BETH ZABDAY-AZAKH (IDIL), Tur Abdin — Recent actions by the Department of Zoning and Urban Planning of Idil Municipality involving the sealing and demolition of properties and public structures belonging to Syriac citizens in Beth Zabday (Azakh-Idil) have sparked widespread backlash. A press release published by Melke Karagöl, lawyer of the Idil Virgin Mary Church Foundation, emphasized that these actions of targeting family homes, businesses, and a church guesthouse with continued legal proceedings have led to a sense of intimidation and severe anxiety within the Syriac community.

HASAKAH, Syria — The World Syriac Advisory Council (WSAC) announced its full support for a memorandum of agreement submitted to the Governor of Hasakah by the Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO) and the Syriac Union Party (Gabo d’Ḥuyodo Suryoyo, SUP), describing it as a potential basis for strengthening political and administrative partnership in the governorate at a time when its institutions and administrative structures are being reorganized.

BEIRUT — As Lebanon seeks to emerge from years of war, economic crisis, and political division, MP Razi El Hage has framed the challenge in sharper terms. The issue is no longer only Hezbollah’s weapons, but whether the Lebanese state is capable of reclaiming its authority over decisions of war and peace. In an interview with Suroyo TV Lebanon, El Hage, a member of the Strong Republic bloc, said the continued presence of weapons outside state institutions risks keeping Lebanon trapped in a cycle of conflict.

DARAMSUQ — A delegation from the Levantine National Council (LNC) met with the Italian Ambassador to Syria Stefano Ravagnan to discuss recent developments in Syria and the future role of civil institutions in the country. The meeting was held at the Italian Embassy in Daramsuq (Damascus) as part of the LNC’s efforts to expand its contacts with diplomatic missions and influential international actors in Syria.

SUQAYLABIYAH, Syria — The calm that followed recent violence in the predominantly Christian city of Suqaylabiyah in central Syria has done little to ease residents’ concerns. As arrests continue and young men are summoned for questioning, the focus in the city has shifted from ending the clashes to how the state will manage their aftermath and whether the law will be applied equally to all sides.

By Gazete Sabro Editorial Team The Middle East has been the scene of various conflicts, wars, and international interventions since 1975. Tragedies similar to those that began with the Lebanese Civil War were also experienced during the Anfal campaign and the Halabja massacre amid the Iran-Iraq War. During the First and Second Gulf Wars, the political balance and dictatorships in the region, particularly in Iraq, began to shake and eventually collapse.

SOFIA — The quarter around Sofia’s Zhenski Pazar, literally Women’s Market, is one the Bulgarian capital’s most diverse. The hum of multiple languages, the air carrying the smell of roasted peppers, fresh bread, and ground coffee with cardamom. The market is the beating heart of this diverse neighborhood. Weathered building façades, a few undergoing renovative works and most with their ground level covered in graffiti, radiate a sense of abandonment.

BETH NAHRIN — Repeated attacks by armed men from neighboring Qalaat al-Madiq against the predominantly Christian residents of Suqaylabiyah, Syria, in the Hemto, (Hama) countryside, have become a serious concern, drawing the attention of officials and international human rights organizations that have called for greater protection for Syria’s Christians and guarantees that they can live in security and dignity. The Bethnahrin Women’s Union (Huyodo d’Neshe d’Bethnahrin, HNB) …

SUQAYLABIYAH, Syria — Tensions remained high in the predominantly Christian town of Suqaylabiyah on Tuesday as residents raised fresh concerns over the detention and transfer of young men following violence involving residents of the neighboring town of Qalaat al-Madiq. According to local sources speaking to SyriacPress, the General Security Service (GSS) of the Ministry of Interior (MOI), have begun taking young men from Suqaylabiyah who had been accused by residents of Qalaat al-Madiq and arresting them.

BAGHDAD — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi said Monday that three of five armed factions had agreed to hand over their weapons and had already done so, while negotiations with the remaining factions are continuing. Al-Zaidi made the remarks on Monday during a meeting with Iraqi tribal sheikhs and community leaders. He said his government was working to strengthen state institutions and consolidate their presence across the country, while praising the role of tribes in supporting the state and helping maintain security and order.

