Today’s news round on Syria brings several key developments: Israel has reportedly struck a known Hezbollah smuggling area along the Syria-Lebanon border, injuring one Syrian driver; a paper by Steven Heydemann argues that Arab states’ efforts to normalize relations with Syria have failed to achieve their objectives; Ukraine special forces may have struck Russian forces at a Syrian airbase; the US has bolstered its bases in northeastern Syria with Apache helicopters; reconstruction efforts are underway at a church in Hassakeh; and Turkish and Russian diplomats have discussed Ankara-Damascus normalization. These stories highlight the complex web of international involvement and conflict in Syria, as well as ongoing efforts to rebuild and normalize the country.
Israel said to strike known Hezbollah smuggling area along the Syria-Lebanon border
A source close to the Lebanese group Hezbollah said late Friday that Israel carried out strikes on a convoy of trucks entering Lebanon from Syria, Times of Israel reported.
“Three Israeli strikes targeted a convoy of tanker trucks on the Syrian-Lebanese border in the Hawsh al-Sayyid Ali area, injuring one Syrian driver,” the source told AFP.
It was the latest in a series of Israeli strikes in the border area, the source added.
Iran-backed Hezbollah has a strong presence on both sides of the eastern stretch of the Lebanese-Syria border, where it supports the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and has been known to use the area to smuggle Iranian weapons into Lebanon.
Hours before the attack in Hawsh al-Sayyid Ali, media outlets in Lebanon reported an Israeli strike several miles away in the Lebanese village of Qasr.
Hezbollah has named 385 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing clashes, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. In Lebanon, another 69 operatives from other groups, a Lebanese soldier, and dozens of civilians have been killed.
Syria normalization: The failure of defensive diplomacy
Steven Heydemann, Nonresident Senior Fellow – Foreign Policy, Center for Middle East Policy, published a paper in Brookings Institute, arguing that the efforts of Arab states to normalize relations with Syria and its president Bashar al-Assad have failed to achieve their intended objectives, such as the safe return of refugees, reduction of Iran’s influence, and curbing of Captagon production.
In late May, Saudi Arabia appointed its first ambassador to Syria in 12 years, following the UAE’s reestablishment of ties with Damascus in 2018. This move, aimed at rehabilitating Syria’s regime, gained momentum after the February 2023 earthquake in southern Turkey and northern Syria. The Arab League restored Syria’s membership in May 2023, and several Arab states formed a committee to facilitate Syria’s reintegration and provide financial support.
The paper says normalization of relations with Syria has led to increased recognition of Bashar al-Assad’s regime but failed to achieve key objectives. Despite efforts, there has been no progress in the safe return of refugees, curbing Captagon production, or reducing Iran’s influence. Refugees face detention and torture upon return, and Captagon smuggling persists, involving high-ranking regime figures.
The paper adds that Arab regimes’ unilateral steps have not been reciprocated by Assad. The Arab Liaison Committee on Syria suspended its meetings in May 2024, acknowledging the failure of normalization. Nevertheless, Arab states continue engaging with Syria, focusing on bilateral ties to advance their interests. Saudi Arabia, for instance, resumed flights and sent spare parts to Syria, ignoring U.S. sanctions.
Heydemann believes that Assad prefers bilateral engagements, sidestepping multilateral demands. Jordan, critical of Assad’s Captagon involvement, has cooler relations with Syria than Gulf states. Despite distrust, Arab regimes frame their approach as engagement rather than normalization. Syrian officials complain about the lack of substantial Gulf financial support.
Normalization has facilitated Assad’s criminality, eroding accountability and enabling sanctions avoidance. It has not improved conditions for refugees or curtailed narcotics flows. European countries and a German court have inaccurately deemed Syria safe for refugee return, driven by normalization rhetoric.
To counter this flawed strategy, regional governments and the U.S. should halt normalization, reaffirm Assad’s pariah status, and impose consequences for his regime’s non-compliance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254. The U.S. should actively oppose normalization, use diplomatic tools and sanctions, and leverage the Caesar Act to deter third-party engagements with Assad. This would prevent the continued suffering of Syrians and the regime’s unchecked activities.
Did Ukraine special forces strike Russia forces at a Syrian airbase?
Russian forces in Syria have been targeted by Ukrainian special forces, according to reports, in what has been described as a “devastating attack” on Moscow’s overseas interests, The New Arab reported.
The Kyiv Post reported that Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate launched a special operation on the Kuweires airbase in Aleppo province, northwestern Syria, where the Russian military has been present since its intervention in 2015.
One video shared by the Ukrainian news site shows a military vehicle, reportedly Russian, in a desert environment being targeted by a projectile.
