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US-Sanctioned Syrian Businessman Brings Back 'British Statue' to Damascus

The horse-head statue installed in the center of Damascus (Photo: Damascus Governorate)
The horse-head statue installed in the center of Damascus (Photo: Damascus Governorate)
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US-Sanctioned Syrian Businessman Brings Back 'British Statue' to Damascus

The horse-head statue installed in the center of Damascus (Photo: Damascus Governorate)
The horse-head statue installed in the center of Damascus (Photo: Damascus Governorate)

Syrian businessman Wassim Kattan, whose name is on the US sanctions list, returned a horse-head statue – a smaller version of the famous British sculpture - to the square in central Damascus, hours after it was removed.

The 40-meter square, close to the Presidential Palace in Al-Rawda, underwent renovation works that lasted for six months. The square was decorated with a miniature version of the sculpture of the British artist Nic Fiddian-Green, who executed the original sculpture of a horse drinking water in 2011.

On Tuesday, the Damascus governorate announced the reinstallation of the sculpture in Syriatel Square in Al-Maliki neighborhood. The media office in the province said that the statue, which was placed on Sunday and removed the next day, was returned on Tuesday “after fixing some issues.”

Wassim Kattan, the head of the Damascus Countryside Chamber of Commerce and the candidate for the Damascus Chamber of Commerce elections, was the first to announce the return of the sculpture that was executed upon his request. He had earlier published a post on his Facebook page, in which he talked about the art work that has been copied in many countries around the world.

Sources said that Kattan, born in Damascus in 1976, was behind the initiative to rehabilitate the Syriatel Square, which began six months ago. Sculptor Hussam Fouad Jounoud, a former professor at the College of Fine Arts, was commissioned to create a miniature copy of the horse-head statue in London.

The Syriatel banner was removed from the square following a dispute between the company’s main shareholder, Rami Makhlouf, and his cousin, President Bashar Al-Assad.

Sources suggested that Kattan’s renovation of the square “is a prelude to proposing his name as an alternative to Makhlouf, especially since he is a candidate for the presidency of the Damascus Chamber of Commerce.”

The US Treasury Department had named Kattan on the second sanctions list under the Caesar Act issued last June. The Treasury Department’s statement indicated that Kattan, whose name first appeared in the Syrian business world in 2017, has several contracts with the Syrian government to develop a shopping mall and hotels in Damascus.

Despite the artistic features of the sculpture which were recognized by many artists, the timing of the installation was provocative, as it came amid a severe gasoline crisis that paralyzed the regime-controlled areas since the beginning of September, in addition to the deteriorating economic situation in many Syrian governorates.

An architect in an interior architecture and decoration company considered spending money on revamping the square amid the economic blockade and hunger “a rude and provocative behavior...”

“We are not well and Syria is not well,” he said.

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Arab World

Mass Protests in Hasakah Under ‘Friday of the Syrian Flag’ Banner

The Syrian flag at a protest in Hasakah (Social media)
The Syrian flag at a protest in Hasakah (Social media)
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Mass Protests in Hasakah Under ‘Friday of the Syrian Flag’ Banner

The Syrian flag at a protest in Hasakah (Social media)
The Syrian flag at a protest in Hasakah (Social media)

Thousands of residents of Syria’s Hasakah province rallied after Friday prayers to demand state authority across the province and the release of detainees and people forcibly disappeared in prisons run by the dissolved Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

In scenes described as the “greatest celebration” and the “Hasakah flood,” protesters gathered in Freedom Square in the city center under the slogan “Friday of the Syrian Flag.”

They called for state sovereignty and a stronger presence for its institutions, a day after the national flag was raised on the square’s tallest flagpole before a large gathering of residents and officials.

The protests capped a week of rapid developments in Hasakah over the implementation of a Jan. 29, 2026, agreement between the Syrian government and the SDF.

The deal called for the former Kurdish Autonomous Administration’s civilian, security and military institutions to be integrated into state structures.

Arabs, who make up the province’s population majority, have complained that the SDF remains dominant despite its announced dissolution in late August.

Residents began arriving early in the morning from Hasakah’s al-Aziziya, al-Kallasa and al-Nashwa neighborhoods and from other towns, including al-Shaddadi, Markada, al-Hol and al-Arisha.

They gathered outside Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Mosque in Ghweiran before marching after Friday prayers to the city’s main square, known as Liberation Square, carrying Syrian national flags.

Government internal security forces reinforced their presence across the city from midnight Thursday to protect protesters, residents and public and private property. The deployment followed indiscriminate gunfire by “outlaw” gunmen in several neighborhoods.

Activists accused a Kurdish group referred to as “Revolutionary Popular” of stirring tensions to impose a curfew and block the demonstrations. Internal security forces restored calm that night, Syria’s Al-Ikhbariya television channel reported.

Protesters carried national flags, photographs of SDF detainees and pictures of “martyrs of the Syrian revolution.”

They chanted, “One, one ... the Syrian people are one,” seeking to reassure the province’s Arab, Kurdish and Christian communities that all were subject to the law and equal in rights and duties.

