Kareem Fahim

Syria loses a lifeline as the United States and Europe slash global aid The fall of Syria’s dictatorship last year brought the end of a long and bloody civil conflict — but no quick relief to millions of Syrians living in the war-shattered nation.

@washingtonpost.com's Ed Ram and @kareemf.bsky.social on the devastating impact of Western aid cuts to Syria at its moment of greatest need. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

Gulf states fear an unrestrained Israel will hurt fragile ties with Iran Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and others in the region have sought closer relations with Iran over recent years in hopes of fostering stability.

For a long time, gulf countries saw “Iran as the biggest destabilizing force in the region,” and a threat they needed to counter. “That calculus has changed. The most destabilizing actor is Israel." www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

Israel strikes Lebanon in one of biggest attacks since November ceasefire One person died and 21 others were injured, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said. Israel said it was targeting an underground Hezbollah site.

“What is happening is more than just the ceasefire being violated,” Chaabane said. “It is the transformation of the south of Lebanon. … It has become a de facto security strip.”
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

Turkey’s economic woes catch up with Erdoğan A cost of living crisis and social unrest are throwing the strongman leader’s plan to stay in power into jeopardy

Sigh of the times:

“I may emigrate,” says Gülsüme Oğuz, a clinical psychologist. “My usual white-collar clients can’t afford regular sessions anymore, and I can’t afford the rent.”

www.ft.com/content/5999...

Rich People, Pundits Really Do Not Want Zohran Mamdani to Be Mayor Groups aligned with former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo have spent $24 million on his campaign to defeat Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani.

Rich People And Pundits Really Do Not Want Zohran Mamdani to Be Mayor

Allies of former NY Governor Andrew Cuomo are breaking New York City spending limits trying to make him mayor. Mamdani is still closing the gap.

Arab gulf states work to contain fallout from Israel’s attack on Iran Oman and Qatar were leading efforts to begin ceasefire talks, while mediators said Iran was open to resuming nuclear negotiations if Israel’s attacks stop.

“We have been working for years to avert such a showdown, because we will be the ultimate victims,” said Bader Al-Saif from Kuwait University.

"Those who assumed people in the Gulf were happy with the strikes against Iran should think twice. This is such an intertwined, interconnected region.”

New IPC assessment of hunger and famine risks in Gaza:

”The entire population is facing high levels of acute food insecurity, with half a million people (one in five) facing starvation.”

www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-webs...

Video Shows Aid Workers Killed in Gaza Under Gunfire Barrage, With Ambulance Lights On (Gift Article) The U.N. has said Israel killed the workers. The video appears to contradict Israel’s version of events, which said the vehicles were “advancing suspiciously” without headlights or emergency signals.

Video obtained by @nytimes.com confirms the IDF fired on and killed clearly identified Red Crescent medics in Gaza. 15 were killed. Satellite pics analyzed by @ckoettl.bsky.social & @sanjanamv.bsky.social show the IDF then buried the medics andambulances. Story 👇 www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/w...

US issues broad order to consulates to vet student visas over ‘terrorist activity’ State department shares new standard for denials based on social media posts, financial donations and memberships

US issues broad order to consulates to vet student visas over ‘terrorist activity’ by @jgedeon.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Turkey detains journalists covering protests in house raids Several journalists have been injured during police response since the protests began on Mar 19 while covering the events on site. Also, police reportely damaged journalists' equipment in some cases.

Turkey detains journalists covering protests in house raids

bianet.org/haber/turkey...

Syrians unearth horrors of the Assad years in their basements Syrians had remained silent about the bodies dumped in countless basements by Assad’s forces. Rescue teams now are moving from home to home excavating remains.

In the days after Assad’s fall, rescue workers began to receive calls about the trail of bodies that his loyalists had left in people’s homes. They had lived with them for years, scared they would be blamed for murder if they told the authorities. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

Syrians emerging from dictatorship bristle at new threat from Israel Israeli attacks are angering Syrians and unsettling the country’s new leaders, who are dealing with multiple crises after the end of Bashar al-Assad’s rule.

“They bombed again,” Isleem told him.

“Who bombed?” the man asked.

“Who do you think?” Isleem said.

@leloveluck.bsky.social
@cheesemanab.bsky.social
@kareemf.bsky.social
@washingtonpost.com

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

Live briefing: Trump says Palestinians displaced by U.S. proposal would not return; Hamas delays hostage release Hamas on Monday said it would delay “until further notice” the release of three Israeli hostages set for Saturday.

“Our bookshop has made noise for them for many, many years. I know in my mind, they are trying to frighten us.” Israeli police raid storied Palestinian bookstore, seize books @cheesemanab.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

🧵 A friend in Gaza told me “The first thing I will do after the ceasefire is go to my mother’s grave and share the news with her. I wish she were here with me in this moment.”

As fires rage, day laborers volunteer to clean up Pasadena streets The Pasadena Community Job Center is a gathering spot for day laborers. As fires burned across the region, workers and staff launched a fire relief brigade.

It's people who don't have much who are showing up for others.

www.latimes.com/delos/story/...

International sanctions have left Syria’s health system on life support U.S. and E.U. sanctions aimed at punishing the former Assad regime have made it more difficult for Syrian hospitals to maintain equipment and provide care.

