REBELS TAKE OVER SYRIA AS DAMASCUS FALLS LAST NIGHT.

 JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)

REBELS TAKE OVER SYRIA AS DAMASCUS FALLS LAST NIGHT.

HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER

JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.(IN 1 HR THE STOCK MARKETS WORLDWIDE WILL CRASH)
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed:(CONFISCATED) their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

MARK OF THE BEAST (engraved microchip in your hand or forehead)

REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, (SLAVE) to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM

REVELATION 16:1-2
1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

I KNOW THIS MARK WILL BE A MICROCHIP IMPLANT UNDER THE SKIN. LETS LOOK UP WHAT THE WORD MARK SAYS IN REVELATION 13:16-18, 14:9,11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20, 20:4-ALL THESE VERSES FROM THE BOOK OF REVELATION SPEAK OF THIS DICTATORS MARK. NOW LETS SEE WHAT IT MEANS FROM STRONGS EXAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE OF THE BIBLE. UNDER MARK PAGE 684.MARK UNDER MARK. THE OLD TESTAMENT IS UNDER HEBREW AND THE NEW TESTAMENT IS UNDER GREEK. SO WHEN WE LOOK UNDER REVELATION 13:16-17 WE SEE IT IS UNDER GREEK, SO WE GO TO GREEK IN THE BACK SECTION AND GO TO 5480 TO SEE WHAT IT SAYS THIS MARK WOULD BE. SO LETS GET TO IT.MARK IN STRONGS GREEK 5480 XAPAYUA CHARAGMA, KHAR-AG-MAH: FROM THE SAME AS 5482: A SCRATCH OR ETCHING, I.E STAMP (AS A BADGE OF SERVITUDE), OR SCULPTURED FIGURE-(STATUE):-GRAVEN, MARK FROM 5482 XAPAE CHARAX, KHAR-AX; FROM XAPAOOW CHARASSO (TO SHARPEN TO A POINT; AKIN TO 1125 THROUGH THE IDEA OF SCRATCHING); A STAKE, I.E (BYIMPL.) A PALISADE OR RAMPART (MILITARY MOUND FOR CIRCUMVALLATION IN A SIEGE): - TRENCH FROM 1125 YPAPOE GRAPHO, GRAF-0; A PRIM. VERB; TO "GRAVE", ESPEC. TO WRITE; FIG. TO DESCRIBE:-DESCRIBE, WRITE (-ING, -TEN).G5516-GO TO G4742-666 - STRONGS NT 4742: στίγμα - στίγμα, στιγματος, τό (from στίζω to prick; (cf. Latinstimulus, etc.; German stechen, English stick, sting, etc.; Curtius, § 226)), a mark pricked in or branded upon the body. According to ancient oriental usage, slaves and soldiers bore the name or stamp of their master or commander branded or pricked (cut) into their bodies to indicate what master or general they belonged to, and there were even some devotees who stamped themselves in this way with the token of their gods (cf. Deyling, Observations, iii., p. 423ff); hence, τά στίγματα τοῦ (κυρίου so Rec.) Ἰησοῦ, the marks of (the Lord) Jesus, which Paul in Galatians 6:17 says he bears branded on his body, are the traces left there by the perils, hardships, imprisonments, scourgings, endured by him for the cause of Christ, and which mark him as Christ's faithful and approved votary, servant, soldier (see Lightfoots Commentary on Galatians, the passage cited). (Herodotus 7, 233; Aristotle, Aelian, Plutarch, Lcian, others.)

THE INVENTOR OF THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT-CARL SANDERS MICROCHIP ENGINEER LEADER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgH9D6n4ZWo

THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT IN YOUR RIGHT HAND OR FOREHEAD.

LEVETICUS 19.28
Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

FAMINE

EZEKIEL 5:16
16  When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:

REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.(A DAYS WAGES FOR A LOAF OF BREAD)

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

DEUTORONOMY 28:24
24  The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

LOCUSTS (DEMONIC) TORTURES SINNERS 5 MONTHS
REVELATION 9:1-6
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3 And there came out of the smoke (DEMONIC) locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

From Progress to Bans: How Close Are Human Microchip Implants? A lot has happened in the past 12 months regarding human microchip implants. Here’s your roundup of recent developments.February 05, 2023 • Dan Lohrmann

A headline from The Hill in January 2023 proclaimed “Human microchip implants take center stage.”Here’s how that article begins:“The novelty of replacing one’s ‘home key’ with a microchip implant is gaining worldwide interest, but there’s another more compelling story under the surface. Why is this technology — an integrated circuit the size of a grain of rice — reviled by some and celebrated by self-proclaimed human cyborgs?“Arguably, William Shakespeare’sHamlet offers the most elegant explanation: ‘Nothing is neither good nor bad, but thinking makes it so.’ However, it would be prudent to tell Prince Hamlet that not all microchip implants are designed alike, and understanding the technological design enables one to better evaluate the competing viewpoints. Today, more than 50,000 people have elected to have a subdermal chip surgically inserted between the thumb and index finger, serve as their new swipe key, or credit card. In Germany, for example, more than 2,000 Germans have opted to receive these implants; one man even used it to store a link to his last will and testament. As chip storage capacity increases, perhaps users could even link to the complete works of Shakespeare.”The article goes on to provide an update of many advances and concerns in the practice of inserting microchips into humans, and this blog is referenced several times.Indeed, I have written about microchip implants from a cybersecurity and privacy perspective three times before, and it is clear to me that inquiring minds still want to know: What is the future of microchip implants? Why do I say that with confidence? Because blogs on this topic of microchip implants still receive very high page views and lots of interest from global readers. For your reference, here are those three blogs:Back in March of last year, Wired magazine offered this video on “The Science Behind Elon Musk’s Neuralink Brain Chip”:

Chip Implants: Opportunities, Concerns and What Could Be Next-There were new developments in 2021 regarding implanting microchips into humans. So what plans were announced for 2022? And just as important, what are the privacy and security ramifications? January 16, 2022 • Dan Lohrmann

Imagine a new kind of brain interface where technology has the potential to treat a wide range of neurological disorders to restore sensory and movement functions.According to Elon Musk, we are heading into a world where we can “solve schizophrenia and autism.”How? Through new microchips implanted in the brain that — according to experts — will cure illnesses.According to the website for Neuralink, a brain implant company co-founded by Musk, “The initial goal of our technology will be to help people with paralysis to regain independence through the control of computers and mobile devices. Our devices are designed to give people the ability to communicate more easily via text or speech synthesis, to follow their curiosity on the web, or to express their creativity through photography, art or writing apps.”In another related article in 2021, Musk said, “Neuralink’s working well in monkeys, and we’re actually doing just a lot of testing and just confirming that it’s very safe and reliable, and the Neuralink device can be removed safely.”He added, “We hope to have this in our first humans — which will be people that have severe spinal cord injuries like tetraplegics, quadriplegics — next year [2022], pending FDA approval.”Another company, Synchron Inc., is also working on the same challenges and appears to be ahead of Neuralink in this new world of brain implants. According to Fortune, “The company plans to place a device called Stentrode, which is smaller than a matchstick, in the brain to help paralyzed patients control digital devices like computer cursors through their thoughts. The implant works by communicating via a tiny wire with a second implant in the chest. A transmitter then sends signals to a computer outside the body, near the patient.”So who could possibly be against helping paralyzed patients?This topic of chip implants in humans has consistently received a lot of interest and attention because of the potential positive health outcomes. Nevertheless, the majority of reactions were negative, even hostile, when Musk’s longer-term vision (of enhancing humans in a variety of ways) was discussed.When I first published a blog in 2017 describing how the employees at Three Square Market, a technology company in Wisconsin, had a small chip injected in their hands for security convenience, the reactions on LinkedIn were overwhelmingly negative.And when another blog post was released in November 2018 describing how chip implants would become the next big privacy debate, there was an even greater negative response to the concept, with hundreds of comments saying “NEVER!”Here’s an excerpt from that blog that has been quoted numerous times in media publications all over the world: “Implanting chips in humans has privacy and security implications that go well beyond cameras in public places, facial recognition, tracking of our locations, our driving habits, our spending histories, and even beyond ownership of your data. This topic touches upon your hand, your heart, your brain and the rest of your body — literally. This new development is set to give a very different meaning to ‘hacking the body’ or biohacking. While cyber experts continue to worry about protecting critical infrastructure and mitigating security risks that could harm the economy or cause a loss of life, implanted chips also affect health but add in new dimensions that conflict with people’s religious beliefs.”As I have interacted on this topic with hundreds of people, the (unscientific) feedback I have received is that the technology is welcome for medical purposes like curing diseases. However, when made available as an optional tool for convenience, most people respond, “No, thank you!”As described in the November 2018 post, the privacy implications are vast, and many people fear that the technology could be misused by public- and private-sector organizations. Recent experiences with Facebook and other social media companies have increased those fears. Unlike your smartphone, which you can leave at home, an implanted microchip will always be tracking your movements.COULD MICROCHIP IMPLANTS BE USED FOR VACCINE RECORDS? So why bring this topic up again now? A series of articles came out in late 2021 on how a “Microchip implanted in your skin could be your COVID vaccine passport.” Here’s an excerpt:“A rice-sized microchip implanted under your skin could become your vaccine passport.“A Swedish tech startup says its device could be customized to display people’s COVID-19 vaccination records, according to a video the South China Post posted Friday on Twitter. …“The chip uses near-field communication (NFC) to send the data to devices, including smartphones, that can read them.”This article from October 2021 goes into detail on “The Opportunities and Fears of Human Microchipping.”When I brought this microchip topic up recently in a LinkedIn post, the comments were almost completely against this suggestion. Here are a few examples:Allison Dolan: “It’s one thing for techies and others to get chips so they can open doors and pay for snacks with the wave of their hand. Quite another for US gov agency to promote anything involving tracking of any citizen activity (perhaps in incarcerated populations?)”Lori Albert: “Not only NO, but NEVER. Think identity theft is bad now? How about waking up to find your bank account cleared out? Or when the bio sensors sending your body readouts show inactivity and they refuse to pay you or subtract credits because of it?”Nathan Tothrow: “I wouldn't expect too many people would sign up for this. But 30 years ago I wouldn't have expected you would get people to put all their personal data on a pocket-sized RF transponder and keep it with them everywhere they go so marketers can build behavioral profiles on them. Convenience is the carrot that will lead the donkey off the cliff.”Michael McLaughlin: “Great post! My concern with this type of tech is gov’t overreach — but not in the ‘big brother’ persistent surveillance kind of way. My concern is the application of the third-party doctrine by law enforcement in obtaining info from data handlers without a warrant. The most recent Supreme Court case on the issue is Carpenter v. U.S. The Court ruled warrants are needed for gathering cell phone tracking information, remarking that cell phones are almost a ‘feature of human anatomy,’ ‘when the Government tracks the location of a cell phone it achieves near perfect surveillance, as if it had attached an ankle monitor to the phone’s user.’ Because implanted chips would only collect location info when scanned to go into a restaurant, theater, or other similar establishment — requiring some choice on the part of the ‘host,’ Carpenter likely would not apply. In other words, because chips wouldn’t be considered ‘persistent monitoring,’ police could subpoena the data handler to find location info on anyone with a chip. Imagine a crime is committed in DC. The police could subpoena Epicenter to find anyone scanned in a 5-block radius that night and round up patrons with criminal records — all without a warrant.”Shari Gribbin: “[I am] very pro-vaccine. Anti-microchips for anything whatsoever and tracking. I’ll show you my QR code in my phone thanks (peanut gallery jokes on that and tracking welcome, it still isn’t planted in my body). You’ll never get me to understand how so many people are rushing to let Musk implant them with chips. Many of whom are in the crowds that are worried about government chips in various nonsensical things.”FINAL THOUGHTS-I was recently surprised to see a Lansing, Mich., body piercing shop start to offer chip implants.That wlns.com article begins this way: “Have you ever thought about being able to unlock your car or pay at the store just by waving your hand? A body piercing expert is bringing the future to Lansing with a new product. … Lanier was interested in technology, so he combined it with his love of body modification to come up with the idea to offer a modification straight from science fiction. … The implants will run around $200 and Lanier said he’s excited to be the first to offer them in Lansing.”And finally, I want to re-emphasize the viewpoint that, even if this technology becomes widely adopted only on a voluntary basis, it could later become mandatory down the road. That is the main concern of most of the opponents of microchip implants.The recent Supreme Court ruling on vaccine mandates seems to have calmed the fears of those who bemoan more government mandates in more aspects of life. However, just the suggestion of a linkage between vaccine mandates and vaccine passports using microchip implants is enough to raise alarm bells for many privacy advocates.One big question remains — Will thisUSA Todayheadline/prediction from August 2017 ever come true?: “You will get chipped — eventually.”Most people I speak with hope not.

Elsevier-Technology in Society-Volume 74, August 2023, 102295-Technology in Society-Augmented body surveillance: Human microchip implantations and the omnipresent threat of function creep
Author links open overlay panel-Marie-Helen Maras a, Michelle D. Miranda bShow more-https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.10229

-Human microchip implants create augmented bodies that can be subject to surveillance.
-There are security, privacy, and data protection concerns associated with human microchip implantations.
-There is an observable function creep in human microchip implantation applications.
-Barring any preventative laws, human microchip implantation data can be accessed for criminal investigations and prosecutions.
-Potential users should be aware of and consider these risks prior to adopting such technologies.

