NORTH AMERICA

In the deadliest wave of violence since Syria’s transitional government took power, hundreds of people have been killed or wounded in clashes between security forces and supporters of former President Bashar al-Assad, according to a human rights monitoring group.

The clashes erupted on Thursday in Latakia and Tartous, regions along Syria’s Mediterranean coast where support for Assad remained strong among the Alawite community. Over the past three months, these areas have witnessed sectarian tensions, culminating in this latest round of bloodshed.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) reported on Friday that the death toll since Thursday had surpassed 225.

• Among those killed, at least 100 were Syrian security personnel.
• Another 125 civilians lost their lives when Syria’s Defense and Interior Ministries launched a large-scale security operation across dozens of villages in Latakia, Tartous, and Hama.

CNN has not independently verified these figures and is awaiting official confirmation from the Syrian government.

For the past 17 months, the prospect of a political resolution to the war in Gaza, let alone the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has seemed out of reach. A relentless military campaign has claimed tens of thousands of lives, and harsh rhetoric has dominated the discourse.

U.S. President Donald Trump has characterized Hamas members as "sick and twisted," while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently vowed to "eliminate" the militant group, framing his objective as "total victory."

Yet, on Wednesday, a potential shift emerged. The U.S. government, which has historically refused to engage in direct talks with groups it designates as terrorist organizations, appears to be reconsidering its stance.

“The special envoy who’s engaged in those negotiations does have the authority to talk to anyone,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed to reporters on Wednesday.
“These are ongoing talks and discussions.” Despite Trump’s past rhetoric, including calls to expel Palestinians from Gaza and take control of the enclave, the U.S. now seems open to hearing Hamas’ demands—specifically, in exchange for the release of 59 hostages the group is still holding. 

Amid the devastated landscape of the Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza, Umm Muhammad’s daughter, Hala, scavenges for wood and foam scraps to start a fire.

With no proper housing or infrastructure left, their family of 11 now shelters in a tent, surrounded by the rubble of what was once their home—a grim reminder of the destruction.

Despite their harsh reality, they still have flour, water, and oil, allowing Umm Muhammad to bake bread for her family. But how much longer will this last?

“The food aid is what’s keeping us alive,” she says. “We eat and drink for the whole month from aid. Without that, it will be very difficult… aid makes us live.”
Now, that critical lifeline for Umm Muhammad and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians is at risk as Israel tightens its blockade on Gaza.

On Sunday, the Israeli government announced it would halt the supply of food and humanitarian aid into Gaza, aiming to pressure Hamas into releasing more hostages and renegotiate terms for extending the ceasefire. This move comes just a day after the first phase of the agreement ended, leaving Gaza’s most vulnerable in an increasingly desperate situation.

A senior Hamas official in Gaza has accused U.S. President Donald Trump of "blatant double standards" for demanding the immediate release of hostages still held in Gaza. However, he told CNN that Hamas' direct engagement with U.S. officials is intended to achieve stability in the region.

Mushir al-Masri, speaking from Gaza, made these remarks after the White House confirmed that it had engaged in direct negotiations with Hamas to secure the release of hostages. This marks a major shift in U.S. policy, which had previously avoided direct contact with groups it designates as terrorist organizations.

The comments come at a tense moment, with the Gaza ceasefire under threat. Israel recently blocked crucial humanitarian aid from entering the enclave, in an effort to pressure Hamas into reconsidering its rejection of a revised ceasefire extension proposal.

In an interview with CNN on Thursday, Masri stated:

"Any meetings held with the American side aim to achieve stability in the region, to end the war on the Gaza Strip, and to stop the aggression against our Palestinian people."
 

He further emphasized that:

"Stability can only be achieved through an agreement with Hamas. I believe that meetings with the American side aim to achieve this goal."
 

The last thing Oran Almog saw before losing his sight forever was the shattered glass-covered bodies of his own family members—five of them, killed in a suicide bombing at a restaurant in Haifa.

A Palestinian bomber detonated an explosive belt, claiming the lives of Almog’s father, brother, grandparents, and cousin.

"I remember us sitting down, ordering something to eat. And the next thing I remember is myself lying on the ground," Almog recalled in an interview with CNN

The attack on October 4, 2003, killed 21 people and left 60 others wounded, including Almog, who was permanently blinded.

Now, over two decades later, Sami Jaradat, the man responsible for dispatching the bomber, has been released from Israeli prison as part of the ceasefire and hostage exchange deal between Hamas and Israel in January.

Jaradat is among 1,735 Palestinian prisoners freed under the agreement, which secured the release of 33 Israeli hostages.

While the majority of released prisoners had not been convicted of any crime, and only one-third were convicted of murder or attempted murder, the Israeli government and media often refer to all released detainees as “terrorists”, shaping public perception of the deal within Israel.