As Tel Aviv projects itself as the protector of Syria’s Druze, hate speech against the community has propagated, despite the stance of many Druze activists against Israel.
New faces and new stories filled Umayyad Square in Damascus on Saturday as the Syrian capital publicly marked the anniversary of the revolution for the first time in 14 years.
Syrians welcomed news of a landmark agreement to integrate Kurdish-led forces into state institutions on Monday, hoping it would prevent bloodshed and prevent any partition of the country, while “the devil is in the details” of its implementation.
In post-Assad Syria, many artists are experiencing a freedom of expression they have never known, one they are determined to hold on to.
Syrian women who participated in this week’s national dialogue conference in Damascus reflect on the event, its outcomes and women’s participation.
Christians in Damascus prepare for the Christmas holiday with a mixture of hope for a new Syria and wariness about the country’s leadership.
With a newfound sense of collective ownership, Syrian volunteers clean streets, work to protect heritage sites and make meals for freed detainees and overworked doctors.
Damascus residents speak with a new tone, using new words, as entrenched fears unravel with the fall of the Assad regime. Still, concerns remain about what awaits in a new Syria.
Immediately after the Assad regime fell, Israel launched a massive bombing operation targeting the full spectrum of Syria’s military capabilities across the country while beginning a ground incursion along the border with the occupied Golan Heights.
In the chaotic, jubilant process of emptying Assad’s prisons—including the notorious Saydnaya on the outskirts of Damascus—misinformation has spread and crucial evidence has been tampered with, SNHR’s Nour al-Khatib tells Syria Direct.
![Syrians protest Israeli interference in Syria at a demonstration in Druze-majority Suwayda city. One demonstrator holds a sign reading “Netanyahu, you supporter of the [Assad] barrel bomb regime, leave the minorities alone,” 25/2/2025 (Suwayda 24)](https://syriadirect.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/481074920_1063617625808047_4429235549923929777_n.jpg)