Abstract-Implanted microchips can store users' medical, financial, and other personal information, and provide users with easy and quick access to various locations and items. While adopted for their convenience outside of the healthcare sector, these invasive, semi-permanent implantable devices create augmented bodies that can be subject to ubiquitous surveillance. Situating human microchip implantations within surveillance literature, we draw from neoliberal perspectives of surveillance to examine augmented bodies, particularly as sources for market activity and as subjects of social control and sorting when these bodies are used as access control mechanisms, payment methods, and tracking means in employment, residential, commercial, and transportation sectors. History has demonstrated time and time again how unfettered technology applications and uses have led to real and/or perceived misuse by private and public sectors. Through the lens of function creep, we identify a pattern of expansion of applications and uses of technology beyond those originally intended across new technologies, such as DNA genetic genealogy databases, IoT wearables, and COVID-19 contact tracing apps, and provide illustrative examples of function creep, particularly the use of these technologies in criminal investigations and prosecutions despite not being intended or marketed for such use. By demonstrating the lack of clearly defined boundaries in the applications and uses of various new technologies and their associated data, and the ways they were misused, we demonstrate how human microchip implantations are headed on a similar path. The current and potential future uses of this technology raise concerns about the absence of regulation, law, and policy barring or limiting its application and use in specific sectors, and the impact of this technology on users’ security, data protection, and privacy. Undeniably, the present and potential future functions, applications, uses, and extensions of human microchip implantations in various sectors warrant a proactive examination of their security, privacy, and data protection consequences and the implementation of proactive policies to regulate new and currently unregulated uses of this technology and its associated data within these sectors.

Introduction-Human implanted technologies have long been depicted in popular culture—in books, TV series, and films. From biological implants serving to control bodily functions in the 2018 film Upgrade, to child monitoring technologies in the 2017 episode of Arkangel in the Black Mirror television series [1], human microchip implantations (HMIs) are viewed as science fiction or a concern for future generations. However, is the transition of HMIs from fiction to reality imminent? If they are currently in use, where are they being used and why were they introduced? For those HMIs currently in use, is regulation in place to prevent misuse or ensure that life (reality) does not imitate art (science fiction)? These questions served as a motivation for this study, which sought to: 1) situate HMIs in surveillance literature; 2) identify the scope of HMI use and applications; and 3) investigate the reasons and purposes for their introduction, the justifications for their use, and the current and future implications of their deployment and adoption.Our work situates function creep in the surveillance literature using it as an analytical lens to examine HMIs. Like our predecessors who examined function creep across other technologies, such as DNA databases [2], we examine a particular technology – HMIs – and how this technology has evolved over time. In developing our approach, we considered Kevin Haggerty's assertion that “if there is ever public debate about a new monitoring technology this tends to occur just prior to the tool being incorporated into a concrete governmental initiative or expanded to new populations” ([3], p. 165). And yet, we observed remarkable inattention to HMIs before their deployment in several sectors and a lack of clearly defined boundaries in both the uses and applications of this technology, and the target population of the technology.
When examining the evolution of HMIs, we draw attention to the way HMIs expanded through extensions to various applications and target populations. We highlight particularly concerning applications and uses of HMIs, which use humans as access control, payment, and tracking mechanisms in employment, residential, commercial, and transportation sectors. With these applications and uses, HMIs can serve as a tool of surveillance. Unlike other surveillance tools that exist in individuals’ environments (home or outside) or on their person (in the form of a wearable device), this tool is embedded within human beings. These microchips can be used to store and share personal, medical, financial, and other information, track and surveil people, and grant access to a particular device, room, building, facility, or establishment.In taking a critical lens to HMIs and the threat of function creep, we consider the interface of reality and (science) fiction, both ontologically and functionally. In the metaphysical space, we think about how technology shapes our existence in a temporal context, focusing on Heidegger's Dasein and the essence of technology—the recognition and assignment of meaning with respect to new technology (HMIs) helps to shape the human idea of existing within our everyday world [4,5]. But, in thinking about human existence in which HMIs become integrated, it becomes necessary to reconcile the emergence of the cyborg (defined here broadly as the combination of the human physical form with mechanical and/or electronic components). The dual identity—human and machine—the cyborg of science fiction—presents challenges to both individuality and Being. Considering the elusive purpose of HMIs, the science fiction imagination presents such technology as blurring the line between safety and danger—the decision lies in whether HMIs will control the “other” (e.g., criminals) or if they will be used to control “us” (e.g., the law-abiding citizen). From a functional perspective, both social sorting and the pervasive reality of surveillance capitalism means that behavior modification, individualized cloning, and the hive mind can all contribute to the surveillance and social control of bodies embedded with microchips (augmented bodies or cyborgs) and the data they generate.We engaged in exploratory research to better understand the adoption of HMIs and delineate issues and impacts associated with their adoption. This approach was used to investigate the implications of HMI adoption. We conducted a clearnet search to identify news reports and academic journal articles covering HMIs, using various combinations of the terms “microchip,” “embedded,” “implant” and “humans.” Searches were limited to English language news reports and peer-reviewed journal articles covering HMIs. Supplementary research was conducted on identified HMI applications in private archival academic databases (e.g., Lexis Uni and Elsevier's Science Direct). The searches led to the identification of HMI use across various sectors, including food and agriculture, environmental, healthcare, employment, residential, transportation, and commercial sectors. Our search also revealed that microchip implantations have been used for decades in certain sectors, presented in part through the evolution of US Patents connected to current and developing HMI technology. In our analysis, we identify possible future uses of HMIs based on past experiences with other, more recent technologies. We conclude by identifying gaps in existing regulation, laws, policies, and practices in expanded HMI applications and uses, looking particularly at security, privacy, and data protection implications.We present our exploratory approach in four major parts. The first part provides an overview of microchip development and applications, drawing attention to augmented bodies used for access control, payment, and tracking. The second part provides an overview of surveillance and the prevailing views of surveillance as a tool of power, discipline, and/or control. In this section, we introduce the potential of surveillance for consumer cloning, behavior modification, and social sorting. The third part explores function creep as an element of technology deployment. This concept of function creep is then linked specifically to HMIs in the following part, drawing on the patterns observed with the data derived from genetic genealogy databases (e.g., DNA ‘profiles’), public health apps (e.g., COVID-19 geolocations) and Internet of Things (IoT) devices (e.g., health data derived from wearable devices). This section also considers patterns of consumer adoption of new technology, including HMIs. The last part considers the threats and impacts of function creep on security, privacy, and data protection by critically examining HMI capabilities, existing data protection and HMI laws, and identifying gaps in technical and legal controls.

Section snippets-Evolution of microchip applications-Innovations within healthcare and public health, food and agriculture, and other sectors that play critical roles in the protection of wildlife and ecosystems have positively contributed to environmental, agricultural, and health security. Microchips are implanted in wildlife and livestock to monitor their health and movements and protect both animal and human populations. The development of implanted devices gained traction in the 1960s, with the development of a US patent for tracking the

Surveilling augmented bodies-Conceptions of surveillance, the targets of surveillance, the tools of surveillance, and those conducting surveillance have shifted over time. The word “panoptic” has been used to describe surveillance measures. This term is derived from the prison design of Jeremy Bentham, which consists of a circular prison with a central guard tower and prison cells placed along the entire circumference of the structure [27]. The central location of the guard tower enables the observation of each prison cell

Function creep-Gary T. Marx recognized how new uses for technology are identified and implemented over time [47]. Similarly, Lyon argued that surveillance technologies are not limited to a single purpose, but can be multifarious and eventually subject to change [34,48,49]. These new uses and/or functions of technology result from the push to integrate new technologies and systems into existing ones for various reasons [50]. The next section introduces our theoretical lens and framework for our analysis,The security, privacy, and data protection lacuna
The consequences of function creep have been explored across many disciplines and technologies– DNA databases [2]; workplace surveillance [113]; migration and crime control [60]; and public health [114], with the latter extending to present day contract tracing apps implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic [65]. A yet unexplored aspect of HMIs are the consequences of the expansion of its functions and applications. As the utilization of HMIs spreads and the resultant data becomes

Conclusion-Because implantable devices enable the extensive processing of subjects' personal data and the pervasive surveillance of individuals, their locations, and associations, this technology will contribute to the already extensive digital footprints of individuals, resulting in more personal, medical, and financial information reaching even more providers. This, in turn, increases the number of providers that have access to users’ data, thereby increasing the risk of personal data exposure. The lack
Credit author statement-Marie-Helen Maras: project administration; conceptualization; investigation; writing – original draft; writing – review and editing. Michelle D. Miranda: conceptualization; investigation; writing – original draft; writing – review and editing.

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Cited by (1) -  Assessing the Acceptance of Cyborg Technology with a Hedonic Technology Acceptance Model

Biometrics upgrades arriving at borders (but check the schedule for updates)-Dec 7, 2024, 11:01 am EST    | Chris Burt

New biometric technology is coming to borders in Europe and the UK, but as reflected in several of Biometric Update’s most-read articles of the week, it is a work in progress. Atos is getting blamed for EES delays, which are buying the UK time to get its borders in order. That is happening, in part, with an Ingenium-supported trial of biometric self-enrollment technology from Dermalog, iProov, Integrated Biometrics, Thales, Tech5 and others. Ghana’s new biometric passports from Biometric Travel Solutions Ltd and Hungarian ANY Security Printing Company Plc are now being issued, and Veridos CEO Marc-Julian Siewert makes the case for “biometrics on the move” as the future of easier travel.Top biometrics news of the week-The UK Home Office is holding a second round of trials for contactless fingerprint biometrics enrollment by people using their own smartphones for Electronic Travel Authorisation applications. A privacy information notice says the trials will feature a virtual who’s-who of contactless fingerprint developers, including Identy, Dermalog, Veridium, iProov, Telos, IB, Blue Biometrrics, Thales, IDLoop, Sciometrics and Tech5, and be supported by Ingenium.Home Office officials also updated the Justice and Home Affairs Committee on their plans to implement the ETA scheme and the EU’s Entry-Exit System on Thursday. Technology readiness, contingency measures and costs remain concerns, though the contactless fingerprint enrollment trial may help.The big contract held by Atos and partners for the EU’s biometric border system is turning into a big headache for all involved, with blame from eu-LISA officials for the project’s serial delays spilling out into public. The company began missing EES targets almost immediately, and was placed under its creditors’ control in November.Maybe a phased approach will help.Ghana’s new passports with embedded electronic chips storing biometrics were introduced on Monday, with the promise of improved security and easier travel. Accra-based Biometric Travel Solutions Ltd and Hungarian ANY Security Printing Company Plc are managing the project and printing the ID documents, respectively.Advances in identity verification like “biometrics on the move” represent the future of easier travel and secure financial transactions, Veridos CEO Marc-Julian Siewert argues in a guest post for Biometric Update. Best practices and regulations to protect privacy must be applied across the board, however, to fully unlock the benefits of biometrics.It should go without saying that best practices also involve actually performing the requisite checks, but CNN reports that was the point of failure in JFK’s security system in the case of the woman who stowed away on a Delta flight to Paris.Australia has published a second version of its Digital Services Standard, and its Competition and Consumer Commission took charge of regulating the country’s digital ID system last Sunday. The legislation backing the expansion of the AGDIS has taken effect, and the government anticipates accrediting more private sector digital identity providers to join Australia Post, IDVerse, Mastercard and Makesure.Papua New Guinea is the latest country to announce intentions to require age verification through digital ID for social media. A government official noted the dangers of fraud, illegal goods, human trafficking, disinformation and harassment stemming from social media, and an American NGO notes the proliferation of “sorcery accusation related violence.” Draft legislation is expected in January.Sumsub is out as face biometrics provider for the Maldives’ national digital ID, eFaas, with the government of the majority-Muslim bowing to public pressure to cut ties with the UK-registered by Israeli-owned company. Regula is the beneficiary, winning the new contract to provide the facial recognition used by the online portal for government services.The U.S. FTC, which regulates advertising, has ordered IntelliVision to cease making claims about the accuracy and lack of bias of its face biometrics and PAD that it cannot back up with evidence. NIST testing does not support the company’s assertions, and the FTC found its claim to have used millions of faces to train its algorithms misleading.The UK is setting up a multi-supplier framework for police to deploy live facial recognition, starting with a tender worth $25 million. Four-year contracts for LFR software with the BlueLight Commercial consortium are available, and responses are due by December 13.The global digital identity verification market will reach $26 billion by 2029, Juniper Research says, up from $15.2 billion this year. A new report says behavioral biometrics, face biometrics and liveness detection are the key three technologies to combine, but also suggests that “handprints” face a major usability barrier that it does not see for either iris or retina scans.If you spot any interviews, editorials or other content you think we shared share with the people in the biometrics and digital identity community, let us know through the comments below or social media.

