The fall of Damascus, Assad's escape and the Geneva talks hour by hour. Here is what happened

The Western powers, the UN and the European Union agreed today to start inter-Syrian talks in Geneva to manage the post-Assad situation and avoid "a bloodbath" in Syria, involving in the negotiations both "presentable" exponents of the Syrian government - thus excluding Bashar Assad and his brother - and representatives of Hayat Tahrir ash Sham (Hts), the jihadist coalition leading the military offensive that began on 27 November. This was revealed in a confidential document, seen by ANSA, of the meeting held today in Doha between representatives of the US, France, Germany, the UK, the EU and the UN.

According to sources present at the meeting, which was also attended by the UN special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, the Western willingness emerged from the meeting to launch a post-Assad political transition process in Geneva next week that "avoids new bloodshed", that drives away the "spectre of the collapse of the Syrian state" (as distinct from the regime), and that brings all the parties involved to the same table: starting with exponents of the system-Assad but not directly colluding with the president and his brother Maher, the latter having headed the Praetorian Guard for decades.

According to the confidential document, representatives of the vanguard of the military offensive, the armed group Hayat Tahrir ash Sham (Hts), led by the leader and former head of al Qaeda in Syria, Abu Muhammad al Jolani, will also be invited to the Geneva table. Despite the fact that Hts has for years been defined as a "terrorist group" by the United States, Canada, Great Britain and the European Union, according to the document, exponents of minor acronyms of the Hts coalition but in fact linked to Jolani may come to Switzerland, so as not to embarrass Western chancelleries. This proposal - the document continues - could be accepted by the Iranians, who "have shown flexibility in dialoguing also with Hts".

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is nowhere to be found in Damascus. Cnn writes this, citing a source with knowledge of the situation. The official line from the Syrian president's office is that Assad has not fled the capital. But the source claims that Assad is not in any of the places in the city where one would expect to find him. Assad's presidential guard is no longer deployed in his usual place of residence, as it should be if he were there, the source said, fuelling speculation that he may have fled Damascus.

The regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria will fall within days. This is the analysis of five senior American officials to CNN. "Probably by next weekend the Assad regime will have lost all semblance of power," one of the sources pointed out, pointing out that "the only thing that could stop the rebels' advance would be a well-organised coup d'état, but Assad has done a good job of stifling any potential rivals."

Israel's first direct involvement in the events in Syria: the IDF attacked with artillery the rebel forces that attacked a UN post in the Khader area, on the slopes of Mount Hermon, opposite Majdal Shams. This was stated by the Idf spokesman.

Thousands of people are demonstrating in Tel Aviv for the release of the hostages and against the government. They are protesting against the 'abandonment of the abductees by the destructive government that seeks to bring down democracy in Israel'.

According to the Lebanese daily al Akhbar, which is linked to Hezbollah, an Israeli attack left four people dead and six wounded in a house in the village of Beit Leaf, south Lebanon. The IDF has not yet provided any comment.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his national security cabinet this evening at 9pm to discuss ongoing developments in Syria. This was reported by his office in Times of Israel. Tel Aviv is watching with concern after rebel forces seized control of the Quneitra and Daraa area on the border with Israel, taking it away from Syrian government forces.

The three-way meeting between Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky ended after just over half an hour. The three showed themselves to journalists by shaking hands outside the presidency, before getting into the cars that are already taking them to Notre-Dame for the reopening ceremony of the cathedral. Trump and Zelensky repeatedly shook hands for the photographers, smiling. All this, under heavy rain falling in Paris.

Hamas has released a propaganda video that shows the living existence of hostage Matan Zangauker, 25. The three-and-a-half minute clip is undated, although Zangauker claims to have been detained for over 420 days, which would indicate that it was filmed recently. Zangauker was abducted by Hamas terrorists from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of 7 October 2023, during the assault. His companion, Ilana Gritzewsky, taken hostage with him, was released in an agreement with Hamas in November 2023.

In the clip, Zangauker identifies himself and calls on the Israeli public to continue their protests in support of an agreement with the Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist movement. Hamas has previously published similar videos of hostages held by the terrorist group, in what Israel claims is psychological warfare. Most Israeli media choose not to publish the footage unless family members grant explicit permission.

