Deadly Israeli air strikes target Nuseirat camp in Gaza
At least seven people have been killed and many wounded by an Israeli air attack on a house in central Gaza’s Nuseirat camp. The house was targeted on Tuesday morning, the Palestinian Civil Defence said in a statement, adding that its teams recovered seven bodies and rescued a number of wounded people from the site of the attack. Anadolu Agency quoted a medical source at al-Awda Hospital as saying that the victims included a woman and three children. The report added that the Israeli strikes severely damaged surrounding buildings as well. Meanwhile, Quds News Network reported that Palestinian footballer Mohamed Khalifa was among the victims of the attack. Medical sources have told Al Jazeera that at least 13 people were killed in the coastal enclave today. On Monday night, one Palestinian was killed and many were wounded by an Israeli air strike that targeted the home of the Meqdad family in Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, north of Gaza City. In addition, nearly two dozen people were killed on Monday evening in an attack on a building sheltering displaced people in northern Gaza. Advertisement “Twenty people from one displaced family from Beit Lahiya and Jabalia, who were making their way to Beit Hanoon city, were killed,” Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Deir el-Balah, said. “That includes men, women, children, as well as elderly Palestinians.” Footage shared on social media, and verified by Al Jazeera, shows residents on Tuesday collecting the bodies and lining them up on the street. In central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah, Israeli naval forces detained six Palestinian fishermen who tried to sail into the Mediterranean Sea earlier on Tuesday, Reuters news agency reported. Since early October, Israeli forces have laid a deadly siege in areas in northern Gaza, including Jabalia and Beit Lahiya. Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 44,758 Palestinians and wounded 105,834 since October 7, 2023. Netanyahu promises to continue war on Gaza Meanwhile, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not stop the war in Gaza “now”, despite reports of renewed efforts towards talks on a ceasefire. Speaking at a news conference in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said “if we end the war now, Hamas will return, recover, rebuild and attack us again”. Last month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. On Tuesday, Netanyahu was at a court in Tel Aviv to take the stand for the first time in a long-running corruption trial, adding to his legal woes. Advertisement Charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust, Netanyahu will testify three times a week, the court said. Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 in three cases involving gifts from millionaire friends and for allegedly seeking regulatory favours for media tycoons in return for favourable coverage. A few dozen protesters gathered outside the court building, some of them supporters and others demanding he do more to negotiate the release of some 100 captives still held by Hamas in Gaza. Adblock test (Why?)
South Korean parliament passes bill seeking counsel probe of Yoon
The governing party is also discussing Yoon’s potential resignation as early as February and holding a snap election in April or May. South Korea’s opposition-controlled parliament has passed a bill that seeks to appoint a special counsel to investigate President Yoon Suk-yeol over failed martial law as the governing party discussed his potential resignation in the coming months. The bill, passed on Tuesday, requests the appointment of a special prosecutor to “determine the truth about the internal rebellion through the unconstitutional declaration of martial law”, according to the Yonhap news agency. At least 210 lawmakers voted in favour and 63 against, while 14 members abstained out of 287 who attended the session. The bill came after Yoon survived the first impeachment motion last week when the 300-seat parliament fell short of a quorum of 200 lawmakers. A widespread investigation was launched into the Yoon administration after he imposed martial law, only to be forced into reversing that decision by the country’s parliament just hours later. A protester holding a cardboard reading ‘Leader of insurgents’ on an image depicting the face of President Yoon Suk-yeol takes part in a protest calling for his ouster outside the National Assembly in Seoul, December 8, 2024 [Philip Fong/AFP] The bill also calls for investigating other officials, including former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun and Army Chief of Staff General Park An-su, Yonhap reported. Advertisement The Seoul Central District Court said it was reviewing a request from prosecutors for a warrant to arrest Kim, who has been accused of recommending martial law to Yoon and sending troops to the National Assembly to block lawmakers from voting on it. In a statement later on Tuesday, the former defence minister said he “deeply apologises for causing significant anxiety and inconvenience”, adding