Chameleon AI masks faces from scraping while preserving image quality-Tool generates face signature and ‘P-3’ mask to fool sneaky FR algorithms-Dec 6, 2024, 1:57 pm EST    | Joel R. McConvey

If the first wave of the current AI deluge created complicated challenges, the second wave has often been about using AI to solve those challenges. ChatGPT and its ripple effect have cast “humanness” into doubt – and now we have World ID to verify who counts as human. Bots begat bot detection; so did GenAI deepfakes beget deepfake detection.If it all feels a bit cyclical and cyclonic – if you’d rather just hide behind a mask – lo and behold, AI has the answer. Chameleon is a new AI model that generates a virtual “personalized privacy protection” mask, or P-3 mask, to protect against facial recognition.“Chameleon learns the facial signature of the user (protectee) to generate a P3-Mask, which can be applied to protect any facial images before sharing them online against unauthorized FR,” says research from the University of Hong Kong and the Georgia Institute of Technology. The paper describes the process as follows:“First, we use a cross-image optimization to generate one P3-Mask for each user instead of tailoring facial perturbation for each facial image of a user. It enables efficient and instant protection even for users with limited computing resources. Second, we incorporate a perceptibility optimization to preserve the visual quality of the protected facial images. Third, we strengthen the robustness of P3-Mask against unknown FR models by integrating focal diversity-optimized ensemble learning into the mask generation process.”In effect, what this means is that Chameleon tricks facial recognition scanners to think a photo of someone is of somebody else. Cross-image optimization makes the mask fast and adaptable, while image optimization protects the quality of the facial image. The ensemble learning piece uses AI to improve the algorithm’s accuracy when it encounters new facial recognition models.And it works: “extensive experiments on two benchmark datasets show that Chameleon outperforms three state-of-the-art methods with instant protection and minimal degradation of image quality.”Post that perfect selfie to the ’gram without worry-The researchers, who intend to post Chameleon’s code publicly on GitHub, believe the tool can be useful protection against data scraping – harvesting face data from the public Internet for massive training datasets without users consent. They explicitly call out Clearview and PimEyes as firms that “have collected billions of online images and can recognize millions of citizens without their consent.”While masking tools exist, they often leave clear artifacts or other distortions. By preserving image quality, Chameleon makes it possible to put an invisible mask over an image before posting it to social media, for instance, or to apply it to a headshot required for promotional purposes.Facial authentication firms, however, need not worry: the tool allows users to grant trusted third parties access to their P3-Mask to de-obfuscate the protected image.

What is the killer app for verifiable credentials? Daon, Dock and Youverse discuss-Age assurance has early traction-Dec 6, 2024, 3:42 pm EST    | Masha Borak

Industries such as financial services, healthcare, transport, government and more are increasingly adopting digital verifiable credentials connected to biometrics. Their popularity will soon reshape business models and processes and shake up the identity industry itself.For many companies, verifiable credentials will be a disruptor. But despite areas such as the European Union inching closer to implementing the decentralized ID technology, some organizations are still hiding their head in the sand.“There certainly are going to be some companies where it will affect the revenue model negatively,” says Paul Kenny, vice president of Customer Success for EMEA and APAC at Daon.Kenny spoke at a recent online event organized by reusable digital identity platform Dock alongside Nick Lambert, CEO at Dock and Pedro Torres, founder and CEO of decentralized reusable identity company Youverse. Last month, Daon and Youverse struck separate deals with Dock focused on building their decentralized biometric identity verification capabilities.Companies focused on document-centric identity verification may face the biggest disruptions, the two experts said. This includes firms that charge businesses each time a user submits their document for a Know Your Customer (KYC) process. Reusable verifiable credentials will end the need for repeated KYC.“In four years, it’s going to be too late,” says Torres.”Lots of things are happening now.”Decentralized identity and verifiable credentials are seeing major projects, including the European Union’s Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet, the travel industry with Digital Travel Credentials (DTCs) and the U.S. with its mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs).Verifiable credentials are designed to enable individuals to prove their identity and qualifications in a secure and tamper-proof way. They can be used in many scenarios, from accessing medical records and verifying college degrees to showing driver’s licenses or passports. Much of the initial traction is in age assurance, according to the speakers.Many see verifiable credentials and reusable identities as a way to eliminate physical identity documents. But it also opens other possibilities, including putting the user in control of their data and allowing them to share it.“I’m not even sure that reusable ID is the killer app for [verifiable credentials],” says Kenny. “I think it goes well beyond identity. Being able to actually link data and attributes to an identity is, for me, where I think the killer app for this could be.”The solution could end up with a flourishing ecosystem of innovation that we haven’t seen yet because the adoption is not there, adds Torres. Once adoption rises, there will be incentives to develop completely new apps.Verifiable credentials, however, still face misunderstandings and misconceptions, including those connected to differences between decentralized verifiable credentials and centralized digital identities. Another misconception is that this is the perfect utopian solution that will solve all of the world’s privacy issues.“We get carried away with ourselves,” says Kenny. “The goal is to have a better situation than the current one, and for sure, verifiable credentials and digital wallets for digital identity, which are decentralized, is a hundred times better than what we currently have.”Companies will also have to continue working on protecting their users from being tricked into compromising their wallets by fraudsters.“I think that makes biometric credentials so important because we have to assume that wallets will get compromised,” says Lambert.

Veteran biometrics leaders join FaceTec, Credence, ID.me adds ex-Meta exec-Grabba, and artius.iD announce appointments-Dec 6, 2024, 3:36 pm EST    | Abigail Opiah

The latest round of appointments in the biometrics and identity management sector includes a former leader of federal government sales for multiple companies joining FaceTec and new C-level executives at Credence ID and ID.me. Grabba has a new VP for the Americas and artius.iD has added to its strategic advisory board.FaceTec appoints new director of federal sales-FaceTec has appointed John Bagocius as its new director of federal sales, as the company deepens its presence in the global digital identity and 3D face verification markets.Bagocius has two decades of experience in the biometrics industry, with a track record in driving revenue growth, fostering strategic partnerships, and improving biometric technology adoption in both government and commercial sectors, according to the company. He spent nearly 17 years with CrossMatch, and has led government sales for face biometrics providers Clearview AI and IDVerse.His career highlights include leading the implementation of biometric technology for government agencies, which will also be his focus with FaceTec. As director of federal sales, Bagocius will focus on building relationships with public sector partners and guiding the adoption of FaceTec’s technology, including its Universal Registration (UR) Code protocols and 3D liveness detection software.Credence ID names CFO-David Barcelo joins Credence ID as the company’s new chief financial officer. In this role, Barcelo will oversee the company’s financial operations, including reporting, corporate development, and capital management, as Credence ID continues to work in the Mobile ID verification sector.Barcelo has held leadership positions in organizations specializing in biometrics and digital identity. Before joining Credence ID, he served as CFO of Aware, and also spent 15 years at Idemia.“The energy around Mobile ID verification is electric and the wave of consumer adoption is coming. I’m excited to have Dave’s industry expertise as we embrace the challenges of scaling our company to meet the demands of this new industry,” says Bruce Hanson, President, CEO, and co-founder of Credence ID.ID.me appoints CMO to sustain growth-ID.me has announced the appointment of Christine Purcell as its chief marketing officer. Purcell is a marketing executive with a track record of scaling brands, having worked at BeMe Health, Twin Health, and Meta, the latter including two years as head of marketing for Facebook Messenger.Experience with a controversial brand may come in handy as ID.me navigates America’s fraught digital ID landscape.Known for its identity verification services, ID.me says its digital wallet has reached 135 million users, and its revenue grew 370 percent from 2020 to 2023.“At ID.me, we’re revolutionizing the way people securely prove their identity online, expanding digital access while protecting privacy and preventing fraud,” says Blake Hall, founder and CEO of ID.me. “Christine’s proven leadership experience in marketing consumer and commercial products will be instrumental in driving our growth.”“I am passionate about products that empower people and keep them safe,” says Purcell. “ID.me’s secure digital wallet serves people and businesses by simplifying the online experience while combating identity theft and fraud attacks.”Grabba welcomes Wayne Salzgaber as VP for the Americas-In a move to expand its presence in the Americas, biometrics and identity management company Grabba has appointed Wayne Salzgaber as vice president for the region.Salzgaber has over three decades of experience in law enforcement, homeland security, and international operations, including leadership roles at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Justice (DOJ).“We are delighted to have a leader of Wayne’s calibre join Grabba. His extensive experience in global law enforcement, border security and public safety operations, his strong leadership skills, and his in-depth knowledge of the Americas region will be invaluable for our growth plans in this key market,” says Jon Carter, CEO of Grabba.Artius ID strengthens board with Burton M. Goldfield-artius.iD has announced the appointment of Burton M. Goldfield to its board of strategic advisors. Goldfield is a veteran executive with over three decades of experience in technology and business leadership.Goldfield previously served as president and CEO of TriNet Group Inc., where he led the company for 15 years. His leadership credentials also include senior roles at IBM, Hyperion Solutions, and Rational Software.“This is a pivotal appointment for artius.iD, and I’m thrilled to welcome Burton to our Board of Strategic Advisors. Our collaboration spans decades, including impactful initiatives on SlingTV, and is built on mutual trust and admiration,” says Michael Marcotte, founder, Chairman, and CEO of artius.iD.“As a steadfast advocate for SMBs and entrepreneurs, Burton has a profound understanding of the challenges companies face in safeguarding customer and employee data. His expertise will be invaluable as artius.iD continues to deliver groundbreaking solutions to address these needs.”

EU announces phased approach for EES-Dec 6, 2024, 3:06 pm EST    | Masha Borak

The European Union has proposed a progressive introduction of its biometric traveler registration scheme, the Entry-Exit System (EES).On Wednesday, the European Commission outlined the phased approach for the digital border scheme and submitted it to the European Parliament and the Council for adoption. Once approved, EU member states and the EU’s main IT agency EU-LISA will have six months to deploy the EES.The new announcement signals a change in the EU’s plans which originally envisioned deploying the system simultaneously in every country. To allow for a progressive introduction of the border system, the EU will have to change the EES Regulation which requires all EU member states to start using it simultaneously and for all travellers. The new, adjusted regulation will allow countries to implement the EES gradually.“It should however be noted that the full benefits of the EES will only be available once all Member States are applying it in full,” the Commission adds.The EES is expected to launch in 2025, but there is currently no official launch date. The original launch of the border scheme, scheduled for November 10th, was abandoned after several European countries warned that they were not ready for its introduction. One of the arguments for the delay was also the lack of stability and functionality of the EES central computer system, overseen by EU-LISA. In its decision, the Commission admits that a full start of operations overnight could endanger the resilience of a complex IT system, such as the EES Central System. Recent media reports, however, place a major part of the blame for the delays on Atos and its consortium partners IBM and Leonardo. The company, which won the contract for building the EES, has reportedly been missing deadlines since 2020.The new proposal will also allow EU member states to adjust to special circumstances such as technical problems or periods of peak travel. The travel industry has been advocating for a phased introduction of the border scheme to avoid potential disruptions during peak travel times such as summer.

Mastercard brings Payment Passkey Service to Latin America-Worldwide transition to passkey technology gets bump from MC rollouts across the globe-Dec 6, 2024, 12:05 pm EST    | Joel R. McConvey

Mastercard has debuted its Payment Passkey Service in Latin America, in a partnership with Brazil events platform Sympla and global payments orchestrator Yuno, to accelerate secure online checkout for shoppers.A release says that, beginning in January, Sympla and Yuno will be the first partners in the region to offer the Mastercard Payment Passkey Service, ahead of a wider regional rollout. The service leverages Mastercard’s tokenization technology, which replaces a primary account number (PAN) with a token.Payment passkeys allow shoppers checking out to choose their Mastercard for Click to Pay, or a card already stored securely on file with a merchant, then confirm payments with biometric authentication through fingerprint or facial scan.Research from Mastercard shows that 90 percent of consumers worldwide believe biometrics are more secure and convenient than passwords.“Mastercard is committed to building a payment experience where convenience and security coexist and partnering with Sympla and Yuno marks a significant step towards advancing payment authentication in the region,” says Silvana Hernandez, executive vice president, Core Products, Mastercard Latin America and the Caribbean.Juan Pablo Ortega, CEO of Yuno, says passkeys “align perfectly with Yuno’s strategy of adopting and scaling innovations quickly. By making authentication easier and reducing friction at checkout, passkeys drive higher conversion rates, happier customers, and a better payment experience for everyone.”Mastercard recently committed to phasing out manual card entry and static passwords in favor of tokenization and biometrics by 2030, and to replace traditional authentication methods with on-device biometrics for users to authenticate purchases without exposing personal data online.In Latin America, close to 100 percent of issuers are enabled to implement Click to Pay payments at checkout.Jorn Lambert, chief product officer at Mastercard, says that, like the transition from signing and swiping to tapping cards, “we’re now moving from manual entry and passwords to seamless and secure payments in just a few clicks.”Last month, the payments giant announced the rollout of its passkey-enabled Click to Pay ecommerce feature through partnerships in the United Arab Emirates and Asia-Pacific, following similar announcements regarding the MENA region and India.Mastercard’s passkey product integrates FIDO and W3C standards.

PNG unveils national digital identity policy-Dec 6, 2024, 11:21 am EST    | Abigail Opiah

As part of its digital modernization efforts, Papua New Guinea (PNG) has released its National Digital Identity Policy 2024, introduced by Minister for ICT in the national government, Timothy Masiu.Its purpose? To streamline government service delivery and boost transparency by enabling a unified digital identity system for citizens. With that, the policy will be establishing SevisPass, an official digital ID system that will register all citizens with a digital identity to access digital services.This goes hand in hand with PNG announcing the launch of its eGovernment portal in October 2024.The policy is a cornerstone of PNG’s strategy to leverage technology for economic and social advancement. Minister Masiu highlighted SevisPNG and SevisWallet for digital payments as key initiatives his ministry is leading, and offered ABG the opportunity to partner on the rollout of the digital service in Bougainville in 2025.A Post-Courier report notes that his plan is to ensure that every citizen is included in the digital ecosystem from the beginning. Additionally, the policy’s implementation is set to address inefficiencies in service delivery, improving access to vital services such as healthcare, education, and social benefits​.Bridging gaps with strategic partnerships-Minister Masiu also emphasized the need for partnerships to support PNG’s digital transition. The plan is to also have the country pair with banks and other financial institutions to help with identity verifications for opening bank accounts. The country also has Digizen, a digital identification system that has been providing digital IDs for PNG’s residents.As for SevisPass, telecom providers will also use it for SIM card registrations where KYC processes are in place to verify individual identity before activating, Post-Courier reports. SevisPass is also expected to be used for age verification to access social media.The Papua New Guinea government has consistently drawn insights from global experiences, recognizing that digital identity serves as a foundational element for driving transformation across nations.While outlining the policy, Masiu acknowledged challenges such as infrastructure limitations and digital literacy gaps. However, he reiterated the government’s commitment to overcoming these barriers by fostering a digitally inclusive society.

