Syria

Anti-draft protests erupt as Eisenkot leads Netanyahu in polls

The Jerusalem Post's must-listen news roundup with Gadi Zaig - the top stories, clear and concise.

Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) protesters block traffic on Highway 4 during anti-draft demonstration, October 8, 2026.
IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon on April 22, 2026.

IDF allows Lebanese, Syrian workers into northern security zone to harvest olives - report

Houthi supporters rally in solidarity with the movement, in Sana’a, Yemen, Oct. 9.

Voices from the Arab press: Yemen’s fight to retake Sana'a mirrors Syria’s liberation of Damascus

DEMONSTRATORS RIDE through a street while waving Syrian flags during a rally in Hasakah, Syria, last Friday.

Syria’s Kurdish autonomy is fading as Arab unrest challenges Damascus’s control


Did Netanyahu’s phone call with Sharaa change Israeli-Syrian relations? - analysis

Damascus has not confirmed the reported conversation between Netanyahu and Ahmed al-Sharaa, while Syrian analysts say direct contacts could reduce tensions but remain far from a peace agreement.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during the opening ceremony of the Damascus International Fair in Damascus, Syria, August 26, 2026.

Italian intelligence suggest link between Palestinian terrorists, Sicilian mafia

The investigation draws on intelligence reports, judicial records, and historical documents describing networks extending from Lebanon and Syria to Sicily and Rome.

Clouds hang over Cagliari, Italy, January 31, 2026

Netanyahu reveals direct call with Syrian President Sharaa, claims he stopped Druze massacres

"It was a very short, very sharp conversation, and the massacre was stopped," Netanyahu said. He added: "There is still work to be done; I cannot reveal everything."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a reception marking the opening of the Colombian Embassy in Jerusalem, held at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem, October 14, 2026.

Why would Hezbollah admit its explosives were smuggled into Lebanon? - analysis

“The vehicle and its cargo belong to the resistance,” Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said. He noted that his organization also called for the immediate release of those arrested in the seizure.

Hezbollah commemorates second anniversary of Nasrallah's killing in Beirut's southern suburbs Sunday, 27th September 2026

Iran tensions, Syria talks put Iraqi Kurdistan at the center of Middle Eastern diplomacy - analysis

The Kurdistan Region is involved in a variety of discussions, in part due to its geographic position. It sits at the crossroads of major regional policies. 

Nechirvan Barzani, President of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Region, gives a joint press conference with France's Foreign Minister in Arbil, the regional capital, on February 5, 2026.

Hezbollah explosive smuggling, illegal finance network leads to calls for probe by Lebanese PMs

Hezbollah might have always intended for the shipment to be discovered with the aim of sending a threatening psychological message to the political and security figures working to disarm the org.

Supporters of Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah wave flags of the group during a ceremony held to mark the second anniversary of the killing of leader Hassan Nasrallah in a strike by Israel, in Beirut's southern suburbs on September 27, 2026.

Israel must set red lines on Turkish presence in Syria to avoid confrontation, think tank argues

Israel's Syria policy could ultimately invite US pressure to abandon its buffer zone without significant security concessions if it fails to engage Damascus diplomatically, INSS warns.

Turkish security forces line up in the buffer zone as Turkish police use water cannon to disperse Syrian supporters who gather at the border, across from the northern Syrian town of Qamishli, January 20, 2026

Turkey’s historic bid to end the PKK insurgency hangs in the balance - opinion

Currently, the debate is focused heavily on where and how PKK weapons are to be surrendered and who verifies the operation.

Inside the Turkish Parliament, Ankara, June 3, 2023; illustrative.

Iranian networks continue to threaten Israel from southern Syria, recruiting Druze, Sunnis to fight

A series of incidents points to continued Iranian, Hezbollah activity in southern Syria, describing Friday's strike as the latest in a string of cases suggesting efforts to establish local networks.

Members of a local rebel militia pose for a picture during a patrol in Syria's southern city of Sweida.

Syria issues first letter of credit for Saudi Aramco petroleum deal

The bank said the transaction opened a channel for financing oil imports and settling payments through the formal banking system. Saudi Arabia also signed three energy MOUs with Gulf states.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh Tuesday, 6th October 2026