The New Arab could not verify the location of the video, but The Kyiv Post said it showed a Ukrainian special forces attack on a Russian mobile electronic warfare vehicle in the area.
Other videos showed other Ukrainian attacks on the Kuweires Military Aviation Institute, an airbase that was besieged for several years by the Islamic State group until Russian-backed Syrian special forces won the area back to regime control.
The attack took place a day after Syrian President Bashar Al-Assaad and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on 24 July, the Ukrainian news site added.
Suheil Al-Ghazi, a Syrian researcher told The New Arab, said that while Kuweires has been used by Russian helicopters operating in northern Syria, Ukrainian claims that it is also a logistics point for Moscow’s overseas mercenary activities is probably not true as the facility is unable to handle large aircraft.
Other footage showed drones being launched, allegedly operated by Ukrainian special forces, to target Russian personnel in Syria, thousands away from the frontlines in eastern Ukraine.
“The claim that it serves as recruiting point for mercenaries doesn’t make sense because such activities are done in Hmeimim airbase,” he told The New Arab.
“The Russian presence there means it must be equipped with a radar like Hmeimim airbase but it looks like it didn’t work against this drone now despite Hmeimim being able to thwart several drone attacks even before 2022.
“The death of two pilots indicates the drone either hit their vehicle or their aircraft while on the tarmac… so it’s also an intelligence failure for both the regime and Russia,” Al Ghazi added.
US bolsters bases in northeastern Syria with Apache helicopters
Pro-Iran Al Mayadeen quoted a Syrian military source told Sputnik that a US military plane landed at the Kharab Al-Jir base, carrying military equipment, air defense missiles, logistics materials, and 25 service members.
The US military is continuing to bolster its bases in the occupied Hassakeh province of northeastern Syria, deploying additional Apache helicopters and military equipment, according to a Syrian military source cited by Sputnik.
“US forces have reinforced their bases with 15 Apache helicopters to improve their ability to conduct attacks,” the source said.
A Syrian military source told Sputnik that a US military plane landed at the Kharab Al-Jir base, carrying military equipment, air defense missiles, logistics materials, and 25 service members.
Earlier the same day, the US DoD announced that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin would oversee the deployment of more forces to the Middle East to support “Israel,” though the exact number of additional troops has yet to be determined.
Rebuilding old church in Syria’s Hassakeh after years of cessation
Construction workers are restoring the walls and towers of the St. George Syriac Orthodox Church in the city of Hassakeh, Northeast Syria, which is considered one of the churches that was damaged by the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2015, according to North Press.
Supervisors said that the restoration began in 2022 but later stopped due the shortage of materials.
Gabriel Khajo, pastor of the church, says that the process of the restoration conveys a message regarding the existence and the survival of the Syriac people in Hassakeh.
Khajo recalls when ISIS was about to take control over Hassakeh and how the cathedral served as a shelter for the residents, saying that the church’s doors remained open to everyone, even when ISIS was only about two to three hundred meters away.
The church, which is six decades old, holds special religious significance as it is the seat of the Bishop in Hassakeh and Euphrates, whose jurisdiction includes Deir ez-Zor, Hassakeh, and the Euphrates region. The church also houses the bishop’s office and the diocesan headquarters.
Considered one of the oldest churches in the East, the church covers a total area of 950 square meters and stands 40 meters tall, accommodating more than 1,200 people.
The church was built in the shape of a cross and is surrounded by four streets in the heart of old Hassakeh.
Turkish, Russian diplomats discuss Ankara-Damascus normalization
Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz met on Aug. 3 with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Special Representative for Syria Alexander Lavrentiev in Ankara, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
The two men exchanged views on Syria with the participation of relevant institutes, the ministry said through its social media account.
The talks come Russia launched a new mediation initiative between Turkey and Syria who have been at odds since 2011. Turkish and Syrian government members had talks in Moscow last year but they could not get any achievement due to Damascus’ preconditions of removal of the Turkish military from its lands.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad recently signaled his readiness to re-launch talks with Turkey for thawing the bilateral ties. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had reiterated that Turkey was ready to normalize its ties with Syria through direct talks with Assad.
According to sources, the intelligence services of Turkey and Syria have already contacted and started to discuss the possibility of a governmental-level meeting between the two countries.
In a recent statement, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan underlined that the current situation in Syria is highly complex, requiring substantial time even to initiate discussions and seriously address the issues.
He underscored that Turkey considers not only its own needs but also the political independence and territorial integrity of Syria. In addition, Fidan highlighted the importance of developing a national dialogue mechanism within the framework of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254 principles and pursuing a solution supported by the international community.