Indonesia ramps up digital transformation efforts with new AI data center park-Dec 6, 2024, 10:56 am EST    | Lu-Hai Liang

Indonesia is getting its first sovereign AI data center. A joint venture between Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOD), Lintasarta and BDx Data Centers (BDx), BDx Indonesia launched an AI data center park in Indonesia.The renewable-energy powered CGK4 AI campus is equipped with Nvidia’s AI and accelerated computing platform. “Our ongoing partnership with Indosat is a transformative step in creating Indonesia’s sovereign AI cloud while empowering the nation to be Southeast Asia’s AI hub,” said Mayank Srivastava, CEO of BDx Data Centers.“Our interconnected Mesh of Distributed Digital Infrastructure is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies that enable Nvidia’s accelerated computing for training and inference at the edge,” he continued. “The infrastructure is ready to support digital innovations and help realise the shared vision of making Indonesia a digitally empowered nation by 2045.”Indonesia is making a big AI push as part of its ongoing digital transformation efforts. Founder and CEO of Nvidia Jensen Huang visited the Southeast Asian country last month for Indonesia AI Day 2024.Indonesia’s Ministry of Home Affairs’ Acting Director of National Population Data Integration at the Directorate General of Dukcapil, Mensuseno, recently explained the importance of identity verification as part of digital public infrastructure (DPI). Mensuseno highlighted that the digital ID is aligned with the World Bank’s Identification for Development (ID4D) – a key enabler for people to access better services and economic opportunities in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.He referenced India’s Aadhaar programme and how it has onboarded more citizens to digital services and boosted the economy. In Indonesia, population data is used to provide education scholarships and cash subsidies to those in need in a transparent and accountable manner, the acting director explained. “For us, a system that is able to digitally verify a person’s identity, so that they are not excluded from development programmes, is part of DPI,” he said, as reported by GovInsider.Mensuseno pointed to how the country’s national bank BNI has gained 2.1 million customers in three months thanks to its new mobile banking app Wondr. Among private companies, private digital bank Allo Bank gained 10 million customers in three years by leveraging Dukcapil services. “No conventional bank could get that many customers in such a short time,” he told GovInsider. Dukcapil estimated that economic savings generated from digital identity verification could reach US$1.64 billion.As the world tilts toward AI use, Indonesia eyes the burgeoning technology as a pillar of its economic development. Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital, Nezar Patria, emphasized the importance of infrastructure development and gaining digital talent as key to the country becoming a global AI powerhouse.The deputy minister reiterated that Indonesia is committed to becoming one of the main global powers in AI in the next five years, reported Voi. But the quality and speed of infrastructure remains a challenge, with Indonesia’s internet capacity still below the ASEAN average with speeds that have not reached 100 megabits per second. Talent acquisition is a problem for many countries, but Indonesia needs around 15 million workers with AI skills by 2030. Currently, the shortage of digital talent is estimated to be around two to four million people per year.“This gap is expected to continue to grow, even though the growth of the digital economy is targeting Indonesia’s contribution of 40 percent of the total growth of the digital economy in Southeast Asia by 2030,” Patria said, as quoted by Voi. But the ‘AI Merdaka’ movement initiated by Lintas Arta, Indosat and Nvidia is seen as a strategic bridge.“By mapping the availability of talent and working to close the gaps, Indonesia can accelerate the formation of a stronger digital ecosystem and be more ready to become an AI powerhouse globally,” Patria said.

Digital ID infrastructure will speed up financial inclusion push in Pacific Islands region-Dec 6, 2024, 10:55 am EST    | Ayang Macdonald

For Pacific Islands nations to effectively implement their digital transformation agenda and advance financial inclusion, putting in place the right digital public infrastructure (DPI) is pretty much fundamental.In an opinion piece, the Head of Oceania for banking messaging network provider Swift, Suresh Rajalingam, posits that to advance digital and financial inclusion among countries of this region, inclusive digital ID is a centrality.This means the countries in that part of the world must begin to take steps to build foundational identity and digital ID systems, the official says, citing the example of Samoa which is in the process of establishing a digital ID system through a financial inclusion project funded by the World Bank.The payments professional also argues that with digital identity infrastructure, these nations can establish legal and digital ID systems capable of facilitating access to services especially in the financial sector. This, he says, will help deal with the issue of identity verification which is currently “costly and complex.”According to Rajalingam, the lack of such identity infrastructure has a negative impact on the economies of these countries beyond just the financial sector. It can affect their international trade participation, he argues, and can also lead to a limitation of economic opportunities.Given that tacking the lack of inclusive digital identity infrastructure is sufficiently challenging, leading to a debanking crisis which was elaborately discussed during the Pacific Banking Forum in Australia in July, the writer suggests a spirited collaboration not only from countries within the region but from financial institutions and international development partners.“Enhanced collaboration across the Oceania region, particularly with Australia and New Zealand, can play a pivotal role in advancing digital identity initiatives for the Pacific Islands,” he opines.He adds that “these countries have strong connections with global financial markets and could support Pacific nations in developing low-risk digital identity systems, essential for increasing their financial inclusion.”While considering such partnerships and support from committed international partners as an important step, the Swift executive says it is also vital for these nations to invest in building strong digital identity frameworks to help them “connect with the global financial ecosystem.”Already, a country like Australia is showing that it can play an important role in supporting the development of critical digital identity infrastructure in the Pacific region.It was reported in July that the Australian government plans to spend $3 million to support Pacific countries in their digital ID development endeavours. The government said at the time that it was part of a plan to counter the debanking crisis in the Pacific.The funding is meant to “develop digital identity infrastructure and improve compliance with regulations,” as part of the push to build interoperable identity system, facilitate access to banking services and contribute to the fight against money laundering and the improvement of criminal justice.

Morocco digitalizing social protection delivery system with $70M from World Bank-Simplifying recipient identification and authentication, extending coverage-Dec 6, 2024, 10:53 am EST    | Abigail Opiah

The World Bank has approved $70 million for the Morocco Second Identity and Targeting for Social Protection project, aimed at taking the country’s social protection reforms to a new level.The digital identity project is in place to, essentially, improve the country’s inclusive and adaptive social protection strategy through simplifying identification and authentication for social protection programs, by extending registry coverage to rural and remote areas.The transformation is expected to improve the efficiency of at least five programs by the end of 2024 and expand to eight by 2028.The project will also focus on addressing climate and socio-economic challenges by making social protection services more responsive and inclusive. The project also emphasizes strengthening existing systems and processes to ensure better inclusion, using insights to better user experience and decision-making.“The World Bank is pleased to continue supporting the expansion of registries and their efficiency for better targeting and inclusion purposes,” says Ahmadou Moustapha Ndiaye, country director for the Maghreb and Malta at the World Bank.“The digitalization of the social protection delivery system will not only improve the targeting of social protection programs but will also help to guarantee that the most vulnerable populations have an increased access to modernized social services through better use of data and digital technologies.”The initiative builds on the successes of the earlier project, which established the National Population Registry, the Unified Social Registry, and enrolled nearly half of Morocco’s population. The new phase focuses on expanding access to social services, particularly for vulnerable households.In 2017, The World Bank’s board of executive directors approved a $100 million loan to support Morocco’s Identity and Targeting for Social Protection project. The initiative aims to strengthen the country’s social protection framework by expanding the coverage of a Unique Identifying Number (UIN) system for Moroccan citizens and foreign residents.The project’s initial focus was on improving the targeting and efficiency of Social Safety Nets (SSNs). Enhanced identity systems are expected to streamline access to essential social and financial services, particularly benefiting women by removing barriers to inclusion and economic participation.By the end of 2024, the project aims to impact at least five social programs and expand to eight by 2028.

Authsignal teams with Mattr on terminal to bind palm biometrics with mDLs-Dec 5, 2024, 7:33 pm EST    | Chris Burt

New Zealand-based Authsignal has announced the launch of a new palm biometrics terminal, developed in collaboration with Mattr and Qualcomm, to bind ISO-compliant mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) with their owners.The Palm Biometrics Identity Experience (IdX) Terminal can then be used for identity verification, payments or access control.Mattr’s mDocs Proximity Verifier SDK is integrated with Authsignal’s IdX Terminal for secure verification of mDLs compliant with ISO 18013-5 through bluetooth. The Terminal includes Authsignal’s authentication orchestration software, which it says supports additional use cases, such as payments, using a last-mile integration model. The Terminal’s software can be white-labeled and can be installed on compatible hardware running Android for easy integration with existing payment, loyalty, and access control systems, according to the announcement.Initial deployments of the IdX Terminal range from biometric age verification at entertainment venues to corporate access control.Authsignal Founder Justin Soong says in the company announcement that palm biometrics are versatile, accurate, and more secure and reliable than other modalities, and emphasized the “effortless user experience” of the new terminal.“Authsignal’s collaboration with MATTR is just the start of our work focused on revolutionizing how people engage with digital credentials in the physical world, while ushering in a new era of interactions defined by confidence and convenience,” says Soong.He notes that the adoption of digital credentials contributes to the shrinking or elimination of the physical wallet, no problems with lost or stolen driver’s licenses and convenience in the palm of your hand.An online demo video shows a user scanning a QR code on a mobile device with the terminal, enrolling his palm biometrics, signing up for a payment system and completing a payment, all in less than 30 seconds.“This collaboration between Authsignal and MATTR represents a significant step forward in bridging the gap between digital and physical identity verification,” said Luke McIntyre, CPO at Mattr.mDLs are set for wider adoption in Australia with Austroads’ Digital Trust Service, supported by a VICAL built by Mattr, scaling to the national level. Mattr also launched remote identity verification with mDocs based on ISO/IEC 18013-7 in October.

DAMASCUS DESTROYED

ISAIAH 17:1,3,13-14
17 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
3 The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the Lord of hosts.
13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
14 And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.

JEREMIAH 49:23-27
23 Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.
24 Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.
25 How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the Lord of hosts.
27 And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.

Rebels storm Iranian embassy in Damascus, rip banner of Nasrallah and Soleimani-Looters ransack and damage offices, load up plundered items onto trucks outside; diplomatic staff are safe, evacuated before attack, Tehran says-By AFP Today, 4:05 pm-DEC 8,24

DAMASCUS, Syria — Iran’s embassy in Syria was “attacked” on Sunday, Iranian state TV said, after Islamist-led rebels declared the fall of Tehran ally Bashar al-Assad following a sweeping offensive that culminated in Damascus.“Unknown individuals have attacked the Iranian embassy, as you can see in these images shared by various networks,” a state TV broadcaster said, showing footage from Al Arabiya, said to be from the diplomatic compound.An AFP photographer saw ransacked offices, with shattered glass on the floor and broken furniture in the building in Damascus’s upscale Mazzeh area, also home to other embassies and United Nations offices.People loaded looted items onto trucks outside, the photographer said.Filing cabinets and drawers sat open while papers, files and other contents including Iranian and Syrian flags were strewn around the premises.A safe sat in the middle of one room, whose tiled floor was littered with broken posters including of the Islamic Republic’s founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and current supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the AFP photographer saw.#BREAKING Iran’s embassy in Damascus is being stormed by protesters pic.twitter.com/ 0PYznrFQTw— Guy Elster (@guyelster) December 8, 2024-Also on the ground was a destroyed picture of Lebanon’s former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, killed in an Israeli strike targeting the terror group’s headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs in September, and of Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani, who died in a US drone strike in the Iraqi capital Baghdad in January 2020.Iranian newspaper Tehran Times reported online that Iranian diplomats had left the embassy before it was stormed, citing foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.The report said that all embassy staff were safe.It also accused rebel forces of being behind the attack, a claim that could not be independently verified immediately.Online footage verified by AFP showed a man outside the embassy overnight, tearing down a poster showing Nasrallah and Soleimani.Authorities in Iran have yet to comment on Assad’s fall.On Saturday, as the rebels pressed their lightning offensive but had not yet taken Damascus, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on “the Syrian government and legitimate opposition groups” to enter negotiations.His remarks marked a shift in Tehran’s tone towards rebel groups which Iran had previously called “terrorists” and refused to recognize as legitimate actors.Araghchi visited Damascus on December 1, days into the rebels’ offensive, meeting with Assad in the Syrian leader’s last public appearance alongside an Iranian official.A day later, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated Tehran’s support in a telephone call with Assad.The deposed Syrian leader last visited Iran in May 2024, shortly after the death of former president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.Iran has supported Damascus during Syria’s civil war, which began in 2011, sending “military advisers” at Assad’s request.Numerous Iranian Revolutionary Guards commanders have been killed in Syria, in combat, and in alleged Israeli strikes against presumed Iranian-linked targets.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Global leaders urge calm, stability after rebels oust Assad regime-US says ‘closely monitoring’ situation, while senior Russian lawmaker predicts civil war will continue; others warn against letting terror groups seize power-By Agencies Today, 3:25 pm-DEC 8,24

