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Turkey’s Erdogan encourages Islamist rebels to continue advances as Assad regime scrambles to survive

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Turkey’s Erdogan encourages Islamist rebels to continue advances as Assad regime scrambles to survive

JERUSALEM — After Turkey-backed radical Islamist forces seized the pivotal Syrian city of Hama on Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cheered the astonishing military advance of his allies.

“I would say we hope for this advance to continue without any issues,” Erdogan said on Friday, according to a Reuters report.

He added that the capital city of Damascus, where Syrian dictator Bashar Assad resides, is the objective. “The target is Damascus.”

Erdogan continued, “However, while this resistance there with terrorist organizations is continuing, we had made a call to Assad,” referring to his approach to Assad earlier this year to meet and normalize ties after more than a decade of animosity.

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Rebels in northwest Syria seized military vehicles belonging to the regime along the route toward Kweris Airport in the eastern countryside of Aleppo on Dec. 2, 2024. (Rami Alsayed/NurPhoto via APRami Alsayed/NurPhoto via AP)

“These problematic advances continuing as a whole in the region are not in a manner we desire, our heart does not want these. Unfortunately, the region is in a bind,” he said, without elaborating.

Erdogan’s comment about terrorist entities within the ranks of the insurgency are an apparent reference to the U.S.-designated terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the former Islamist Al-Qaeda affiliate that is part of the rebel force. 

Turkey is a member of the American-led NATO alliance. Turkey’s reported support of terrorist groups like Hamas and its purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems has triggered outrage among many U.S. lawmakers.

According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which tracks the civil war in the fractured Syrian Arab Republic, HTS is now within striking distance of the pivotal crossroads city of Homs.

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SOHR reported on Friday that HTS and its allies are a mere one kilometer from the military academy in Homs.

The military training facility in Homs is the largest in the war-torn country.

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The stunning progress of HTS and its coalition partners in their rapid-fire seizure of Syria’s second-largest city, Aleppo, last week and now Hama has upended an already volatile Middle East.  A number of countries within the Fertile Crescent region—Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq—are immersed in wars and conflicts spanning various levels of intensity.

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Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Friday that it is “reinforcing aerial and ground forces in the Golan Heights area” that borders Syria.” IDF troops are deployed along the border, monitoring developments and are prepared for all scenarios, offensive and defensive alike. The statement added that, “The IDF will not tolerate threats near the Israeli border and will thwart any threat against the State of Israel.”

The IDF announced it was reinforcing its border with Syria on the Golan Heights following developments in Syria. (IDF Spokesman’s Unit.)

Another neighboring country, Jordan, reportedly closed its Jabber crossing with Syria as rebel troops closed in on those areas.

Emad Bouzo, a Syrian American physician and a veteran political commentator on Syria, told Fox News Digital, “The images now leaking from Homs are entirely similar to those that came out of Hama hours before its liberation, especially in terms of the large convoys of cars leaving the city, the low morale of the regime’s army, and the demographic composition of the villages and towns separating Homs and Hama, which have long history of opposing the regime. Therefore, it is difficult to predict what will happen in the coming hours and days, although the military balance currently tilts in favor of the Syrian opposition.”

An anti-government fighter covers his ears as a multi-barrel rocket launcher fires against regime forces in the northern outskirts of Syria’s west-central city of Hama on Dec. 4, 2024. (Bakr al Kassem/AFP via Getty Images)

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He continued, “The most likely expectation seems to be that Russia will do what it can to prevent the city from falling to the opposition, and if it cannot do so militarily, it will do what it can to pressure Turkey for a cease-fire so that the regime can catch its breath.”

The expected battle of Homs is a high profile military campaign for the HTS. It will pit the U.S.-classified sponsors of terrorism, Iran’s regime and its ally Hezbollah, against the HTS coalition. 

The U.S. also considers Syria’s regime a state-sponsor of terrorism.

Bouzo said Homs is the “the main transportation hub for Iranian militias.” He noted that Hezbollah controls entire areas, like Talbisehm a town in the Homs province. 

“Homs is also a corridor for the Syrian regime to the Syrian coast, where Russian military bases are concentrated. It also forms the human reservoir for the Alawite sect, on which the Assad family’s rule relies, alongside the Syrian capital, Damascus. Hence, it is expected that the regime, Hezbollah, and Russia will do everything they can to keep this city under their control.”

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A picture taken at the entrance of the Kweyris military airfield in the eastern part of Aleppo province on Dec. 3, 2024 shows a portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and a national flag in the garbage dumpster following the take-over of the area by rebel groups. (Photo by RAMI AL SAYED/AFP via Getty Images)

The power politics of Syria largely pits two Islamist Mideast nations against each other: the Sunni Turkey government versus the Shiite Islamic Republic of Iran. Tehran has backed Assad’s regime since he launched a massive violent crackdown on the growing pro-democracy Syrian movement in 2011.

