Syria Notes

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Informing UK policy debates on Syria. Focused on human rights and accountability. Web: https://www.syrianotes.org/ Facebook: http://facebook.com/SyriaNotes/ YouTube: http://youtube.com/@syrianotes5908

Photo of refugee camp filled with tents, some with the UNHCR logo printed on the fabric.
A convoy of vehicles with UN agency markings.
Seven boys, children and teenagers, photographed against a white wall.
Map showing the rapid gains by pro government forces (green) against SDF (yellow) in eastern Syria this morning, 18 January 2026.
Map with Syrian Ministry of Defense logo and Arabic placenames. The red-marked area is Deir Hafer, from where SDF forces reportedly launched attacks on Aleppo during clashes in Sheikh Maqsoud, targeting civilian sites, according to Levant24 on X.
Facebook post in Arabic dated 10 Oct. 2023. Google Translate: When Saladin liberated Jerusalem, the rules of engagement were clear: We will not take elderly men and women or children as prisoners. These people are entitled to our protection and must be returned safely to their families. We will not destroy any trees, nor will we kill any prisoners or threaten them in any way. If you truly desire victory, rely on God and follow the teachings of our Prophet regarding warfare. Do not think that capturing the elderly will increase your strength, nor that releasing them will weaken you. If you truly believe that victory comes from God, not from your own strength, then release the elderly and children. What you have done so far is a miracle by any standard; do not spoil it with an act of anger. There is no place for such actions in warfare. May God grant you victory, strengthen you, and guide you on the straight path in this battle, which history will record as the beginning of the liberation of Jerusalem, God willing.
Israeli territorial ambitions in southern Syria mapped by The Institute for the Study of War.
Portrait photo of Hamzeh Al-Amareen, Manager of a White Helmets Emergency Response Center, who was abducted on Wednesday 16 July while he was on a mission to evacuate a United Nations team in the city of Suwayda at their request.
ETANA map of Israeli operations in southwest Syria, 12-20 June 2025.
Chart showing rise and recent fall in the number of Syrians applying for asylum in the UK.
Cover of Syria Notes no. 23, summer 2018.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in this handout released on May 14, 2025. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS
Print copies of the latest issue of Syria Notes for distribution to the UK Parliament.
Cover of Syria Notes no. 28, published in spring 2022, titled Area 55, Stories from Syria’s twilight zone. The cover image shows a manipulated photograph of a US military Osprey aircraft operating in the Syrian desert near Tanf base.
Map: New Israeli military bases in Syria since 8 December 2024.
Chart published by the Economist Title: Getting better Syria, % responding weighted by best available data for age, religion, region, and Kurdish identity. The graph is visual, with markers for 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%. Change in freedom: less than 10% negative, more than 80% positive. Al-Sharaa job approval: less than 20% negative, more than 80% positive. Direction of country, less than 20% negative, approx. 70% positive. Change in safety: less than 30% negative, more than 60% positive. Change in economy: less than 30% negative, more than 40% positive. Change in women's rights: less than 20% negative, more than 20% positive. Sources: Middle East Consulting Solutions, The Economist.
Plume of smoke or dust on the horizon, rising against a darkening evening sky, and lit by fire. In the dark mid ground, a few lights are on in urban buildings.
Composite of eight portrait photos. Original post by Omar Alhariri: The city of #Nawa in the countryside of #Daraa invites you to participate in the funeral of its martyred sons today after the noon prayer. The gathering place will be "Reefal Revival Center." Nawa City Martyrs in the Face of the Israeli Occupation • Martyr, God willing, Imran Muhammad Arar • Martyr, God willing, Ali Riad Tayasneh • Martyr, God willing, Bashar Tayasneh • Martyr, God willing, Hisham Batha • Martyr, God willing, Abdullah Batha • Martyr, God willing, Issa Al-Saqr • Martyr, God willing, Muhammad Al-Batal • Martyr, God willing, Muhammad Al-Rifai • Martyr, God willing, Qais Al-Jundi Some of them followed in the footsteps of their brothers who preceded them to martyrdom. One of them was the fourth martyr of his brothers, another the third martyr of his brothers, while two brothers were martyred together. Source post: x.com/omar_alharir/status/1907696393516453900
Statement: Escalation of Israeli agression against the Syrian Arab Republic Damascus 3 April 2025 — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic strongly condemns the latest wave of Israeli agression against Syria. In a blatant violation of international law and Syrian sovereignty, Israeli forces launched airstrikes on five locations across the country in 30 minutes, resulting in the near-total destruction of Hama Military Airport and injuring dozens of civilians and military personnel. This unjustified escalation is a deliberate attempt to destabilise Syria and exacerbate the suffering of its people. At a time when Syria is striving to rebuild after 14 years of war, these repeated attacks form part of a clear Israeli strategy to normalise violence once again within the country, undermining recovery efforts and entrenching a culture of impunity. The Syrian Arab Republic calls on the international community to take a firm stance and exert pressure on Israel to cease its agression, respect international law, and uphold its commitments under the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement. We also urge the United Nations and all relevant international bodies to take immediate action to halt this escalation and prevent further violations.
