1. “Our forces have begun the final phase of encircling the capital,” said rebel commander Hassan Abdel Ghani, with the Islamist-led alliance that launched the offensive, news agency AFP reported.
2. The leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group which has headed the assault, told fighters to prepare to take the seat of Assad’s government, just over a week into a renewed offensive in the long dormant conflict.
3. “Damascus awaits you,” said HTS’s Ahmed al-Sharaa in a statement on Telegram, using his real name instead of his nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani.
4. Syria’s defence ministry said army forces were “present in all areas of the Damascus countryside”. “There is no truth to news claiming our armed forces… have withdrawn” from positions near Damascus, it said. Syria’s presidency denied reports that Assad had left Damascus, saying he was “following up on his work and national and constitutional duties from the capital”.
5. HTS is rooted in the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda. Proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Western governments, it has sought to soften its image in recent years. As the Islamist rebels seize more territory, they have sought to reassure minority groups living in areas now under their control. “We ask that all sects be reassured… for the era of sectarianism and tyranny has gone away forever,” said Abdel Ghani.
6. Since the offensive began last week, at least 826 people, mostly combatants but also including 111 civilians, have been killed. The United Nations said the violence has displaced 3.7 lakh people.
7. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Syria must not be allowed to fall into the hands of “terrorist” rebels fighting the forces of Moscow’s ally President Bashar al-Assad. “It’s inadmissible to allow the terrorist group to take control of the lands in violation of agreements which exist, starting with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254 which strongly reiterated sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of the Syrian Arab Republic,” Mr Lavrov said at an event in Qatar, referring to a 2015 UN resolution for a political settlement in Syria.
8. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for a “political solution to the conflict”, his spokesperson said on Friday, in a call with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
9. US President-elect Donald Trump, however, on Saturday said the US should “not get involved” in the situation in Syria. “Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, and the United States should have nothing to do with it. This is not our fight. Let it play out. Do not get involved,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
10. There has been no public signal that the Biden administration is contemplating such an intervention. Trump has long taken an isolationist approach, and during this year’s presidential campaign he often said he could end the Ukraine and Gaza wars “quickly.”

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday gave a stern reply to the ‘criticism’ on India’s purchase of Russian oil, while strongly asserting that the world is realising the need to be at the negotiating table to resolve the nearly three-year long Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Being asked about getting ‘cheap oil’ from Russia, Mr Jaishankar in a stern reply said, “I get oil, yes. It is not necessarily cheap. Do you have a better deal?”

Mr Jaishankar was speaking at the 22nd edition of the Doha Forum panel on ‘Conflict Resolution in a New Era’ where Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Norway Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide were also present.

“Pleased to participate @DohaForumpanel today on the topic “Conflict Resolution in a New Era” in Doha today along with PM & FM@MBA_Al Thani_of Qatar and FM @EspenBarthEide of Norway. As the conflicts around us increase, the need of the hour is more diplomacy, not less,” he stated in a post on X.

Pleased to participate @DohaForum panel today on the topic “Conflict Resolution in a New Era” in Doha today along with PM & FM @MBA_AlThani_ of ???????? and FM @EspenBarthEide of ????????.

As the conflicts around us increase, the need of the hour is more diplomacy, not less. #DohaForum pic.twitter.com/aQ1mF0lOhP

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) December 7, 2024

Speaking on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Mr Jaishankar reiterated India’s stance that the situation can only be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, and not on the battlefield.

“We’ve always held to the view that this war is not going to be solved on the battlefield. At the end of the day, people are going to return to some kind of negotiating table, the sooner the better. Our effort has been to facilitate that to the extent possible. That has not been the most popular thing, at least in some parts of the world,” Mr Jaishankar said at the discussion.

The Foreign Minister further emphasised that the world is accepting the reality of negotiation rather than continuing the war. He further pointed out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia and Ukraine, with the aim to encourage a resolution to the conflict.