Former Israeli Ambassador to Jordan Jacob Rosen, who has expertise in Syria’s complex demographics, told Fox News Digital that Iran and Turkey “are the big players who are ex-empires who want to go back to the glory” of their rule over large swathes of the Mideast.”

“If Turkey controls Syria, it can encircle the Kurds,” said Rosen, a fluent Arabic speaker. Turkey has launched attacks over the years against pro-U.S.-allied Syrian Kurdish forces in northern Syria.

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Rosen views Erdogan’s embrace of the HTS offensive on Friday as a warning from Turkey to Iran’s regime. “Don’t do stupid things,” is the message Erdogan is sending Tehran, noted Rosen.

The big question for the U.S., the European Union and Israel is, “Who is going to save Assad?”, Rosen asked.

Russia, the Lebanese terrorist movement, Hezbollah and Iran previously rescued Assad from defeat. However, Russia is consumed with a protracted war in Ukraine. 

Rosen said the re-kindled Syrian revolt against Assad has spread to the southern Syrian province of Daraa—the birthplace of the 2011 revolt. He termed the fast-moving events in Darra as “mini-rebellions” and said some Syrian regime forces defected.

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Fighters enter the Rashidin district on the outskirts of Aleppo on their motorbikes with smoke billowing in the background during fighting on November 29, 2024, as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadists and allied factions continue their offensive in the Aleppo province against government forces.  (Photo by BAKR ALKASEM/AFP via Getty Images)

The stakes are high in Syria and for the heartland of the Mideast. Rosen referenced the late British journalist, Patrick Seale, who authored books on Syria. “The hegemony of the Middle East depends on who will rule Syria,” said Rosen with respect to Seale’s core idea about the importance of Syria for the region.

Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the Islamist leader of HTS, who has a $10 million bounty on his head from the U.S., recently gave an interview to CNN, when he said, “The seeds of the regime’s defeat have always been within it… the Iranians attempted to revive the regime, buying it time, and later the Russians also tried to prop it up. But the truth remains: this regime is dead.”

Rosen summarized al-Golani’s interview as “He wants to appeal to the West. The former ambassador added al-Golani “knows everyone in Syria is not Islamist. For the time being, he is playing it very moderate.”

Bouzo said the media’s focus “on the idea that the opposition fighting the regime are Islamic does not change the fact that the other side is also Islamic militias, but Shiite ones supported by both Iran under [Ali] Khamenei and Russia under [Vladimir] Putin. The Syrian regime itself is accused of committing war crimes against its own people, including the use of chemical weapons.”

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The United States has some 900 troops in Syria as part of a coalition effort to defeat the Islamic State terrorist movement. The U.S. government said it is not involved in the Syrian civil war.

With a view toward the future of Syria, Bouzo said “The truth is that the recent events give the United States, under its new incoming administration, an opportunity to break the deadlock on the Syrian file by pressuring all parties to push toward implementing a political solution through Resolution 2254 and forming a transitional governing body to manage this country, which has suffered enough in the past years.”

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Hyun Bin, Jung Woo-sung Crime Thriller ‘Made in Korea’ Sets Disney+ Debut

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Hyun Bin, Jung Woo-sung Crime Thriller ‘Made in Korea’ Sets Disney+ Debut

Hyun Bin and Jung Woo-sung go head-to-head in “Made in Korea,” a 1970s crime noir that launches Dec. 24 on Disney+ with a two-episode premiere.

The series stars Hyun Bin (“Crash Landing on You,” “Confidential Assignment”) as Baek Kitae, an ambitious KCIA agent in 1970s South Korea who leads a dangerous double life. By day, he works as a government operative, while by night he runs an illegal operation, using his underworld connections to consolidate power, protect his brother and generate substantial revenue for the agency.

Jung Woo-sung (“Tell Me That You Love Me,” “12.12: The Day”) co-stars as Jang Geonyoung, an incorruptible prosecutor determined to bring Kitae down. Woo Dohwan (“Bloodhounds,” “Mr. Plankton”) plays Kitae’s brother Baek Kihyun.

The series is written by Park Eunkyo (“Mother,” “A Normal Family,” “The Silent Sea”) and Park Joonseok (“A Normal Family”), directed by Woo Minho (“The Man Standing Next,” “Inside Men,” “Harbin”), and produced by Hive Media Corp (“Inside Men,” “The Man Standing Next,” “12.12: The Day”).

Following the two-episode premiere, “Made in Korea” will release two additional episodes on Dec. 31, with the final two episodes rolling out weekly through Jan. 14. The series has already been renewed for a second season, which is currently in production.

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The thriller joins Disney+’s expanding slate of Korean drama content that launched in 2025, including “Unmasked,” “Nine Puzzles,” “Hyper Knife,” “Low Life,” “The Murky Stream” and “Tempest.”

