebranding his group as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and later presenting himself as a pragmatic leader focused on governing Syria's northwest, a significant shift from his earlier extremist ties to become a political figure.
Al-Qaeda is responsible for numerous large-scale terrorist attacks, resulting in thousands of deaths globally. Their primary objective has been to attack the United States and its allies to force a withdrawal from the Middle East and establish a caliphate.
Key acts of violence attributed to al-Qaeda include:
Some major attacks linked to al-Qaeda include the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, the 2000 USS Cole bombing in Yemen, and the 9/11 attacks in the USA in 2001. Other attacks include bombings in Bali (2002), Mombasa (2002), Amman (2005), and the 2013 In Amenas Hostage Crisis in Algeria. Al-Qaeda affiliates claimed responsibility for the Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris (2015) and the Naval Air Station Pensacola shooting (2019).
Additional actions and attempts include the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the 1995 Riyadh car bombing, and a 2010 cargo plane bomb plot.A comprehensive timeline of al-Qaeda attacks can be found onWikipedia.Al-Qaeda continues to operate through regional affiliates like Al-Shabaab and AQAP.
Kurds in Northeast Syria (Rojava) have established a self-governing region, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), controlling significant territory, but face increasing pressure from the new Syrian central government seeking to reintegrate their areas, leading to clashes, stalled integration talks, and a complex dynamic involving the US (a partner) and Turkey. (an adversary) While a recent government decree offered some Kurdish rights and language recognition, Kurdish authorities demand constitutional guarantees, and recent government offensives have captured key infrastructure, challenging Kurdish autonomy amidst deep mistrust and regional instability.
Syrian regime forces push toward Raqqa; Kurdish fighters fall back
President Ahmad al-Sharaa moves to dismantle Kurdish autonomy in the northeast, seizing oil fields and advancing on former ISIS capital Raqqa; Kurds demolish Euphrates bridges but regime forces cross by boat; France urges immediate halt to hostilities
Despite the conciliatory decree, government forces launched operations against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), including in Aleppo, causing over 150,000 to flee. Government forces have also taken control of key areas, including oil fields in the east previously held by the SDF. Following these clashes, a truce was announced in mid-January 2026. The Sharaa government is pushing for the total integration of Kurdish-led forces and administration into Syrian administration.
While some view this as a necessary step for national unity, Kurdish leadership has noted that the measures, while positive in theory, do not fully satisfy their aspirations and that they are being forced to choose between submission and conflict.
To find a leader in Syria that has not been a terrorist is like looking for the
needle in the haystack. What else is there?
Key terrorist groups that have emerged from, been based in, or operated extensively within Syria include:
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS): Formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra (Al-Qaeda's branch in Syria), this group evolved into a dominant, often described as pragmatic, force controlling much of Idlib.-Jolani association
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/ISIS): Founded in Iraq, ISIS found a significant foothold in Syria, declaring Raqqa as its capital in 2014, and remains active with thousands of fighters. - Jolani association
Hurras al-Din: A designated terrorist organization that serves as an Al-Qaeda-aligned group in Syria.--Jolani association
Syrian National Army (SNA): A coalition of armed rebel groups backed by Turkey.
People's Defense Units (YPG): A Kurdish militia that forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF); they are considered terrorists by Turkey, though they were U.S. partners against ISIS.
Foreign Fighter Networks: Thousands of foreign fighters, many affiliated with groups like Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS,-of Jolani's association, traveled to and operated within Syria.
As of the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, the security landscape has shifted, with HTS taking a leading role in the transition, while ISIS has exploited the, then, fragmented security environment.
Rebuilding Syria is estimated to cost at least $216 billion, according to a late 2025 World Bank report, with some estimates ranging up to $343 billion or even over $400 billion, representing a massive undertaking nearly ten times the country's pre-war GDP, covering infrastructure, economic revival, and addressing deep-seated damage from years of conflict. Yet Jolani is asking for 7 trillion dollars for the work. That's what you do in the Middle East, start with a large number and then come down to an satisfactory number for both.
Damascus, before the Civil War
Syria is left as a fractured nation recovering from a long civil war, characterized by massive displacement, severe economic hardship, destroyed infrastructure, and ongoing instability, with a new government facing challenges integrating diverse armed groups and addressing persistent humanitarian crises, particularly in the northeast (Kurdish-controlled SDF) and south (Druze areas). While the Assad regime fell in late 2024, large parts of the country remain contested, with the Kurdish-led SDF holding significant territory and ISIS remnants persisting, leading to internal conflict and fragile security.It seems like they have to get rid of ISIS.
The Bible, primarily in Isaiah 17,; Isaiah was a prophet of 740-701 BCE, who prophesies the destruction of Damascus, stating it will cease to be a city and become a heap of ruins, its royal power ending, with only remnants left like Israel's faded glory. Other prophets, including Jeremiah and Amos, also foretold divine judgment on Damascus for its cruelty, mentioning fire consuming its palaces and its people falling in the streets. These prophecies connect Damascus's fall with the judgment of Israel, ultimately leading the remnant to turn back to God. "God will punish the nationsnear Israel. Amos 1:3-2:3: Amos was a prophet from Judea in the 8h cent.BCETheLordsays, ‘The people in Damascus have done more and more wrong things. So I will certainlypunishthem!
"Yes from the heart" - posters of President Bashar al-Assad are everywhere in government-controlled parts of Syria
They have been cruel to the people in Gilead. They used their iron weapons to tear them into pieces. I will send a fire to destroy the palace that King Hazael built. It will destroy the strong buildings of King Ben-Hadad. I will also break the strong gates of the city of Damascus. I will remove all the people who live in the Aven valley. I will remove the king of Beth-Eden. Their enemies will take the people of Syria far away to Kir as prisoners.’ That is what the Lord says.
So now we're repeating some of the same problems we had in 800 BCE, 10 centuries ago. But we see Damascus being much larger and some still standing.
Life in Damascus today is a complex mix of post-war normalcy, ongoing economic hardship, and vibrant cultural resilience, with people navigating shortages through queues and cash-based systems while enjoying burgeoning arts scenes, though security remains a concern for travelers, as the conflict officially ended in late 2024 but instability persists.
Syrian reactions to the October 7th attacks were mixed, with the Assad regime blaming Israel for regional instability and condemning its response, while opposition-held areas saw large-scale protests expressing solidarity with Gaza, juxtaposing their own suffering under the regime with the Palestinian plight. Militant groups linked to Iran fired rockets from Syria into Israel, prompting Israeli strikes on Syrian targets, though Syria largely remained quiet otherwise as the conflict expanded, impacting aid to Syrians.
Rocket Fire: Iranian-backed groups in Syria fired rockets into Israel, prompting Israeli airstrikes on Syrian military targets.
Broader Impacts
Regional Spillover: The conflict exacerbated existing regional tensions, drawing Syria into the broader Iran-Israel confrontation.
Aid Diversion: The war in Gaza threatened to divert crucial international aid away from Syria, compounding existing humanitarian crises there, noted The New Humanitarian.