that all responsibility for the imposition of martial law rests solely with him. South Korean authorities have also banned more top officials from leaving the country a day after Yoon was hit with a travel ban. On Tuesday, Cho Ji-ho, commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, and two other top police officials became the latest to be barred from foreign travel, the AFP news agency reported. Yoon to resign? Meanwhile, the embattled governing party said it was discussing Yoon’s potential resignation as early as February, and holding a snap election in April or May. Lee Yang-soo, who chairs a People Power Party task force constituted on Monday to map out Yoon’s eventual and “orderly” departure, said his team proposed the idea of having Yoon resign in February or March and holding an election two months later. South Korea’s constitution requires an election within 60 days of the president’s departure. Yoon’s five-year term ends in May 2027. “We’ve not yet reached a conclusion partywide and will have another meeting with all our members of parliament in the afternoon to discuss that plan,” Lee told reporters. A caricature depicting President Yoon in front of the People Power Party’s head office in Seoul [File: Lee Jin-man/AP Photo] Budget passed Advertisement Tuesday also saw parliament passing a budget bill for 2025 that was slashed from the government’s proposal and triggered the short-lived martial law decree. The 300-member parliament voted 183-94 to pass a 673.3 trillion won ($470.6bn) budget for 2025, which was cut by the Democratic Party from the government’s proposed 677.4 trillion won ($473.5bn) without reaching an agreement with the PPP and the government. It was the first time the parliament passed a budget trimmed down without consent from government ministries or between rival parties. President Yoon had cited opposition obstructionism over government budgets as one justification for his martial law decree. Adblock test (Why?)
Murdoch fails to amend family trust in court succession saga: Report
Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox News and the Wall Street Journal, is seeking to put his son Lachlan in control of the media empire. A United States probate commissioner has ruled against billionaire media baron Rupert Murdoch‘s bid to change his family trust to put his global television and publishing empire under the control of his eldest son Lachlan, The New York Times has reported. Nevada commissioner Edmund Gorman concluded that Murdoch and his son Lachlan, who run Fox Corp and News Corp, the owners of Fox News and The Wall Street Journal, had acted in “bad faith” in their effort to amend the irrevocable trust, the Times reported on Monday, citing a sealed court document. The trust currently would divide control of the company equally among Murdoch’s four oldest children – Lachlan, James, Elisabeth and Prudence – after his death. In his opinion, Gorman said the plan to change the trust was a “carefully crafted charade” to “permanently cement Lachlan Murdoch’s executive roles” inside the empire “regardless of the impacts such control would have over the companies or the beneficiaries” of the family trust, the Times said. Advertisement A lawyer for Rupert Murdoch, Adam Streisand, said they were disappointed with the ruling and intended to appeal, the Times reported. The Murdochs’ conservative media empire is poised to play an important role in the political future of the US as President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House in January. Fox News has bounced back after losing an $800m defamation lawsuit last year due to its handling of the 2020 election results. Rupert Murdoch was one of the most prominent Trump detractors to line up behind the former president during the recent election campaign, with the full-throated support of Fox News. Rupert Murdoch, centre, and his wife, Elena Zhukova Murdoch, arrive at the Second Judicial District Court in Reno, Nevada, on Monday, September 16 [Andy Barron/AP Photo] The succession battle for control of Murdoch’s media holdings has been going on behind closed doors for three months in a Reno, Nevada, courtroom. Married five times, the 93-year-old Murdoch retired last year and is attempting to change the terms of the family’s trust to ensure that after he dies, the media companies remain under the control of Lachlan Murdoch. Rupert Murdoch’s proposed amendment would block any interference by three of Lachlan’s siblings, who are more politically moderate, The New York Times has reported. Lachlan Murdoch already runs Fox and is the sole chair of News Corp. Lachlan Murdoch is viewed as ideologically aligned with his conservative father. James Murdoch, who has donated to progressive political groups, resigned in 2020 from the News Corp board, citing disagreements over editorial content. Advertisement The Murdoch trust was formed around the time of Rupert Murdoch’s divorce from his second wife, Anna, in 1999. The trust is the vehicle through which the elder Murdoch controls News Corp and Fox, with roughly a 40 percent stake in voting shares of each company. Adblock test (Why?)