HASAKAH, Syria — A joint delegation from the Syriac Union Party (Gabo d’Ḥuyodo Suryoyo, SUP) and the Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO) met with Hasakah Deputy Governor Ahmad al-Hilali to discuss the integration process, mechanisms for its implementation, and the administrative representation of the Suroyo (Syriac–Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people in the governorate’s institutions. The delegation was headed by SUP Co-Chair Sanharib Barsom ADO Deputy Head Bashir al-Saadi.

SUQAYLABIYAH, HEMTO, Syria — Tensions have resurfaced in the predominantly Christian city of Suqaylabiyah in central Syria following clashes with residents of the neighboring town of Qalaat al-Madiq, during which residents, homes, businesses and private property were reportedly attacked. Syrian security forces intervened as the confrontation escalated. However, residents and several Syrian political figures inside and outside the country questioned the nature of the intervention, saying security personnel focused on preventing Suqaylabiyah residents from leaving their homes rather than protecting residents and their property or immediately apprehending those accused of carrying out the attacks.

BEIRUT — Lebanon is running out of time to prevent its confrontation with Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah from escalating into a wider war, Amine Iskandar, President of the Maronite Union–Tur Levnon, warned in a television interview, arguing that the Lebanese state must move beyond political delays and begin exercising its authority on the ground. Speaking on the Lebanese Al Jadeed News program…

TARTOUS, Syria — Three young Alawite men were killed and a fourth wounded late Sunday after gunfire struck a vehicle near the village of Beit Awad, on the road between Safita and Mashta al-Helou in the countryside of Tartous, according to local reports and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The shooting took place on the night of October 4 as the four men were traveling in a car through the area.

DARAMSUQ — Before he became president of the Levantine National Council (LNC), Waddah Khoury says he was simply a son of Khabab, a Christian town in southern Syria that he describes as a “fortress of the Ghassanids.” It was there, he says, that his understanding of belonging was formed. Growing up in an environment closely tied to the land and to the memory of previous generations, Khoury learned to see a homeland as more than a geographical space or a piece of property.

By Hend Fathy | PhD in Syriac Language and Literature, Certified International Trainer, Syriac Language Academy Every year on October 5, the world marks World Teachers’ Day in recognition of the vital role teachers play in educating generations and shaping the future of societies. A teacher is not merely a transmitter of knowledge, but a builder of awareness, a guardian of values, and the bridge through which nations move toward a better tomorrow.

By Hicham Bou Nassif |Weinberg Associate Professor of International Relations and the Middle East and George R. Roberts Fellow at Claremont McKenna College-California What now for the Palestinian cause? In reality, four factors have been working against it for years: First, the expansion of settlements in the West Bank is eroding the geographic foundation of the two-state solution. Around half a million Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, not including settlers in East Jerusalem.

By Ablahad Hanna Saka | Retired educator and member of the Bethnahrin National Council in Iraq On 5 October of each year, we celebrate World Teachers’ Day in recognition of the leading role teachers play in shaping individuals, educating generations, and disseminating knowledge. On this occasion, we proudly remember the Syriac language teachers in the Nineveh Plain and Iraq. They are the ones who carry out a noble mission that goes beyond the traditional boundaries of classroom education to safeguard identity, preserve heritage, and protect historical memory.

By Dr. Amine Jules Iskandar | President of the Syriac Maronite Union – Tur Levnon Under Pope John Paul II, the Vatican contributed to the collapse of the Iron Curtain and the end of communist regimes in Eastern Europe. The pastoral journeys of Pope Leo XIV seem, once again, to challenge the new communism, now cloaked in the guise of an 'open society.'

By Denho Bar Mourad-Özmen | Former Special Educator and Advisor at Sweden’s National Agency for Special Education World Teachers' Day is celebrated around the globe every year on 5 October. It is a day that honors the crucial role teachers have in transferring knowledge and culture, and in the future of society. For the Assyrian/Syriac people, this day carries particular weight.

