UNHCR Expects One Million Syrian Refugees to Return in 2026
ARK News.. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has projected that around one million Syrian refugees are expected to return to their country during 2026, amid what it described as a “gradual recovery” in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on 8 December 2024.
Speaking in an interview with Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, published on Monday, 21 December 2025, UNHCR’s Representative in Syria, Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, said that approximately 1.3 million Syrian refugees and nearly two million internally displaced persons have returned to their areas of origin since December 2024.
He noted that “this large-scale return is taking place under extremely difficult conditions,” stressing that international financial support is an urgent and critical necessity to ensure stability and prevent a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation.
The UN official explained that this means more than three million Syrians have returned to their homes within a relatively short period of time, in a country exhausted by years of war at the economic, infrastructural, and service levels.
Vargas Llosa recalled that on 9 December 2024, he and his team traveled to the Lebanese border, where they witnessed thousands of Syrians spontaneously returning home after more than 14 years of forced displacement.
He added that many returnees expressed overwhelming joy upon reaching their homeland, with some kissing the ground upon arrival. Most of the returnees came from Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan, with smaller numbers returning from Egypt and Iraq.
He concluded by noting that “the fear that once dominated Syrian society has rapidly receded, replaced by a widespread sense of hope.”
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U.S. Military Strikes Dozens of ISIS Targets in Syria
ARK News.. The U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) announced that dozens of targets belonging to the terrorist organization ISIS have been struck in Syria.
The Pentagon published an image showing a U.S. soldier writing on an artillery shell prior to its launch the names of three Americans who were killed in an attack in Palmyra, central Syria, days earlier. The message concluded with the words: “May your legacy live on.”
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced on Friday, December 19, 2025, the launch of a military operation against ISIS in Syria in response to an attack that killed three Americans.
In a post on the social media platform X, Hegseth said: “U.S. forces have launched Operation Eagle Eye in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons storage facilities, in a direct response to the attack that targeted U.S. forces on December 13.”
He added: “Today, we hunted down our enemies and killed many of them. And we will continue to do so.”
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Israel Calls for Demilitarized Buffer Zone Extending from Damascus to Existing Buffer Area
ARK News.. Israel has called for the establishment of a broader demilitarized buffer zone beyond the current separation area, reaffirming its commitment to defending its northern borders and rejecting the presence or deployment of any armed groups near its frontiers.
According to Anadolu Agency, Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Danny Danon, urged the creation of a demilitarized zone stretching from the Syrian capital Damascus to the existing buffer zone.
Danon stated that Israel will not allow Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, or any other groups to redeploy or maintain a presence along its northern border.
He stressed that Israel will continue to defend its northern borders and will not permit what he described as “terrorists and armed groups” to operate near Israeli territory.
Meanwhile, Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ibrahim Ulabi, said during a UN Security Council meeting—held to hear a briefing from a delegation that recently visited Syria and Lebanon—that Damascus remains committed to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement with Israel.
Ulabi accused Israel of continuing to violate the agreement, despite Syria’s adherence to its provisions.
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Official: Trump Lifts Caesar Act Sanctions on Syria
ARK News.. U.S. President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes the largest annual defense budget in U.S. history, exceeding $900 billion, as well as the lifting of the Caesar Act sanctions imposed on Syria since 2019.
Contrary to previous announcements, Trump signed the law privately after Congress approved it, away from media cameras.
The law sets U.S. defense priorities and requires the White House to submit periodic reports to Congress over four years confirming that the Syrian government is continuing its efforts in counterterrorism, combating drugs, protecting minorities, and pursuing peace with neighboring countries.
It stipulates that the U.S. president may impose targeted sanctions on Syria if reports are negative for two consecutive periods.
The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday in favor of the 2026 Defense Budget Act, which includes a provision to lift the Caesar Act sanctions on Syria, and sent the law to President Trump for signature.
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives also approved lifting the Caesar Act sanctions, a move welcomed by the Syrian government, which said it would help Syria’s economic recovery.
