SANA - Syrian Arab News Agency

Mohamed Yasser Kahhala, Director of the General Secretariat for Political Affairs, visited the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East on Monday to discuss enhancing collaboration between Syria’s religious and national institutions.

During the meeting, Kahhala met with His Beatitude Patriarch John X Yazigi of Antioch and All the East. The discussions focused on reinforcing principles of mutual understanding, fraternity, and civil peace among all segments of the Syrian population.

Officials emphasized the importance of cooperation between state authorities and religious leadership in promoting social cohesion and national unity.

The visit reflects ongoing efforts by Syrian authorities to strengthen dialogue with religious institutions and foster reconciliation among the country’s diverse communities.

Amer Dhawa

The Syrian Interior Ministry said Saturday it has arrested Ali Hassan Kammun who is accused of committing crimes against civilians while serving in the ranks of the defunct regime.

In a statement posted on its Telegram channel, the ministry said Internal Security Forces in Hama province carried out the arrest after initial investigations revealed Kammun’s involvement in premeditated killings of civilians and armed operations in Eastern Ghouta. The crimes allegedly included arbitrary detentions and gathering intelligence on civilian locations and rebel positions for the former regime’s forces.

The ministry said Kammun fled to Lebanon, where he joined remnants of the defunct regime and engaged in anti-government incitement on social media. He was also reportedly found in possession of weapons and explosives and had a criminal record that included theft, drug-related offenses and exploitation of family members in immoral activities.

Kammun has been referred to the judiciary for legal proceedings, the ministry said, adding that the arrest was part of ongoing efforts to protect citizens and strengthen civil peace.

Amer Dhawa

Deputy Interior Minister for Security Affairs Maj. Gen. Abdelkader Tahan met Saturday with a delegation from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to discuss ways to enhance cooperation and exchange expertise in training and capacity building in the fight against drugs and organized crime.

During the meeting, held at the ministry’s headquarters in Damascus, both sides stressed the importance of continued coordination and collaboration to achieve strategic goals and support international efforts to combat transnational crimes.

The discussions also covered future projects aimed at supporting the Interior Ministry’s efforts to maintain security and strengthen the rule of law.

Abuduhammid/Amer Dhawa

The Internal Security in Aleppo governorate has arrested Ali Qarqanawi, known as “Abu al-Fida,” a criminal involved in the violent suppression of peaceful protests during his time as an officer under the deposed regime, and later as a leader within the affiliated “National Defense” militia.

According to a statement by the Ministry of Interior posted on its Telegram channel Saturday, investigative teams conducted intensive surveillance operations that led to locating Qarqanawi in the al-Halk neighborhood of Aleppo.

 Acting on a warrant issued by the Public Prosecution, the Anti-Terrorism Branch raided his location and arrested him.

The ministry confirmed that the detainee has been referred to the competent authorities to complete investigations, in preparation for his presentation before the judiciary.

Syrian Telecommunications Company and the Spanish company Medusa signed an agreement in Tartous to install the first submarine cable linking Syria to the global telecommunications network.

The agreement signing ceremony was attended by Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdul Salam Haykal.

Minister Haykal inspected the submarine cable landing site in the Dream Beach area of Tartous to begin implementing the signed agreement.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Syria called on the international community to unite in building a better future for the Syrian people.

In a post on platform X marking United Nations Day, the office stated  “For 80 years, the UN has built peace and hope across nations. In Syria, our commitment continues helping communities recover, rebuild, and look to the future with resilience”

“This UN Day, let’s stand together for peace, recovery, & a better future for all Syrians,”it added.

Every year, on October 24th, the world celebrates “United Nations Day.” The goal is to inform people of the organization’s goals of maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations, achieving international cooperation, and highlighting the importance of collective action among peoples and nations under the umbrella of this international organization.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stressed the importance of fully implementing the ceasefire agreement in Gaza Strip and ensuring the smooth entry of humanitarian, relief and medical aid into the territory.

According to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdeatty emphasized during a phone call with Fidan on Saturday the significance of ongoing coordination between Egypt and Turkey in monitoring the agreement’s phases, in collaboration with regional and international partners.

The ministers reviewed the outcomes of Sharm El-Sheikh International Peace Summit, which led to an agreement to end the war in Gaza based on the U.S. President’s proposed plan.

