‘Waiting for chaos’: IS adapts under pressure, betting on the failure of Syria’s transition
Harried by government security campaigns, IS appears unable to regain territorial control in Syria, instead working to maintain visibility through limited operations while betting on the failure of the country’s transition.
Outside the plan: Urban growth outpaces roads and services in Daraa
Driven by high property prices, Daraa residents are building homes beyond the planned boundaries of cities and towns, creating new neighborhoods without basic infrastructure and presenting already overstretched municipalities with a dilemma.
The living and the dead return home to Afrin
The living and the dead are coming home to Afrin as displaced families return with the remains of their loved ones, fulfilling a long-held wish to lay them to rest in their native soil.
‘A repellent environment’: How Israel is reshaping life in southern Syria
Israeli incursions and violations are making life increasingly untenable in southern Syrian border villages, as residents curtail their movements, suspend reconstruction and investment, and consider leaving if they have alternatives.
Child recruitment persists despite SDF-Damascus integration agreement
The Revolutionary Youth Movement and Syrian Democratic Forces continue to recruit minors in northeastern Syria, despite past commitments and an integration agreement with Damascus.
Nationality law reform: Who has the ‘right to have rights’ in the new Syria?
As Syria charts a new course and transitional justice efforts proceed, advocates see a unique opportunity to reform the country’s nationality law and address statelessness.
Syria’s forgotten villages: Mount Hermon’s Druze between Damascus and the IDF
Caught between a seemingly absent Syrian government and a growing Israeli presence, Mount Hermon’s Druze villages are waiting for a clarity neither Damascus nor Tel Aviv seems willing to provide.
White earth: Soil salinization threatens farming in Raqqa’s Euphrates river basin
Soil salinization is a complex and expanding crisis in rural Raqqa, where fields are becoming unusable and farmers have limited means to respond.
Al-Sharaa’s shakeup: A merit-based state, or a circle of trust?
Following President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s reshuffle of governors and ministers, questions have emerged over whether the appointments reflect growing public discontent or signal a preference for trust and security control over participation and competence.
As Atef Najib’s trial proceeds, what legal basis exists for transitional justice?
As the trial of former Assad regime security official Atef Najib moves forward, some lawyers and human rights experts warn that it may be premature in the absence of a legal framework for transitional justice.