December 12, 2024: Syria civil war news | CNN

Syria’s new caretaker government said it will cooperate with the United States in trying to locate Americans who went missing in Syria during the Assad regime. It comes after the government announced Thursday that one man believed to be a missing US citizen, Travis Timmerman, was found south of Damascus.

The collapse of the Assad regime has prompted a punishing military response from Israel, which has launched airstrikes at military targets across the country and deployed ground troops both into and beyond a demilitarized buffer zone inside.

Here’s what to know:

Power transition: Syrian rebel leader Mohammad al-Jolani he would dissolve the security forces and “close the notorious prisons” of the toppled Assad regime, according to a written statement to Reuters. Separately, rebel-linked Mohammad Al-Bashir, who has been appointed as the country’s prime minister, reiterated to Italian media that the interim government will only stay until March. A joint delegation from Turkey and Qatar arrived in Damascus for talks with the caretaker Syrian government.

City of Manbij: The Free Syrian Army (FSA), a Turkey-backed rebel coalition in northern Syria, says it is beginning a four-day ceasefire around the city of Manbij — northeast of Aleppo — where it has been fighting the mainly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The US has been concerned that the battles in northern Syrian could imperil efforts to ensure that the Islamic State terror organization does not find a foothold in the region.

US officials in the region: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Jordanian King Abdullah II. He discussed the US’ support for “an inclusive transition” to a new government in Syria with the king, according to a readout. He also intends to meet with Turkey’s president and foreign minister. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met in Jerusalem to discuss events in Syria, according to the prime minister’s office.

American found in Damascus: A man identifying himself as US citizen Travis Timmerman, believed to be a missing Missouri man, has been found in Damascus. He told CBS News, that he had been detained in a Syrian prison for seven months after entering the country without permission, having crossed its border with Lebanon. He said he had decided to travel to Syria for “spiritual purposes.” Blinken, without providing any details, said the US is working to bring the man home.

Another missing American: Syria’s new caretaker governor said that efforts were ongoing to locate American citizen Austin Tice, a journalist who was abducted in 2012 and was believed held by the Syrian government.

Israeli strikes: Israel sent troops into the “buffer zone” between Israel and Syria and has struck Syrian air bases, ports, and weapons stockpiles across the country. Blinken said the US is speaking with Israel directly about its military actions in Syria to “make sure that we’re not sparking any additional conflicts.”

Meanwhile in Gaza: Hamas and Israel are “talking seriously” about a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza, a diplomatic source familiar with the matter told CNN. It comes as health authorities in Gaza say nearly 40 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes overnight and early Thursday.