The recent agreement between Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander, Mazloum Abdi, marks a turning point in Syria’s conflict dynamics. According to the deal, all civilian and military institutions in northeastern Syria will be integrated into the Syrian state, effectively dissolving the autonomous governance structures …

Shortly after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) drove Bashar al-Assad out of Syria last year, the group pledged to respect the rights of minorities. Yet, since HTS took control over much of the country, some across the international community have raised fears that Syria’s new leaders—with their jihadist backgrounds—might erode minority …

Next month, Lebanon will mark the 25th anniversary of Israel’s troop withdrawal from its southern region after a two-decade-long occupation and eighteen year resistance campaign by Lebanon’s Hezbollah organization. But this year, the commemoration will be marred by the fact that Israeli forces are back on Lebanese soil, effectively maintaining …