This week, with Assad gone, what are Syria’s prospects for peace? Under tense ceasefire, Israeli forces leave Lebanese village.
With Assad gone, what are Syria’s prospects for peace?
Former Syrian President Bashar Al Assad fled the country to Russia on December 8, following a 24-year reign and over 500,000 people killed in the country’s civil war. Known as a brutal dictator, over 100,000 people were detained or forcibly disappeared under his regime, many of whom were tortured.
With Assad gone, many are discussing the possibility of peace under Syria’s new Islamist rebel government. This government, led by Abu Mohammad Al-Jolani, is made up of a group known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), meaning Organization for the Liberation of the Levant. The group had early links with ISIS and Al Qaeda, however, it has since tried to portray a more moderate image of itself, although the US and other Western countries still label it a terrorist group.
On December 10, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen warned that the transfer of power had come with the “invasion of public buildings or private homes. But this seems to have stopped and that is a good thing.”
After it captured Aleppo, HTS promised to protect religious and ethnic minorities such as Kurds and Christians. HTS leaders also met with the city’s Christian community. However, human rights groups have been cautious about this promise. Nadine Maenza, president of the International Religious Freedom Secretariat, told Voice of America (VOA), “We pray that continues, as HTS has a troubling history of governing under a harsh version of Islamic law in Idlib.”
There are also concerns about other armed groups targeting minorities, such as the Syrian National Army (SNA), a coalition of Turkish-backed Islamist militias. Human rights experts say the SNA has targeted Kurds, Christians, and Yazidis, and has incited violence against Kurds especially.
While HTS has not been reported to have significantly violated minority rights since its takeover, experts say that rights groups should keep an eye on its allied factions.
It remains to be seen whether peace is in Syria’s near future.
Under tense ceasefire, Israeli forces leave Lebanese village
Under a tense ceasefire, Israeli military forces have left the southern Lebanese village of Al-Khiam on December 11. In a statement, Gen. Erik Kurilla called the withdrawal an “important first step in the implementation of a lasting cessation of hostilities and lays the foundation for continued progress.”
On December 12, Lebanon’s army said it had started deploying troops to Al-Khiam after the IDF’s withdrawal, in coordination with UNIFIL. It cautioned Lebanese civilians to not come near the area during its scans of the village for unexploded ordnances, Times of Israel reported.
Meanwhile, Israel’s army says it is still deployed in other parts of Lebanon’s South, and will work against any threats. Under the ceasefire, the IDF is to entirely withdraw from southern Lebanon by late January.
Israel and Lebanon’s ceasefire, which began last week, has been difficult. After the ceasefire was declared on November 27, Israel carried out an airstrike on November 28, saying in a statement that suspects had breached the conditions of the ceasefire by arriving in vehicles to areas of southern Lebanon. After Hezbollah fired two rockets at Israeli-occupied territory, Israel launched airstrikes across Lebanon’s South on December 2, killing nine.
On December 11, Al Jazeera reported that Israeli strikes had killed five in southern Lebanon. Israel’s military had no immediate comment on this.
Tara Abhasakun
Tara Abhasakun is a journalist in Bangkok. She has reported on a range of human rights issues involving youth protests in Thailand, as well as arts and culture. Tara's work has appeared in several outlets, including Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.