What are Israel’s plans in Syria?
Israel moves to seize more Syrian land near the Golan Heights after opposition forces topple former President Bashar al-Assad. As former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government falls, Israel seizes more territory in Syria’s Golan Heights. That move tears up a 50-year-old ceasefire agreement. But Israeli far-right ministers say their country’s borders should extend further – to Damascus. So what are Israel’s plans in Syria? Presenter: Dareen Abughaida Guests: Robert Geist Pinfold – lecturer in international peace and security at Durham University Akiva Eldar – political analyst and veteran journalist Salma Daoudi – Syria researcher and policy analyst, and non-resident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy Adblock test (Why?)
How have Palestinian groups reacted to the ouster of Syria’s al-Assad?
Palestinian factions have largely expressed support for the Syrian people after the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad while saying that they hope the new authorities will support the Palestinian cause. As daylight broke in Damascus in the early hours of Sunday morning, Syrians woke up to a dramatically changed country after opposition forces swept into Syria’s capital less than two weeks into a lightning offensive. Palestinian factions have supported opposing sides of the Syrian war over the past 13 years. Syria – home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees – has played a major role in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Here’s how leading Palestinian groups reacted to the fall of al-Assad over the past days: Palestinian Authority (PA) The State of Palestine, run by the PA, said on Sunday that it stands by the Syrian people, “respecting their will and political choices, in a way that guarantees their security and stability and preserves their achievements”. The Palestinian presidency added in a statement that it affirms “the need to respect the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic, and to preserve its security and stability, wishing continued progress and prosperity for the brotherly Syrian people”. Advertisement The presidency stressed that political parties should prioritise the interests of the Syrian people and back Palestinians’ “just cause towards freedom and independence”. Hamas Hamas congratulated the Syrian people on Monday for achieving their “aspirations for freedom and justice”. “We stand strongly with the great people of Syria … and respect the will, the independence, and the political choices of the people of Syria,” the Palestinian group said in a statement. It also urged Syrians to unite and “rise above the wounds of the past”, condemning what it called the “brutal aggression” by Israel against Syria. Hamas added that it hopes that Syria will continue “its historical and pivotal role in supporting the Palestinian people”. Hamas sided with the uprising against al-Assad early in the crisis despite its alliance with Iran, which backed the government in Damascus. The Palestinian group’s position cooled down ties with Tehran and Hezbollah in Lebanon, but the alliance was eventually revived despite disagreements over Syria. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) The Palestinian faction, which is allied with Hamas and Iran, said the recent developments are a Syrian matter that relates to the “choices of the brotherly Syrian people”. “The Islamic Jihad hopes Syria will remain a true supporter and backer for the Palestinian people and their just cause, as it has always been,” Ziad al-Nakhala, the head of the PIJ, said in a statement. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Advertisement The left-wing group that has previously voiced support for the Syrian government, did not address al-Assad’s fall in its first official statement after opposition fighters captured Damascus. Instead, the PFLP focused on condemning ongoing Israeli attacks on Syria. “This Zionist aggression against Syrian territory carries dangerous dimensions that require solidarity to confront them,” the group said. “The Front stresses that the Zionist enemy’s air strikes against Syria and its incursion into Syrian territory amount to a dangerous escalation in the aggression against the people and states of the region,” it added. “The enemy is trying to take advantage of the phase of internal changes in Syria to achieve renewed goals of aggression against Syria and its people.” The Palestinian National and Islamic Forces in Damascus The coalition, which includes several Palestinian factions, described the ouster of al-Assad as an internal Syrian affair. “The Palestinian National and Islamic Forces in Damascus looks forward sincerely to the Syrian people’s right to determine their future and build a unified, fully sovereign Syria in a framework of freedom, justice, democracy and equal citizenship without discrimination,” the coalition said. It added that it hopes for a “Syria that continues to fulfil its brotherly and national duties towards the Palestinian people”. Adblock test (Why?)
