Natacha Danon
@natachadanon.bsky.social
Programs Manager @SyriaDirect.bsky.social | Telling Syrian stories with eyes on Palestine
Pinned
NEW: Israel’s invasion of Syria’s south has given it greater control over vital water resources in the region, disrupting agriculture and farming in the Houran area, reports Natacha Danon for @newlinesmag.bsky.social.
newlinesmag.com/spotlight/is...
newlinesmag.com/spotlight/is...
Israel Wages War for Land and Water in Syria's South
The invasion following the collapse of the Assad regime has had a devastating impact on locals’ livelihoods
newlinesmag.com
The story of farmers in southwest Syria, swathes of which Israeli forces have seized since the fall of the al-Assad regime, echoes that of Palestinian farmers across the border, as they fight for their lands and their livelihoods. My latest for @newlinesmag.
Reposted by Natacha Danon
🧵 The first trial of hundreds of suspects accused of involvement in killings on Syria’s Alawite-majority coast began on Tuesday, marking the start of a closely watched and unprecedented accountability process.
🔗 bit.ly/47MsF4P
🔗 bit.ly/47MsF4P
November 18, 2025 at 6:02 PM
🧵 The first trial of hundreds of suspects accused of involvement in killings on Syria’s Alawite-majority coast began on Tuesday, marking the start of a closely watched and unprecedented accountability process.
🔗 bit.ly/47MsF4P
🔗 bit.ly/47MsF4P
My piece for @thenewarab.bsky.social on what the PKK withdrawal from Turkey could mean for its presence in Syria and Iraq.
www.newarab.com/analysis/wha...
www.newarab.com/analysis/wha...
What the PKK’s exit from Turkey means for the Middle East
As the PKK withdraws fighters from Turkey, could the group double down on its presence in Iraq and Syria?
www.newarab.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:39 PM
My piece for @thenewarab.bsky.social on what the PKK withdrawal from Turkey could mean for its presence in Syria and Iraq.
www.newarab.com/analysis/wha...
www.newarab.com/analysis/wha...
Reposted by Natacha Danon
Diminished by drought, the olive harvest is underway in Syria’s Kurdish-majority Afrin. Residents report fewer violations than in years past, but remain wary of the new authorities.
✍️ @natachadanon.bsky.social
syriadirect.org/with-olive-h...
✍️ @natachadanon.bsky.social
syriadirect.org/with-olive-h...
With olive harvest underway, obstacles remain for Afrin residents
Diminished by drought, the olive harvest is underway in Syria’s Kurdish-majority Afrin. Residents report fewer violations than in years past, but remain wary of the new authorities.
syriadirect.org
October 28, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Diminished by drought, the olive harvest is underway in Syria’s Kurdish-majority Afrin. Residents report fewer violations than in years past, but remain wary of the new authorities.
✍️ @natachadanon.bsky.social
syriadirect.org/with-olive-h...
✍️ @natachadanon.bsky.social
syriadirect.org/with-olive-h...
Despite Russia's direct role in the Syrian conflict, Damascus and Moscow are seeking renewed ties based on mutual strategic interests in an international context where both have limited if any recognition from the West. My latest for @syriadirect.bsky.social.
🧵 Why is Damascus pursuing a rapprochement with Moscow despite its unpopularity, and how might it strike a balance between Syrian public opinion and strategic interests?
🔗 bit.ly/4qlY5pZ
🔗 bit.ly/4qlY5pZ
October 22, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Despite Russia's direct role in the Syrian conflict, Damascus and Moscow are seeking renewed ties based on mutual strategic interests in an international context where both have limited if any recognition from the West. My latest for @syriadirect.bsky.social.
In Syria’s Hama province, thousands of displaced Alawites are unable to return to houses and lands now occupied by their former Sunni neighbors, whose own homes were destroyed. With property disputes unresolved and pistachio orchards neglected, social cohesion and the local economy risk collapse.
“We left without anything but the clothes on our back, and we returned to nothing.”
Natacha Danon reports on how reconciliation has faltered in Syria, leaving displaced Alawites barred from their homes and pistachio orchards sliding into ruin.
Natacha Danon reports on how reconciliation has faltered in Syria, leaving displaced Alawites barred from their homes and pistachio orchards sliding into ruin.
