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Hope rises in Aleppo as a mediated ceasefire enables the peaceful withdrawal of SDF fighters and the safe evacuation of civilians. (Al Jazeera)
Hope rises in Aleppo as a mediated ceasefire enables the peaceful withdrawal of SDF fighters and the safe evacuation of civilians. (Al Jazeera)

Aleppo ceasefire declared with Kurdish fighters granted safe withdrawal

    11 January 2026.  A ceasefire mediated by the US, after days of intense fighting, allowed SDF fighters to safely leave Aleppo and enabled the peaceful evacuation of Kurdish civilians, wounded, and dead. The agreement was announced after Syrian government forces took control of the area.Read and watch more at:  AL JAZEERA

    A coordinated winter aid campaign delivers vital heating supplies to vulnerable families in northern Idlib, offering comfort, safety, and a message of unity. (L24)
    A coordinated winter aid campaign delivers vital heating supplies to vulnerable families in northern Idlib, offering comfort, safety, and a message of unity. (L24)

    Warmth and solidarity reach displaced families enduring severe winter conditions

      8 January 2026.  State and local governments, along with local communities, launched a coordinated “Warmth Campaign” for residents of camps in Latakia, Idlib, and elsewhere. Providing essential heating materials to vulnerable families, it fulfils the government’s commitment to alleviate citizens’ suffering.Read more at:  LEVANT 24

      Syria’s new heritage strategy places ancient monuments at the core of preservation efforts and national identity. (SANA:Wikimedia)
      Syria’s new heritage strategy places ancient monuments at the core of preservation efforts and national identity. (SANA:Wikimedia)

      New strategy to preserve Syria’s cultural legacy for Syrians and for all humanity

        1 January 2026.  The General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums unveiled a 10-year plan that views Syria’s cultural heritage as a cornerstone of national identity and collective memory spanning thousands of years, and as a part of humanity’s shared legacy.Read more at: SANA

        The Central Bank of Syria views the new currency as a symbol of renewal and confidence in the country’s future. (Jerusalem Post, 1 January, 2026)
        The Central Bank of Syria views the new currency as a symbol of renewal and confidence in the country’s future. (Jerusalem Post, 1 January, 2026)

        Central Bank announces new banknotes, symbol of Syria’s resurgence, available January 1st

          27 December 2025.  The Bank’s governor, Abdelkader Husrieh, stated the new lira is not merely a means of exchange, but a symbol of Syria’s successful revolution and confidence in the country’s revival, noting “a strong currency begins with its people’s belief in it.”Read more at:  SANA

          A member of Syria's security forces empties a sack of Captagon to be burned in a field outside Damascus. (Bakr Alkasem:AFP:AlJazeera)
          A member of Syria's security forces empties a sack of Captagon to be burned in a field outside Damascus. (Bakr Alkasem:AFP:AlJazeera)

          UN verifies Syria’s dismantling of complex drug network affecting Middle East region

            22 December 2025.  In the past year, Syria’s authorities have shut down factories and storage sites of the addictive drug Captagon, a major source of income for the previous regime. The UN report notes how political will and cooperation can quickly disrupt even complex drug networks.Read more at:  ALJAZEERA

            Ceremony announcing plan to restore Syria’s health system, 15 December 2025. (Enab Baladi)
            Ceremony announcing plan to restore Syria’s health system, 15 December 2025. (Enab Baladi)

            Ministry of Health launches plan to deliver high quality medical services, putting people first

              16 December 2025.  Syria’s Minister of Health, Musab al-Ali, unveiled a three-year plan to make quality health services available to all citizens across the country, based on fairness and transparency, as aligned with current challenging realities. The highest priority is given to positive results for people.Read more at:  ENABBALADI

              Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa speaks at conference titled “One Year Since Liberation - Prospects and Challenges,” Damascus, 15 December 2025. (SANA)
              Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa speaks at conference titled “One Year Since Liberation - Prospects and Challenges,” Damascus, 15 December 2025. (SANA)

              Academic and media freedom are essential pillars for a new Syria, information minister declares

                15 December 2025.  Speaking to a diverse gathering of researchers and officials on the anniversary of liberation, Minister al-Mustafa affirmed a new phase of freedom for internal discussions of issues such as Syria’s transition, economic recovery, security and military reform, and preserving collective memory.Read more at:  SANA

                Delegation of Syrian judges receive training on transitional justice in Germany, 1 December 2025. (Ministry of Justice)
                Delegation of Syrian judges receive training on transitional justice in Germany, 1 December 2025. (Ministry of Justice)

                Syrian judges undergo training in Germany toward building public trust in the rule of law

                  2 December 2025.  Having suffered for decades under a corrupt legal system, Syria’s Ministry of Justice is actively seeking to recreate the system and restore trust. The program in Germany aims to strengthen judicial capacities, focusing on transitional justice, housing, land and property rights.Read more at:  ENABBALADI

