Syria

Thirty-four Australians in a northern Syrian facility holding families of suspected Islamic State militants are expected to return home after their release was conditionally approved by authorities.

Opinions were more divided on full diplomatic normalization with Israel, while public assessments of Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa were largely favorable.

Israel, with the help of Syria's new government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, has succeeded at blocking much of the cross-border Lebanon-Syria weapons smuggling activities.

The ISIS detainees were mostly captured in 2019 when ISIS was defeated in its last enclave near the Euphrates River by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

"We have a very firm view that we won't be providing assistance or repatriation," Albanese told ABC News.

Syria’s foreign minister is hinting that Damascus and Jerusalem may be able to come to more arrangements in the future, in the wake of talks held in Paris in January.

Hukmiya Mohamed, a co-director of Roj camp, told Reuters that the 34 Australians had been released to their families, who had come to Syria for the release.

In a statement, the IDF said the operative’s activity violated the ceasefire framework and posed a threat to Israel’s northern communities.

In a short statement, the defense authority in Damascus said its army assumed control of the facility south of Al Hasakah city. The announcement did not specify when the transfer took place.

President Donald Trump’s 2019 recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights sparked global debate over law, history, and security.