Islamist-led rebels toppled Syria’s longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad Sunday in a lightning offensive that a United Nations envoy called “a watershed moment” for the nation marred by civil war.From around the world, leaders urged Syrians to strive for stability and calm while warning of the dangers facing the country amid a possible power vacuum after it woke to find it is no longer under the rule of the Assad family, which clung to power for over 50 years.In some countries, local Syrians took to the streets to celebrate.“President Biden and his team are closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria and staying in constant touch with regional partners,” the White House said in a statement.“The United States will continue to maintain its presence in eastern Syria and will take measures necessary to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State,” Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Daniel Shapiro told the Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain.Shapiro called on all parties to protect civilians, particularly minorities, and respect international norms.President-elect Donald Trump said the US should not get involved and claimed that Assad, who ruled Syria for 24 years, had been abandoned by his ally Russia.“Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer,” Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social. “Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success.”“Today marks a watershed moment in Syria’s history — a nation that has endured nearly 14 years of relentless suffering and unspeakable loss,” United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said in a statement.Assad fled the capital but his whereabouts were unknown, with the rebels claiming he died when his plane went down as he was leaving the country, while Russia asserted that he had departed safely.UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said events are “moving at remarkable pace” and noted that the years of conflict in Syria have displaced millions.“We will respond wherever, whenever, however we can to support people in need, including reception centers – food, water, fuel, tents, blankets,” Fletcher said.Syrians will have to cope with a full-scale civil war alone, Konstantin Kosachyov, deputy chairman of Russia’s upper house of parliament said on Sunday, while suggesting that Moscow was ready to support the Syrian people in certain circumstances.Kosachyov, a veteran Russian expert in international affairs, predicted that the civil war in Syria would not end with Assad’s departure and that tough times were ahead.“Syria is a very difficult story, for everyone without exception. One way or another, the civil war will not end today, there are too many opposing interests and too many opposing forces. Including outright terrorist groups. And that is why the hardest part is ahead again,” he wrote on his official Telegram channel.Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, whose country shares a border with Syria, said at a press conference in Doha, Qatar, that Syria has reached a stage where the Syrian people will shape the future of their own country and called for “all actors to act with prudence and to be watchful.”“The Syrian people cannot do this alone,” Fiden said. “A new Syrian administration must be established inclusively, there should be no desire for revenge.”“Terrorist organizations must not be allowed to take advantage of this situation,” he cautioned while stressing that “any extension of the outlawed PKK militia cannot be considered a legitimate counterpart in Syria,” a reference to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which Turkey, the US, the European Union and some other countries designate it as a terrorist organization.Fiden said that Ankara has been in contact with rebels in Syria to ensure the Islamic State group and PKK cannot expand thereafter anti-government forces took Damascus.Meanwhile, the head of US-backed Kurdish-led forces in Syria hailed Assad’s fall.“This change presents an opportunity to build a new Syria based on democracy and justice that secures the rights of all Syrians,” Mazloum Abdi, the leader of the Syrian Democratic Forces, said in a written statement, praising the fall of the “authoritarian regime in Damascus.”The Kurdish-led group has a significant presence in northeastern Syria, where is has clashed with the extremist Islamic State group and Turkish-backed militias over the years.Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said Assad’s ouster is a “welcome change” but now “we have to have a political solution where the government is acting in the interests of the Syrian people. That’s what we want to see.”Rayner said she hopes that Syria will embrace the type of democracy “that we say is right for the world, and that, hopefully, is what the Syrian people will get.”France’s President Emmanuel Macron said, “The barbaric state has finally fallen” and “I pay tribute to the Syrian people, to their courage, to their patience.”The French foreign ministry welcomed news of the fall of Assad and called for fighting to end and a peaceful political transition in the country.“Now is the time for unity in Syria,” the ministry said in a statement.German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that while the situation is unclear, the overthrowing of the government is “the first big sigh of relief after an eternity of atrocities committed by the Assad regime.”“Assad has murdered, tortured and used poison gas against his own people,” she said. “He must finally be held accountable for this.”“The country must not now fall into the hands of other radicals — regardless of the guise,” Baerbock warned. “We therefore call on the parties to the conflict to live up to their responsibility for all Syrians” with “comprehensive protection of ethnic and religious minorities” along with “an inclusive political process that creates a balance between the groups.”Italian Foreign Minister Antoni Tajani said he is “following with concerned attention the evolution of the situation in Syria” and is in constant contact with the embassy in Damascus.Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Abares said: “The situation appears to be peaceful. Spain has always hoped for a peaceful solution for Syria.”Egypt called on all parties in Syria to preserve the capabilities of the state and national institutions, the Egyptian foreign ministry said.The ministry, in the first comments on the situation in Syria from an Arab government, said it is following the situation with great care, affirming its support for the Syrian people and the country’s sovereignty and unity.A senior United Arab Emirates official urged Syrians to collaborate in order to avert a spiral into chaos.“We hope that the Syrians will work together, that we don’t just see another episode of impending chaos,” presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. Elsewhere, China’s foreign ministry said it hopes Syria “returns to stability as soon as possible” in the wake of the overthrow.Beijing “is closely following the development of the situation in Syria and hopes that Syria returns to stability as soon as possible,” the ministry said.Moammar al-Eryani, information minister of Yemen’s internationally recognized government in exile, touted the developments in Syria as proof that Iran’s efforts for regional control are deflating.Iran’s “expansionist project, which used sectarian militias as tools to complete the Persian Crescent, sow chaos, undermine the sovereignty of states…is collapsing,” he said.He also expressed hope that Yemenis will drive out the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of the country’s north in 2014.

Russia says Assad has left office and fled Syria, but whereabouts remain unknown-One report indicates ousted dictator was killed in plane crash, another hints he departed Russian base on aircraft; Syrian civilians loot his home in Damascus-By Agencies and ToI Staff Today, 3:01 pm-DEC 8,24

The Russian foreign ministry said on Sunday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had left office and departed the country after giving orders there be a peaceful handover of power.In a statement, the ministry did not say where Assad was now and said Russia has not taken part in the talks around his departure. Earlier reports suggested that Assad may have been killed in a plane crash as he attempted to flee the country.The Kan public broadcaster reported that shortly before the Russian statement was released, a transport plane lifted off from the Russian base in the Syrian city of Latakia, hinting at Assad’s potential presence on the aircraft.“As a result of negotiations between [Bashar] Assad and a number of participants in the armed conflict on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, he decided to resign from the presidency and left the country, giving instructions for a peaceful transfer of power,” the Russia statement said.“Russia did not participate in these negotiations.”Assad’s Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali was seen in footage escorted by rebel fighters to a meeting with their leaders to coordinate the transition. He later said in a statement he had been in contact with rebel commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani to discuss managing the transitional period.The new de-facto ruler of #Syria.Mohammed Ghazi al-Jalali, the prime minister of the (former) regime is now meant to head a transitional government. He appears to be guarded by rebel forces as he leaves his home to head to work. pic.twitter.com/R3dBAHpy2M— Thomas van Linge (@ThomasVLinge) December 8, 2024-Moscow was extremely worried by events in Syria and urged all sides to refrain from violence, it said.“We urge all parties involved to refrain from the use of violence and to resolve all issues of governance through political means,” the statement said. “In that regard, the Russian Federation is in contact with all groups of the Syrian opposition.”It said Russia’s military bases in Syria had been put on a state of high alert, but that there was no serious threat to them at the current time.-Assad’s fate unknown-A Syrian airplane took off from Damascus airport around the time the capital was reported to have been taken by Syria’s rebels overnight, according to data from the Flightradar website earlier, suggesting Assad may have been onboard.The aircraft initially flew toward Syria’s coastal region, a stronghold of Assad’s Alawite sect, but then made an abrupt U-turn and flew in the opposite direction for a few minutes before disappearing off the map.Reuters was not able to ascertain who was on board.Two Syrian sources said there is a very high probability that Assad may have been killed in a plane crash as it was a mystery why the plane took a surprise U-turn and disappeared off the map.Developing:A Syrian IL-76T coming from Damascus lost fast altitude near Homs and possibly crashed west of that city. There are rumors that it was Assad‘s plane. pic.twitter.com/K6IvQILlsw— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) December 8, 2024-A senior diplomat from the United Arab Emirates, which had sought to rehabilitate Assad’s image and has welcomed high-profile exiles in recent years, declined to comment on his whereabouts when asked by reporters at a conference in Bahrain.Anwar Gargash said Assad’s destination at this point is a “footnote in history,” comparing it to the long exile of German Kaiser Wilhelm II after World War I.Assad has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war, including a 2013 chemical weapons attack on the outskirts of the capital.There was no immediate comment from Iran, which had been Assad’s staunchest supporter.Opposition forces had not reached Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured areas on the outskirts of the capital following a yearslong siege.In the wake of Assad’s presumed departure, dozens of Syrians explored the fallen dictator’s luxurious Damascus home after it was looted on Sunday, an AFP correspondent said.Women, children and men could be seen inspecting the six-story home and its large garden, with the entrance to the residence burnt down and the rooms completely empty, save some furniture and a portrait of Assad thrown on the floor.Bashar Al Assad's home being looted. pic.twitter.com/TeBLGwYC5T— 5Pillars (@5Pillarsuk) December 8, 2024-The end of Assad’s rule deals a major blow to Iran and its allies, already weakened by over a year of conflict with Israel. The rebels now face the daunting task of healing bitter divides in a country ravaged by war and still split among different armed factions. Turkey-backed opposition fighters are battling US-allied Kurdish forces in the north, and the Islamic State group is still active in some remote areas.Syrian state television aired a video statement early Sunday by a group of rebels saying that Assad had been overthrown and all prisoners had been set free. The man who read the statement called on rebel fighters and citizens to preserve the institutions of “the free Syrian state.”Many of the capital’s residents were in disbelief at the speed at which Assad lost his hold on the country after a grinding civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people, displaced half the country’s prewar population of 23 million, and drew in several foreign powers.The rebel advances since November 27 were the largest in recent years and saw the cities of Aleppo, Hama and Homs fall in a matter of days as the Syrian army melted away. Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, which provided crucial support to Assad throughout the uprising, abandoned him in the final days as they reeled from other conflicts.The rebels are led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, which has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations.Its leader, al-Golani, has sought to remake the group’s image and says he is committed to a Syria that will serve all its citizens, including sizable religious and ethnic minorities. HTS set up a “salvation government” in 2017 to administer a large region in northwestern Syria under its control.

Assad’s fall marks end of regime that crushed dissent, fostered anti-Israel terror-Dictator dashed hopes of reform after coming to power in 2000, adopting his father’s brutal tactics and plummeting country into civil war by violently suppressing 2011 uprising-By AP and ToI Staff Today, 12:14 pm-DEC 8,24

