Washington | US President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday said Syrian President Bashar Assad has fled his country and his protector, Russia led by Vladimir Putin, "was not interested in protecting him any longer".
In a post on social media platform Truth Social, Trump also wrote that Russia "lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, where close to 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead".
He added that “Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success”.
German foreign minister warns Syria must not fall into the hands of radicals
BERLIN | German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock expressed understanding for the relief Syrian people felt after the fall of Bashar Assad's government, but warned that “the country must not now fall into the hands of other radicals”.
“Several hundred thousand Syrians have been killed in the civil war, millions have fled,” Baerbock said in a statement emailed by her office Sunday. “Assad has murdered, tortured and used poison gas against his own people. He must finally be held accountable for this.”
Baerbock also called “on the parties to the conflict to live up to their responsibility for all Syrians”.
“This includes the comprehensive protection of ethnic and religious minorities such as Kurds, Alawites or Christians and an inclusive political process that creates a balance between the groups,” the German foreign minister said.
Syrian refugees in Beirut say they want to go home
BEIRUT | Syrian refugees in Beirut rejoice Assad's downfall on Sunday, with some saying they are considering returning to Syria.
“After all these years of suffering, God granted us relief,” Hilal Youssef, a Syrian from Hama, said on Sunday. “We will go back to Syria with pride and joy. We got rid of this army. We got rid of the injustice that we lived before and freed Syria. Now we can go there anytime we want.”
“For sure we want to go back,” said Bilal al Khleif, also from Hama. Refugees will return “to Hama, to Damascus, to Idlib and all areas and chant Freedom,'” he said.
Syrian state TV briefly resumes programmes and hosts a rebel commander
DAMASCUS, Syria | Syrian state TV briefly continued its programs, with an anchorman calling on all employees at the station to return to work adding that they are safe.
“This is Damascus, the capital of Syria where the gates of freedom have opened for the first time in many years. This is a historic day in Syria's modern history” the anchorman said Sunday morning.
He later hosted Anas Salkhadi, a rebel commander among the fighters who stormed the capital. Salkhadi said that the rebels would protect state institutions.
“Our message to all the sects of Syria is that we tell them that Syria is for everyone,” Salkhadi said. “We will not do what Assad family did,” he said.
As Salkhadi spoke, the sound was cut and the broadcast suddenly stopped. A red banner then appeared on screen with writing in Arabic that said: “The victory of the great Syrian revolution and the fall of Assad's criminal regime.”
Syrians in Berlin celebrate the downfall of Assad's government
BERLIN | Hundreds of Syrians took to the streets to celebrate the fall of Bashar Assad's government.
Some cheered and rejoiced in front of a Syrian bakery on the German capital's Sonnenallee boulevard in the neighbourhood of Neukoelln, famous for its many Arabic stores, restaurants and coffee shops.
People were waving flags emblazoned with “Free Syria” while others flocked in motorcades, German news agency dpa reported.
Many, originally from Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, live in Neukoelln.
Hundreds of thousands of Syrians fled the civil war in their home country and reached Germany by crossing the Mediterranean on flimsy rubber boats and trekking up the Balkan, often for days and weeks by foot.
Qatari official says renewed mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas still in early stages
DOHA, Qatar | Majed bin Mohammed al-Ansari, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman, said the revived efforts to push for a ceasefire between the two sides were still in the early stages despite e new “momentum".
Qatar recently renewed its role as mediator after suspending efforts last month in frustration over what it said was a lack of willingness by the sides to make progress.
Al-Ansari said his government has been only engaging with the individual sides. However, he said he hoped to see mediation kick into gear in a “more detailed manner” by next week.
Al-Ansari said while it was still too early to provide details on postwar Gaza, his government has had discussions about its general position.
He said there needs to be a “Palestinian decision” on who will govern, with the West Bank and Gaza under a unified leadership.
He also said Qatar, which played a big role in rebuilding Gaza after previous conflicts, would be open to joining a broader reconstruction effort if political conditions allow.
“We will support any international effort when it comes to rebuilding,” he added. “We will not abandon the Palestinian people. We will not abandon the people of Gaza. But this time, it needs to be an international effort.”
“The whole international community should be supportive of whatever governance model is chosen by the Palestinian people,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Doha Forum.