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Netanyahu to Appoint New Israeli Representative for Negotiations with Syria
ARK News.. Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will inform the U.S. administration in the coming days about the identity of Israel’s new representative in negotiations with Syria, succeeding Resigned Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer.
According to Channel 12, U.S. officials said Netanyahu told U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack during a recent meeting that he intends to appoint a new envoy to handle negotiations with Damascus, following Dermer’s resignation. Dermer had been leading the track until recently.
Dermer resigned on 11 November, after conducting four rounds of talks on a possible security agreement between Israel and Syria, before negotiations were halted in recent weeks due to his departure.
During the same meeting, Barrack expressed Washington’s desire to resume negotiations on a security agreement and inquired who would lead the Israeli side.
Channel 12 noted that U.S. officials initially assumed Dermer might continue managing the file from outside the government as a special envoy for Netanyahu.
However, a senior U.S. official clarified that Netanyahu finalized the decision during the meeting, confirming that Dermer will not resume the role and a replacement will be appointed, with the U.S. administration to be officially informed in the coming days.
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Caitlin Piper: Kurdistan Region Is a Key Gateway for U.S. Companies
ARK News.. Acting U.S. Consul General Caitlin Piper on Thursday, 18 December 2025, received representatives of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry from the provinces of Erbil, Duhok, Sulaymaniyah, and Halabja at the new building of the U.S. Consulate General.
In a press statement, the Acting U.S. Consul General said:
“We consider the Kurdistan Region to be an active and important gateway for U.S. companies to enter the region.”
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CENTCOM: 80 Joint Operations Conducted Against ISIS in Syria Since July
ARK News.. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that U.S. and Syrian forces have carried out approximately 80 operations since last July against individuals described as “terrorists,” including remnants of the ISIS terrorist organization that posed a threat to U.S. interests.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, CENTCOM said that U.S. forces, in coordination with the Syrian Transitional Government’s forces, have conducted 80 operations targeting ISIS since July. The command noted that the group had inspired 11 attack plots or attempted attacks against targets inside the United States over the past year. CENTCOM added that the operations resulted in the arrest of 119 militants and the killing of 14 others, stressing that the goal was to prevent ISIS from reconstituting its capabilities and inciting terrorist attacks worldwide.
CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said on Tuesday: “We are committed to relentlessly pursuing terrorists to prevent any threat to Americans and to our interests abroad. We will hunt terrorists wherever they hide.”
On 30 November, CENTCOM announced that coalition forces, in cooperation with the Syrian Ministry of Interior, carried out a joint operation between 24 and 27 November, resulting in the destruction of more than 15 ISIS weapons-storage sites in southern Syria.
CENTCOM stated that on 19 September, U.S. forces killed a senior ISIS member in Syria identified as Omar Abdul Qadir, who was planning attacks against the United States.
The statement also noted that U.S. forces conducted an operation in July in the city of al-Bab, in Aleppo province, killing senior ISIS leader Diyaa Musleh al-Hardani along with his two adult sons, Abdullah al-Hardani and Abdulrahman al-Hardani, who posed a threat to U.S. forces, coalition partners, and the Syrian government.
In November, Syria officially announced its joining of the international coalition to combat ISIS, during an official visit by Syrian Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa to the White House, where he met with U.S. President Donald Trump
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December 17: Kurds Mark Kurdistan Flag Day in Syria
ARK News.. Residents across various cities and towns in Syrian Kurdistan marked Kurdistan Flag Day on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, through public events and popular activities aimed at reinforcing national culture and Kurdish identity.
The occasion is observed annually, both officially and publicly, with Kurdish citizens raising the Kurdistan flag on homes, public buildings, vehicles, and shops.
Cities also witnessed celebrations featuring traditional Kurdish attire, reflecting pride in Kurdish cultural heritage.
The Kurdish National Council (KNC) in Syria organized public events in several cities and towns, including Qamishlo, Afrin, Derik, Girke Lage, Chil Agha, Tirbaspiye, Amouda, Dirbasiye, Hasaka, and Kobani.
