Israel strikes military airbase in Syria while warning Turkey
Israel conducted airstrikes on the Abu al Duhur military airport in northern Syria during the evening of August 17–18. Syria condemned the strikes as a violation of its sovereignty,...
Golan Heights
Countering Hezbollah Could Bring Syria and Israel Closer
“Syria is seeking a security agreement with Israel,” Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said in an interview with the Qatari-owned Al Jazeera on July 26. A successful agreement, he added, could...
Policy Briefs
Syria appoints new parliament as Israel tensions continue
On July 1, Syria’s government said that the country’s Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections had announced the final list of names for the country’s new parliament. The...
Op-eds
Don’t Invite Syria Back Into Lebanon
Washington is contemplating the one thing that could rally Lebanese around Hezbollah.
Op-eds
Israel reportedly targets Imam Hossein Division missile commander in Beirut strike
On May 28, at approximately 2 pm, the Israeli Air Force targeted an apartment on the second floor of the Rayyan Project building, near Shuwayfat’s Ajniha Al Khamsa area, just southeast...
Op-eds
Syria reports neutralizing Hezbollah plot to assassinate senior officials
On May 5, the Syrian Ministry of Interior and the General Intelligence Directorate announced that security forces thwarted a major terrorist attack aiming to destabilize the country. In a series...
Op-eds
Syria thwarts Hezbollah plot, vows at UN to fight terrorist groups
The Syrian Interior Ministry and General Intelligence Service thwarted a plot by a Hezbollah cell, Syrian state media reported on April 19. Four days later, Syria’s permanent representative...
Op-eds
When Aoun Meets Netanyahu
Lebanese President Michel Aoun is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in the coming weeks, according to President Trump, who said he would invite both leaders....
Op-eds
Syria’s Crackdown on Hezbollah Opens a Door to Cooperation With Israel
Syria has long functioned as Hezbollah’s strategic depth — a corridor for the group’s weapons and a launchpad for attacks against Israel, with Hezbollah embedding networks there during the rule of...
Policy Briefs
Time for Lebanon to Partner with Israel Against Hezbollah
Now that Lebanon and Israel’s interests are so clearly aligned in disarming Hezbollah, the time has come for the two states to cooperate toward this shared goal and lay the groundwork for peace. On...
Op-eds
Russian troops begin evacuating from northern Syria
Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa made his second visit to Moscow in four months on January 28, even as Russia is withdrawing its forces from the city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria. Moscow...
Op-eds
Peace for Land, Not Land for Peace
“Land for peace,” the mantra since Camp David, has brought the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to a dead end, with Palestinian militias remaining active despite the promise of statehood. It’s now time to reverse this broken policy into “peace for land,” where Palestinian acceptance of Zionism earns them territory to govern themselves. A version of this model is being tested in Gaza as part of President Trump’s peace plan. Its success is imperative. Its failure risks more of the same.
Op-eds
Israel-Syria Negotiations Show Promise, But Significant Obstacles Remain
After months of rising tensions, Israel and Syria are back at the negotiating table in Paris. Syria’s state news agency reported that Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and intelligence chief Hussein...
Policy Briefs
Turkish President Erdogan Claims Israel Is Biggest Threat to Syria
Erdogan Accuses Israel of Seeking ‘Fragmentation’ of Syria: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan labeled Israel the “primary obstacle” to a stable Syria on December 16,...
Flash Briefs
Israel-Syria tensions continue after Israeli raid as White House urges ‘dialogue’
Tensions between Israel and Syria have continued in the wake of a November 27 raid in southern Syria by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). On December 4, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), a state...
Op-eds
Preventing Violence in Southern Syria Depends on Damascus and Jerusalem Reaching an Agreement
“Israel must maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria,” President Donald Trump said on December 1, amid rising tensions between the two countries. On November 27, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)...
Policy Briefs
Instability grows in Syria’s Druze heartland as ‘National Guard’ militia arrests opponents
On November 29, members of Suwayda’s National Guard, a militia affiliated with Druze spiritual leader Hikmat al Hijri that describes itself as the “official military institution that represents...
Op-eds
Israel’s Beit Jinn raid highlights potential Hamas-linked networks in southern Syria
On November 27, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an operation in the southern Syrian village of Beit Jinn. According to the IDF, “troops conducted an operation to apprehend suspects from...
Op-eds
Russia Eyes Return to Southern Syria
Russia stepped foot in southern Syria for the first time since the fall of Bashar al-Assad almost a year ago. On November 17, a Russian military delegation traveled to the southern region, where they conducted...
Policy Briefs
Israeli prime minister and top officials visit Syria ‘buffer zone’ as Israel-Syria talks stall
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led a large group of Israeli officials and military commanders to the buffer zone between Israel and Syria on November 19. The Israel Defense...