'There is a very strong security cordon around Damascus and no one can break it'. This was stated by Syria's Interior Minister, Major General Mohammad Khaled al-Rahmoun, as armed factions led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham marched towards the capital. "Do not listen to rumours. All institutions are doing their job well,' al-Rahmoun continued in a video released by the Sana news agency. The minister, who inspected police units in Damascus, also denied the presence of militiamen near the capital.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) "are assisting" UN forces on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights to repel an attack by armed men. The Times of Israel reports this, pointing out that according to the IDF, an armed group attacked a UN position near the Syrian town of Hader, near the border with the Jewish state. In recent days, the IDF has strengthened its presence on the border with Syria following the advance of anti-government forces in the south of the Arab country as well.

Trilateral meeting in a few minutes at the Elysée Palace between Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky: this is according to sources close to the Elysée Palace. Trump is already in talks with Macron, the Ukrainian president is expected to arrive. The sources say that the delay in Trump's arrival at the meeting with Macron was probably motivated by the subsequent trilateral talks between Macron and Trump.

UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an "orderly political transition" in Syria. Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the talks would discuss the implementation of a UN resolution calling for a Syrian-led political process. Pedersen said the need for an orderly political transition "has never been more urgent" and that the situation in Syria is changing by the minute. Resolution 2254, adopted in 2015, called for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and concluded with elections under UN supervision.

The United States 'should not get involved' in the war in Syria. President-elect Donald Trump said this from Paris, where he will attend the reopening ceremony of Notre-Dame tonight. "Syria is a disaster, but it is not our friend, and the United States should have nothing to do with it. This is not our fight. Let's let the situation develop. Let's not get involved,' he added on his social Truth.

Syrian insurgents have captured a government security service barracks in the city of Homs. This was reported by pan-Arab media citing local sources in the Syrian city at the centre of clashes between anti-government and loyalists.

Groups of protesters hostile to the Syrian government tore down a statue of Hafez al-Assad, father of current President Bashar al-Assad, in the suburb of Jaramana on the outskirts of Damascus. This was witnessed by videos released by the media.

Syrian insurgents are on the outskirts of Damascus: this was reported by local sources in the capital cited by the pan-Arab media. The sources claim that anti-government forces are in the southern districts of Sahnaya and Daraya.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has pledged to step down. This was stated by Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People's Power Party, according to Yonhap news agency. 'President Yoon's words, entrusting his fate to the party, are actually a pledge to step down,' Han said. President Yoon today apologised for imposing martial law in the country in a public speech and said he would not reintroduce it before the impeachment vote in parliament, which he survived.

Yoon proclaimed martial law late Tuesday evening, claiming that the opposition sympathised with North Korea and was planning an 'uprising'. The parliament defied the presidential declaration and voted to lift martial law. The office of the speaker of parliament, Woo Won-shik, said the president's statement was invalid. Yoon withdrew the measure shortly after it came into force.

To read more: South Korea, Yoon apologises, but does not resign

About 2,000 Syrian soldiers have crossed the border with Iraq in the last few hours in search of shelter, says Turki Al-Mahlawi, mayor of the border town of Al-Qaim. Some soldiers are injured and are receiving medical treatment, he added.

The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, is in Damascus and in the capital 'carrying out his work'. This was reported by the Syrian presidency in a note quoted by the Sana news agency, in which it branded as "false" the rumours and reports published by "some foreign media" about Assad's "departure" from Damascus or "about lightning visits" to other countries. The Syrian presidency emphasises that these are 'attempts to mislead and influence the Syrian state and society' and points out that Assad 'is carrying out his work and constitutional duties from the capital Damascus'.