“They said the sanctions were meant to hit the powerful, but look around here. Who is suffering the most?” www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0... by @leloveluck.bsky.social, Zakaria Zakaria and Emin Özmen

Gaza war toll likely significantly undercounts deaths, says study An official Palestinian tally of direct deaths in the Israel-Hamas war likely undercounted the number of casualties by 41% through the middle of 2024 as the Gaza Strip's healthcare infrastructure unravelled, according to the study.

A peer-reviewed study published in The Lancet estimates more than 64,000 deaths in Gaza due to traumatic injury between Oct. 7, 2023 and June 30, 2024 — a figure 41% higher than the Gaza Health Ministry’s official count. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

#Hezbollah-backed candidate Sleiman Frangieh says he is withdrawing from #Lebanon’s presidential race and will back army commander Gen. Joseph Aoun

A statement from The Washington Post Guild: We vehemently condemn The Washington Post’s firing of dozens of valued employees today, just days into the new year and at a time when the company is actively growing. It is especially disturbing that Post CEO, Will Lewis, has not directly addressed his employees in a whopping 230 days — during which tumult and turnover have driven many of our highest-profile colleagues to other companies and new policies have been implemented with little explanation. The diligent, talented workers that make The Post every day should not bear the consequences of poor decisions made by Post executives. They deserve better. The Post deserves better. We demand leaders do the right thing: address workers during this time of upheaval and stop punishing hardworking Post employees for the decisions made far above their heads.

A statement from the Washington Post Guild on today's unconscionable layoffs.

Alawites live in fear as Syrian rebels hunt members of Assad’s regime Syria’s minority Alawite community is gripped by terror as reports spread of killings and disappearances under the country’s new Islamist rulers.

@washingtonpost.com's @kareemf.bsky.social and Zakaria Zakaria on fear among some Alawite Syrians, as reports circulate of killings and abductions and militants – not always identified clearly – target what they say are old regime "remnants": www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

Alawites live in fear as Syrian rebels hunt members of Assad’s regime Syria’s minority Alawite community is gripped by terror as reports spread of killings and disappearances under the country’s new Islamist rulers.

“Nobody chooses how he is born." Fear in Alawite communities amid hunt in Syria for regime felool, Zakaria Zakaria and Alice Martins www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

These yearly roundups are always great, but everything put out by @turkeyrecap.bsky.social is worth reading if you're interested in Turkey—or in something that interests Turkey, like Syria. Really a quality newsletter!

Bear in mind that one of the three DEM representatives who met with Bahceli today is Ahmet Turk. Mardin's elected mayor, Turk was ousted in early November, upon the appointment of a government trustee. In his address to the party group the day after, Bahceli criticised the ousting of Turk +

On a chilly Friday in Damascus, a rally to support families of people detained and missing, and to demand “truth and justice.”

“He hadn’t shaved his white beard for five days, and when Rudaw asked about it, he just lit another cigarette without saying when he’d shave it.”

For Syria’s Christians, Christmas is a time to grapple with hope and fear Although members of the Christian community said they are happy to see the Assad regime go, many are wary of their new Islamist leaders.

“We don’t just want to put up Christmas trees and not to be called minorities, we want all our rights.” www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/1...

@mohamadelchamaa.bsky.social
@salwangeorges.bsky.social

Israel is demolishing northern Gaza and fortifying military positions, imagery shows Visual analysis and interviews show how Palestinians have been forced from their homes in the north as the Israeli military cuts a new corridor through Gaza.

10 northern Gaza residents described widespread targeting of civilian neighborhoods by Israeli forces, dangerous mass evacuations where men and teenage boys were separated from women and children and the abuse and arbitrary detention of some trying to flee. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/1...

How Syria’s rebels overcame years of a bloody stalemate to topple Assad The Syrian regime’s collapse came more quickly than the rebels had dreamed — the circumstances were both serendipitous and part of a larger global realignment.

Long read on the collapse of the Assad regime, based on interviews on every side.

by @washingtonpost.com’s
@mohamadelchamaa.bsky.social
@leloveluck.bsky.social
@kareemf.bsky.social
@berileski.bsky.social
@gregpmiller.bsky.social
& Loveday Morris

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/1...

Israel’s Crime of Extermination, Acts of Genocide in Gaza Israeli authorities have intentionally deprived Palestinian civilians in Gaza of adequate access to water since October 2023, most likely resulting in thousands of deaths and thus committing the crime...

Major @hrw.org report: Israeli actions in Gaza are not mere negligence, but a calculated policy of deprivation leading to the deaths of thousands from dehydration and disease that is nothing short of the crime against humanity of extermination — and an act of genocide www.hrw.org/news/2024/12...

Corpses, men who don’t know their names: Scenes from a Damascus hospital Over 100,000 Syrians were disappeared by the Assad regime. At a hospital in Damascus, their families search desperately.

Read the first dispatch from myself and @justinsalhani.bsky.social from Syria.

The torture and disappearance of Syrians under Assad was so extreme and gruesome that those who died may never turn up, while those who survived sometimes can't recall their own names.

www.aljazeera.com/features/202...