Analysis Israel fears Turkey’s Syria ambitions and doubts Trump will stop them Israeli officials remain skeptical of Turkish and Syrian denials over Ankara’s military ambitions in Syria, warning that a deeper Turkish foothold could threaten Israel’s security and strain its ties with Washington. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Turkey signals restraint as war of words with Israel escalates over Syria The Turkish president’s top communications aide says Ankara will not be drawn into the Israeli government's “games” as Washington pushes a Turkey-Israel-Syria deconfliction mechanism. Turkey
Syria’s FM pays Pakistan first visit in 19 years amid new regional alignments Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani is paying his office's first visit to Pakistan in nearly two decades after Islamabad, Ankara and Riyadh signed a joint defense pact. Syria
Turkey looks to expand Syria energy footprint into oil, gas Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said state oil giant TPAO and private companies are ready to explore for oil and gas onshore and offshore in Syria. Turkey
Syria announces capture of senior ISIS official near Manbij: What to know By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
What we know about Israeli strikes on Syrian air base tied to Turkey By Adam Lucente In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change
Syrian jihadist group mandates apologies, or imprisonment, for criticism Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Idlib, enforces zero tolerance for critics. Syria
Backlash after Islamist group in Idlib taxes olive crops The HTS-affiliated Salvation Government imposed Islamic taxes on olive crops, thus worsening farmers’ plight amid the water scarcity and drought. Syria
Report documents Syrian regime detaining, killing health workers A new report from Physicians for Human Rights found that health care workers who provided care to injured protesters in the early days of the Syrian civil war were at increased risk of abuse by the government. Syria
UAE foreign minister meets Assad in Syria Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s stressed support for stability and the need to end the war during the visit, which the US State Department said it does not support. News Brief
Syrian Kurdish commander says Russia opposes further Turkish land grabs Mazlum Kobane, commander in chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, also says Damascus is not yet ready for negotiations. Syria
Two soldiers in Syria injured by suspected Israeli airstrikes Israel has fired missiles in Syrian territory a few times in recent weeks, according to Syrian media. News Brief
Iranian business fair coming to Damascus Iran is a strong ally of Syria and has significant economic interests in the country. By AL-MONITOR Staff
Why are Turkish-allied formations collapsing in Syria? Factions pulling out of the recently formed Syrian Liberation Front raise questions about the future of Turkish-backed rebel groups. Syria
Egypt intensifies efforts to bring Syria back into Arab fold Cairo says efforts are also aimed at helping end the Syria crisis. Egypt
Iraq's elections weaken PKK in Sinjar Iraq's October elections may have strengthened the Iraqi Kurdistan administration's hands in the Yazidi enclave of Sinjar. Turkey
Iran presumed behind attack on US outpost in eastern Syria Drones that targeted US forces in the Syrian desert in late October were allegedly Iranian. Iraq
Turkish army coordinates with Syrian proxy forces ahead of possible military action Turkish military reinforcements pour into the frontlines with the Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria, as Turkish-backed FSA factions stand on alert ahead of an imminent battle. Syria