The streamer has additional Korean series slated for 2026, including “Gold Land” starring Park Boyoung, “Perfect Crown” starring IU and Byeon Wooseok, and the return of “A Shop for Killers” for a second season with Lee Dongwook and Kim Hyejun.

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Pope Leo XIV says he’s ‘very disappointed’ after Illinois approves assisted suicide law

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Pope Leo XIV says he’s ‘very disappointed’ after Illinois approves assisted suicide law

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Pope Leo XIV said Tuesday he was “very disappointed” after his home state of Illinois approved a law allowing medically assisted suicide.

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Leo, who grew up in Chicago, said he had spoken “explicitly” with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker while the legislation was on his desk and urged him not to sign the bill into law, saying the measure undermines respect for human life from “the very beginning to the very end.”

“Unfortunately, for different reasons, he decided to sign that bill,” Leo told reporters outside Rome. “I am very disappointed about that.”

The Medical Aid in Dying Act, also referred to as “Deb’s Law,” was signed into law by Pritzker on Dec. 12 and allows eligible terminally ill adult patients to obtain life-ending medication after consultation with their doctors.

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Pope Leo XIV met with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker during an audience at the Apostolic Palace on Nov. 19 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Simone Risoluti – Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

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The measure was named after Deb Robertson, a lifelong Illinois resident with a rare terminal illness who had pushed for the bill’s approval.

The law takes effect in September 2026, giving participating healthcare providers and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) time to implement required processes and protections.

Leo said Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich also urged Pritzker not to sign the bill, but his efforts were unsuccessful.

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Pope Leo XIV said he was very disappointed” that Illinois passed a law allowing medically assisted suicide. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images)

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“I would invite all people, especially in these Christmas days, to reflect upon the nature of human life, the goodness of human life,” Leo said. “God became human like us to show us what it means really to live human life, and I hope and pray that the respect for life will once again grow in all moments of human existence, from conception to natural death.”

The state’s six Catholic dioceses have also criticized Pritzker’s decision to sign the bill, saying it puts Illinois “on a dangerous and heartbreaking path.”

Illinois joins a growing list of states allowing medically assisted suicide. Eleven other states and the District of Columbia allow medically assisted suicide, according to the advocacy group, Death with Dignity, and seven other states are considering allowing it.

After signing the bill, Pritzker said the legislation would allow patients with terminal illnesses to “avoid unnecessary pain and suffering at the end of their lives,” and said it would be “thoughtfully implemented” to guide physicians and patients through deeply personal decisions.

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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Medical Aid in Dying Act on Dec. 12, allowing eligible terminally ill adult patients to obtain life-ending medication after consultation with their doctors. (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital has reached out to Pritzker’s office for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Europeans show solidarity with Denmark after Trump’s Greenland threat

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Europeans show solidarity with Denmark after Trump’s Greenland threat

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Exactly one year after Donald Trump first announced his intention to integrate Greenland into US territory on grounds of “national protection”, he’s back for more.

The US president has appointed Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, as the new US special envoy for Greenland with the stated objective of “integrating Greenland into the United States” and repeated the US needs the territory for its national security.

His comments have been taken seriously by EU heads of state and government, who are presenting a united front against what they describe as American expansionist ambitions towards the autonomous territory, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

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France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, both responded to the announcement by reaffirming their support for the integrity of Denmark’s territory.

“Greenland belongs to its people. Denmark stands as its guarantor. I join my voice to that of Europeans in expressing our full solidarity.”

On Tuesday, Trump told reporters the United States “needs Greenland for national security, not for minerals or oil, but national security. And if you take a look at Greenland, there are Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. So, we need this for protection.”

He also chastised Denmark for what he described neglecting the territory, “they have spent no money, they have no military protection, they say Denmark arrived there 300 years ago with boats – we were there with boats too, I’m sure. We’ll have to work it all out.”

Adding to the European voices pushing back on the US ambitions and the criticism of Denmark, Commission Ursula von der Leyen insisted that “territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law”. Despite the tone coming out of Washington, she appeared to refer to the US as an ally in arctic security.

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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez echoed those remarks. “Respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity is central to the EU and to all nations of the world,” he wrote on X. “Security in the Arctic is a priority in which we seek to work with allies and partners.”

The US and Denmark are part of NATO, which is supposed to ensure mutual defence in the event of aggression against one of its members. That principle has never been tested by conflict between members of the alliance if one were to seize territory from another.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has so far remained silent on the issue. During a press conference with Trump in the White House’s Oval Office in March, he also chose not to comment after a question from a journalist.

“When it comes to Greenland, if it joins the US or not, I will leave that outside of me in this discussion because I don’t want to drag NATO into that,” he said.

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