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled the country on Sunday, bringing to a dramatic close his nearly 14-year struggle to hold onto control as his country fragmented in a brutal civil war that became a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers.Assad’s exit stood in stark contrast to his first months as Syria’s unlikely president, in 2000 when many hoped he would be a young reformer after three decades of his father’s iron grip. Only 34 years old, the Western-educated ophthalmologist appeared as a geeky tech-savvy fan of computers with a gentle demeanor.But when faced with protests against his rule that erupted in March 2011, Assad turned to the brutal tactics of his father in an attempt to crush dissent. As the uprising hemorrhaged into an outright civil war, he unleashed his military to blast opposition-held cities, with support from allies Iran and Russia.International rights groups and prosecutors alleged widespread use of torture and extrajudicial killings in Syria’s government-run detention centers. The war has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half of the country’s prewar population of 23 million.The conflict appeared to be frozen in recent years, with Assad’s government regaining control of most of Syria’s territory while the northwest remained under the control of opposition groups and the northeast under Kurdish control.Although Damascus remained under crippling Western sanctions, neighboring countries had begun to resign themselves to Assad’s continued hold on power. The Arab League reinstated Syria’s membership last year, and Saudi Arabia in May announced the appointment of its first ambassador since severing ties with Damascus 12 years ago.However, the geopolitical tide turned quickly when opposition groups in northwest Syria in late November launched a surprise offensive. Government forces quickly collapsed while Assad’s allies, preoccupied with other conflicts — Russia’s war in Ukraine and the yearlong wars between Israel and the Iran-backed terror groups Hezbollah and Hamas — appeared reluctant to forcefully intervene.An end to decades of family rule-Assad came to power in 2000 by a twist of fate. His father had been cultivating Bashar’s oldest brother, Basil, as his successor, but in 1994, Basil was killed in a car crash in Damascus. Bashar was brought home from his ophthalmology practice in London, put through military training, and elevated to the rank of colonel to establish his credentials so he could one day rule.When Hafez al-Assad died in 2000, parliament quickly lowered the presidential age requirement from 40 to 34. Bashar’s elevation was sealed by a nationwide referendum, in which he was the only candidate.Hafez, a lifelong military man, ruled the country for nearly 30 years during which he set up a Soviet-style centralized economy and kept such a stifling hand over dissent that Syrians feared even to joke about politics to their friends.He pursued a secular ideology that sought to bury sectarian differences under Arab nationalism and the image of heroic resistance to Israel. He formed an alliance with the Shiite clerical leadership in Iran, sealed Syrian domination over Lebanon, and set up a network of Palestinian and Lebanese terror groups.Bashar initially seemed completely unlike his strongman father.Tall and lanky with a slight lisp, he had a quiet, gentle demeanor. His only official position before becoming president was head of the Syrian Computer Society. His wife, Asma al-Akhras, whom he married several months after taking office, was attractive, stylish and British-born.The young couple, who eventually had three children, seemed to shun the trappings of power. They lived in an apartment in the upscale Abu Rummaneh district of Damascus, as opposed to a palatial mansion like other Arab leaders.Initially, upon coming to office, Assad freed political prisoners and allowed more open discourse. In the “Damascus Spring,” salons for intellectuals emerged where Syrians could discuss art, culture and politics to a degree impossible under his father.But after 1,000 intellectuals signed a public petition calling for multiparty democracy and greater freedoms in 2001, and others tried to form a political party, the salons were snuffed out by the feared secret police, who jailed dozens of activists.Tested by the Arab Spring, Assad relied on old alliances to stay in power-Instead of a political opening, Assad turned to economic reforms. He slowly lifted economic restrictions, let in foreign banks, threw the doors open to imports and empowered the private sector. Damascus and other cities long mired in drabness saw a flourishing of shopping malls, new restaurants and consumer goods. Tourism swelled.Abroad, he stuck to the line his father had set, based on the alliance with Iran and a policy of insisting on a full return of the Israel-annexed Golan Heights, although in practice Assad never militarily confronted Israel.In 2005, he suffered a heavy blow with the loss of Syria’s decades-old control over neighboring Lebanon after the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri. With many Lebanese accusing Damascus of being behind the slaying, Syria was forced to withdraw its troops from the country and a pro-American government came to power.At the same time, the Arab world split into two camps — one of US-allied, Sunni-led countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the other Syria and Shiite-led Iran with their ties to Hezbollah and Palestinian terrorists.Throughout, Assad relied largely on the same power base at home as his father: his Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam comprising around 10 percent of the population. Many of the positions in his government went to younger generations of the same families that had worked for his father. Drawn in as well were members of the new middle class created by his reforms, including prominent Sunni merchant families.Assad also turned to his own family. His younger brother Maher headed the elite Presidential Guard and would lead the crackdown against the uprising. Their sister Bushra was a strong voice in his inner circle, along with her husband, Deputy Defense Minister Assef Shawkat, until he was killed in a 2012 bombing. Bashar’s cousin, Rami Makhlouf, became the country’s biggest businessman, heading a financial empire before the two had a falling out that led to Makhlouf being pushed aside.Assad also increasingly entrusted key roles to his wife, Asma, before she announced in May that she was undergoing treatment for leukemia and stepped out of the limelight.When 2011 protests erupted in Tunisia and Egypt, eventually toppling their rulers, Assad dismissed the possibility of the same occurring in his country, insisting his regime was more in tune with its people. After the Arab Spring wave reached Syria, his security forces staged a brutal crackdown while Assad consistently denied he was facing a popular revolt. He instead blamed “foreign-backed terrorists” for trying to destabilize his regime.His rhetoric struck a chord with many in Syria’s minority groups — including Christians, Druze and Shiites — as well as some Sunnis who feared the prospect of rule by Sunni extremists even more than they disliked Assad’s authoritarian rule.As the uprising spiraled into a civil war, millions of Syrians fled to Jordan, Turkey, Iraq, and Lebanon and on to Europe.Ironically, on February 26, 2011, two days after the fall of Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak to protesters and just days before the wave of Arab Spring protests swept into his country, Assad e-mailed a joke he had run across mocking the Egyptian leader’s stubborn refusal to step down.

IDF deploys in Golan buffer zone with Syria, girding for post-Assad regime chaos-Israel takes up posts in area for the first time since 1974; IDF said to strike chemical weapons sites in Damascus and Hezbollah convoy fleeing to Lebanon-By Emanuel Fabian,ToI Staff and Agencies Today, 10:21 am-DEC 8,24

The Israeli military said Sunday that it had taken up new positions in a buffer zone between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights as it prepared for potential chaos following the lightning-fast fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.While the Israel Defense Forces was increasing its presence in the areas as a precaution, and said it was on high alert, there were no major changes to guidelines for residents of the Golan Heights.“The IDF has deployed troops in the buffer zone and in a number of areas that are necessary to defend, in order to ensure the security of the communities in the Golan Heights and the citizens of Israel,” the military said in a statement.Syrian media reports said Israel had launched artillery shelling in the area.The latest moves come following a fresh assessment and “the possibility of gunmen entering the buffer zone,” the IDF said. “We emphasize that the IDF does not intervene in the events taking place in Syria.”It marked the first time since the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement was signed that Israeli forces have taken up positions inside the buffer zone between Israel and Syria. The IDF has entered the zone briefly on several occasions in the past.The disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria concluded the Yom Kippur War.The IDF said its deployment of troops to the buffer zone was a temporary measure, but it could end up staying there for a long time depending on the developments. The military said it would remain there until things were clear in Syria.The deployment was carried out in coordination with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which is tasked with the buffer zone. UNDOF members were, as of Sunday morning, staying in their positions.Israel had sent warnings to the rebel forces in southern Syria not to approach the buffer zone.On Saturday, the IDF intervened with artillery shelling to repel gunmen who tried to attack a UNDOF post near the Syrian village of Hader, close to the border. Rebel forces announced they had taken the border regions of Quneitra and Daraa earlier in the day.Also on Sunday morning, the IDF’s 98th Division with the Paratroopers and Commando brigades was dispatched to the Golan Heights, bolstering its already shored-up forces in the area.The IDF also imposed closed military zones in the Golan Heights on the Israeli side of the border with Syria.The military said agricultural areas near Merom Golan, Ein Zivan, Buq’ata and Khirbet Ein Hura would be off-limits for civilians until the end of the month.Farmers would be allowed to enter some areas within the closed zones “for periods of a few hours, based on military necessity” and in coordination with the IDF.Meanwhile, the IDF Home Front Command ruled that schools in the four Druze communities in the northern Golan Heights — Buq’ata, Ein Qiniye, Mas’ade and Majdal Shams — would carry out studies online on Sunday. Daycares would still operate as usual in those towns.There were no other changes to guidelines for civilians in the north.The IDF said it was following the developments in Syria, bolstering its defenses, but not getting involved in the internal affairs of the country.As the regime collapsed overnight, Israel launched airstrikes in Syria, hitting weapons factories, including chemical weapons sites near Damascus, apparently to prevent them from falling into the hands of rebel groups, according to Syrian media reports.Additionally, Israel hit a Hezbollah convoy as the terror group withdrew from the Syrian city of Qusayr along the border with Lebanon shortly before rebel forces seized it, Syrian army sources told Reuters.They told Reuters that at least 150 armored vehicles carrying hundreds of fighters left the city in phases. Qusayr has long been a major supply route for the terror group’s arms transfers and flow of fighters in and out of Syria since Hezbollah seized it in 2013 during the early phase of the civil war.Israel has repeatedly hit Hezbollah weapons depots and underground fortifications it had built in the city.The military said it was tracking weapons in Syria and working to prevent them from reaching Hezbollah or any other elements that could threaten Israel.Hezbollah, its patron Iran and its ally Russia all backed the Assad regime. Syria serves as a thruway for Iran to send its weapons to its proxy terror group.Syrian state television aired a video statement Sunday morning by a group of men saying that Assad had been overthrown and all detainees in jails had been set free. Assad’s whereabouts are currently unknown, but reports said he had fled the country.The shock offensive by rebels led by the Islamist faction Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) began on November 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama, the country’s fourth-largest city.Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli of the ruling Likud party advocated for even further action against Syria Sunday, writing on X that Israel should completely take over the buffer zone with Syria that was established in 1974, warning of the ramifications of the fall of the Assad regime.“The events in Syria are far from being a reason for celebration,” Chikli wrote, arguing that the Islamist rebel forces have been rebranded and that, the “bottom line is that most of Syria is now controlled by subsidiaries of al-Qaeda and ISIS.”The good news, he contended, is “the strengthening of the Kurds and the expansion of their rule in the country’s northeast (Deir Ezzor region).”He asserted that “Israel should renew its control of the peak of the Hermon and establish a new defensive frontier based on the 1974 disengagement line — we must not let jihadists entrench themselves near our communities.”Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said it is “more important than ever to create a strong regional coalition, with Saudi Arabia and the Abraham Accords countries, to deal together with the regional instability.”The countries that signed the Abraham Accords normalization deal with Israel in 2020 are the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.Lapid said that “the Iranian axis has been significantly weakened, and Israel should strive for a comprehensive diplomatic achievement” that will also help it deal with challenges in Gaza and the West Bank.The Islamist Ra’am party and the affiliated Southern Branch of the Islamic Movement issued a statement welcoming the collapse of Assad’s “dictatorial regime,” framing it as “a historic turning point in the Syrian people’s journey.”The statement said the Syrian nation has made immense sacrifices to restore its honor after living “for decades under a tyrannical regime that served as a tool for persecution, killing, deportation and violation of rights.”Ra’am added that the developments are a ray of hope for millions of Syrian refugees worldwide to return to their homeland and help “build a new Syria that will highlight the values of liberty and human respect.”

PM says will cooperate with 'any leadership chosen by people'Rebels declare Damascus captured in stunning end to Assad family rule in Syria-People celebrate in streets; Syrian president said to flee, whereabouts unknown; prime minister offers to cooperate; IDF deploys to buffer zone with Syria, bolsters border forces-By Agencies and ToI Staff Today, 9:44 am--DEC 8,24