Beirut under Israeli bombing
[unable to retrieve full-text content] As Israel continues to bomb Lebanon, as much as a quarter of the country’s residents are displaced.
South Africa vs Pakistan – T20 series: When, where, teams, head-to-head
Who: South Africa vs PakistanWhat: T20 international cricket seriesWhen: December 10, 13, 14 at 16:00 GMTWhere: Durban, Centurion, Johannesburg South Africa and Pakistan will look to shake off a string of poor results in T20 internationals when the two sides meet in a three-match series starting Tuesday. The runners-up of the last two ICC Men’s T20 World Cups, South Africa in 2024 and Pakistan in 2022, have both seen their T20 fortunes drop in recent bilateral T20 series. South Africa were at the receiving end of a 3-1 thrashing against world champions India at home and while Pakistan managed to beat Zimbabwe 2-1, they were handed a 3-0 drubbing in Australia in November. The hosts will be led by stand-in skipper Heinrich Klaasen as Aiden Markram has been rested for the Test leg of Pakistan’s tour of South Africa. Meanwhile, Pakistan have taken the opposite route, choosing to rest leading pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi from the Tests as they look to manage his workload before the home ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Advertisement Pakistan’s new limited-overs captain Mohammed Rizwan returns to lead the side after sitting out the white-ball tour of Zimbabwe. What’s the full match schedule of the Australia vs Pakistan T20 series? First T20: Tuesday, December 10, 6pm (16:00 GMT) at Sahara Stadium, Kingsmead, Durban Second T20: Friday, December 13, 6pm (16:00 GMT) at SuperSport Park, Centurion Third T20: Saturday, December 14, 6pm (16:00 GMT) at The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg How can I follow the South Africa vs Pakistan T20 series? Al Jazeera’s live text and photo coverage of each game will begin three hours before the match start time. South Africa vs Pakistan: T20 head-to-head record South Africa and Pakistan have been facing each other in T20Is from the earliest days of the format and their first game took place in February 2007, a few months before the African nation hosted the inaugural ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. In total, the teams have played 22 T20 matches with nearly even results. Pakistan hold a slight edge with 12 wins, while the Proteas have won 10. Form guide: South Africa The World Cup runners-up have endured a forgettable run in T20Is format since the June 29 final in Barbados. In their three bilateral T20I series since the World Cup, the Proteas have lost 3-1 to India at home, drawn 1-1 with Ireland in the United Arab Emirates and lost 3-0 away to the West Indies. Last five results (latest first): L L W L L Form guide: Pakistan Similar to South Africa’s run in T20s since their appearance in the final, Pakistan, have been in a downward spiral since their runners-up finish at the T20 World Cup in 2022. Advertisement Since losing to England in the Melbourne final, Pakistan have lost three of their six bilateral series. Their only series victories have come against Zimbabwe (2-1) and Ireland (2-1). The 2009 champions have lost away to England (2-0), drawn at home against a depleted New Zealand side (2-2), lost away to New Zealand (4-1) and away to Afghanistan (2-1). Last five results (latest first): L W W L L South Africa team news The hosts will be led by the swashbuckling batter Klaasen in Markram’s absence with Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada and Tristan Stubbs also sitting out. Fast bowler Anrich Nortje and spinner Tabraiz Shamsi return to the T20 side for the first time since the T20 World Cup. Squad: Heinrich Klaasen (captain), Ottneil Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Patrick Kruger, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Andile Simelane, Rassie van der Dussen. Pakistan team news After resting a number of T20 regulars for the series against Zimbabwe, including captain Rizwan, Pakistan have brought back Rizwan and Babar for the South African tour. Shaheen Afridi will lead the pace attack along with Haris Rauf, but Naseem Shah will miss out. Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan. Adblock test (Why?)
