Weekly Highlights 04.01.26 - 11.01.26 [Content Warning: descriptions of war violence]

📌 Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh resistance against Damascus attacks in Aleppo
After constant pressure, blockade and low-intensity attacks from regime forces on Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh during 2025, last two months saw these attacks escalate. Intense attacks on the two neighborhoods began since the end of December and became especially heavy in the first days of January. Since January 6th a major offensive took place, involving thousands of combatants from different brigades, most of them affiliated with the Turkish state; tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, various types of heavy weapons and munitions including gas bombs, as well as support by Turkish drones.
Internal Security Forces (Asayish) organized defense and led the resistance of the neighborhoods. After its initial attacks, the Damascus forces pushed for full displacement of the neighborhood. The General Council of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods refused to surrender and leave Aleppo, chose the resistance and called for general mobilization. As a response to that decision, a civilian convoy from most cities of NE Syria came together and headed towards Aleppo, aiming to support the resistance.
The number of people who gave their lives in fighting, were injured or are missing is currently unknown. There are reports, messages and videos of fierce resistance and organized self-defense of the neighborhoods, where defenders of the neighborhoods are explaining the situation on the ground, singing, fighting and dancing. At the same time there are many evidences of hundreds of Kurdish people being kidnapped, footages of executions and tortures, mutilations of bodies of fallen female and male Kurdish fighters.
The fighting culminated towards January 9th and 10th, when civilians went to the Khalid Al-Fajr Hospital to help treating the wounded and take refuge. Turkish-backed groups shelled and attacked the hospital dozens of times.
On January 11th a partial ceasefire was reached in order to evacuate the wounded, civilians, children and women, as well as bodies of fallen defenders of the neighborhoods. The general mobilization brought protesters to the streets of Bashur and Bakur (Southern and Northern Kurdistan), European cities and across the northeast Syria. In Turkey and Northern Kurdistan clashes with the police took place.

📌 EU promise 620 millions for Syria
According to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the European Union is set to provide Syria with 620 million euros this year and next, aimed at post-war recovery, bilateral support, and humanitarian assistance.
During her visit to Damascus on friday 9, she noted, "After years of devastation under the Assad regime, Syria's recovery and reconstruction needs are immense." Von der Leyen expressed the EU's intention to initiate discussions on renewing a cooperation agreement with Syria and to establish a new political partnership. Last year, the EU lifted economic sanctions on Syria following the fall of Assad.
Von der Leyen also highlighted the recent clashes in Aleppo between government forces and Kurdish fighters, calling it "worrisome" and emphasizing the urgent need for continued dialogue among all parties involved.

📌 Israel-Syria intelligence agreements
Following US-mediated discussions in Paris, on January 6, Israel and Syria agreed to establish a US-supervised "fusion mechanism" for intelligence coordination. The United States, Israel, and Syria would create a joint "fusion mechanism" to oversee intelligence sharing, border de-escalation, diplomacy, and commercial matters.
No timeline has been provided for the implementation of the mechanism.
A senior US official stated that this mechanism will facilitate further demilitarization discussions, and outline the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area. He also added that the Israel Occupation Forces (IOF) and the Syrian military will stop all military activities in southern Syria until the details of the "fusion mechanism" are finalized.