The Syrian government fell early Sunday in a stunning end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family, after a sudden rebel offensive sprinted across government-held territory and entered the capital in 10 days.Syrian state television aired a video statement by a group of men saying that President Bashar al-Assad had been overthrown and all detainees in jails had been set free.The man who read the statement said the Operations Room to Conquer Damascus, an opposition group, called on all opposition fighters and citizens to preserve state institutions of “the free Syrian state.”Residents were seen cheering in the streets of the capital, as the rebel factions heralded the departure of “tyrant” Assad and “declare the city of Damascus free.”“After 50 years of oppression under Baath rule, and 13 years of crimes and tyranny and (forced) displacement… we announce today the end of this dark period and the start of a new era for Syria,” the rebel factions said on Telegram.Syria’s army command notified officers on Sunday that Assad’s 24-year authoritarian rule had ended, a Syrian officer who was informed of the move told Reuters, following the rapid rebel offensive that took the world by surprise.Residents of the capital reported hearing gunfire and explosions. Footage broadcast on opposition-linked media showed a tank in one of the city’s central squares while a small group of people gathered in celebration. Calls of “God is great” rang out from mosques.Assad, who had crushed all forms of dissent, flew out of Damascus for an unknown destination earlier on Sunday, two senior army officers told Reuters, as rebels said they had entered the capital with no sign of army deployments.BREAKING: Syrian rebel forces say they have captured the capital Damascus and ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, Reuters reports.Live updates: https://t.co/GjA0AnuYPb???? Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/N5v0I933wk— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 8, 2024-Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali said he was ready to cooperate with “any leadership chosen by the Syrian people.”Thousands in cars and on foot congregated at a main square in Damascus waving and chanting “Freedom” from a half-century of Assad family rule, witnesses said.Damascus the first morning after its second independence – it’s true independence.The sense of ecstasy is hard to describe pic.twitter.com/rXH6nJEQPH— Hassan I. Hassan (@hxhassan) December 8, 2024-The dramatic collapse marks a seismic moment for the Middle East, ending the family’s iron-fisted rule over Syria and dealing a massive blow to Russia and Iran, which have lost a key ally at the heart of the region.In one suburb, a statue of Assad’s father, the late President Hafez al-Assad, was toppled and torn apart.Outside the city, rebels swept across the entire southwest over 24 hours and established control.“We celebrate with the Syrian people the news of freeing our prisoners and releasing their chains and announcing the end of the era of injustice in Sednaya prison,” the rebels said, referring to a large military prison on the outskirts of Damascus where the Syrian government detained thousands.DAMASCUS:1000s of prisoners have been freed from Sednaya prison, now flooding the streets, an monumental moment.For many, the frantic search begins, desperate to know if their loved ones are among the living or the lost.Either way, the "human slaughterhouse" is no more. pic.twitter.com/CX1isl9Rqt— Rami Jarrah (@RamiJarrah) December 8, 2024-Syrian rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa said that it was prohibited to go near public institutions that he said would remain under the supervision of the “former prime minister” until they were officially handed over.Footage shared online showed people storming Assad’s abandoned palace in the capital.HISTORIC: Al Arabiya live broadcasts the interior of Assad’s Presidential Palace pic.twitter.com/kABLbpnN4u — Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) December 8, 2024-Syria is free: Syrian people are now entering Assad's Presidential Palace in Damascus. pic.twitter.com/2Owfr55fJX— Clash Report (@clashreport) December 8, 2024-The rapid developments in Damascus come only hours after the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham said they had captured the strategic city of Homs, on the way to the capital.The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday morning confirmed Syrian reports that it had taken up new positions in the buffer zone between the two countries in the Golan Heights, following the fall of the Assad regime.“The IDF has deployed troops in the buffer zone and in a number of areas that are necessary to defend, in order to ensure the security of the communities in the Golan Heights and the citizens of Israel,” the military said in a statement.The move came following a fresh assessment and “the possibility of gunmen entering the buffer zone,” the IDF said. “We emphasize that the IDF does not intervene in the events taking place in Syria,” the military added.The Syrian reports said that Israeli forces had pushed into the buffer zone in the Quneitra area, and launched artillery shells.In addition, The IDF’s 98th Division with the Paratroopers and Commando brigades was dispatched to the Golan Heights as Israel bolstered its defenses on the border.Over the weekend, amid the rebel offensive against the Syrian regime, the IDF said it sent more forces to the Golan Heights.However, there will be no changes to guidelines for residents of the Golan Heights, local authorities said, following a fresh assessment held by the military.Earlier, Army Radio reported that the IDF was considering imposing restrictions on gatherings and schools following the fall of the Assad regime.The Golan Regional Council said in a statement that sounds of explosions may be heard as Israeli forces carry out operations in the buffer zone.Assad’s whereabouts unknown-The head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP that “Assad left Syria via Damascus International Airport before the army security forces left” the facility. The London-based Observatory is of unclear and unreliable resources.AFP was unable to immediately confirm the report.The New York Times reported that screen captures shared on social media purport to show only a single flight leaving Damascus as the rebels moved in. That flight went to Moscow.According to data from the Flightradar website, a Syrian airplane took off from Damascus airport around the time the capital was reported to have been taken by rebels.Other footage appears to show chaos at the airport as staff and security left their posts.At Damascus Airport, Footage captures a scene of complete Chaos as Staff and Security Personnel suddenly vanish, leaving Travelers in a state of Panic, with many running in all directions. Meanwhile, Flights are abruptly Canceled, adding to the Confusion. pic.twitter.com/y2PXHLf1Sk— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) December 8, 2024-Reports of the president having fled were followed by the premier saying he was ready to “cooperate” with a new leadership and any handover process.“This country can be a normal country that builds good relations with its neighbors and the world… but this issue is up to any leadership chosen by the Syrian people,” Jalali said in a speech broadcast on his Facebook account.He said he would go to his office to continue work in the morning and called on Syrian citizens not to deface public property.He did not address reports that Assad had left the country.????????⚡Mohammed Ghazi Al-Jalali Prime Minister of Syria: I am in my home and I have not left Syria. pic.twitter.com/ksbWJJClpM — Lou Rage (@lifepeptides) December 8, 2024-US President Joe Biden and his team were monitoring the “extraordinary events in Syria” and were in touch with regional partners, the White House said.US President-elect Donald Trump has said the US should not be involved in the conflict and should “let it play out.”Separately, Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the Biden administration had no intention of intervening.Assad has for years been backed by Lebanese Hezbollah, whose forces “vacated their positions around Damascus,” according to a source close to the group.Hezbollah “has instructed its fighters in recent hours to withdraw from the Homs area, with some heading to Latakia (in Syria) and others to the Hermel area in Lebanon,” the source also told AFP.Damascus celebrations-Crowds of Syrians gathered to celebrate in the central squares of Damascus, chanting anti-Assad slogans and honking car horns. In some areas, celebratory gunshots rang out.“My feelings are indescribable,” said Omar Daher, a 29-year-old lawyer. “After the fear that he (Assad) and his father made us live in for many years and the panic and state of terror that I was living in, I can’t believe it.”Daher said his father was killed by security forces and his brother was in detention, his fate unknown. Assad “is a criminal, a tyrant and a dog,” he said.”“Damn his soul and the soul of the entire Assad family,” said Ghazal al-Sharif, another reveler in central Damascus. “It is the prayer of every oppressed person and God answered it today. We thought we would never see it, but thank God, we saw it.”An Associated Press journalist in Damascus reported seeing groups of armed residents along the road on the outskirts of the capital and hearing the sounds of gunshots. The city’s main police headquarters appeared to be abandoned, its door left ajar with no officers outside.Another AP journalist shot footage of an abandoned army checkpoint where uniforms were discarded on the ground under a poster of Assad’s face.In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria’s border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Lebanese border officials closed the main Masnaa border crossing late Saturday, leaving many stuck waiting.HISTORIC: Hafez al-Assad statue toppled in Jaramana, just kilometers from Damascus. pic.twitter.com/P1zqNsetDW— Clash Report (@clashreport) December 7, 2024-Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price.The UN said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution.Rapid developments-The pace of events has stunned Arab capitals and raised fears of a new wave of regional instability.Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Russia issued a joint statement saying the crisis was a dangerous development and calling for a political solution.Syria’s civil war, which erupted in 2011 as an uprising against Assad’s rule, dragged in big outside powers, created space for jihadist militants to plot attacks around the world, and sent millions of refugees into neighboring states.Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the strongest rebel group, is the former al Qaeda affiliate in Syria regarded by the US and others as a terrorist organization, and many Syrians remain fearful it will impose draconian Islamist rule.HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has tried to reassure minorities that he will not interfere with them and the international community that he opposes Islamist attacks abroad. In Aleppo, which the rebels captured a week ago, there have not been reports of reprisals.When asked on Saturday whether he believed Golani, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov replied, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”Assad’s long rule relied on allies to subdue the rebels. Russian warplanes conducted bombing while Iran sent allied forces including Hezbollah and Iraqi militia to reinforce the Syrian military and storm insurgent strongholds.But Russia has been focused on the war in Ukraine since 2022 and Hezbollah has suffered big losses in its own grueling war with Israel, significantly limiting its ability or that of Iran to bolster Assad.

Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the Leader of the Insurgency That Toppled Syria's Assad? Associated Press | By KAREEM CHEHAYEB-Published December 08, 2024 at 10:04am ET

BEIRUT (AP) — Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader whose stunning insurgency toppled Syria’s President Bashar Assad, has spent years working to remake his public image, renouncing longtime ties to al-Qaida and depicting himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance. In recent days, the insurgency even dropped his nom de guerre and began referring to him by his real name, Ahmad al-Sharaa.The extent of that transformation from jihadi extremist to would-be state builder is now put to the test.Insurgents control capital Damascus, Assad has fled into hiding, and for the first time after 50 years of his family’s iron hand, it is an open question how Syria will be governed.Syria is home to multiple ethnic and religious communities, often pitted against each other by Assad’s state and years of war. Many of them fear the possibility Sunni Islamist extremists will take over. The country is also fragmented among disparate armed factions, and foreign powers from Russia and Iran to the United States, Turkey and Israel all have their hands in the mix.The 42-year-old al-Golani -- labeled a terrorist by the United States -- has not appeared publicly since Damascus fell early Sunday. But he and his insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS – many of whose fighters are jihadis -- stand to be a major player.For years, al-Golani worked to consolidate power, while bottled up in the province of Idlib in Syria’s northwest corner as Assad’s Iranian- and Russian-backed rule over much of the country appeared solid.He maneuvered among extremist organizations while eliminating competitors and former allies. He sought to polish the image of his de-facto “salvation government” that has been running Idlib to win over international governments and reassure Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities. And he built ties with various tribes and other groups.Along the way, al-Golani shed his garb as a hard-line Islamist guerrilla and put on suits for press interviews, talking of building state institutions and decentralizing power to reflect Syria’s diversity.“Syria deserves a governing system that is institutional, no one where a single ruler makes arbitrary decisions,” he said in an interview with CNN last week, offering the possibility HTS would eventually be dissolved after Assad falls.“Don’t judge by words, but by actions,” he said.Al-Golani’s beginnings in Iraq-Al-Golani’s ties to al-Qaida stretch back to 2003, when he joined extremists battling U.S. troops in Iraq. The Syrian native was detained by the U.S. military but remained in Iraq. During that time, al-Qaida usurped like-minded groups and formed the extremist Islamic State of Iraq, led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.In 2011, a popular uprising against Syria’s Assad triggered a brutal government crackdown and led to all-out war. Al-Golani’s prominence grew when al-Baghdadi sent him to Syria to establish a branch of al-Qaida called the Nusra Front. The United States labeled the new group as a terrorist organization. That designation still remains in place and the U.S. government has put a $10 million bounty on him.The Nusra Front and the Syrian conflict-As Syria’s civil war intensified in 2013, so did al-Golani’s ambitions. He defied al-Baghdadi’s calls to dissolve the Nusra Front and merge it with al-Qaida’s operation in Iraq, to form the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.Al-Golani nonetheless pledged his allegiance to al-Qaida, which later disassociated itself from ISIS. The Nusra Front battled ISIS and eliminated much of its competition among the Syrian armed opposition to Assad.In his first interview in 2014, al-Golani kept his face covered, telling a reporter for Qatari network Al-Jazeera that he rejected political talks in Geneva to end the conflict. He said his goal was to see Syria ruled under Islamic law and made clear that there was no room for the country’s Alawite, Shiite, Druze and Christian minorities.Consolidating power and rebranding-In 2016, al-Golani revealed his face to the public for the first time in a video message that announced his group was renaming itself Jabhat Fateh al-Sham -– the Syria Conquest Front -- and cutting its ties to al-Qaida.“This new organization has no affiliation to any external entity,” he said in the video, filmed wearing military garb and a turban.The move paved the way for al-Golani to assert full control over fracturing militant groups. A year later, his alliance rebranded again as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham -– meaning Organization for Liberating Syria -- as the groups merged, consolidating al-Golani’s power in northwest Syria’s Idlib province.HTS later clashed with independent Islamist militants who opposed the merger, further emboldening al-Golani and his group as the leading power in northwestern Syria, able to rule with an iron fist.With his power consolidated, al-Golani set in motion a transformation that few could have imagined. Replacing his military garb with shirt and trousers, he began calling for religious tolerance and pluralism.He appealed to the Druze community in Idlib, which the Nusra Front had previously targeted, and visited the families of Kurds who were killed by Turkish-backed militias.In 2021, al-Golani had his first interview with an American journalist on PBS. Wearing a blazer, with his short hair gelled back, the now more soft-spoken HTS leader said that his group posed no threat to the West and that sanctions imposed against it were unjust.“Yes, we have criticized Western policies,” he said. “But to wage a war against the United States or Europe from Syria, that’s not true. We didn’t say we wanted to fight.”

Israeli drone kills Hezbollah operative, reports of more strikes in southern Lebanon-IDF says motorcyclist was posing threat to Israeli troops, violating ceasefire, as shaky truce still holds; Lebanese media say five dead, five wounded in separate Israeli airstrike-By Emanuel Fabian-Today, 8:26 am-DEC 8,24

The Israel Defense Forces said it killed a Hezbollah operative in a drone strike in southern Lebanon on Saturday, while Lebanon said a separate Israeli strike killed five people.According to the military, the operative, who was killed while riding a motorcycle in the village of Deir Siryan, “posed a threat to IDF troops deployed to the area, in violation of the agreement between Israel and Lebanon.”The military published video of the strike.In the southern Lebanese town of Beit Lif, the Lebanese health ministry reported five dead and five wounded in an Israeli airstrike.There was no immediate comment from the IDF.Despite reaching a ceasefire ending over a year of fighting with Hezbollah, Israel has vowed to continue carrying out strikes to prevent the ceasefire from being violated, in its words, by Hezbollah attempting to regroup near the Israeli border or rearm.“The IDF continues to be committed to the understandings regarding the ceasefire in Lebanon,” the military said, adding that troops are still deployed to ​​southern Lebanon “and will work to remove any threat to the State of Israel and its citizens.”Meanwhile, troops of the 146th Division located several rocket launchers aimed at Israel, during operations in the western sector of southern Lebanon, the military said.During scans, the troops found and destroyed launchers, mortars, dozens of rockets, ammunition crates and assault rifles, according to the military.A ceasefire that came into effect last month stipulates that the IDF has 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon, where troops have been operating since October to drive Hezbollah from the border region, and cede responsibility for the area to the Lebanese army.An American-led committee is to adjudicate complaints regarding potential ceasefire violations.Hezbollah forces would leave southern Lebanon, and the terror group’s military infrastructure in the south would be dismantled, according to the agreement.The US has also reportedly provided a side letter specifying Israel’s rights to respond to any violations of the deal. The letter is said to include guarantees from Washington that allow Israel reconnaissance flights over Lebanon as long as they do not break the sound barrier.Hezbollah began firing into Israel one day after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught in southern Israel, in support of its fellow Iran-backed terror group, drawing Israeli reprisals and leading to the displacement of some 60,000 residents of northern Israel.Fighting intensified in late September, with Israel killing much of Hezbollah’s leadership and launching a limited ground incursion on October 1 that has seen soldiers search villages for rockets and other arms held by the terror group, and tackle its terror tunnels and other infrastructure.