Their demands included extending state sovereignty and authority across Hasakah, restoring state institutions and making them operational, releasing detainees forcibly disappeared in SDF prisons, and allowing their sons to join the internal security forces. They also called for an end to the province’s dual authorities and the presence of Revolutionary Youth.

Videos posted on social media showed protesters removing Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and SDF flags and banners from streets and buildings.

Sohaib al-Yaarubi, an activist from the province’s Arab tribes and one of those who called for the protests, said the message was clear: the overwhelming majority in Hasakah supported the Syrian state, wanted its sovereignty extended across the province and wanted only the flag of the Syrian Arab Republic flown there.

Yaarubi told Asharq Al-Awsat the demonstrations were “successful” and the demands “patriotic and legitimate.” He said there were no tensions or provocations apart from one incident involving Revolutionary Youth members, which protesters defused.

Ibrahim al-Halabi, another activist from the province’s Arab tribes, described the crowds in Liberation Square as “awe-inspiring, beautiful and truly wonderful.” The peaceful demonstrations lasted about two hours.

He said the raising of the national flag brought overwhelming joy, stirring emotions that recalled the early days of the Syrian revolution against the former government in 2011.

“Some described the demonstrations and the crowds in Liberation Square as the greatest celebration in Hasakah, a city denied the chance to celebrate the victory achieved when the ousted government fell nearly two years ago,” Halabi said.

Delegations from other provinces, including Deir Ezzor, joined the Hasakah protests.

Similar demonstrations took place in several provinces in support of its residents’ demands.

The Friday rallies followed Thursday’s raising of the national flag on the tallest flagpole in central Hasakah before a large gathering of residents and officials. Government officials also inspected the courthouse to “create suitable conditions for making the judicial system operational.”

Internal security forces had deployed around the courthouse after members of the dissolved SDF vacated their positions there, while the government strengthened its security presence across the city.

On Tuesday, the SDF’s counterterrorism forces had handed over their positions to internal security forces.

Maj. Gen. Abdul Qader Tahhan, head of Syria’s General Intelligence Service, and Brig. Gen. Abdul Rahman al-Dabbagh, head of foreign intelligence, subsequently arrived in Hasakah with a large security delegation.

The developments followed mass peaceful protests after prayers the previous Friday in several towns and cities across Hasakah province, demanding state authority and a stronger presence for its institutions throughout the province.

Arab World

EU Lays Groundwork to Keep its Forces in Lebanon after UNIFIL Term Ends

A UNIFIL patrol in southern Lebanon. (UNIFIL)
A UNIFIL patrol in southern Lebanon. (UNIFIL)
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EU Lays Groundwork to Keep its Forces in Lebanon after UNIFIL Term Ends

A UNIFIL patrol in southern Lebanon. (UNIFIL)
A UNIFIL patrol in southern Lebanon. (UNIFIL)

The European Union is continuing to fulfill its commitments to support Lebanon’s military and security institutions after the end of UNIFIL’s mandate by establishing a new mission to provide training and advice to the Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces.

The mission will not replace the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), but will help “strengthen state sovereignty and extend its authority” across Lebanese territory.

Speaking in Beirut on Thursday, Kaja Kallas, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy and vice president of the European Commission, announced plans for a new EU mission to provide training and advice to the Lebanese army.

She said she expects EU foreign ministers on Monday to formally establish the mission, which will make a key contribution to Lebanon’s security.

The mission will provide advice and assistance to the Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces to strengthen their authority across Lebanon, secure its borders and bolster internal security.

All of this will be in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, Kallas said, adding that the mission will not replace UNIFIL and will not focus exclusively on southern Lebanon.

UNIFIL’s mandate is nearing its end. European countries are among its leading supporters and troop contributors, notably France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Ireland.

As the mandate’s expiration approaches, a proposal to establish a European replacement force with the same responsibilities has faced US and Israeli opposition, stalling the initiative.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam (R) meets with Kaja Kallas (L), the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, at the Government Palace in Beirut, Lebanon, 08 October 2026. (EPA)

Multiple roles

Through the new mission, the EU is continuing its commitment to support Lebanon’s armed forces and enable the Lebanese state to fulfill its pledges, particularly maintaining internal stability and implementing its decisions to establish a state monopoly on weapons and extend control across its territory exclusively through its legitimate forces.

A Lebanese ministerial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the mission “is not linked to UNIFIL or any other mission.”

“Its role is not military, and it will not take over UNIFIL’s responsibilities. Its role will be logistical and will include training Lebanese military forces, alongside social, health and education activities, meaning it will have more than one role,” the source said.

It added that the European mission’s task would be to “strengthen state sovereignty, extend its authority and enable Lebanese security agencies to deploy and carry out their duties.” That role can be inferred from Kallas’s statement that the mission would align with Security Council Resolution 1701, which provides its political framework.

The EU has allocated 505 million euros to Lebanon for 2026 and 2027, the second part of a 1-billion-euro package announced in 2024, to support economic recovery, reforms, security and essential services.