Stalled Reconciliation Leaves Hama’s Alawites in Limbo
As Syria’s sectarian wounds reopen in the wake of Assad’s fall, displaced families find themselves unable to return
newlinesmag.com
October 14, 2025 at 9:29 AM
In Syria’s Hama province, thousands of displaced Alawites are unable to return to houses and lands now occupied by their former Sunni neighbors, whose own homes were destroyed. With property disputes unresolved and pistachio orchards neglected, social cohesion and the local economy risk collapse.
“You get the sense that they’re just checking boxes,” Rana Ali, a feminist and human rights activist, told me. She was disqualified from running as a parliamentary candidate from her home district of Nabek on unknown grounds.
As Syria holds its first post-Assad parliamentary elections, some express support for the indirect electoral process, while others criticize its lack of transparency.
🔗 bit.ly/4pWMBZO
🔗 bit.ly/4pWMBZO
October 5, 2025 at 9:17 PM
“You get the sense that they’re just checking boxes,” Rana Ali, a feminist and human rights activist, told me. She was disqualified from running as a parliamentary candidate from her home district of Nabek on unknown grounds.
My latest for @thenewarab.bsky.social on the future of Palestinian factions in exile. As one former leader in Islamic Jihad told me, “resistance must come from within Palestine.”
The disarmament of factions in Lebanon and Syria could mark the end of a long legacy of resistance that once defined the Palestinian struggle in exile ⬇️
What is the future of Palestinian armed groups in exile?
The disarmament of factions in Lebanon and Syria could mark the end of a long legacy of resistance that once defined the Palestinian struggle in exile
www.newarab.com
September 18, 2025 at 4:24 PM
My latest for @thenewarab.bsky.social on the future of Palestinian factions in exile. As one former leader in Islamic Jihad told me, “resistance must come from within Palestine.”
My latest reporting from the Damascus suburbs of al-Somoriyeh on the controversial eviction of an Alawite slum, which will mark the first real test on property rights for the nascent Syrian administration. ⬇️
🧵 A violent eviction raid on the Alawite slum of al-Somoriyeh in late August was part of a deeper story: a longstanding property dispute with the neighboring Sunni town of Moadamiyat al-Sham, whose residents were expropriated under Hafez al-Assad.
🔗 bit.ly/3IgyyNz
🔗 bit.ly/3IgyyNz
September 10, 2025 at 6:22 PM
My latest reporting from the Damascus suburbs of al-Somoriyeh on the controversial eviction of an Alawite slum, which will mark the first real test on property rights for the nascent Syrian administration. ⬇️
My latest for @thenewarab.bsky.social on what the impacts of the latest sectarian violence in Sweida could mean for northeast Syria.
As the dust settles in Suweida, growing fears among Syria's Kurds may harden their demands for decentralisation and a refusal to surrender their weapons
Suweida’s shadow: Why Syria’s Kurds may rethink their future
As the dust settles in Suweida, growing fears among Syria’s Kurds may harden their demands for decentralisation and a refusal to surrender their weapons
www.newarab.com
August 5, 2025 at 11:18 AM
My latest for @thenewarab.bsky.social on what the impacts of the latest sectarian violence in Sweida could mean for northeast Syria.
Reposted by Natacha Danon
🧵 Activists in Suwayda who were once open to the Damascus government weigh in on how their views have changed following a wave of sectarian violence—and whether any path forward remains.
🔗 bit.ly/4fb5NhB
🔗 bit.ly/4fb5NhB
July 25, 2025 at 5:58 PM
🧵 Activists in Suwayda who were once open to the Damascus government weigh in on how their views have changed following a wave of sectarian violence—and whether any path forward remains.
🔗 bit.ly/4fb5NhB
🔗 bit.ly/4fb5NhB
Reposted by Natacha Danon
🧵 As Europe navigates Syria’s post-Assad reality, will it walk in the US’ footsteps or chart a course of its own?
🔗 bit.ly/3GVV25W
🔗 bit.ly/3GVV25W
July 21, 2025 at 4:47 PM
🧵 As Europe navigates Syria’s post-Assad reality, will it walk in the US’ footsteps or chart a course of its own?
🔗 bit.ly/3GVV25W
🔗 bit.ly/3GVV25W
Reposted by Natacha Danon
🧵 In the ruins of what was once widely regarded as the capital of the Palestinian diaspora, returnees to Syria’s Yarmouk camp are doing what they can to rebuild their lives.
🔗 bit.ly/409e13q
🔗 bit.ly/409e13q
July 9, 2025 at 4:07 PM
🧵 In the ruins of what was once widely regarded as the capital of the Palestinian diaspora, returnees to Syria’s Yarmouk camp are doing what they can to rebuild their lives.
