Overview
- Tens of thousands gathered in Damascus and other cities for anniversary events featuring military flyovers, paragliders and the new national flag, with Ahmed al‑Sharaa addressing worshippers at the Umayyad Mosque.
- Al‑Sharaa, the HTS leader serving as interim president, urged unity for rebuilding and capped a year of diplomatic outreach that included a November visit to Washington.
- Rights monitors and local accounts describe severe intercommunal violence this year, with the Syrian Observatory reporting roughly 10,000 victims and Druze areas in Sweida asserting de facto self‑rule.
- Economic recovery remains weak despite sanctions relief and Gulf pledges, with a World Bank estimate cited at $216 million for reconstruction and much of the rebuilding left to homeowners in places like Yarmouk.
- Regional dynamics continue to shape security as Russia maintains its bases and ties, Israel holds a former UN separation zone and conducts strikes, and the UN’s Najat Rochdi presses for answers on the missing and safe refugee returns.