The White House is exerting significant pressure on Congress to lift all remaining sanctions on Syria, particularly the “Caesar Act” ,Al-Monitor citing senior officials.

Vigorous efforts exerted by the U.S. administration and some organizations to repeal sanctions imposed on Syria, “officials across the White House and the State and Treasury Departments have been “very clear to Congress that the official position of the administration is full, clean repeal of Caesar”. A senior congressional aide said ,speaking on condition of anonymity.

Another congressional source said Barrack had placed calls to senior Republican lawmakers in recent weeks urging them to support the law’s repeal.

According to “al-Monitor” the push to fully repeal the sanctions has united an unexpected mix of lawmakers from both parties, with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, and Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) among those spearheading the effort to rescind Caesar. Some of the Syrian American advocacy groups that originally campaigned for the Caesar law’s passage are also now leading the charge for its removal.

“Everyone from Caesar himself to the families of those victims in the Caesar photos are calling for the Caesar Act to go,” said Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a Washington-based nonprofit.

With the Senate’s passage of the NDAA earlier this month, negotiations with the House can begin on a compromise version of the military-funding bill. On Thursday, House leadership began gauging support among members for the Caesar Act repeal, with a decision on its inclusion in the House NDAA expected shortly, possibly as soon as next week. Once both chambers approve the final bill, Congress will send it to Trump for his signing by the end of the year.

On May 13 ,US President, Donald Trump, announced on the lifting of sanctions on Syria, noting “it is time to give Syria a chance, based on the news I am hearing. I wish them good luck, and I hope the outcome will be good and excellent”, he said in a speech in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

Earlier this week ,The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has called for the full and permanent repeal of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, arguing that the law is no longer serving its intended purpose following the fall of the Assad regime and the rise of a new Syrian government

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza has reported a continued rise in casualties, despite the ceasefire agreement intended to end the two-year Israeli military offensive in Gaza.

In its latest daily update, the Ministry confirmed on Saturday that 19 Palestinians were killed in the past 24 hours, including 4 from direct Israeli airstrikes and 15 recovered from beneath the rubble. Seven others were reported injured.

 However, many victims remain trapped under debris, and emergency teams have been unable to reach certain areas due to ongoing bombardment.

Since Israeli attacks on October 7, 2023, Gaza’s death toll has reached 68,519, with more than 170,382 individuals injured.

Following the ceasefire on October 11, 2025, an additional 93 Palestinians have been killed, and 324 more have been injured.

 The Ministry also reported the recovery of 464 bodies from the rubble.

Emirati businessman Khalaf Al-Habtoor, has donated 100,000 school desks as part of his support for the educational process in Syria and to enhance humanitarian cooperation between Syria and the United Arab Emirates.

Minister of Education, Mohammad Abdul Rahman Tarko, expressed his gratitude and appreciation to Al Habtoor, stressing that the step reflects the depth of fraternal relations between the Syrian and Emirati peoples and embodies the spirit of human solidarity in supporting education as a fundamental pillar for building the future.

Many schools in Syria face a severe shortage of school desks due to the destruction and neglect they suffered during the ear of the deposed regime.

The US and China began talks on economic and trade issues.

The two sides will hold consultations on important issues about China-U.S. economic and trade ties in accordance with the important consensus reached by heads of state of the two countries during their phone calls this year, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on Thursday.

The talks, which were being held on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, seek to find a way to avoid further escalation between them, after Trump threatened to impose new 100 percent customs duties on Chinese goods and other trade restrictions, starting next November 1, in response to China expanding export controls on magnets and rare earth metals.

The Chinese delegation is led by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

The 11th anniversary of the founding of the Syrian Civil Defense marks a milestone that encapsulates a journey filled with sacrifice and humanitarian work under the harshest conditions.

It is not merely an administrative date in the records of institutions, but rather a story of a people who chose to respond on their own when official bodies were absent—forming volunteer teams that took on the mission of rescue and confronting challenges.

Since its establishment on October 25, 2013, through its integration into the Syrian Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management in June 2025, and up to the present day, Syrian Civil Defense teams continue to carry out their duties with great responsibility, offering sacrifices to protect civilians and strengthen the resilience of Syrian society in the face of natural and emergency disasters.

Born from Pain

In an interview with SANA, Syrian Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed Al-Saleh said that the organization was born from pain and transformed into a national arm for disaster management—despite the lack of funding, smear campaigns, and political targeting.

