Syria civil war live updates: Insurgents storm Aleppo, raising prospect of wider Mideast conflict

The crushing reality of homes and businesses reduced to crumbled cement and mangled steel has curdled the joy many in Lebanon felt after Israel and Hezbollah agreed a ceasefire earlier this week.

“I have no house. Now we’re looking in the village to rent one apartment,” Ali Eid, 56, told NBC News in a telephone interview Friday after returning to his hometown of Maarakah in southern Lebanon’s Tyre district.

“We, as many other people, are extremely happy to come back, but at the same time, I look at the people who lost their houses and their loved ones, it’s devastating,” added the high school teacher.

Eid was one of almost 1.2 million people displaced inside Lebanon as Israel and the Hezbollah militant group traded fire during almost 14 months of conflict that began the day after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023.

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After Hamas released a video of their son, an American hostage in Gaza, Adi and Yael Alexander called on President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump to work together with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring the hostages home.

"While this video confirms our son, Edan, is alive, it also stands as a haunting reminder that 101 innocent people remain in the clutches of Hamas," the parents of Edan Alexander said in a statement, adding "Every passing hour dims the prospect of their survival."

The video was the first sign of life from their son in 421 days of captivity.

"President-elect Trump must not wait until he is inaugurated to help reach a deal that secures the freedom for Edan, six other Americans, and the rest of the hostages," the Alexanders said. "Their liberation depends on swift, decisive action. Bring them home now, before it’s too late."

Syrian President Bashar Assad and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed recent tensions in Syria and in the Middle East during a phone call today, according to the Syrian Presidency.

Assad vowed to defend Syria's stability and territorial integrity against "terrorists and their supporters." And with allies' help, he added, his country is capable of beating back enemies "regardless of the intensity of their terrorist attacks."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 16 people were killed in airstrikes and about 20 others were injured after jets appeared to target a gathering of people at Al-Basel Roundabout in Aleppo.

Since the surprise offensive started Wednesday, a total of 327 civilians and combatants have been killed in Aleppo and Idlib, according to the organization.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Turkey is not involved in the ongoing conflicts in Aleppo and has taken the necessary measures on the Syrian border.

“We will not take any action that will trigger a new wave of migration,” he told state media at the TRT World Forum.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Islamist militant group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has taken control of several cities and towns in northern Hama as well as the Aleppo National Airport.

The London-based organization said it is the first time HTS has taken control of a civilian airport.

A video released by Hamas shows an American hostage who was taken from the Gaza Envelope on Oct. 7.

The video was captioned “time is running out” and shows Edan Alexander, who had volunteered to serve with the Israeli military, pleading with President-elect Donald Trump to use his power to negotiate his release.

He also expressed frustration with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and asked the Israeli people to demonstrate and pressure the government to assist.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Alexander’s family authorized the release of the video.

“One year after the first and only deal, it’s clear to everyone: returning the hostages is only possible through a deal,” the organization said in a statement, calling the video of Alexander “shocking.”

“After more than 420 days of continuous abuse, starvation, and darkness, the urgency of bringing home all 101 hostages cannot be overstated. As time runs out, we urge both current and incoming U.S. administrations to exhaust every possible option and leverage every form of pressure—the hostages’ lives hang by a thread.”

The Syrian conflict is a deeply entangled civil war shaped by the competing agendas of local and international actors.

Russia has been a steadfast supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, providing military aid to secure its strategic interests, including a naval base in Tartus and broader regional influence. Similarly, Iran bolsters Assad to cement its foothold in the region, using Syria as a critical corridor for supplying Hezbollah in Lebanon.

A vehicle carrying World Central Kitchen workers was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, the organization said this morning in a post on X.

The organization said it had "incomplete information" and was "urgently seeking more details."

Earlier in the day, the Israeli military said it struck a vehicle that it claims contained a WCK worker who took part in the Oct. 7 attack. The charity organization pushed back on this claim in its statement.

"World Central Kitchen had no knowledge that any individual in the vehicle had alleged ties to the October 7th Hamas attack," the post on X stated, adding that the organization is pausing operations in Gaza.

"Our hearts are with our colleagues and their families in this unimaginable moment," World Central Kitchen said.