Hamas launches war on Israel

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Kurdish militias see new beginning for Syria
Kurdish militias in Syria see new opportunities for their country now that President Bashar al-Assad has fled. ‘This change offers an opportunity to build a new Syria, where democracy and justice are central,’ said Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi. Then, he says, ‘the rights of all Syrians can be guaranteed’. ‘These are historic moments in Syria as we see the fall of the authoritarian regime in Damascus,’ Abdi said. The Kurdish SDF controls large areas in Syria, but is not part of the coalition of rebel groups that ousted Assad. The SDF also worked closely with the United States in the fight against terror group Islamic State, which had established its own ‘caliphate’ in Syria and Iraq at an earlier point in the Syrian civil war.

Syria opposition works on transitional government
The Syrian opposition is forming a transitional government with full executive powers. This will seek cooperation with the region and the rest of the world, the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) reported on X. The opposition movement currently operates from abroad. Syria should observe a transition period of a year and a half to create a ‘safe, neutral and peaceful’ situation for holding free elections. This is what SOC leader Hadi al Bahra advocates.

In the first six months of that transition period, a constitution should be drafted, he suggests. This should state what the country's government should look like: a parliamentary system, a presidential system or a hybrid form. After that, as far as he is concerned, elections could be held and the people could choose their leader. According to Bahra, the fall of the Assad regime was the result of a ‘domino effect’. Power in the Middle East shifted dramatically after Israel killed several Hezbollah leaders in the past two months. Before then, the Iran-backed movement was the lynch pin of Assad's forces. At the same time, Russia, another key ally, could no longer step in because it was too busy with the war in Ukraine. ‘It was clear that Assad did have to leave. I feel relief, but also sadness. He must be held accountable for all his crimes,’ Bahra said.