It remains a testament to the Syrians’ ability to organize and take initiative, even in the harshest moments.

 “Initially, volunteer teams formed from Syrian citizens—doctors, lawyers, students, and workers from various professions—under multiple local names, such as the General Civil Defense Authority’ in Ghouta Damascus, the ‘War Firefighting Brigade’ in Homs, and the ‘War Civil Defense’ in Aleppo,” Al-Saleh said.  

He added, in 2013, a meeting was arranged bringing together 72 leaders from civil defense teams, some attending in person and others online from besieged areas. During this meeting, the founding charter of the Syrian Civil Defense was signed, later known as the ‘White Helmets,’ before officially merging into the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management.”

Saving 128,000 Civilians and Losing 325 Volunteers

Al-Saleh added that during February 2023 earthquake disaster, the Syrian Civil Defense played a pivotal role in amplifying the voices of affected areas to the world, which helped open border crossings six days after the disaster and allowed humanitarian aid to enter. Despite limited resources, they achieved significant success in rescue operations.

Regarding the wildfires that broke out this summer in the Syrian coast and other regions, Al-Saleh noted that the teams worked around the clock with support from international teams. They made sacrifices, including lives lost, while working on fire lines, mine clearance, and road opening—ultimately succeeding in controlling and extinguishing the fires. These and other humanitarian efforts helped build bridges of trust between society and institutions.

The minister pointed out that throughout its journey, the organization has saved more than 128,000 civilians and lost 325 volunteers from its teams. It continues to operate with full responsibility in any mission assigned to it.

Preparing Training Programs

Following the integration of Civil Defense into the Ministry of Emergency, a new phase of organization began. Al-Saleh said that Civil Defense teams and firefighting brigades were merged, and efforts are underway to recruit new personnel in cooperation with the Ministry of Administrative Development, within a legal governmental framework. Joint drills and exercises have been launched with Qatari and French Civil Defense, and training programs are being prepared in Saudi Arabia and Jordan to enhance capabilities and strengthen humanitarian and community resilience.

Translated by Mazen Eyon

Temperatures tend to drop Saturday, becoming around average or slightly above in most Syrian regions and 1–3 degrees below average in the coastal and northwestern areas.

Meteorology Department expected in its Saturday bulletin that coastal and northwestern regions will experience partly cloudy conditions, due to a state of atmospheric instability, with a chance of random rain showers around noon accompanied by thunderstorms.

Meanwhile, the weather in other regions will remain sunny in general. At night, the weather will be slightly chilly in most areas and relatively cold in mountainous regions.

The Kingdom of Bahrain has strongly condemned the Knesset’s approval of two draft bills that seek to impose Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank and illegal settlements, deeming this a blatant violation of international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the international community to fulfill its legal and moral obligations and calls on Israel to cease its escalation and illegal measures.

It also stressed the importance of fulfilling the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, as the essential prerequisite for achieving a just and lasting peace that guarantees regional security and stability.

The Syrian Civil Defense renewed  calls for the immediate and unconditional release of volunteer Hamza Al-Amarin, 100 days after he was kidnapped by armed groups in the city of Sweida.

The Civil Defense said in a statement on Friday that Hamza Al-Amarin is a young Syrian man who dedicated himself to saving lives, and was at the forefront of first responders in the most difficult circumstances, carrying the slogan of humanity above all considerations.”

It added  “Targeting him is against all the values that we believe in, and everyone who seeks to build a safe and dignified future for Syrians”.

The Civil Defense renewed its condemnation of this crime, noting that the kidnapping of al-Ammarin constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and all international laws and conventions, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Al-Ammarin.

Communication with Al-Ammarin was lost on July 16th while he was carrying out an evacuation mission for a UN team inside Sweida province.

Sixteen migrants and one trafficker died when their inflatable dinghy capsized early on Friday in the Aegean Sea off the Turkish resort of Bodrum.

The coastguard said In statement “the dead bodies of 16 illegal migrants and that of a trafficker have been recovered,” adding two migrants had been rescued.

Bodrum lies less than five kilometers from the Greek island of Kos.

The World Health Organization (WHO) called for the permanent opening of medical corridors to allow people to leave Gaza Strip, noting that this could “change the situation” for 15,000 injured individuals who need treatment outside the devastated Palestinian territory.