                  Foreign Minister Asaad al‑Shaibani raises Syria’s flag in London, marking the nation’s diplomatic return after years of isolation. (Social Media on L24)
                  Foreign Minister Asaad al‑Shaibani raises Syria’s flag in London, marking the nation’s diplomatic return after years of isolation. (Social Media on L24)

                  Syria returns to the world as a free nation, reopening major embassies

                    15 November 2025.  Syria has reopened embassies in the US and UK, preparing for Turkey next, as it moves to restore formal ties with the West and with regional powers. At London’s ceremony, Foreign Minister Asaad al‑Shaibani declared, “Syria is returning to the world with its free identity.”Read more at: LEVANT24

                    “Day of Dialogue” with civil society opens at Conferences Palace in Damascus. (Enab Baladi)
                    “Day of Dialogue” with civil society opens at Conferences Palace in Damascus. (Enab Baladi)

                    “Day of Dialogue” conference fosters partnership between civil society and state

                      15 November 2025.  The 9th annual European Union conference in support of Syria, held in Syria for the first time, highlighted cooperation between civil society and government. The EU vice-president said the event “allows Syrians to express their views on the future of their country and make their voices heard.”Read more at: ENABBALADI

                      Syria’s Minister of Information, Hamza al-Mustafa, and Jon Finer, former US national security advisor, at Institute of Global Politics in New York. (SANA)
                      Syria’s Minister of Information, Hamza al-Mustafa, and Jon Finer, former US national security advisor, at Institute of Global Politics in New York. (SANA)

                      Establishing a press rooted in transparency is high priority for Syria

                        9 October 2025.  In a round table discussion with students at Columbia University, al-Mustafa spoke of the government’s goal to overcome the past and establish public trust. Finer observed that successful change is not a linear process, but that “everybody is invested in Syria’s success.”Read more at:  SANA

                        Syrian-American Rabbi, Henry Hamra, announced candidacy for parliament cropped. (SANA)
                        Syrian-American Rabbi, Henry Hamra, announced candidacy for parliament. (SANA)

                        Rabbi Henry Hamra makes historic bid to represent Damascus in nation’s parliament

                          3 October 2025.  Syrian-American Rabbi Henry Hamra announced his candidacy for the People’s Council in Damascus, the first Jewish candidate for Syria’s People’s Council since 1967. His platform promotes reconstruction, economic growth, and lifting the US Caesar Act sanctions. He stressed his belief in a united and tolerant Syria, and his aim to bridge Syrian communities at home and abroad. Hamra’s father, Youssef Hamra, the Chief Rabbi of Syrian Jews in NY, left Syria in 1992.Read more at:  SANA

                          Syrian transitional president Ahmad al-Sharaa at the Concordia Summit in New York, an annual global forum for government leaders, business executives, and nonprofit organizations. (Concordia-X)
                          Syrian transitional president Ahmad al-Sharaa at the Concordia Summit in New York, an annual global forum for government leaders, business executives, and nonprofit organizations. (Concordia-X)

                          Al-Sharaa calls for Israeli withdrawal as Syria seeks unity, stability, economic renewal, and peace

                            23 September 2025.  Israel’s aggression toward Syria was underscored in the president’s remarks at the Concordia Summit, an annual global dialogue held alongside the General Assembly. Al-Sharaa stated that security concerns with Israel could best be addressed through negotiations, not violence, while speaking to many other topics including the lifting of sanctions and talks with SDF. In a twist of fate, his interviewer—the general who commanded US forces in Iraq when the US imprisoned al-Sharaa—lavished praise on his leadership.Read more at:  ENAB BALADI

                            Host of Syrian news channel al-Ikhbariya interviews President al-Sharaa. (video still, Qusay Noor, SANA)
                            Host of Syrian news channel al-Ikhbariya interviews President al-Sharaa. (video still, Qusay Noor, SANA)

                            President affirms territorial sovereignty and independence as Syria rebuilds its economy

                              13 September 2025.  In a wide-ranging interview, president al-Sharaa stressed the need for calm relations with all nations as Syria recovers. Emphasizing the primacy of the people’s safety and well-being, he explained that a stable economy involves more than trade and investment. It requires reforming the judicial and educational systems, developing human resources, and providing energy, services, roads, communications, and open relations with neighboring countries, all of which are underway.Read more at:  SANA

                              Abdulbasit Abdulatif, head of the National Transitional Justice Commission. (SANA)
                              Abdulbasit Abdulatif, head of the National Transitional Justice Commission. (SANA)

                              Government reaches out to civil society to help achieve justice and reconciliation

                                9 September 2025.  Syria’s Transitional Justice Commission was given the mandate of “uncovering the truth about the gross violations committed by the former regime, holding those responsible accountable, redressing the harm suffered by the victims, and consolidating the principles of non-repetition and national reconciliation.” Seeking civil society cooperation, the Chairman met with the Syrian Network for Human Rights, which praised the commission’s openness and offered access to a database of abuses kept since 2011.Read more at: LEVANT24