Israel surprised by Syrian rebels’ victory, downfall of Assad

 December 8, 2024 Syrians against President Bashar al-Assad tear down a poster bearing his image (Screenshot/X) Israeli intelligence mistakenly believed that Assad would not be ousted, largely due to the support of Russia and Iran. By World Israel News Staff Israeli intelligence agencies were caught off-guard by the speed and success of the rebels’ takeover of […]

Syrian sources say Assad may have been killed in plane crash during escape

By ReutersToday, 12:01 pm   This handout picture provided by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on November 11, 2023, shows Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attending an emergency meeting of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in Riyadh. (Saudi Press Agency/AFP) A Syrian airplane took off from Damascus airport around the time the […]

Rebels declare Damascus captured in stunning end to Assad family rule in Syria

People celebrate in streets; Syrian president said to flee, whereabouts unknown; prime minister offers to cooperate; IDF deploys to buffer zone with Syria, bolsters border forces By Agencies and ToI StaffToday, 9:44 am   Anti-government fighters cheer from the back of a car at Umayyad Square in Damascus on December 8, 2024. (LOUAI BESHARA / AFP) The Syrian […]

Syrian rebels say they have reached the city limits of Homs, taken over Daraa

The rebels captured the cities of Hama and Aleppo within a week and even released prisoners from Hama’s central prison. By MATHILDA HELLER, REUTERSDECEMBER 6, 2024 10:22Updated: DECEMBER 7, 2024 11:13  A view from Hama city as anti-regime armed groups have captured the city, seizing the city center, solidifying control, and forcing regime forces to […]

Qatar’s PM says he sees renewed momentum for reaching hostage deal

IDF again bolsters forces on Golan as Syrian rebels take area near border * Rebel commander says days of Syrian ‘sectarianism and tyranny’ are over   By ToI StaffToday, 2:52 am   People walk past photographs of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, December 5, 2024. (Miriam Alster/FLASH90) An anti-government fighter gestures […]

Israeli delegation visits Moscow, warns it won’t tolerate Iranian presence in Syria – report

The Israeli delegation also made it clear to Russia that Israel would not allow Hezbollah to regroup and continue carrying out terror activities targeting Israel. JERUSALEM POST STAFF DECEMBER 7, 2024 11:21 Portraits of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad (R) and Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stand as Palestinians sit at the entrance of the […]

Iran said to evacuate officials from Syria as Assad’s forces lose ground

Syrian military says it redeployed in Daraa after local rebels take southern province; Russia, Iran, Turkey meeting in Qatar could lead to Syrian strongman’s ouster, analysts say By ToI Staff and AgenciesToday, 11:07 am   An opposition fighter fires his AK-47 in the air in celebration in Hama, Syria, December 6, 2024.(AP Photo/Omar Albam) Iran has started evacuating […]

Hamas counting number of living hostages, hostage deal negotiations enter ‘final’ phase – report

Hostage deal negotiations have been reported to enter a new and “final” phase, sources told Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar. JERUSALEM POST STAFF DECEMBER 7, 2024 09:00Updated: DECEMBER 7, 2024 09:23 Illustrative image of Hamas terrorists.(photo credit: Canva, MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images, YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH 90)Hamas is attempting to determine the number of living Israeli hostages […]

Trump aides asked Qatar to recall ousted Hamas chiefs in bid to revive hostage talks

Sources tell ToI that after Biden requested terror leaders’ expulsion, president-elect’s team urged reversal of move, deeming Doha’s mediation critical to get a deal before Jan. 20 By Jacob Magid  Today, 1:41 am   US President Donald Trump meets with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, […]

Second front opens up in southern Syria, as Druze militias clash with fleeing regime forces

The IDF announced that it was reinforcing the Golan Heights with additional troops, saying it would “not tolerate threats near the Israeli border.” YUVAL BARNEA REUTERS DECEMBER 6, 2024 18:44Updated: DECEMBER 7, 2024 07:19 People take part in a protest against Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad in the southern Druze city of Sweida, Syria, September 8, […]

Report: USA intelligence believes Hezbollah is rebuilding

Hezbollah is attempting to restore its capabilities and rebuild stockpiles following the severe damage from Israeli attacks. Tziki Brandwine   Dec 5, 2024, 11:02 AM (GMT+2)   Israeli forces in Lebanon, archiveIDF Hezbollah is trying to restore its power and rebuild the stockpiles lost to Israel over the course of Operation Northern Arrows, according to Reuters. An […]

Putin highlights stronger Iran-Russia economic ties amid US sanctions concerns – analysis

Iran is already a member of BRICS and other economic groups that bring it close to Russia. SETH J. FRANTZMAN DECEMBER 5, 2024 11:08 Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with the Ministry of Defence leadership, representatives of the defense industry and missile systems developers, in Moscow, Russia November 22, 2024.(photo credit: Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool […]

Egypt proposes new ceasefire plan

Egypt has tabled a new proposal for a phased cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip, involving an Israeli military withdrawal from Rafah and a temporary ceasefire lasting 60 days. Israel National News   Dec 5, 2024, 9:58 AM (GMT+2)   Photos of the hostagesMiriam Alster/FLASH90 Egypt has laid out a new proposal on the table […]

Macron Announces French-Saudi Conference on Palestinian State Just before his Government Collapses

David Israel4 Kislev 5785 – December 5, 2024 Photo Credit: Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90 PA Arabs in Khan Younes abuse pictures of French President Emmanuel Macron, October 30, 2020. French President Emmanuel Macron revealed on Tuesday plans to co-chair a conference with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aiming to advance the creation of a […]