“I do think today, the needle is moving more towards the reality of the negotiation than the continuation of the war…We are going to Moscow, talking to President Putin, going to Kyiv, engaging President Zelensky, meeting them in other places, trying to see if we can encourage find common threads that can be picked up at some point in time when the circumstances are right to be developed,” he said.

Mr Jaishankar, however, also clarified that India does not have a ‘peace plan’ to resolve the conflict, but holds “honest and transparent” conversations between both parties.

“We’re not attempting a peace plan, we’re not doing a mediation in that sense. We’re doing multiple conversations and are very transparent about telling each party that the end of conversation that this is what we’ll tell the other party. We think that at this point of time, the most useful…diplomatically,” he said.

He further added that he believed that it was important to bring the Global South’s perspective on how they are impacted by the war.

“We also believe in this that we articulate the sentiments and the interests of the global South, 125 other countries who found their fuel costs, food costs, inflation, their fertilizer cost impacted by this war,” he said.

Mr Jaishankar is on an official visit to Qatar and Bahrain from December 6-9.

In Bahrain, he will co-chair the 4th India-Bahrain High Joint Commission (HJC) with the Foreign Minister of Bahrain, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. EAM will also participate in the 20th edition of IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain on December 8.

Earlier in the day, S Jaishankar met Qatari Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani and Minister of State, Ahmed Al Sayed on the sidelines of the Doha Forum.
The leaders were seen shaking hands and holding talks.

“Pleased to meet Qatari Minister of Commerce & Industry Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani and MoS Ahmed Al Sayed on the sidelines of the Doha Forum today,” Mr Jaishankar stated in a post on X.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Reacting to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s reported statement about being “willing to lead the INDIA alliance,” Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) MP Supriya Sule said that they will be happy if the TMC chief took on more responsibility within the opposition alliance.

Speaking to ANI, Supriya Sule stated that the West Bengal Chief Minister is an integral part of the INDIA alliance.

“Mamata Banerjee is absolutely an integral part of the INDIA alliance. In a vibrant democracy, the opposition has a big role and responsibility, so if she wants to take more responsibility, we will be very happy,” Supriya Sule told ANI.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also said that she has shown a successful model in West Bengal where she has kept BJP away from power.

“She has put forward her statement. Because she has shown a successful model in West Bengal where she has kept the BJP away from power and implemented good welfare schemes…her election experience and fighting spirit, accordingly she has shared her interest. Whenever the INDIA bloc meeting takes place, our senior leaders will together take a decision,” Priyanka Chaturvedi said.

Earlier, on December 3, in response to a query regarding TMC leaders suggesting that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should be made the INDIA bloc leader days after Congress faced a crushing defeat in Maharashtra assembly polls, party MP Kirti Azad said that the ruling TMC supremo takes everyone along.

“Mamata Banerjee has a 100 percent record. Whenever Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced a humiliating defeat, it was only in West Bengal… Whenever he comes to insult Bengal and its honour, her vote share increases,” the TMC leader said.

He further said that Mamata Banerjee is known for her articulate views. “She is a very senior leader. She speaks clearly.”

He also said that Mamata Banerjee is a household name across the country.

“She (Mamata Banerjee) resides in every household in West Bengal, in every household in the country… Mamata Banerjee is someone who takes everyone together. She calls people only after making preparations and taking her time,” he said.

On November 26, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee suggested that one strong leader is needed to lead the INDIA bloc following the defeat of Congress in the Haryana and Maharashtra assembly elections. He had further said that the opposition alliance should be stronger to take on the BJP.

“The Congress has failed to achieve the desired result either in Haryana or in Maharashtra. We had tremendous hope from the Congress that they would do better. The INDIA alliance is there, but the expected result could not be achieved. And there is a great failure on the part of the Congress to achieve the result… Today it is necessary; if you want to fight against the BJP, the INDIA alliance should be stronger. And to make it stronger, one leader is required. Now who can be the leader? That’s the core question. Congress has done it. All experiments have been done, but they have failed…” Mamata Banerjee had said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)