KEY POINTS
- Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader met outgoing PM Mohammed al-Jalali to discuss a peaceful transfer.
- al-Jalali agreed to hand over power to the Idlib-based Syrian Salvation Government.
- Turkish President Erdogan announced plans to open the border gate for safe and voluntary returns of Syrian refugees.
- Israeli forces captured a buffer zone in the Golan Heights.
- EU countries suspended Syrian asylum applications following Assad’s ouster.
- The UNHCR chief emphasized patience and vigilance to ensure the safe returns of Syrian refugees.
DAMASCUS, Syria: Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, met with outgoing Syrian prime minister Mohammed al-Jalali and discussed the “transfer of power”, the group said Monday, a day after toppling Bashar al-Assad’s government.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, met Jalali “to coordinate a transfer of power that guarantees the provision of services” to Syria’s people, said a statement posted on the group’s Telegram channels, while a short video of the meeting showed it was also attended by Mohammed Bashir, who heads the “Salvation Government” in their northwest Syria stronghold.
The brief clip showed al-Sharaa telling al-Jalali that the government in Idlib gained experience and made major achievements over the past four years despite “starting from nothing”.
“Still, we will not dispense with the old situation. It is important that we benefit from their experience,” al-Sharaa said.
Jalali tells Al Arabiya TV that he has agreed to hand over power to the Idlib-based Syrian Salvation Government.
Syrian Parliament Supports the Will of People
Meanwhile, Syria’s parliament said it supports the will of the people to build a new country.
“December 8th was a historic day in the lives of all Syrians. We support the will of the people to build a new Syria towards a better future governed by law and justice,” parliament said in a statement carried by the state-owned SANA news agency.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and UN Chief Antonio Guterres have discussed the post al-Assad transition period in Syria and possible steps to rebuild the country, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry source cited by Reuters.
The two also discussed access of humanitarian aid into Syria and exchanged ideas on what the UN could do to help rebuilding efforts, the report said.
Turkey Opening Border Gate for Return of Syrian Refugees
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey is opening its Yayladagi border gate with Syria to manage the safe and voluntary return of the millions of Syrian refugees it hosts.
Ankara is ready to support the country’s rebuilding in any way it can, Edrogan said, speaking after a cabinet meeting in Ankara.
The UN refugee agency’s chief on Monday called for “patience and vigilance” on the issue of Syrian refugees returning to their home country.
“UNHCR’s advice is to remain focused on the issue of returns. Patience and vigilance will be necessary, hoping that developments on the ground will evolve in a positive manner, allowing voluntary, safe and sustainable returns to finally occur –- with refugees able to make informed decisions,” Filippo Grandi said in a statement.
Israel Grabs Buffer Zone in Golan Heights
Meanwhile, a war monitor said Israel conducted strikes Monday targeting positions of the deposed Syrian government’s army including in Damascus, the south and the coast.
“Israeli strikes targeted military sites, including weapons depots housing anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft weapons,” Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor told AFP. “Israel is deliberately destroying anything it perceives as a threat,” he added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he ordered Israeli forces to grab a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria.
Netanyahu said that the decades-old agreement had collapsed and that Syrian soldiers had abandoned their positions, necessitating the Israeli takeover.
The Golan Heights is a rocky plateau in southwestern Syria, about 60km (40 miles) south of Damascus. The United Nations recognises the region as a part of Syria.
Qatar Condemns Israel’s Action
Qatar condemned Israel’s seizure of land in Syria near the occupied Golan Heights to create a so-called buffer zone.
Qatar considers it “a dangerous development and a blatant attack on Syria’s sovereignty and unity, as well as a flagrant violation of international law”, a statement from Qatar’s Foreign Ministry read as reported by Al Jazeera.
“The policy of imposing a fait accompli pursued by the Israeli occupation, including its attempts to occupy Syrian territories, will lead the region to further violence and tension,” it added.
EU Countries Suspend Syrian Asylum Decisions
Germany, France, Austria, Belgium and several Nordic countries said Monday they would freeze all pending asylum requests from Syrians, a day after the ouster of president Bashar al-Assad.
While Berlin and other governments said they were watching the fast-moving developments in the country, Vienna signalled it would soon deport refugees back to Syria.
A German foreign ministry spokesman pointed out that “the fact that the Assad regime has been ended is unfortunately no guarantee of peaceful developments” in future.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said many Syrian refugees “now finally have hope of returning to their Syrian homeland” but cautioned that “the situation in Syria is currently very unclear”.
Rights group Amnesty International slammed Germany’s freeze on asylum decisions, stressing that for now “the human rights situation in the country is completely unclear”.
The head of the UN refugee agency also cautioned that “patience and vigilance” were needed on the issue of refugee returns.
Repatriation and Deportation
In Austria, where about 100,000 Syrians live, conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer instructed the interior ministry “to suspend all ongoing Syrian asylum applications and to review all asylum grants”.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner added he had “instructed the ministry to prepare an orderly repatriation and deportation programme to Syria”.
“The political situation in Syria has changed fundamentally and, above all, rapidly in recent days,” the ministry said, adding it is “currently monitoring and analysing the new situation”.
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The French interior ministry said it too would put asylum requests from Syrians on hold, with Belgium’s state secretary for asylum and migration announcing a similar move.
Denmark, Sweden and Norway also said Monday they were suspending the examination of asylum applications from Syrian refugees. Britain said the same.
In Greece, a government spokesman voiced hope that Assad’s fall will eventually allow “the safe return of Syrian refugees” to their country, but without announcing concrete measures.