Syrians who fled home rejoice at Assad’s ouster, although some are cautious
Beirut, Lebanon – Youssef Salah and Mohammad Mahmoud exchanged joyful cheek kisses from their motorbikes in Cola Roundabout, a busy transport hub in Beirut. “Today is the best morning,” the smiling Mahmoud, 20, said. “We feel the biggest joy,” he gestured at Ali al-Abed, 20, who was seated behind him. “We’re from Deir Az Zor,” al-Abed said, adding: “Free Deir Az Zor, write it down like that!” A man from south Lebanon buying breakfast from a kaak (a type of Arabic bread) vendor shouted over: “Who will rule you now? The Americans, the Israelis?” “I don’t know, but it’s been 13 years,” Mahmoud shouted back. “Khalas [enough]!” The three young men were beaming the morning after the end of the al-Assad dynasty’s rule in Syria after 53 years. A lightning offensive by Syrian opposition groups that freed people in regime prisons and took big cities – Aleppo, Hama, Homs and finally Damascus – took just more than a week. Hafez al-Assad came to power in 1971, and his son Bashar succeeded him in 2000, after Hafez’s death. Advertisement Syrians rose against the regime in 2011 but faced a brutal crackdown that devolved into a war involving regional and international actors. As of the end of November, more than five million Syrians were refugees around the region and millions more were internally displaced. Syrians who had to flee their homeland to escape the violence spoke to Al Jazeera about the tumultuous feelings they woke up to on Sunday. Echoes of cruelty Most around the region welcomed the end of the al-Assad dynasty. “One heart isn’t enough to hold this great joy,” Yehya Jumaa, a Homsi in Jordan, told Al Jazeera. “We need 10 hearts to bear this joy.” Yet, the regime has fallen, but the echoes of its brutality live on through the damage it has done to many of its people. Mohammad, 33, a Homsi in Chtoura, Lebanon, said three of his relatives were released from prison on Sunday, but others were still missing. However, Mohammad said, the veil of fear of speaking the truth had lifted. Abdelmonieim Shamieh in Amman, Jordan [Habib Abu Mahfoudh/Al Jazeera] “In the past, if you approached me, I wouldn’t have talked. But now we aren’t scared,” he said, standing outside a shopping centre in Chtoura, about half an hour’s drive from Beirut. “All the fear is gone.” Behind him, Syrians rejoiced and chanted loudly: “God, Syria, freedom and that’s all!” Jumaa was also saddened, he said, by the state of the prisoners who were released from regime prisons. “So many had no idea what had been going on for years. Some thought it was [late Iraq strongman ] Saddam Hussein who had liberated them.” Advertisement Aleppan Abdelmonieim Shamieh, who is also in Jordan, said he, too, had experienced al-Assad’s prisons when he was taken as a high school student in 1982. “I was overcome with joy, with tears at the sight of the detainees … when I was in the prison cells, I saw with my own eyes and heard with my own ears the torture prisoners suffer, something no human can bear.” “Many of my friends [who were arrested with him] died under torture,” Shamieh said. Going home? In Cairo, Egypt, two young Syrians spoke of returning to their homeland, even though only one of them is old enough to remember the land he left. Amjad, 22, is a happy man as he went through his shift. Amjad is full of hope that he will be able to go home [Al Jazeera] His Egyptian co-workers had rejoiced with him, hugging and congratulating him for what happened in Syria. “Now I can go back and live in my country,” he said with tears in his eyes. He had fled Syria two years ago, to get away from a brutal conscription service that could last up to eight years as al-Assad tried to shore up his forces. Now, he does not have to stay away. “As soon as my UN card expires, in two months, I will travel.” A few blocks over, 16-year-old Suleyman Sukar is minding the shop at the small roastery his family co-owns. The teen got no sleep on Saturday night as the family waited for developments in the approach to Damascus, yet seemed alert enough on Sunday, teeming with thoughts. He was only four years old when his family had to flee Ghouta in 2012 as regime attacks intensified, he said. So he remembers very little of his beloved Syria. Advertisement Instead, his attachment to “home” came through the memories of his parents and brothers, and through talking to his extended family back home. Settling in Egypt was not easy for the Sukars as his parents had to work odd jobs for seven years before they saved enough to open the roastery. Suleyman got no sleep on Saturday night as his family waited for news of the fall of Damascus [Al Jazeera] But it does not matter, Suleyman said. As soon as things were stable in Syria, they would go home. Suhaib al-Ahmad, a 58-year-old grocer in the Turkish capital, Ankara, agrees and believes Syrians abroad should