Damascus

The SDF reported armed group attacks on ISIS prisons in Syria's northeast as clashes with Syrian government forces raise fears of renewed instability and terrorism.

Syrian state media reported that Damascus and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces reached an immediate ceasefire after days of clashes in Kurdish-held areas of the northeast.

Overnight on January 17 and 18, there were major changes on the ground as Arab tribal fighters claimed to seize control of a number of villages and two oil fields on the East side of the Euphrates.

There are also concerns about how detainees are being treated by the Syrian authorities and about the desecration of the bodies of the fallen.

In an interview with the Post and remarks to Fort Worth Jews, Ambassador Yeichel Leiter discusses Syria, the Trump administration, and how Jews can combat rising antisemitism.

A ceasefire was declared in Aleppo by Syria's Defense Ministry after clashes with Kurdish forces, with Damascus claiming it will "escort departing militants" to northeastern Syria.

“The attacks by Syrian regime forces on the Kurdish minority in the city of Aleppo are serious and dangerous," Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar tweeted.

The United States is promoting an Israeli-Syrian initiative for a joint ski resort on Mount Hermon, alongside talks on broader civilian cooperation between Jerusalem and Damascus.

Syria’s government declared Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh a closed military zone as fighting with SDF escalated, with civilian deaths reported and mass evacuations underway.

“The new Syrian government harbors no hostile intentions toward Israel, and seeks a relationship based on respect and coexistence," The American envoy told The Post.