DARAMSUQ (DAMASCUS) — The Levantine National Council (LNC) and the National Meeting have condemned a series of recent attacks on civilians in several parts of Syria, calling on authorities to strengthen protections for residents, rein in uncontrolled weapons and hold those responsible to account. In a joint statement issued in Daramsuq on Sunday, the two groups said they were following with concern the latest security incidents, including an armed attack on the outskirts of the predominantly Christian town of Suqaylabiyah in Hemto (Hama) province on Saturday evening.

BRUSSELS — Violence in the Christian town of Suqaylabiyah in central Syria has renewed concerns over the security of Christian communities and the ability of the country’s authorities to protect civilians in areas where Christians remain a historic and deeply rooted population. The European Syriac Union (ESU) on Sunday strongly condemned the Saturday evening's violence against residents and property in Suqaylabiyah saying repeated attacks against Christians and their property cannot be dismissed as isolated incidents or allowed to become part of the country’s new normal.

BRUSSELS — A conference organized by the Kurdistan National Congress (Kongreya Neteweyî ya Kurdistanê, KNK) in the Belgian capital of Brussels discussed ways to strengthen the international representation of Kurds and expand their presence within the United Nations system. Participants included academics, experts in international law and human rights, and political figures. The conference sessions focused on the possibility of obtaining observer status at the United Nations, as well as making greater use of existing international human rights mechanisms.

SYRIA — Amid attacks on the Christian town of Suqaylabiyah by people from neighboring villages and areas, including the smashing of shops, homes, cars and public and private property, the Syriac Union Party (Gabo d’Ḥuyodo Suryoyo, SUP) issued a strongly worded statement condemning the violence. “We strongly condemn the attacks and acts of violence that targeted civilians and property in the Christian town of Suqaylabiyah in the Hama countryside, as well as the smashing of shops, gunfire and terrorizing of residents,” the…

SUQAYLABBIYAH, HEMTO (HAMA), Syria — Tensions returned to the predominantly Christian town of Suqaylabiyah in central Syria this weekend, after a confrontation that authorities said involved residents from Suqaylabiyah and the nearby Arab town of Qalaat al-Madiq, prompting a security deployment and renewed demands from Christian representatives for stronger state protection. Syria’s state-run SANA news agency reported on Sunday that security forces had restored calm in Suqaylbiyah after containing a dispute that broke out the previous day and included an attack on a commercial shop.

HOLEB (ALEPPO), Syria — After months of government and international efforts to protect and rehabilitate historical and religious landmarks in Syria’s Holeb (Aleppo) Governorate, particularly sites that sustained extensive damage during the 14 years of war, the church of Mar Simeon the Stylite has reopened following the completion of restoration work and the removal of war remnants. The reopening was announced on 2 October 2026, and the site is now open to visitors and tourists, according to Syria’s Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums.

ANKARA, Turkey — The İmralı delegation of Turkey’s Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (Halkların Eşitlik ve Demokrasi Partisi, DEM Party) met with Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz (Justice and Development Party, AKP) in the capital Ankara to discuss the latest developments in the settlement process, as well as the work of the Monitoring and Evaluation Board and its subsidiary committees.

NORRKÖPING, Sweden — The third edition of the Norrköping Book Fair opened in the Swedish city of Norrköping, bringing together over three days, from 2 to 4 October 2026, writers, authors, cultural institutions and publishing houses from Sweden and several Arab and European countries. The fair is organized by the Assyrian Monitor for Human Rights (AMHR) in cooperation with the Norrköping City Library.

By Ablahad Hanna Saka | Member of the Bethnahrin National Council in Iraq The Syriac and Armenian teachers and educators in Sinjar formed a bright page in the history of education and community service. With their knowledge and educational mission, they contributed to building educated generations while consolidating knowledge, openness and coexistence among the people of Sinjar. These educators carried the message of education with sincerity.

YEREVAN — With the participation of parliamentarians, diplomats, journalists, businesspeople, political experts, humanitarian actors, church representatives, religious leaders, academics and civil society figures from more than 40 countries around the world, the second edition of the “Prayer Breakfast in the Republic of Armenia” forum was held on 2 and 3 October 2026, following the success of last year’s inaugural edition. Representatives of the Bethnahrin National Council (Mawtbo Umthoyo D’Bethnahrin, MUB), and its institutions also took part in the event.