contribute to the reconstruction of their homeland. “We must return with hearts full of hope and work to restore Syria as it was and even better,” he said “I hope this joy is a good omen for Syria and its people … I also hope Syria’s future will be bright, just as we always dreamed.” Back at Tariq el-Jdideh, Beirut, Bishar Ahmad Nijris stood, jubilant, chatting at his fruit stand. “It’s a victory for the whole world,” Nijris, 41, said. “There’s no more oppression and we can all live as one people, without sectarianism … That’s what we want.” Suhaib al-Ahmad set up a grocer’s in Ankara when he fled the fighting in Syria [Zaid Isleem/Al Jazeera] Nijris is also a veteran of al-Assad’s prisons after being arrested and held without charges for two months in Mezzeh prison in 2013. He hails from
Syrians around the world celebrate the fall of Bashar al-Assad
Syrians gathered in cities around the world to celebrate the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government with chants and prayers after opposition fighters entered the capital Damascus following a stunning advance. The Syrian opposition said that it had defeated al-Assad’s regime in the early hours of Sunday, forcing the ousted president to flee the country. Russian media reports have said that he has been given asylum by his main backer, Russia. It was the first time opposition forces had reached Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured areas on the outskirts of the capital following a years-long siege. Syria’s war erupted in 2011 as an uprising against al-Assad’s rule and quickly morphed into a full-blown conflict that dragged in foreign powers. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed while millions were forced from their homes in one of the world’s largest refugee crises. Adblock test (Why?)
Syria’s deposed former leader al-Assad in Moscow: Russian media
Russia has granted the al-Assad family asylum on ‘humanitarian grounds’, Russian news agencies report. Syria’s ousted President Bashar al-Assad and his family have arrived in Russia after being granted asylum by Russian authorities, Russian news agencies reported, citing a Kremlin source. Russia has granted the family asylum on “humanitarian grounds”, the Interfax, TASS and Ria Novosti news agencies reported on Sunday, quoting the unnamed source. Al-Assad’s whereabouts were unknown after armed opposition fighters captured Damascus in the early hours of Sunday morning, declaring that his government had been toppled. The advance came less than two weeks into the opposition’s lightning offensive. “Right now we see that a number of sources, including the BBC’s Russian service, for instance, have reported that al-Assad could possibly have been evacuated by a Russian plane from a Russian air base in Latakia, Syria that took off several hours ago with its transponders turned off,” Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova said from Russia’s capital Moscow. Speaking at the White House, US President Joe Biden stated that he was not sure where al-Assad was, but that “there is word he is in Moscow”. Advertisement “The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice. It’s a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria to build a better future for their proud country,” Biden also said. The Russian Foreign Ministry had said earlier on Sunday that al-Assad had resigned and left Syria. Crowds ransacked the deposed leader’s opulent home after the opposition forces declared he had fled. Residents in the capital were seen cheering in the streets shortly after rebel factions declared “the city of Damascus free”. Meanwhile, Russian news agencies also reported that Syrian opposition leaders have guaranteed the safety of Russian military bases and diplomatic missions inside Syria. “Russian officials are in contact with representatives of the armed Syrian opposition, whose leaders have guaranteed the safety of Russian military bases and diplomatic institutions on the territory of Syria,” TASS reported, citing a Kremlin source. That is despite Russia having been an active participant in Syria’s war, supporting al-Assad and carrying out repeated bombing raids on opposition areas, resulting in the deaths of civilians. Russian support reversed the tide of the war in 2015, when opposition fighters were threatening Damascus. Instead, al-Assad was able to push the opposition to enclaves in the north of the country, until the rapid rebel advance that began in late November. The events of Sunday came after 13 years of war, which also put an end to more than half a century of the al-Assad family’s rule. Advertisement The Syrian war started as a largely unarmed uprising against al-Assad in March 2011, which eventually became an all-out war that dragged in foreign powers, killed hundreds of thousands of people and turned millions into refugees across the world. Adblock test (Why?)