<b>Hello from </b><i><b>The National </b></i><b>in Abu Dhabi. Here is your morning newsletter with all the top stories from the Mena region.</b> US President Joe Biden's administration has <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2024/12/19/us-troops-syria/" target="_blank">boosted its troop presence</a> in north-east Syria from 900 to about 2,000, the Pentagon announced, in a move it says was made before rebels overthrew the regime of president Bashar Al Assad. Senior US politicians are worried that a Turkish invasion of Syria's north-east Kurdish region is imminent and are indicating they are <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2024/12/19/turkey-us-congress-syria-kurds/" target="_blank">prepared to impose sanctions</a> on Washington's Nato ally. Kurdish fighters who went to Syria from other countries in the region to support the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) will leave if a total ceasefire is reached with Turkey, the commander of the forces said. Follow live updates <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2024/12/18/syria-live-damascus-flight/" target="_blank">here</a>. Since the collapse of the Assad regime, Israel has bombed hundreds of weapons sites, airbases and naval assets in Syria and sent troops into a buffer zone in the Golan Heights. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the strikes are in <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2024/12/19/un-chief-guterres-demands-halt-to-israeli-operations-in-syria/" target="_blank">breach of Syria's sovereignty</a>. In <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2024/12/19/battered-and-neglected-eastern-aleppo-struggles-to-find-hope-after-assads-fall/" target="_blank">eastern Aleppo</a>, street after street, apartment blocks stand like abandoned monuments to a place that once was. Buildings have been bombed and stripped by thieves of anything worth selling, their occupants having fled and only a fraction having returned. Plus: How to form a government in ten days - <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2024/12/19/how-to-form-a-government-in-ten-days-syrias-hts-installs-first-bureaucrats/" target="_blank">Syria's HTS</a> installs first bureaucrats. Arab and US negotiators are <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2024/12/19/gaza-negotiators-race-against-time-and-demands-to-secure-a-ceasefire-before-trumps-inauguration/" target="_blank">racing against time</a> amid demands from Israel and Hamas to secure a Gaza ceasefire before US president-elect Donald Trump's inauguration next month, with the agreement now hinging mainly on the fate of Palestinian detainees, sources <i>The National.</i> The UN General Assembly voted yesterday to ask the International Court of Justice for an opinion on Israel's obligations to <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2024/12/19/un-general-assembly-seeks-icj-opinion-on-israels-obligations-with-palestinian-aid/" target="_blank">enable aid delivered</a> by states and international groups, including the world body, to reach Palestinians in need. A Norwegian-drafted resolution was adopted by the 193-member body with 137 votes in favour. Israel's air force <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2024/12/19/israel-carries-out-air-strikes-in-yemen-amid-houthi-missile-fire/" target="_blank">carried out strikes</a> on Yemen yesterday after intercepting at least one missile that it said was launched by the Houthi rebels towards central Israel, making the country the last major active war front against Israel outside the Palestinian territories. Israel's eviction orders preceding attacks on Lebanon constituted a <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2024/12/20/israels-eviction-orders-on-lebanon-grave-breach-of-international-humanitarian-law/" target="_blank">“grave breach”</a> of international humanitarian law, a report by ActionAid and Oxfam found. After Israel massively increased its bombardment of Lebanon in late September, its Arabic language military spokesman regularly issued what it referred to as “evacuation” orders to residents ahead of bombing campaigns. Egypt on Thursday hosted the presidents of Turkey and Iran at a summit of eight Muslim-majority countries in its new Administrative Capital where President Abdel Fattah El Sisi met them separately for<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2024/12/19/egypt-hosts-presidents-of-iran-and-turkey-at-summit-of-eight-muslim-majority-nations/" target="_blank"> talks on the turmoil </a>gripping the Middle East since late last year. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein warned that<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/2024/12/19/isis-reorganising-its-ranks-in-syria-warns-iraq/" target="_blank"> ISIS was reorganising</a> its ranks and exploiting the political vacuum and chaos in Syria. In a phone call on Wednesday evening with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Mr Hussein explained that “the situation in Syria is highly complex, with different armed groups controlling various areas”. Iraqi authorities have started <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/2024/12/19/iraq-sends-syrian-soldiers-who-fled-rebel-offensive-back-to-their-country/" target="_blank">sending back Syrian soldiers</a> who fled the rebel offensive two weeks ago. More than 2,000 Syrian troops crossed into Iraq with their weapons and equipment. After handing their weapons to Iraqi authorities, the soldiers were placed in a camp in the town of Rutba, in western Anbar province. The US yesterday announced about <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2024/12/19/blinken-announces-200m-in-us-aid-for-sudan/" target="_blank">$200 million </a>in food, shelter and healthcare aid to Sudan as the war in the North African nation grinds on. The Syrian opposition since 2011 has been <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comment/2024/12/20/the-syrian-opposition-since-2011-has-been-united-by-one-common-goal/" target="_blank">united</a> by a common goal. Guns in Lebanon should be in the hands of its army only, <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/editorial/2024/12/20/lebanon-syria-security-military-middle-east/" target="_blank">argues</a> our editorial team. With new presidents and a changed Middle East, what are the chances of a US-Iran reset<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comment/2024/12/19/with-new-presidents-and-a-changed-middle-east-what-are-the-chances-of-a-us-iran-reset/" target="_blank"> asks</a> Hussein Ibish. Can Europe rise to the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comment/2024/12/17/can-europe-rise-to-the-challenge-of-a-new-syria/" target="_blank">challenge</a> of a new Syria? <b>FRONT PAGE</b>