European assistance to the army through the European Peace Facility has totaled 182 million euros since 2022.

The EU has expressed its readiness to provide Lebanon with the assistance it needs, particularly for the army, Internal Security Forces, and social and humanitarian institutions. It also supports the Lebanese state’s decisions to establish full control over its territory and move ahead with disarming Hezbollah.

Alongside this role, the EU is pushing to extend UNIFIL’s mandate to avoid a security vacuum after the international mission leaves.

UNIFIL has played an important role for almost 50 years. A continued UN presence in Southern Lebanon is under discussion, and the EU remain ready to work with Lebanon, the UN, and the Security Council members on what comes next, Kallas said in Beirut.

Arab World

A Year into Ceasefire, Israel Wages a Scaled-Down War in Gaza

A Palestinian woman weeps during the funeral of an eight-year-old boy killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Friday. (EPA)
A Palestinian woman weeps during the funeral of an eight-year-old boy killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Friday. (EPA)
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A Year into Ceasefire, Israel Wages a Scaled-Down War in Gaza

A Palestinian woman weeps during the funeral of an eight-year-old boy killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Friday. (EPA)
A Palestinian woman weeps during the funeral of an eight-year-old boy killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Friday. (EPA)

October 10, 2026, marks one year since the announcement of an end to the war in Gaza, even as Israel continues to wage it on a smaller scale, killing more Palestinians and destroying their homes on the grounds that Hamas refuses to disarm.

On the eve of the fragile ceasefire’s first anniversary, Gaza endured a night of intense attacks that reminded thousands of residents of the war’s harshest days.

The Israeli military ordered residential blocks evacuated at night before bombing and destroying homes and apartment buildings in Gaza City and Khan Younis. A child and a woman were killed while trying to evacuate homes where families had sought refuge.

Shortly before midnight on Thursday, Israeli warplanes twice bombed homes in a residential block in the Katiba area, north of the al-Amal neighborhood in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. The strikes destroyed or severely damaged several homes, displacing hundreds of Palestinians who lost their only shelter.

Israeli warplanes also destroyed two residential buildings in Gaza City. One housed displaced people in apartments in the Sabra neighborhood in the city’s south.

The Israeli military ordered the entire surrounding residential block evacuated, but some families did not have enough time to leave.

A child and a woman from the Abu Asr family, displaced from the Shujaiya neighborhood, were killed. At least seven people were wounded, including a journalist who put down his camera to help residents evacuate their homes.

The second building was destroyed in Gaza City’s Old City, west of Shujaiya and north of Zeitoun, after orders to evacuate it and the entire surrounding area.

Palestinians observed that Israeli warplanes fired several missiles at the targeted buildings, particularly in Gaza City, that failed to explode, prompting repeated attacks.

The strikes displaced hundreds of Palestinians living in those residential blocks. Unable to find alternative shelter, they had to spend the night in hospital courtyards, at shelters or with relatives.

The Israeli military said the strikes aimed to destroy four weapons storage facilities belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. It has offered the same explanation in statements about similar strikes in the past.

Palestinian factions have repeatedly denied those claims, accusing Israel of deliberately destroying the homes and buildings still standing in Gaza.

Targeted killings and ground operations

The nighttime strikes came hours after six Palestinians were killed in a series of airstrikes in two separate incidents. Those killed included a woman and two members of the Al-Quds Brigades, Islamic Jihad’s armed wing, whose vehicle was attacked by an Israeli drone in the industrial area south of Gaza City.

A third member was killed in a targeted strike on a tent in the Tawam area northwest of the city.

On Friday morning, a Palestinian was killed and five others, including two women and a child, were wounded by gunfire from Israeli military vehicles that advanced into al-Masdar and the Maghazi refugee camp in the eastern part of central Gaza.

Two Palestinians were also wounded in a strike on al-Mawasi in Khan Younis.

For the third time in less than a week, Israeli military vehicles advanced from the Abu Hamam military position east of Deir al-Balah toward areas north of al-Masdar village, firing as engineering vehicles bulldozed land.

Israel is digging a wide trench and erecting an earth embankment in that area near the Yellow Line, as part of a broader plan being implemented along Gaza’s borders.

Figures covering the fragile ceasefire’s first year show that more than 1,478 Palestinians have been killed and more than 5,000 wounded since it took effect, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry and government media office.

The government media office said Israel had committed 5,223 violations on the ground since the agreement began, including bombing, gunfire, the demolition of homes and buildings, and incursions. More than 200 Palestinians have also been detained.

Israel controls more than 63% of Gaza’s territory after expanding the area within the so-called Yellow Line over the past year of the ceasefire. The agreement announced at the time designated it as an initial withdrawal line.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said 196 Palestinians, including 18 women and 43 children, were killed near that line between the start of the ceasefire and early April 2026.

OCHA said areas subject to access restrictions accounted for about 64.9% of Gaza’s territory. It said those areas were under tighter and more direct Israeli control, with Palestinians barred from entering most of them and humanitarian organizations required to coordinate access in advance.