Historical Background Kurdistan Flag Day traces back to a decision by the Kurdistan Parliament in 2009 to designate 17 December as an annual day of commemoration, honoring the removal of the Republic of Mahabad’s flag by the Iranian regime in 1946.
The Kurdistan flag, with its four colors and a yellow sun bearing 21 rays, carries deep symbolic meaning:
• Red represents revolution and sacrifice,
• Yellow symbolizes light and vitality,
• White stands for peace and security,
• Green reflects youth and the natural landscape of Kurdistan, while the sun symbolizes Newroz, the Kurdish national celebration.
The roots of Kurdistan Flag Day date back more than seventy years, when the flag of an independent Kurdistan was raised in Iran following Kurdish advances during World War II, leading to the declaration of the Republic of Kurdistan in Mahabad in 1946.
Kurdistan Flag Day continues to symbolize unity among Kurds in Syria and their determination to preserve their identity and rich cultural heritage.
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Including Syria: U.S. Bans Entry of Nationals from Five Countries
ARK News.. U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation imposing a ban on the entry of nationals from five countries into the United States, including Syria, citing national security concerns.
According to a statement published by the White House on its official website on Tuesday, 16 December 2025, the proclamation imposes restrictions on nationals of additional countries that have demonstrated serious deficiencies in screening and information-sharing, posing risks to U.S. national security and public safety. The restrictions apply to citizens of Syria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and South Sudan.
The proclamation justified the inclusion of Syria by stating that the country is emerging from a prolonged period of civil unrest and internal conflict and, while making efforts to address its security challenges in close coordination with the United States, still lacks an effective central authority capable of issuing reliable passports and civil documentation. It further noted that Syria does not have adequate screening and vetting procedures in place.
The U.S. president’s decision exempts lawful permanent residents, current visa holders, and certain visa categories, including athletes, diplomats, and individuals whose entry is deemed to serve U.S. national interests.
In June, President Trump had issued an earlier decision imposing full entry restriction on nationals of 12 “high-risk” countries, including several Arab and Muslim states. Syria was excluded from that list, despite having been included in a previous travel ban issued in 2017.
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Damascus: Delegation from the National Coordination Body Visits the Kurdish National Council Office
ARK News.. The Kurdish National Council (KNC) in Syria and the National Coordination Body for Democratic Change stressed the importance of engaging constructively with the new phase and standing alongside the new Syrian administration in every positive stance and action, while clearly and transparently identifying shortcomings without ambiguity.
A delegation from the National Coordination Body, comprising Ahmad al-Asrawi, Secretary-General of the Democratic Socialist Union Party in Syria, Ibrahim Awad, Secretary of the party, Nash’at Tua’ima, member of the Political Bureau of the Syrian Communist Party, and Yahya Aziz, Secretary of the National Coordination Body, visited the KNC office in Damascus.
The delegation was received by Ne’mat Dawoud, member of the KNC Presidency Council, Mahabad Tiziani, Head of the Office, and Luqman Oso, Head of the KNC’s Damascus Local Council.
During the meeting, both sides reviewed the current situation in the country one year after the fall of the former regime, exchanged views on recent developments, and reaffirmed the importance of positively engaging with the new phase, supporting the new administration in all constructive actions, and frankly diagnosing shortcomings.
They noted that achievements at the popular and internal levels so far fall short of the aspirations and expectations of Syrians, stressing the need for inclusive dialogue among the administration, components, and political forces, and for deepening and expanding such dialogue in a systematic manner to frame national action in a way that serves genuine change and ensures the participation of all components and political forces in decision-making.
The delegation of the National Coordination Body emphasized the importance of reaching a comprehensive national conference and building a democratic national alliance toward this goal. For its part, the KNC delegation underscored the Council’s role and the necessity of Kurdish participation with their distinct national identity, and of constitutionally safeguarding Kurdish national rights within a Syria defined as a multi-ethnic, multicultural, and multi-religious state governed through a decentralized system.
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