🔗 bit.ly/409e13q
🔗 bit.ly/409e13q
Reposted by Natacha Danon
🧵 President Donald Trump signed an executive order lifting most US sanctions on Syria this week, cementing a sea change in his country’s approach to Damascus. What explains the shift, and what could future US policy look like?
🔗 bit.ly/4kngqP0
🔗 bit.ly/4kngqP0
July 4, 2025 at 5:56 PM
🧵 President Donald Trump signed an executive order lifting most US sanctions on Syria this week, cementing a sea change in his country’s approach to Damascus. What explains the shift, and what could future US policy look like?
🔗 bit.ly/4kngqP0
🔗 bit.ly/4kngqP0
Reposted by Natacha Danon
🧵 With dwindling aid and delays in registering informally with the UNHCR, tens of thousands of newly arrived Syrian refugees in Lebanon are largely on their own.
🔗 bit.ly/4kXhv0V
🔗 bit.ly/4kXhv0V
June 5, 2025 at 4:01 PM
🧵 With dwindling aid and delays in registering informally with the UNHCR, tens of thousands of newly arrived Syrian refugees in Lebanon are largely on their own.
🔗 bit.ly/4kXhv0V
🔗 bit.ly/4kXhv0V
My latest reporting from Homs, which has become a hotspot for extrajudicial killings of former members of the regime and sectarian violence against civilians, with the participation of the state security services, according to eyewitnesses.
🧵 As transitional justice remains out of reach, hundreds of extrajudicial killings—predominantly of Alawites—have taken place in central Syria since the start of the year, with state security forces accused of involvement in some cases.
🔗 bit.ly/44BUs6Z
🔗 bit.ly/44BUs6Z
May 9, 2025 at 8:35 PM
My latest reporting from Homs, which has become a hotspot for extrajudicial killings of former members of the regime and sectarian violence against civilians, with the participation of the state security services, according to eyewitnesses.
The story of farmers in southwest Syria, swathes of which Israeli forces have seized since the fall of the al-Assad regime, echoes that of Palestinian farmers across the border, as they fight for their lands and their livelihoods. My latest for @newlinesmag.
NEW: Israel’s invasion of Syria’s south has given it greater control over vital water resources in the region, disrupting agriculture and farming in the Houran area, reports Natacha Danon for @newlinesmag.bsky.social.
newlinesmag.com/spotlight/is...
newlinesmag.com/spotlight/is...
Israel Wages War for Land and Water in Syria's South
The invasion following the collapse of the Assad regime has had a devastating impact on locals’ livelihoods
newlinesmag.com
May 5, 2025 at 11:20 AM
The story of farmers in southwest Syria, swathes of which Israeli forces have seized since the fall of the al-Assad regime, echoes that of Palestinian farmers across the border, as they fight for their lands and their livelihoods. My latest for @newlinesmag.
“The [Aleppo] agreement represents confidence-building between the Autonomous Administration and the government in Damascus,” said Ahmad Araj, the head of a party that is part of the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces. “It will cover all Autonomous Administration areas if it succeeds.”
🧵 An SDF-Damascus agreement is underway in Aleppo’s Kurdish neighborhoods, which could serve as a proving ground for the success of a broader agreement in northern Syria.
🔗 bit.ly/421ExwV
🔗 bit.ly/421ExwV
April 8, 2025 at 6:02 AM
“The [Aleppo] agreement represents confidence-building between the Autonomous Administration and the government in Damascus,” said Ahmad Araj, the head of a party that is part of the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces. “It will cover all Autonomous Administration areas if it succeeds.”
Reposted by Natacha Danon
📸 Syrian-Palestinians gathered in Yarmouk to commemorate the revolution and regime siege of the camp on Friday, then joined a demonstration in Umayyad Square to denounce Israel’s incursion and attacks in southern Syria.
✍️ @natachadanon.bsky.social
bit.ly/3Y43hSM
✍️ @natachadanon.bsky.social
bit.ly/3Y43hSM
March 28, 2025 at 5:34 PM
📸 Syrian-Palestinians gathered in Yarmouk to commemorate the revolution and regime siege of the camp on Friday, then joined a demonstration in Umayyad Square to denounce Israel’s incursion and attacks in southern Syria.