Meeting in Westminster between Hamish Falconer MP and Syrian organisations including British Syrian Consortium, Syrian Civil Defence, Madaniya, Syrian Legal Development Programme, 1 April 2025.
Drawing of Vittorio Maresca di Serracapriola, with the quote, “The Syrian people are rich in terms of human capital.” Illustration credit: Lucinda Rogers Logo: Syria Notes
Drawing of Eyad Hamid, Syrian Legal Development Programme, with the quote, “Syrians need to see real changes in their lives” Illustration credit: Lucinda Rogers Logo: Syria Notes
Drawing of Hamish Falconer MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office, with the quote, “The Europeans have taken steps on sanctions slightly in advance of us”. Logo: Syria Notes Illustration credit: Lucinda Rogers
Drawing of Simon Collis giving evidence to the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, 28 January 2025, with the quote, “That regime is gone—the justification for the sanctions is gone.” Logo: Syria Notes. Illustration credit: Lucinda Rogers.
Photograph of a green hill with trees. At the top are buildings and a communications tower. Other hills seen in the distance. Logo of Horan Free League added over the photo.
Statement by Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in Arabic. Translation: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned in the strongest terms the Israeli forces' incursion and shelling of the town of Koya, west of Daraa, in the sisterly Syrian Arab Republic, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of a number of people. This is a flagrant violation of international law, a blatant violation of Syria's sovereignty and unity, and a dangerous escalation that will only contribute to further conflict and tension in the region. The Ministry's official spokesperson, Ambassador Dr. Sufian Qudah, affirmed the Kingdom's absolute rejection and condemnation of the ongoing Israeli attacks on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, in a clear violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement between Israel and Syria. He warned of the consequences of an explosive situation in the region, reiterating the Kingdom's support for sisterly Syria and its security, stability, and sovereignty. #Jordan #Syria Original: ‏دانت وزارة الخارجية وشؤون المغتربين بأشدّ العبارات توغّل القوات الإسرائيلية وقصفها بلدة كويا غربي درعا في الجمهورية العربية السورية الشقيقة، والتي أسفرت عن ارتقاء وإصابة عدد من الأشخاص، خرقًا فاضحًا للقانون الدولي، وانتهاكًا صارخًا لسيادة ووحدة سوريا، وتصعيدًا خطيرًا لن يسهم إلا بمزيد من الصراع والتوتر في المنطقة. وأكّد الناطق الرسمي باسم الوزارة السفير د. سفيان القضاة رفض المملكة المطلق، واستنكارها للاعتداءات الإسرائيلية المتواصلة على أراضي الجمهورية العربية السورية، في خرق واضح لاتفاقية فك الاشتباك للعام ١٩٧٤ بين إسرائيل وسوريا، مُحذّرًا من مغبة تفجّر الأوضاع في المنطقة، مُجدداً التأكيد على وقوف المملكة مع سوريا الشقيقة وأمنها واستقرارها وسيادتها. ‎#الأردن ‎#سوريا
Daytime photograph of the oil tanker Aquatica in calm waters, with the Syrian coastline on the horizon.
Page one of Warren-Wilson joint letter calling for the lifting of US sanctions on Syria.
Syria Civil Defence volunteer in Daraa after an attack by Israeli aircraft on 17 March 2025.