GOZARTO, Syria — The coldblooded murder of Alawite workers and engineers on 30 September near the Masyaf bridge in the Homs countryside is not an isolated incident of violence in Syria. Since the fall of the previous regime in December 2024, the security situation in 2026 in the country remains one of instability, insecurity, and, at times, sectarian violence. The killing of the Alawite workers and engineers is a crime that seems to foreshadow a dark future for Syria as a whole and for minorities in particular.

GAZA CITY — A Christian mother and her daughter were killed together in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City, their bodies pulled from the rubble of their home as neighbors searched through the wreckage. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem identified the women on Saturday as Maysa Khader Ibrahim Abu Daoud (Ayyad) and Mary Hafez Michel Najjar (Abu Daoud).  Their deaths have brought renewed grief to Gaza’s small and increasingly vulnerable Christian community, where churches have become places of refuge as well as worship during the war. 

SyriacPress NINEVEH PLAIN, Iraq — As the United States has completed its military withdrawal from Iraq, Joseph Sliwa, a former member of the Iraqi Parliament and head of the Bethnahrin Patriotic Union (HBA), argues that the departure should be viewed less as a security vacuum than as a test of the Iraqi state’s ability to consolidate control over the country’s disputed and vulnerable regions. 

SYRIA — Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad and his regime, political and military efforts in the country have failed to put an end to the loss of life. Amid continued violence, crimes and violations, various parts of Syria continue to record civilian and combatant deaths, as well as casualties among members of different parties. Multiple sources of danger have continued to threaten residents’ lives, according to figures and statistics documented by the…

HADCHIT, Mount Lebanon — The Syriac Maronite town of Hadchit, whose name in Syriac means “the newly established village,” sits on the edge of the sacred Qadisha Valley in northern Lebanon. It carries within it a rich history in which faith and human resilience are deeply intertwined. Its three main churches are the Churches of Mar Mimas and Our Lady of Al-Shaqif and the Church of the Two Martyrs Mar Sarkis and Bakhos.

By Denho Bar Mourad-Özmen | Former Special Educator and Advisor at Sweden’s National Agency for Special Education  Author’s Note It is time to reconsider the historical place of a number of eminent authors and intellectual figures who, over the course of modern historiography, have been detached from the Assyrian/Syriac cultural context in which their intellectual and literary traditions were formed. Their exclusion from this cultural framework is not merely a matter of terminology; it also reflects broader historical processes through which identities, languages, religious affiliations, and cultural traditions have been classified and interpreted according to categories that do not always correspond to the historical realities of the communities concerned. 

BETH ZALIN, Syria — The Syriac Union Party (Gabo d’Ḥuyodo Suryoyo, SUP) marked its 21st anniversary with a dialogue session on Thursday at its branch headquarters in Beth Zalin (Qamishli), Syria, bringing together party leaders, members, and members of the Suroyo (Syriac–Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community to discuss political developments and the future of Suroyo rights in Syria. The session was attended by SUP Co-Chairs Sanharib Barsom and Shamiram Danho, members of its executive body and General Council, and other interested members of the Suroyo community.

MELBOURNE / CARACAS / BEIRUT — Marmarita’s diaspora communities have elected honorary presidents for 2027 in Australia and Lebanon, while the community in Venezuela has renewed its confidence in its current representative, reflecting ongoing efforts to maintain ties with the predominantly Christian town in western Syria. The Marmarita community in Melbourne announced the election of Fadi Elias Mallouhi as its honorary president for 2027, citing his continued engagement with residents of the town in Syria and abroad.

ANKARA — Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz (Justice and Development Party, AKP) said Thursday that the country’s “resolution process” is moving forward through parliamentary and executive mechanisms, while declining to provide a specific timeline for completing its first phase. Yılmaz spoke to journalists following the opening ceremony of the new legislative year at the Turkish Parliament, where questions focused on Parliament’s agenda, pending legislation, and the framework surrounding what the government calls the “Terror-Free Turkey” process.

