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  • Syria

Bedouin families who left Sweida take a shelter at a school in the village of El Sahoah in Deraa Governorate, Syria, July 28, 2025. Yamam Al Shaar / Reuters

Sweida violence: a good day for Israel, a bad day for Syria

Damascus fell into a trap when it sent its troops racing south as fighting erupted between Druze and Bedouins. Why? Because in Israel's arc of fragmentation, Syria is the last piece of the puzzle.

Majed Kayali 29 July 2025
a mural depicting Lebanese Druze politician Walid Jumblatt (bottom, R) and Syrian Druze nationalist leader Sultan al-Atrash, in the predominantly Druze city of Beit Jann on November 16, 2023. John MacDougall/AFP

Druze political figures who transformed Syrian history

For more than a century, Druze soldiers and politicians have made their mark on today's Syria. They are still writing their own history, as the recent Sweida violence shows.

Sami Moubayed 25 July 2025
A member of Syrian security forces stands near a vehicle carrying aid as they make their way to Sweida, at Bosra al-Sham town, near Deraa, Syria July 23, 2025. Karam al-Masri/Reuters

After Sweida: the path to peace just got more complicated

The terrible violence in southern Syria this month shows what needs to be done by all actors, and shows what fate awaits if they do not.

Michael Harari 24 July 2025
A member of the Internal Security Forces stands watch at a checkpoint in the village of Al-Mazra'a, after days of violence in Sweida between Bedouin fighters and Druze factions, on 20 July 2025. Karam al-Masri/Reuters

Solution needed: Sweida’s ceasefire is a pause, not peace

The guns may have fallen silent but in Syria's Druze-dominated southern city, they have enforced the status quo. That is dangerous, since it fails to recognise that Syria has now fundamentally changed

Haid Haid 21 July 2025
UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen backs the central government's desire for sovereignty over its territory but says that, in a transition period, this is best done through dialogue and by building trust. Al Majalla/AFP

UN envoy to Syria: true loyalty to the state cannot be coerced

Geir Pedersen condemns Israeli strikes and urges genuine dialogue between Syrian authorities and the local Druze community in Sweida.

Ibrahim Hamidi 18 July 2025
The Great Colonnade (Decumanus Maximus) at Palmyra, one of six Syrian sites on the UNESCO elite list of world heritage. All of them sustained some level of damage in the 13-year civil war. Omar Haj Kadour/AFP

The plundering of Syria's cultural heritage - Part 2

The second instalment of a two-part investigation into the unprecedented looting of Syria's archaeological sites, Al Majalla uncovers the destruction of a rich archaeological landscape

Abdul Rahman Mazhar Halloush 18 July 2025
US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf testifies during a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee at the US Capitol on November 8, 2023. Alex Wong/Getty Images via AFP

Barbara Leaf: sectarian power-sharing not the answer in Syria

Al Majalla spoke to a seasoned diplomat who helped shape American policy on the Middle East during Joe Biden's presidency, asking her about Syria, US engagement, Iran, and Palestine.

Ahmed Maher 17 July 2025
A visitor makes sketches at Palmyra. During their occupation of the site from 2015, Islamic State (IS) jihadists reduced several temples, columns, and other treasures to heaps of stone. Omar Haj Kadour/AFP

The plundering of Syria’s cultural heritage - Part 1

The first instalment of a two-part investigation into the unprecedented looting of Syria's archaeological sites, Al Majalla uncovers the destruction of a rich archaeological landscape

Abdul Rahman Mazhar Halloush 16 July 2025
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa with Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and others in Damascus on 21 December 2024. They are now trying to create a parliament. Reuters

Between hope and doubt: the making of Syria’s new Parliament

While sham elections have been seen before, a genuinely representative elected legislature has not. The opportunity is huge, and early signs are good, but there are still far too many questions.

Haid Haid 13 July 2025
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters sit on a vehicle in the north of Raqqa city, Syria. Reuters

Fading hopes that the SDF will agree to Syrian integration

The autonomous Kurdish-led group in Syria's north-east has been protected by the US for a decade, but the move now is towards integration with Damascus. Unfortunately, the SDF has not got the memo.

Charles Lister 11 July 2025
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Ewan White
Politics

Did Trump's war on Iran make nuclear proliferation more likely?

11 May 2026

Many US allies across the world are now questioning America's ability and will to protect them, making the prospect of a nuclear deterrent more appealing

Christopher Phillips
A container ship is seen at berth at the container terminal of the port in Qingdao, in China’s eastern Shandong province, on 2 April 2026. AFP
Business & Economy

The US-Iran war has forced a global trade rethink

06 May 2026

There is now a growing recognition that over-reliance on a single corridor or supplier is no longer feasible. While this may worry some, it is a chance for others.

Abdulfattah Khattab
Al Majalla
Politics

Farage emerges as viable PM contender amid Labour losses

11 May 2026

Labour's disastrous showing in the local elections and gains made by the Reform party have sparked calls for Starmer to step down, but he remains defiant

Con Coughlin
Festival General Delegate Thierry Fremaux speaks in front of the Cannes Festival official poster from the movie "Thelma & Louise" during a press conference in Cannes, France, on 11 May 2026. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
Culture & Social Affairs

Cinema's changing face on display at Cannes

11 May 2026

This year, the renowned film festival appears to be addressing a world where films are made and consumed differently, while maintaining its legacy as the world's foremost arena for art cinema

Firas Al-Madi
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on the day of the EU Leaders and Regional Partners Summit in Nicosia, Cyprus, on 24 April 2026.
 Reuters
Politics

Are Lebanon-Israel talks a mistake? The view from Cairo

11 May 2026

Egyptian officials believe US-Israeli pressure to rapidly disarm Hezbollah could backfire and plunge Lebanon into a new civil war

Amr Emam

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OPINIONS

Continuity trumps reform in Syria's cabinet reshuffle

Haid Haid
Haid Haid

China trade proves resilient in the face of US tariffs

Al Majalla - London
Al Majalla - London

Did Trump's war on Iran make nuclear proliferation more likely?

Christopher Phillips
Christopher Phillips

Are Lebanon-Israel talks a mistake? The view from Cairo

Amr Emam
Amr Emam
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