Un cartellone danneggiato del presidente siriano Bashar al-Assad ad Aleppo, dopo che l’esercito siriano ha dichiarato che decine di suoi soldati sono stati uccisi in un grave attacco dei ribelli che hanno invaso la città, in Siria, il 30 novembre 2024. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano TPX IMMAGINI DEL GIORNO/Foto d’archivio

Israel has detected 'a mass desertion of Syrian soldiers' and is 'preparing for the complete collapse of the regime' of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. This was reported by Israeli public TV Kan, citing senior Israeli officials, who said that what is taking shape in Syria is 'a dramatic shift that could change the reality in the Middle East'.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on the sidelines of the Doha Forum to discuss the current situation in Syria and ways to stabilise it. This was announced by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"There was an exchange of views on the situation in Syria, given the ongoing mass offensive by militants of the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham [formerly known as the al Nusra Front] and its allied armed groups in northwest Syria," the note reads.

Lavrov and Pedersen discussed urgent measures to stabilise the situation in Syria, protect civilians, ensure humanitarian access and prevent a possible catastrophic scenario, the ministry said. The head of the Russian 'foreign ministry emphasised the need to respect Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity. He also supported the plan to consolidate the efforts of all parties involved to restore stability and constitutional order in Syria," the ministry added

Geir Pedersen e Sergei Lavrov. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS

Several hundred Syrian soldiers, two thousand according to some sources, have entered Iraq through the Al-Qaim crossing as the insurgents' advance towards Damascus continues. Local officials and Iraqi security sources tell Afp that Iraq has allowed the Syrian soldiers, some of whom are wounded, to enter. The Syrian soldiers ''fled from the front lines'', a senior Baghdad security official told Afp, pointing out that ''the wounded have been transferred to hospitals'' in the area. A second source spoke of about two thousand soldiers, including officers, who entered Iraq with permission from the authorities.

Russian diplomacy chief Sergei Lavrov called for an ''immediate end to hostilities in Syria'' during the Doha forum. It is ''unacceptable'', Lavrov added, to allow the Syrian ''terrorist group'' Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (Hts) to take control of territories by violating the unity of the country. Lavrov also said that the Syrian rebels are being used for geopolitical purposes and that ''I do not want to speculate'' on the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The US special envoy for the Middle East, Amos Hochstein, who led the ceasefire talks in Lebanon, said that 'what is happening now in Syria creates a new weakness for Hezbollah, because it makes it difficult to transfer weapons from Iran, while Tehran is moving away from Assad'. Ynet reports this, citing Reuters. "We have not destroyed Hezbollah. Maybe the organisation is not strong enough to attack Israel or support Assad, but it has not given up yet," Hochstein said. "The US must step up its support for the Lebanese army, and so should everyone else." "Syria's collapse is no surprise, but the last two times, two great powers have come to its aid," he concluded.

'Damascus awaits you'. Thus Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (Hts), urged fighters to prepare to take the Syrian capital in a message on Telegram in which he used his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa instead of his nom de guerre.

Syrian President Bashar al Assad has not been heard from since last Sunday. And in recent hours rumours have been circulating about his possible flight abroad, with some sources speculating that he has returned to Moscow, joining his wife and children. Other media reports claim that he has taken refuge in the United Arab Emirates, a country that has already proposed mediation between the Syrian warring parties. And still other regional media claim he has sought refuge in Tehran, Iran. But there is no confirmation of any of these hypotheses. In the past few days it had been reported that his wife, the first lady Asma, who is ill with cancer, was in Moscow to attend the doctoral graduation ceremony of their eldest son, Hafez. And in those days, the Syrian presidency had said that Assad had been in Moscow for talks with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. The raìs had then returned to Damascus on Sunday 1 December to receive Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Since then, the president has disappeared from the radar.

"At the moment there are no worries," for Italian citizens in Syria. This was stated by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, stressing that there are around 300 Italians living in Syria. "Some have managed to leave the country. However, all are in contact with our Embassy in Damascus. The situation of our fellow citizens is under control."

Syrian rebels announced that they have taken control of the town of Sanmin in the countryside of Daraa, located about 20 kilometres south of the capital Damascus. Ynet reports.

Hezbollah sent about 2,000 troops to the Syrian area of Homs near the border with Lebanon to resist the offensive of the Syrian insurgents. This was reported by Beirut media citing sources close to the Lebanese armed party.