Syrian rebels take Homs, advance into Damascus as Hezbollah ousted from key border city-Fighters from Iran-backed terror group leave al-Qusayr after holding city along important smuggling route since 2013; insurgents enter Damascus in hopes of completing shock blitz-By AP and ToI Staff Today, 5:23 am-DEC 8,24

BEIRUT, Lebanon — A stunning march across Syria by insurgent rebels accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the gates of the capital Damascus after capturing a key central city of Homs, sending government forces and fighters from the Iran-backed Hezbollah into a hasty retreat. In a sign of the regime’s tenuous grip on power, the government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar al-Assad had fled the country.The loss of Homs was a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus, the capital, and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a strategic Russian naval base.South of Homs, rebels also captured the smaller city of al-Qusayr, which had been held by the Iran-backed Hezbollah since the terror group captured it while fighting in support of Assad. The city sits next to a border crossing with Lebanon considered to be a major smuggling route used by Hezbollah to bring in Iranian arms, with Israel allegedly carrying out a number of strikes in the area, including one late last week.Hezbollah, still smarting after two months of punishing attacks by Israel that wiped out much of the group’s leadership and arsenal, withdrew from al-Qusayr before rebel forces seized it, Syrian army sources said on Sunday.At least 150 armored vehicles carrying hundreds of Hezbollah fighters left the city, the sources said. Israel bombed one of the convoys as it was departing, one source said.There was no comment from Jerusalem. In a statement late Thursday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Israel “is not intervening in the internal conflict in Syria.”he statement came after the army said it would bolster its troop presence along the Syrian border with the Golan Heights as rebel groups moved in on the area. The Israel Defense Forces also said it was helping United Nations peacekeepers on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights repel an attack by gunmen near the town of Hader, close to the Israeli border.The loss of a foothold in Syria would mark a major blow to Hezbollah, which has relied on the country as a main conduit to Iran. Both Tehran and Hezbollah, together with Russia, were key allies that helped Assad repel earlier rebel advances, but all three have hesitated to answer his pleas for help beating back the insurgents.A source close to Hezbollah told AFP that the organization’s fighters had been told to abandon posts in and around Homs and outside Damascus as well. Some were sent back to Lebanon, while others redeployed to Latakia, which Assad is widely expected to attempt to hold on to.Syrian citizens walk in front of the building of the Syrian Central Bank in Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP/Omar Sanadiki)-In Homs, the insurgency announced late Saturday that it had taken over the city. The city’s capture was a major victory for the rebels, who had already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama, as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began November 27. Analysts said rebel control of Homs would be a game-changer.The pro-government Sham FM news outlet reported that government forces took positions outside Homs, Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies withdrew from the city.Thousands of Homs residents poured onto the streets after the army withdrew from the central city, dancing and chanting “Assad is gone, Homs is free” and “Long live Syria and down with Bashar al-Assad.”Rebels fired into the air in celebration, and youths tore down posters of the Syrian president, whose territorial control has collapsed in a dizzying week-long retreat by the military.The fall of Homs gives the insurgents control over Syria’s strategic heartland and a key highway crossroads, severing Damascus from the coastal region that is the stronghold of Assad’s Alawite sect and where his Russian allies have a naval base and air base.Homs’ capture is also a powerful symbol of the rebel movement’s dramatic comeback in the 13-year-old conflict. Swathes of Homs were destroyed by grueling siege warfare between the rebels and the army years ago. The fighting ground down the insurgents, who were forced out.Hayat Tahrir al-Sham commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the main rebel leader, called the capture of Homs a historic moment and urged fighters not to harm “those who drop their arms”.Rebels freed thousands of detainees from the city prison. Security forces left in haste after burning their documents.Residents of numerous Damascus districts meanwhile turned out to protest Assad on Saturday evening, and security forces were either unwilling or unable to clamp down.Rebels later reported entering the capital’s outskirts and facing no resistance from regime forces.It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The UN said it was moving noncritical staff outside thecountry as a precaution.People in the capital rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria’s border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country.Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price.“The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.”The UN’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, called Saturday for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad’s chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.”Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation of a UN resolution, adopted in 2015 and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with UN-supervised elections.Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria.In a statement, the participants affirmed their support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis “that would lead to the end of military activity and protect civilians.” They also agreed on the importance of strengthening international efforts to increase aid to the Syrian people.US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Separately, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser said the Biden administration had no intention of intervening there.The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama, the country’s fourth-largest city.HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaeda, ditching hardline officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance.Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier insurgents entered Palmyra. The city, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites, had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017.To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra, including the main Baath city near the border with Israel, activists said.The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists.” The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south.The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011.Meeting in Qatar, the foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels.Qatar’s top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems.“Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said.

WEEK OF DANIEL 9:27 WE KNOW ITS 7 YRS

The King of Jerusalem[1] was the supreme ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Crusader state founded by Christian princes in 1099 when the First Crusade took the city.Godfrey of Bouillon, the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, himself refused the title of king, and instead chose the title "Defender of the Holy Sepulchre". Thus, the title of king was only introduced for his successor, King Baldwin I in 1100. The city of Jerusalem was lost in 1187, but the Kingdom of Jerusalem survived (also known as the "Second Kingdom of Jerusalem"), moving its capital to Acre in 1191. The city of Jerusalem was re-captured in the Sixth Crusade, during 1229–39 and 1241–44. The Kingdom of Jerusalem was finally dissolved with the fall of Acre and the end of the Crusades in the Holy Land in 1291.After the Crusader States ceased to exist, the title of King of Jerusalem was claimed by a number of European noble houses descended from the kings of Cyprus or the kings of Naples. The (purely ceremonial) title of King of Jerusalem is currently used by Felipe VI of Spain. It was claimed by Otto von Habsburg as Habsburg pretender, and by the kings of Italy until 1946.

Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week:(7 YEARS) and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.

JEREMIAH 6:14
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
JEREMIAH 8:11
11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

 1 THESSALONIANS 5:3
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
 
ISAIAH 33:8
8  The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant,(7 YR TREATY) he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.(THE WORLD LEADER-WAR MONGER CALLS HIMSELF GOD)

JERUSALEM DIVIDED
GENESIS 25:20-26
20  And Isaac was forty years old (A BIBLE GENERATION NUMBER=1967 + 40=2007+) when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21  And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22  And the children (2 NATIONS IN HER-ISRAEL-ARABS) struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went
toenquire of the LORD.
23  And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;(ISRAEL AND THE ARABS) and the one people shall be stronger than the other people;(ISRAEL STRONGER THAN ARABS) and the elder shall serve the younger.(LITERALLY ISRAEL THE YOUNGER RULES (ISSAC)(JACOB-LATER NAME CHANGED TO ISRAEL) OVER THE OLDER ARABS (ISHMAEL)(ESAU)
24  And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25  And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.(THE OLDER AN ARAB)
26  And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob:(THE YOUNGER-ISRAELI) and Isaac was threescore (60) years old when she bare them.(1967 + 60=2027)(COULD BE THE LAST GENERATION WHEN JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AMOUNG THE 2 TWINS)(THE 2 TWINS WANT JERUSALEM-THE DIVISION OF JERUSALEM TODAY)(AND WHOS IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM TODAY-THE YOUNGER ISSAC-JACOB-ISRAEL)(AND WHO WANTS JERUSALEM DIVIDED-THE OLDER,ESAU-ISHMAEL (THE ARABS)

ISAIAH 28:14-19 (THIS IS THE 7 YR TREATY COVENANT OF DANIEL 9:27)
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.

DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.DANIEL 11:36-40
36 And the king shall do according to his will;(EU PRESIDENT) and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS A EUROPEAN JEW) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(HES A MILITARY GINIUS) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds (CONTROL HEZBOLLAH,AL-QUAIDA MURDERERS ETC) with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south(EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR PROTECTING ISRAELS SECURITY) and the king of the north(RUSSIA) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)

MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)(50% OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

DR SAMUEL DOCTORIANS VISION - SECOND ANGEL: MIDDLE EAST
Then I saw that the second angel had a sickle in his hand, such as is used in harvesting.The second angel said: "Harvest time has come in Israel and the countries all the way to Iran."I saw those countries in a few split seconds."All of Turkey and those [inaudible] countries that have refused me and refused my message of love shall hate each other and kill one another."I saw the angel raise the sickle and come down on all the Middle East countries. I saw Iran, Persia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, all of Georgia - Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, all of Asia Minor - full of blood. I saw blood all over these countries. And I saw fire; Nuclear weapons used in many of those countries. Smoke rising from everywhere. Sudden destruction – men destroying one another. I heard these words:"Israel, Oh Israel, the great judgment has come." The angel said, "The chosen, the church, the remnant, shall be purified. The Spirit of God shall prepare the children of God."I saw fires rising to heaven.The angel said: "This is the final judgment. My church shall be purified, protected and ready for the final day. Men will die from thirst. Water shall be scarce all over the Middle East. Rivers shall dry up, and men will fight for water in those countries."The angel showed me that the United Nations shall be broken in pieces because of the crisis in the Middle East. There shall be no more United Nations. The angel with the sickle shall reap the harvest.

DANIEL CHAPTER 9:24-27 EXPLAINED.
24 Seventy weeks (70X7=490 YEARS) are determined upon thy people (ISRAEL) and upon thy holy city,(JERUSALEM) to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.(JESUS ANNOINTED WITH HOLY OIL AS KING OF JERUSALEM FOREVER).
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, (7X7=49 YEARS) and threescore and two weeks:(62X7=434 YEARS) the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.(490-49-434=7 YR PERIOD WERE GOD DEALS WITH ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM (NOT THE CHURCH-THE TRUE CHURCH IS IS IN HEAVEN WITH JESUS FOR THAT LAST 7 YEAR PERIOD.)(DANIEL 9:26-27 IS IN THE FUTURE WHEN GOD DEALS ON EARTH WITH ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM FOR THAT FINAL 7 TEAR PERIOD. WHEN ALL OF ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED BY MESSIAH JESUS.)(AT THE END OF IT)
26 And after threescore and two weeks (69X7=483 YEARS)(ONE 7 YEAR PERIOD UNTIL PROPHECY IS FULFILLED) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince (ROMANS) that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(2ND TEMPLE AND JERUSALEM) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(NOW THE FINAL ISRAEL-JERUSALEM COUNTDOWN FOR MESSIAH JESUS RETURN THE LAST 7 YEARS)
27 And he (HE WHO? HE HERE IS THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE LEADER THAT MAKES THE FINAL 7 YR CONTRACT WITH ISRAEL AND MANY MUSLIM COUNTRIES FOR A 7 YR PERIOD, AND THE EU WILL GUARENTEE ISRAELS SECURITY FOR THIS LAST PERIOD) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: (7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week (3 1/2 YEARS IN) he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, (THIS FALSE MESSIAH OR ROMAN LEADER STOPS THE ANIMAL SACRIFICES IN THE 3RD TEMPLE AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE 7 YR DEAL. A JEW MURDERS HIM WITH A SWORD WOUND AND HE HAS A FALSE RESSURECTION-SATAN INCARNATES IN HIS BODY. AND BRINGS HIM BACK TO LIFE.AND HE THEN SITS IN THE 3RD TEMPLE CALLING HIMSELF GOD AS THE WORLD SAYS HES JESUS REINCARNATED. AND BY THIS FALSE RESURRECTION GOD SENDS THIS STRONG DELUTION ON THE EARTH THAT ALL THE LOST WILL WORSHIP THIS ROMAN LEADER AS GOD AND ACCEPT HIS NAME, NUMBER OR NUMBER OF HIS NAME IN THEIR MICROCHIP IMPLANT. THAT THEY MIGHT BE DOOMED, DAMNED TO THE LAKE OF FIRE FOREVER. WHO WORSHIPS THIS ROMAN LEADER AS GOD.) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.(WARS NON STOP DURING THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR PERIOD. HAMAS DEATH CULT HOSTAGE RELEASE.

Iranian foreign minister meets with Hamas leaders in Doha-Terror group frames Muhammad Darwish as its chief during talks with Iran’s Araghchi, as Hamas leadership again ensconces itself in Qatar-By Jacob Magid-Today, 12:59 pm-DEC 8,24

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Hamas leaders at the terror group’s office in Doha on Saturday for talks on the situation in the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing war there.The Hamas delegation was headed by the group’s Shura Council chair Muhammad Darwish.Darwish sits on the five-member Leadership Council established by then-Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar shortly before he was killed by Israel in October in Gaza.Hamas hasn’t yet named a successor for Sinwar, but the group referred to Darwish as the head of its Leadership Council in a readout Friday, and he is increasingly being framed as a consensus pick for the position.Hamas said in a statement that the meeting discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip, as well as recent meetings between Fatah and Hamas officials in Cairo that reportedly produced an agreement on jointly managing Gaza when the war ended, the pro-Iran broadcaster Al-Mayadeen reported.The West Bank-based Fatah of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has been at odds with Hamas since 2005, when the terror group ousted the PA from Gaza in a bloody coup.#Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi met a number of #Hamas officials in Doha. pic.twitter.com/IW7X1PC3Gv— Iran Nuances (@IranNuances) December 7, 2024-Talks also touched on the West Bank and East Jerusalem — areas the Palestinians want for a future state — and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.The meeting came amid renewed efforts by international mediators to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza that would include the release of hostages abducted from Israel during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that started the war. Amid a recent prevailing atmosphere that a deal could be reached, Qatar confirmed Friday that it would re-embrace its role as a mediator along with the US and Egypt after earlier this year saying it was pausing its activities due to what it said was Israeli and Hamas intransigence.Darwish stressed during the meeting that Hamas is open to proposals “that serve our people’s interests and alleviate their suffering,” according to the report.Araghchi reaffirmed Iran’s backing for the Palestinian cause.After the meeting, Aragchi told reporters that a ceasefire in Gaza has “complications,” Iran’s IRNA news agency said.“There are hopes for progress, but there are also obstacles along with it,” he said.Araghchi earlier participated in a tripartite meeting with the foreign ministers of Russia and Syria to discuss the rapidly unfolding events in Syria.Iranian state-backed outlet Press TV reported that Araghchi accused Israel of fomenting the unrest in Syria, where rebel forces on Sunday captured the capital and declared an end to the Assad regime, a longtime ally of Iran.“The main goal of the Zionist regime is to divert the attention of the region and the world from the focal point of the crisis,” which is Gaza, he reportedly said.Hamas’s hosting of the meeting in Qatar came after US President-elect Donald Trump was said to have asked, via an aide and with a view to making progress in the hostage talks, that Doha recall Hamas leaders who it reportedly expelled due to pressure from the outgoing administration of US President Joe Biden.On Friday, the returned Hamas leaders hosted Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at the terror group’s political office in Doha to discuss the hostage negotiations.A Hamas statement about that meeting also highlighted Darwish as leading the talks.