The 'new Syria': 2025 reflections and 2026 hopes

Some may argue that remnants of the former regime initiated the violence, while others believe al‑Hajri's intent was to challenge Damascus, and his ties with Israel predated the entry of security forces into Sweida, accompanied by tribal mobilisation.

As for tensions between the government and the Kurdish majority-Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), 2025 saw an agreement reached between the two sides, but as the year drew to a close, the deal remained unimplemented. Meanwhile, the Islamic State is once again rearing its ugly head. Although the country has joined the international coalition to combat IS, military operations alone cannot root out its ideology.

And while electoral bodies have selected members of the Legislative Council, several months have passed without the president appointing the remaining members, effectively paralysing the council. No explanation was given for the delay, frustrating many Syrians at a time when the country is in urgent need of institution-building and reconstruction.

But perhaps the most important challenge Syria faced in 2025 was the repeated Israeli attacks, incursions, and the occupation of new swathes of Syrian territory. Despite the more than 400 incursions and over 1,000 attacks, the Syrian government still wants to reach a security agreement with Tel Aviv. This makes sense because Syria cannot afford new battles or wars while already weighed down by the wounds and bloodshed of the near and distant past.

Another pressing challenge is the complex task of forming a national army that serves all Syrians, after years of the proliferation of myriad militias in the country, as well as launching a genuine and credible process of accountability and justice.

A step in the right direction

A year has passed in which much was achieved—more than many imagined possible in so short a time. Yet Syria needs more—above all, the unity of its people and their participation in rebuilding their country after decades in which the state was held hostage under the Assad father-and-son duo.

One year is not enough time to repair the damage left by their rule and to transform the country from a lawless regime into a functioning state. But the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step—and we have taken several.