In Damascus, Syria’s acting president signed a provisional constitution on Thursday which instates Islamist rule while guaranteeing the protection of all Syrians’ rights for a five-year transitional period. Syria’s interim leaders have faced difficulty asserting their control across the country since Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist former insurgent group, led a swift rebellion that overthrew the long-standing President Bashar Assad in December.
Former HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa has assumed the role of interim president, a decision announced after a gathering of armed factions that participated in Assad’s ousting. These groups simultaneously annulled the former constitution and committed to drafting a new one. Though the end of the Assad family’s over five-decade-long dictatorial reign was welcomed by many, religious and ethnic minorities are wary of the new Islamist leadership, hesitating to allow the new regime to gain control over their territories.
Abdulhamid Al-Awak, one of the committee members appointed by al-Sharaa to draft the temporary constitution, stated at a press briefing that the document retains elements of the former constitution. This includes the requirement for the head of state to be a Muslim and for Islamic law to be the primary source of legal reference.
Al-Awak, a constitutional law scholar from Turkey’s Mardin Artuklu University, noted that the provisional constitution incorporates protections for freedom of expression and the media. He explained that it seeks to “balance between social security and freedom” amidst the country’s unstable political climate and establishes a “strict separation” of legislative, executive, and judicial powers.
Released late Thursday, the temporary constitution defines a People’s Committee that will function as an interim legislative body until a permanent constitution is ratified and elections occur. Two-thirds of its members will be appointed by a committee selected by the interim president, and the remaining third by al-Sharaa himself.
The document pledges a commitment to battling all forms of violent extremism while respecting individual rights and freedoms, affirming the equality of citizens in rights and duties regardless of race, religion, gender, or descent. It defines the army as a “professional national institution,” disallows arms outside its control, and deems “glorifying the former Assad regime” a criminal act.
A new assembly will be tasked with drafting a permanent constitution, though it remains uncertain if the process will be more inclusive of Syria’s varied political, religious, and ethnic demographics.
Earlier in the week, al-Sharaa finalized a historic agreement with U.S.-backed Kurdish-led authorities in northeastern Syria, initiating a ceasefire and integrating their armed factions with the central government’s security bodies. This development followed government forces and their allies quelling an uprising by Assad loyalists the previous week, during which rights organizations report hundreds of civilian casualties, primarily from the Alawite minority affiliated with Assad.
A critical objective of the interim constitution is to outline Syria’s political transition from its temporary phase. In December, al-Sharaa indicated that drawing up a new constitution might take up to three years, with elections potentially delayed up to five years.
The committee for drafting the new constitution was formed after Syria hosted a national dialogue conference last month, advocating the announcement of a temporary constitution and interim parliamentary elections. Detractors critiqued the conference for being hastily assembled and not inclusive of Syria’s diverse ethnic and sectarian communities or civil society.
The United States and European nations remain cautious about lifting sanctions imposed during Assad’s regime, as they seek assurances that the new leaders will foster an inclusive political environment and safeguard minority groups. Al-Sharaa and regional leaders have been appealing for a reevaluation due to fears that the deteriorating economy could exacerbate instability.
On the same day, an Israeli airstrike targeted an apartment building in a Damascus suburb, wounding three individuals, one critically, according to Syrian state media and rescue operations. The Israeli military asserted that the strike aimed at a Palestinian Islamic Jihad command center directing attacks against Israel, and warned of “forceful responses” to the presence of Palestinian militants in Syria.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz asserted that Israel would respond unequivocally to terrorist threats against it, specifying that al-Sharaa would find “air force planes engaged in targeting terrorist operations.”
A Palestinian Islamic Jihad member on-site in Syria confirmed the targeted building as the residence of the group’s leader, Ziad Nakhaleh, although he stated it had been unoccupied for years, with Nakhaleh not in Syria. He reported no fatalities due to the strike, citing the house’s vacancy.
Simultaneously, a Turkish delegation, including high-ranking officials, made an unexpected visit to Damascus following the agreement between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian interim government, and the recent coastal violence outbreak.
Many Syrians displaced by the sectarian conflict continue to seek refuge in a Russian airbase in the Latakia province. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that over 8,000 Syrians, mainly women and children, are being accommodated at the base.
