Opposition fighters are closing in on Syria’s capital in a swiftly developing crisis that has taken much of the world by surprise. Syria’s army has abandoned key cities in the west and south with little resistance. Nervous residents in Damascus describe security forces on the streets. The state news agency has been forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad has left the country. Who are these opposition fighters? If they enter Damascus after taking two of Syria’s largest cities, what then? Here’s a look at the stunning reversal of fortune for Assad and his government in just the past 10 days, and what might lie ahead as Syria’s 13-year civil war reignites. The aim?

The IDF on Motzei Shabbos announced that an IDF officer fell in battle in the southern Gaza Strip on Shabbos. He was identified as Cpt. Avraham Ben Pinchas, H’yd, 24, from the yishuv of Charasha in Binyamin. He served as a platoon commander in the 46th Battalion, Iron Trails Division (401). About two months ago, Avraham, z’l was seriously injured in battle in Gaza. After a period of recovery and rehabilitation, he insisted on returning to battle. He left behind his parents and nine siblings. Another sister, Efrat, a’h was killed in a traffic accident about four years ago. Yisrael Gantz, the head of the Binyamin Regional Council, said: “We bow our heads in mourning on the fall of Avraham the hero, a respected officer who led his soldiers in the war against the enemy in Gaza.

An IDF soldier was seriously injured in a ramming attack near Chevron on Motzei Shabbos. A large number of IDF forces arrived at the scene following the attack and launched a manhunt for the terrorist who fled the scene. The soldiers set up roadblocks and enforced a military closure around Chevron. The terrorist later turned himself into the IDF. The soldier was treated at the scene by an IDF medical unit and evacuated by military ambulance to Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva. According to MDA reports, he suffered from severe injuries to his limbs. During the attack, a civilian vehicle was also hit by gunfire, and a man was lightly injured by shattered glass. He was treated at the scene and evacuated to Soroka Hospital.

The IDF announced on Motzei Shabbos that its forces aided UN forces to repel a Syrian rebel attack on a UN outpost near the Druze village of Hader in southern Syria, just a few feet away from Israel’s Ramat HaGolan. “A short while ago, an attack was carried out by armed individuals at a UN post in the Hader area in Syria,” the IDF spokesperson stated. “The IDF is currently assisting the UN forces in repelling the attack.” “The IDF is deployed with reinforced forces in the Ramat HaGolan area and will continue to operate to protect the State of Israel and its citizens.” The IDF decided to further bolster its forces near the Syrian border following a situational assessment.

In an act of psychological terrorism, the Hamas terror group released a propaganda video on Shabbos of hostage Matan Zangauker, 24. Zangauker was abducted from his home on Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. In the video, which is his first sign of life,  Zangauker is seen making statements scripted to him by his captors. “I am Matan Zangoker, and I have been in the hands of Hamas for 420 days,” he begins. “I appeal to the Prime Minister; I heard about your new plan to bring us back home.  I heard that you promised $5 million to whoever returns us home safely and a safe exit from the Gaza Strip. I am very disappointed. Now I’m sure you don’t know your enemies and you don’t understand their intentions. “This is your failure and that of your government since October 7,” Zangauker continues.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Belarus on Friday to sign a treaty offering security guarantees for Moscow’s closest ally, including the possible use of Russian nuclear weapons to help repel an aggression. The signing of the document follows the publication of a revised version of Russia’s nuclear doctrine, which for the first time placed Belarus under the Russian nuclear umbrella amid the tensions between Moscow and the West over the Ukrainian conflict. Speaking alongside Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko, Putin emphasized that the new document includes the potential use of Russian tactical nuclear weapons deployed to Belarus in response to an aggression. “I’m sure that the treaty will ensure the security of Russia and Belarus,” Putin said in televised remarks.

The sale of the Observer, the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper and a bastion of liberal values in Britain’s media landscape, was approved Friday despite two days of strike action from journalists this week. The Scott Trust, the owner of the Guardian Media Group, which includes the Observer and its sister paper the Guardian, said the sale to Tortoise Media is expected to be signed in the coming days. The Scott Trust said it will invest in Tortoise Media, becoming a key shareholder, and take a seat on both its editorial and commercial boards. Under the terms of the deal, Tortoise will invest 25 million pounds ($32 million) in the Observer, and has committed to continue its Sunday print edition and build up its digital brand.

Iran stands poised to “quite dramatically” increase its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium as it has started cascades of advanced centrifuges, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency warned Friday. The comments from Rafael Mariano Grossi came just hours after Iran said it conducted a successful space launch with its heaviest payload ever, the latest for its program that the West alleges improves Tehran’s ballistic missile program. The launch of the Simorgh rocket comes as Iran’s nuclear program now enriches uranium at 60%, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

The remains of a woman who fell into a sinkhole were recovered Friday, four days after she went missing while searching for her cat, a state police spokesperson said. Trooper Steve Limani said the body of 64-year-old Elizabeth Pollard was being taken to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office for an autopsy. Authorities planned a midafternoon news conference at a nearby fire hall to provide additional details. The announcement came in the fourth day of the search for Pollard, who had last been seen Monday evening, looking for the cat near a restaurant half a mile (0.8 kilometers) from her home in the village of Marguerite. Axel Hayes, Pollard’s son, said a state trooper told him and other family members that her body had been found.

A recent study of the Israel-Lebanon war’s impact on children and teens found that most have developed significant emotional challenges, made worse by a lack of proper adult guidance, Ynet reported. Noam (not his real name), a father of three and a mental health professional from northern Israel, described the war’s impact on his children. “Our oldest acts as if everything is normal, but she’s extremely tense and grappling with deep fears. Our middle child suffers from severe anxiety – at night, she curls up silently and cries, as if she wants to disappear. She’s terrified to be alone, even at home. Meanwhile, our youngest runs to the safe room at the slightest sound.” “It’s a roller coaster. The root of the problem lies in the system’s inability to handle the situation.