Rick Biberkorn, WHO representative in the Palestinian territories, urged during a press conference held in Geneva, that all crossings be opened—not only for the delivery of humanitarian aid, but also for medical evacuations.

He added that two medical evacuations are scheduled for next week, “but we want to make this a daily process” because, at the current pace, transporting 15,000 people needing care outside Gaza, including 4,000 children, would take ten years.

The WHO reports that more than 700 people have died while waiting to be evacuated from Gaza for medical treatment.

Former Lebanese Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt affirmed that Sweida is an inseparable part of the Syrian homeland, stressing that the primary goal today should be to prevent foreign interference and preserve Syria’s unity and sovereignty.

In an exclusive interview with Syrian Ikhbariya TV, Jumblatt stated Friday that investigations into the incidents in Sweida, along with justice and reconciliation, are key to resolving the crisis. He underlined the need to establish a new framework for relations between the people of the governorate and the Syrian state within a unified national context.

Jumblatt said that the Syrian state is seriously pursuing reconciliation and opening the door to national dialogue. He called on all parties to await the results of ongoing Syrian and international investigations into the recent incidents in the governorate before making premature judgments.

He condemned the raising of Israeli flags in Sweida, describing it as a reprehensible act that distorts the national and Arab identity of the region’s inhabitants.

The former PSP leader explained that attempts to rename historic regions, such as changing “Jabal al-Arab” to the so-called “Jabal Bashan”, constitute a deliberate distortion of Arab history and national identity.

Jumblatt stressed that relations between Lebanon and Syria should be normal, between two independent states, based on security and economic cooperation against the common enemy “Israel,” and founded on mutual respect for each country’s sovereignty.

He remarked that some political forces in Lebanon have yet to grasp the historical changes and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, urging a new reading of history and the opening of a new chapter based on reconciliation and cooperation between the two countries.

Jumblatt called for security and judicial coordination between Damascus and Beirut to control the borders and prevent chaos, and to address the issue of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons within legal and humanitarian frameworks that respect the sovereignty of both nations.

He concluded by reaffirming the depth of his historic ties with Syria and his deep affection for the Syrian people.

MHD Ibrahim

The town of Hammameh in Idleb countryside has launched the “Love for Hammameh” campaign, aimed at improving public services in the area.

The initiative saw broad participation from local residents and government officials.

The campaign raised, on its first day , nearly $30,000, which will be allocated to projects focused on enhancing infrastructure and providing essential services to the town’s residents.

“We are proud of the overwhelming response from the local community. Everyone demonstrated a spirit of cooperation and solidarity to improve living conditions in the town.” Campaign Director General Basel Mohammad Rihawi told SANA.

Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh expressed his happiness during the campaign’s launch event held in Hammameh, a town that has hosted displaced persons from various provinces. He emphasized that the campaign is not merely about fundraising, but rather reflects deep humanitarian sentiments and values.

Minister al-Saleh highlighted the importance of collaboration between the local community and government bodies to achieve the desired goals, and expressed the ministry’s readiness to support the town by providing equipment for paving and rehabilitating roads.

Mohammad Hijazi, a member of the campaign’s organizing committee, underscored the importance of the initiative, saying: “This campaign is a response to the urgent needs of the residents, and we are working diligently to achieve tangible results that benefit everyone.”

The campaign will run for one week and is expected to have a significant positive impact on the lives of Hammameh’s residents. Projects will be implemented gradually and in cooperation with the local community to ensure sustainability.

MHD Ibrahim

Lattakia Port has witnessed an unprecedented surge in maritime and commercial activity as it resumes operations at full capacity for the first time in eight years, a milestone reflecting Syria’s economic recovery and renewed confidence in national ports as vital hubs for regional trade and maritime transport.

Ali Adra, Director of Public Relations at the port, told SANA’s correspondent that the port has received more than 350 ships carrying general cargo and containers since the beginning of the year, totaling over two million tons of freight.

The port’s growing activity is the result of streamlined procedures for customs brokers, agents, and traders, alongside a comprehensive development plan that included operational upgrades, the introduction of automation systems, crane maintenance, and modernization of the container terminal, Adra added.

Issam Jadaan, Head of Cargo Handling at the port, stated that the port is consistently unloading a wide range of goods, including wheat, fodder corn, barley, cement, and timber. He highlighted the implementation of procedures that have reduced transaction times and fostered teamwork integration, along with enhanced occupational safety measures.

MHD Ibrahim