✍️ @natachadanon.bsky.social
bit.ly/3Y43hSM
✍️ @natachadanon.bsky.social
bit.ly/3Y43hSM
Reposted by Natacha Danon
🧵 As Tel Aviv projects itself as the protector of Syria’s Druze, hate speech against the community has propagated, despite the stance of many Druze activists against Israel.
🔗 bit.ly/4ipdCRz
🔗 bit.ly/4ipdCRz
![Syrians protest Israeli interference in Syria at a demonstration in Druze-majority Suwayda city. One demonstrator holds a sign reading “Netanyahu, you supporter of the [Assad] barrel bomb regime, leave the minorities alone." The Arabic separates Netanyahu's name into "Netan" and "Yahu," a play on words that could be translated as "Nasty [Netan]yahu."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ne23on3oajvgm3mfaswhg375/bafkreibuaunt73h7box54bsj3zsb37zpxtmlvqnhkuvrcsetefhnas26ey@jpeg)
March 21, 2025 at 4:48 PM
🧵 As Tel Aviv projects itself as the protector of Syria’s Druze, hate speech against the community has propagated, despite the stance of many Druze activists against Israel.
🔗 bit.ly/4ipdCRz
🔗 bit.ly/4ipdCRz
Syrians in the Druze-majority province of Suwayda chant in support of Syrian unity following the conclusion of an agreement between Damascus and the US-backed SDF to integrate forces.
March 11, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Syrians in the Druze-majority province of Suwayda chant in support of Syrian unity following the conclusion of an agreement between Damascus and the US-backed SDF to integrate forces.
Syrians in the Druze-majority province of Suwayda gather in Dignity Square to denounce the killing of civilians on the Syrian coast over the weekend as former regime elements clashed with government security forces.
March 9, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Syrians in the Druze-majority province of Suwayda gather in Dignity Square to denounce the killing of civilians on the Syrian coast over the weekend as former regime elements clashed with government security forces.
“The National Dialogue should not end today,” Sawsan Abu Zeineddin, executive director of the civil society network Madaniya, said. There should be “should be a dialogue process that extends over a sufficient period of time…to allow broader participation."
My latest for @syriadirect.bsky.social.
My latest for @syriadirect.bsky.social.
🧵 Syrian women who participated in this week’s national dialogue conference in Damascus reflect on the event, its outcomes and the women’s participation.
🔗 bit.ly/4gZXd4f
🔗 bit.ly/4gZXd4f
February 27, 2025 at 9:07 PM
“The National Dialogue should not end today,” Sawsan Abu Zeineddin, executive director of the civil society network Madaniya, said. There should be “should be a dialogue process that extends over a sufficient period of time…to allow broader participation."
My latest for @syriadirect.bsky.social.
My latest for @syriadirect.bsky.social.
Syrians are forced to weigh between two difficult futures in Syria and Lebanon. Tens of thousands of Syrians who fled during Israel’s offensive are returning to Lebanon, alongside new arrivals, despite a growing crackdown on refugees.
My latest: bit.ly/4hT6VqD
My latest: bit.ly/4hT6VqD
February 26, 2025 at 7:14 AM
Syrians are forced to weigh between two difficult futures in Syria and Lebanon. Tens of thousands of Syrians who fled during Israel’s offensive are returning to Lebanon, alongside new arrivals, despite a growing crackdown on refugees.
My latest: bit.ly/4hT6VqD
My latest: bit.ly/4hT6VqD
Among those most impacted by the #USAID funding freeze are organizations working on media, transitional justice and human rights, as they don't qualify for the humanitarian waiver issues by Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week.
🧵 As the Trump administration slashes foreign aid, Syrian civil society is left reeling at a time when it's most needed.
🔗 bit.ly/4aJBYlI
🔗 bit.ly/4aJBYlI
February 5, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Among those most impacted by the #USAID funding freeze are organizations working on media, transitional justice and human rights, as they don't qualify for the humanitarian waiver issues by Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week.
If HTS can prove itself to be a partner in the fight against ISIS, as recent intelligence sharing from the US to thwart an ISIS attack has indicated, there may be American pressure on the SDF - whose raison d'être in Washington's eyes is as a bulwark against ISIS - to negotiate with Damascus.
January 25, 2025 at 12:01 PM
If HTS can prove itself to be a partner in the fight against ISIS, as recent intelligence sharing from the US to thwart an ISIS attack has indicated, there may be American pressure on the SDF - whose raison d'être in Washington's eyes is as a bulwark against ISIS - to negotiate with Damascus.