CUMBERLAND, Australia — Joseph Rahme, a Lebanese-Australian councillor of Syriac Maronite heritage, has been elected mayor of Cumberland City Council in western Sydney, marking a new chapter in his 14-year career in local government. Rahme was elected unopposed at a council meeting on 30 September 2026, after being the sole nominee for the position. Rahme will serve a two-year term.

NABLUS, West Bank — Archimandrite Ioustinos Mamallos, the Greek Orthodox priest who devoted decades to preserving Jacob’s Well, one of the Holy Land’s historic Christian pilgrimage sites, has died following a prolonged illness, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem announced Thursday. Known simply as Fr. Ioustinos, he served as guardian of the shrine in Nablus since 1980. He dedicated much of his life to restoring the monastery and building the Church of St.

ANKAWA / ARBA’ILO (ERBIL), IRAQ — During a graduation ceremony of the Catholic University in Erbil, archbishop of the Chaldean Church for Arba’ilo (Erbil), Mar Bashar Matti Warda, announced that Chaldean Patriarch Mar Paul III Nona will assume the position of Supreme Chancellor of the university. The decision came after consultation with the relevant parties and the unanimous approval of the nniversity's Board of Trustees.

MZIZAH, Turkey — For decades, many Suroyo (Syriac–Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) villages in Tur Abdin have faced inadequate infrastructure and public services, including education, sanitation, and healthcare. The village of Mzizah is one example, having long lacked a proper sewage network. Suroye residents in Tur Abdin and members of the diaspora have repeatedly called on Turkish authorities to invest in infrastructure that meets local needs and protects communities from the health risks associated with inadequate sanitation.

ANKARA — Feti Yıldız, deputy leader of Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party (Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi, MHP), has outlined the duties of a parliamentary monitoring committee to be established as part of the political process known as the resolution process, which aims to address the conflict with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Yıldız said the committee would oversee the implementation of measures under the relevant framework law, assess developments, and submit recommendations to the appropriate authorities.

QAYA, Syria — George Nema, a Christian originally from the city of Latakia, was found murdered inside his farm in the village of Qaya, near Ras Shamra in the Latakia countryside on Wednesday. The killing has raised concern among local residents, who have called for an investigation to establish the circumstances of the crime and identify those responsible. According to local information, Nema’s body was discovered inside his farm.

BETH ZALIN, Syria — Amid Syria’s ongoing political and cultural transformations, renewed debate is emerging over the future of the (Suroyo) Syriac language and its place in the country’s educational and constitutional systems, with advocates calling for its recognition as an integral part of Syria’s national identity and historical heritage. The Olaf Taw Association for Syriac Language is among the organizations working to preserve and promote the language.

By Suphi Aksoy | Member of the Presidential Committee of the Bethnahrin National Council The village of Qeleth in Tur Abdin contains many sacred sites... monasteries, shrines, churches, and other places of worship. The Tur Abdin region is one of the major centers of worship of saints. From the earliest Christian times, preachers and disciples of the Apostles came to this region to spread their faith.

HMOTH, Syria — Eight engineers and workers from the Alawite community were killed and three others injured in an armed attack targeting a vehicle belonging to Al-Matin Company near Masyaf Bridge in the Al-Houla area of western Hmoth (Homs) countryside, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). Two of the injured were reportedly in critical condition and receiving intensive care.

BAGHDEDE (QARAQOSH), Iraq — For one minute, Baghdede fell silent. Voices stopped, candles were raised, and residents returned to the memory of one of the most devastating disasters in the city’s recent history: the fire that tore through the Al-Haitham wedding hall, killing more than 130 people, including women, children and entire families. Residents of Baghdede, members of the Suraya (Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian) people and Christians gathered for moments of silence and candlelight processions to commemorate the victims.

JARAMANA, Syria — Saint Germanos Scouts in Jaramana, Daramsuq (Damascus), held a circus featuring a range of activities for children and adults across 33 stations, as well as a buffet, face-painting activities, and a prize corner. According to Leader Kamel Aghabi, who was overseeing the circus, this was the fifth edition of the event, organized by the youth of Jaramana Scouts across its various branches.