Summary of events: Searches continue in two mass graves in Qatana and Najha, north and south of Damascus. Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israeli forces will remain in the buffer zone inside Syria. The European Union announced it is ready to reopen its representative office in Syria. Ali Khamenei once again attributed the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government to the United States and Israel, stating, 'The resistance is not over.' A ceasefire between the Kurds and Turkish-backed forces in Manbij, northern Syria, has been extended. The Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister referred to the leader of the Syrian rebels as a 'wolf in sheep's clothing' due to his history with jihadist groups. The leader of the Syrian rebels called for the lifting of global sanctions against the country.
German diplomats also met with representatives of the Syrian rebels in Damascus. The German Foreign Ministry stated that the discussions focused on the political transition process and expectations regarding the support of minorities and women's rights to promote peaceful development in Syria. The report also indicated that German diplomats held meetings with representatives of civil society and religious communities in Syria. British diplomats also spoke with Ahmad al-Shar'a, known as Abu Muhammad al-Julani, the leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham.
The ceasefire in Manbij between the Kurds and Turkish-backed forces has been extended. A U.S. State Department spokesperson announced that the ceasefire has been extended 'until the end of this week' and that Washington is willing to extend it as long as possible, not wanting any party to exploit the current instability in Syria for limited interests.
A former U.S. official stated that evidence from the mass graves indicates the existence of a 'death machine' under Bashar al-Assad's regime. Stephen Rapp, a former U.S. representative for war crimes, added that the number of those tortured and killed under this regime is certainly over one hundred thousand. The International Commission on Missing Persons, based in The Hague, announced that it has obtained information suggesting that there may be 66 unverified mass graves in Syria. So far, 157,000 missing persons have been reported to this commission.
International organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have called for the protection of mass graves as crime scenes, but newly discovered graves are reportedly easily accessible. Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces will remain in the buffer zone until alternative arrangements are made to ensure Israel's security.
Ali Khamenei again linked the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria to the U.S., Israel, and 'other assistance,' claiming that 'the resistance is not over.' He stated that after the fall of Assad's government, 'the enemies thought that the issue of resistance was over, but they are gravely mistaken.' He also referred to Israel's preparations for 'besieging and rooting out' Hezbollah and claimed, 'The one that will be rooted out is Israel.'
The Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister called the leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham a 'wolf in sheep's clothing.' Sharan Haskel presented images of Abu Muhammad al-Julani at a press conference, stating that the history of Syrian jihadist groups should not be 'whitewashed.' He added, 'We know them and their true nature, even if they change their name. We know how dangerous they are to the West.'
The European Union officials stated they will establish contact with the new Syrian leadership and reopen their representative office in the country. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, announced that the EU will increase its humanitarian aid to Syria, although she warned about the risk of the resurgence of ISIS. Kaya Kalas, the EU's foreign policy chief, stated, 'We are ready to reopen our representative office, which is considered the European embassy, and we want it to be fully operational again.'
The EU's representative office in Damascus was never officially closed, but it has not had an ambassador since the Syrian civil war began. The Syrian armed rebels led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham managed to overthrow Bashar al-Assad's government after about 11 days of advancing into key cities, culminating in their entry into Damascus.
Ursula von der Leyen, who traveled to Turkey, stated after meeting with the Turkish president that the EU must engage directly with this Islamist group. She also noted that Turkey's legitimate security concerns regarding the situation in Syria must be taken into account. Previously, the United States, Germany, and Britain have stated that they have engaged with Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. The U.S. officially designated the Islamist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which played a key role in the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, as a terrorist organization in 2018, and the EU, Britain, Turkey, and several other countries have also listed this group as terrorist.
Ten days after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government, the United Nations estimates that in the next six months, at least one million citizens who fled Syria will return to their homeland by mid-2025. The UN Secretary-General welcomed the interim Syrian government's commitment to protect civilians, stating, 'While the people of Syria have the opportunity to build a better future, the international community must stand by them.' Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has hosted over 3 million Syrian refugees in his country, stated that he expects the EU to assist in the return of refugees.
Erdoğan, during a press conference with Ursula von der Leyen, who traveled to Turkey to discuss developments in Syria and Turkey's role in changing regional equations, stated that Ankara agrees with the EU's call for establishing an institution for Syria after Assad. Von der Leyen emphasized that 'Europe must strengthen its relations with the ruling rebels in Syria.' She reminded that Europe has been the largest donor to Syria, and continued support should focus on the reconstruction of the country.
The meeting between the President of the European Commission and Erdoğan, attended by Hakan Fidan, Turkey's Foreign Minister, and several EU officials, lasted two and a half hours.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced that the reopening of the Islamic Republic's embassy in Damascus requires 'preliminary measures,' the most important of which is 'ensuring the security of the embassy and its staff.' Ismail Baqaei stated that he prefers not to use the term 'imminent' regarding the reopening of the embassy, but as soon as the security and political prerequisites are met, the Iranian embassy in Syria will reopen. The Iranian ambassador in Syria stated that the Iranian embassy will soon resume its activities. He added that the day after Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham arrived in Damascus, they secured the embassy's safety. He also mentioned that before Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham arrived in Damascus, 'some unidentified individuals' looted the embassy.
Abu Muhammad al-Julani assured a delegation from his Druze community that Syria in its new era will be a 'supporter and defender' of them and all citizens from various minorities and ethnicities. The Druze in the Syrian Golan have expressed concerns about potential harassment from extremist Islamists. The council of the town of Khadr in the Syrian Golan also called for annexation to Israel in order to be safe from future attacks in Syria. Al-Julani also assured Israel that Syria will continue to adhere to the 1974 ceasefire agreement with Israel. He also called on the international community to lift sanctions against his country and to remove the terrorist designation from his militia. He stated that his name being on the terrorist list of the U.S. and other countries is of no importance, but he seeks the lifting of sanctions and the removal of the terrorist designation from Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, as the current priority is nation-building.