According to the Daily Mail, hundreds of Syrians armed with luggage and possession gathered on the Lebanese border, hoping to return to their country after fleeing the brutal Assad regime. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 34,000 have already returned home in the first eight months of 2024. They acknowledge, however, that the “actual figure may be significantly higher,” and that “Spontaneous returns to Syria are expected to continue throughout 2025.”
On Sunday, rebels seized the capital, Damascus, ending the 6-decade rule of the Assad family. Deposed president Bashar al-Assad and his family fled Syria and according to Russian state media were granted asylum in Moscow.
Nearly 400,000 Syrians have fled their homes since rebels launched a major offensive last week, per estimates, but with Assad’s regime collapsing, many could return home. It is estimated that seven million Syrians have fled since the civil war began in 2011, the majority of which ended up in refugee camps in Turkey and Jordan. Over a million have since settled in Europe, the majority of them choosing Germany as their new home.
Following the fall of the Assad regime, the US Central Command and Israel conducted dozens of airstrikes on targets in central Syria attempting to wipe out ISIS strongholds. According to CENTCOM, the strikes were aimed to ensure that the Islamic State (ISIS) does not take advantage of the situation in Syria.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the collapse of Syria was due to blows Israel had dealt to Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.