Syrian opposition officials reported that the regular army began withdrawing this morning from the Quneitra district on the border with Israel, Russian military forces also began evacuating their positions on the border. This was reported by the Israeli broadcaster Kan. This morning, the Syrian army admitted it had withdrawn from the districts of Daraa and al-Sawidaa in the Druze-inhabited mountains in southern Syria, following the advance of Sunni rebels

Meeting at the Farnesina at 11am on the Syria emergency with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. In attendance, according to ANSA, will be Ambassadors in Damascus, Doha, Tel Aviv, Amman, Beirut, Tehran, Baghdad, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Riyadh, Ankara, Moscow and the Holy See. The evacuation of clerics and Italians from Syria will also be discussed, according to further information. (

- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ''has not taken the opportunity to reconcile with his people'' after the civil war broke out in 2011. Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani is convinced of this. Assad, he added, ''has shown no serious intention to dialogue with his people'' so ''the current situation in Syria was expected''.

- The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have further strengthened their presence in the Golan Heights, on the border with Syria, in light of the advance of jihadists from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (Hts) group and allied factions. "The reinforcement of troops will allow to increase defences in the area and prepare troops for various scenarios," the Israeli army explained in a note. Syrian insurgents have taken control of a large part of the Daraa area in southern Syria, near the border with Israel. Yesterday, the IDF had announced the deployment of ground and air forces in the air saying they were ''ready for any scenario''.

- Jordan urges its citizens to leave Syria 'as soon as possible'.

The Syrian Armed Forces, supported by the Russian Air Force, conducted a series of raids on rebel positions in the provinces of Homs and Hama, the Damascus Defence Ministry announced.

"Our operational forces in Hama and Homs provinces are carrying out massive artillery and missile attacks on [terrorists'] positions and supply lines. In addition, Syrian and Russian fighter planes have carried out joint strikes on terrorist concentrations in the northeast of Homs province," the statement released by the Ministry reads.

28 people, including eight children, have been killed in attacks in several areas of Syria in recent hours, as part of the offensive by jihadist and insurgent groups against the regime in Damascus. This was reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, according to which most of the victims were recorded in the region of Homs, where twenty people, including five children, died as a result of 'artillery shelling launched by regime forces against various locations in the rural area to the north'. Another four civilians, a woman and three children, died in Daraa, southern Syria, where insurgents entered last night. One casualty was recorded in clashes between militants and regime forces in the town of Nawa, the London-based NGO reports, while three more civilians, including a woman, died in shelling by pro-Turkish forces in the north of the country.

Iran began withdrawing its military commanders and personnel from Syria on Friday as rebel forces took control of the cities of Homs and Deir al-Zour, the New York Times reported.

Senior commanders of the Iranian Quds Forces, a component of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, were among those evacuated, the NYT reported, citing unidentified regional officials and three anonymous Iranian officials.

Among those who left were guard personnel, diplomatic staff and Iranian civilians, officials added. Some of the evacuees are flown to Tehran, while others leave by land via Lebanon, Iraq and the Syrian port of Latakia.

Approximately 80,000 US military personnel are deployed on the territories of European NATO member states, a presence also aimed at deterring Russian military aggression, according to President Joe Biden in a letter sent to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate. "Approximately 80,000 members of the United States Armed Forces are assigned or deployed to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries in Europe, including those deployed to reassure our allies and to deter further Russian aggression," reads the letter posted on the White House website.

Syrian opposition groups have taken control of Daraa, a city near the border with Jordan in southern Syria. This was announced by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and the news was also reported by the Turkish Anadolu Agency. The conquest has a strong symbolic value: Daraa is considered the birthplace of the anti-regime uprising in Syria, as it was in this city that the first spark of the 2011 uprising against the regime of Bashar al-Assad was ignited. The protests, initially aimed at demanding freedom and reforms, were brutally suppressed, marking the beginning of the civil war.

US citizens in Syria should leave the country immediately "while commercial flight options are still available". It is the State Department's recommendation. "The security situation continues to be volatile and unpredictable with active clashes between armed groups throughout the country. The Department urges US citizens to leave Syria now,' the US ministry said in an alert posted on its social media.