Syria

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

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world.

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

BEHIND THE LINES: While the Kurdish-led authority was dissolved on paper, many of its institutions continued to function in reality.

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

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.

|ByRIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE
Clouds hang over Cagliari, Italy, January 31, 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The investigation draws on intelligence reports, judicial records, and historical documents describing networks extending from Lebanon and Syria to Sicily and Rome.

|ByTHE MEDIA LINE STAFF

IDF arrests weapons traffickers in Nablus, kills would-be infiltrator in southern Syria

Zamir announces IDF intelligence overhaul • Middle East crude oil exports exceed pre-war levels • US pulls all bombers from RAF Fairford air base threatened by alleged Iranian plot

OCTOBER 5, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
IDF operating in Syria's security zone.

IDF shoots suspect attempting to break into military post in southern Syria

On Sunday evening, troops from the 2nd "Carmeli" Brigade, who were manning outposts in the Syrian buffer zone, spotted a suspect approaching the post between the villages of Hader and Kuneitra.

OCTOBER 5, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Soldiers of Israel's artillery unit take part in a drill at the military base of Har Dov on Mount Hermon, a strategic and fortified outpost at the crossroads between Israel, Lebanon, and Syria, in the annexed Golan Heights on August 28, 2023.

Jewish-Arab families show how Israeli identities are changing - opinion

Perhaps what will matter in the future is not the number of these marriages, but what they produce: people who see no need to make a forced choice among the parts of their identity.

OCTOBER 4, 2026BySALEM ALKETBI
Aran and Jewish Israeli volunteers with First Lady Michal Herzog

Syria condemns Israel's 'violations' of its sovereignty

Syria accused Israel of violating its territorial integrity by seizing the peak of Mount Hermon and using the strategic point to launch "incursions" on Syrian villages near the buffer zone.

OCTOBER 4, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
People celebrate arrest of 2013 Tadamon massacre key suspect Amjad Yousef, in Tadamon Friday, 24th April 2026

Israeli spy Eli Cohen may have been buried near Damascus barracks, Syrian official claims

“We said the Israelis would not let the matter go and would try to obtain his remains, so each of us began suggesting a place where he could be buried,” Jawish told Al Majalla.

OCTOBER 4, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Reproduction of an Israeli stamp being issued to honour the Mossad intelligence agency spy Eli Cohen who was hanged in Damascus

Defense Ministry: 1,318 Israeli security personnel killed across all fronts since October 7

The number includes fallen personnel from the IDF, Israel Police, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), Fire and Rescue Services, security coordinators, and local response team members.

OCTOBER 4, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
IDF Paratroopers Brigade operating in the Gaza Strip. Pictures released on August 24, 2026.

Yemen launches counteroffensive against Houthis, flydubai hijacker's motives under investigation

Pete Hegseth says US 'hell-bent' on keeping Iran from achieving nuclear weapons • Iran delays renewing Hamas financial support over failure to undermine West Bank stability • Iran executes detainee

OCTOBER 4, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
A US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle is refueled by a KC-135 Stratotanker while patrolling the skies over the Middle East.

IDF targets Yahya Sinwar's successor in Gaza strike, kills two PIJ commanders in Gaza City

Trump reportedly discusses next steps of war at secret Camp David meeting • US pushes for pressure on Iran • Yemen claims 20 strikes carried out on Houthis

OCTOBER 3, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Smoke and flames rise from a house during an Israeli strike, carried out after the IDF warned residents to evacuate the area, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, September 9, 2026.

One injured in Saudi Arabia from missile shrapnel as US reportedly builds up forces in region

Yemen claims 20 strikes carried out on Houthis • Crude oil tanker struck by unknown projectile off Oman, UKMTO says • US deploys third aircraft carrier to Middle East

OCTOBER 2, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Large plume of black smoke rises from the fuel storage area at King Khalid International Airport, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, September 19, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone.

China-Syria trade rises by hundreds of millions of dollars as China launches industrial investments

The value of Syrian imports from China reached approximately $669.9 million during the first six months of 2026, exceeding in just half a year the total value of Chinese exports to Syria in 2025.

OCTOBER 1, 2026ByRIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem (3rd L) speaks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (3rd R) during a meeting at Diaoyutai state guesthouse in Beijing on June 18, 2019.