Qatar to Reopen Its Embassy in Syria on Tuesday

 A child holding the flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers is held up, as people celebrate after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Damascus old city, Syria, December 13, 2024. (Reuters)
A child holding the flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers is held up, as people celebrate after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Damascus old city, Syria, December 13, 2024. (Reuters)
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Qatar to Reopen Its Embassy in Syria on Tuesday

 A child holding the flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers is held up, as people celebrate after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Damascus old city, Syria, December 13, 2024. (Reuters)
A child holding the flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers is held up, as people celebrate after fighters of the ruling Syrian body ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Damascus old city, Syria, December 13, 2024. (Reuters)

Qatar will reopen its embassy in Syria on Tuesday after it was closed for more than 13 years, the Gulf country's foreign ministry said on Sunday, a week after Bashar al-Assad was removed from power.

Qatar's embassy in Damascus has been shut since July 2011 when it withdrew its ambassador from Damascus after a series of deadly crackdowns by Assad's regime on protesters - violence that led to the 13-year-long civil war.

Doha in recent years did not join efforts by several Arab countries to mend relations with Assad's government and re-establish diplomatic relations with Damascus.

A lightning advance by the opposition, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group led to the ouster of Assad on Dec. 8.

Qatar's foreign ministry said in a statement its decision to reopen the embassy reflects its support for the Syrian people and their "struggle to attain their legitimate rights for a dignified life".



Saudi Arabia Condemns Israel’s Decision to Expand Settlement of Golan Heights

 An Israeli military vehicle rides by the ceasefire line between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria, as seen from Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, December 15, 2024. (Reuters)
An Israeli military vehicle rides by the ceasefire line between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria, as seen from Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, December 15, 2024. (Reuters)
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Saudi Arabia Condemns Israel’s Decision to Expand Settlement of Golan Heights

 An Israeli military vehicle rides by the ceasefire line between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria, as seen from Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, December 15, 2024. (Reuters)
An Israeli military vehicle rides by the ceasefire line between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria, as seen from Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, December 15, 2024. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia condemned on Sunday the Israeli government’s decision to expand settlements in the occupied Golan Heights “as it continues to sabotage attempts for Syria to restore its security and stability.”

A Foreign Ministry statement called on the international community to condemn these Israeli violations, stressing the need to respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Golan Heights are Syrian Arab lands, it added.

Israel agreed on Sunday to double its population on the Golan Heights.

"Strengthening the Golan is strengthening the State of Israel, and it is especially important at this time. We will continue to hold onto it, cause it to blossom, and settle in it," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.

Israel captured most of the strategic plateau from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War, annexing it in 1981.