Syria live updates: US embassy says situation 'volatile,' urges citizens to leave

Former Syrian President Bashar Assad on Monday released his first statement since the collapse of his regime, posting a statement to the presidency's official Telegram channel.

"My departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur in the final hours of the battles," Assad said. "As terrorist forces infiltrated Damascus, I moved to Latakia in coordination with our Russian allies to oversee combat operations."

"Upon arrival at the Khmeimim air base that morning, it became clear that our forces had completely withdrawn from all battle lines and that the last army positions had fallen," the statement continued.

"As the field situation in the area continued to deteriorate, the Russian military base itself came under intensified attack by drone strikes."

"With no viable means of leaving the base, Moscow requested that the base's command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia," Assad wrote.

"This took place a day after the fall of Damascus, following the collapse of the final military positions and the resulting paralysis of all state institutions," he added.

-ABC News' Somayeh Malekian, Ghazi Balkiz and Joe Simonetti

A series of Israeli airstrikes across Gaza over the weekend and into Monday morning pushed the total death toll in the strip since Oct. 7, 2023, to more than 45,000 people, according to data from the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

Per ministry figures, more than 2% of Gaza's total pre-war residents of 2.23 million people have been killed in 14 months of conflict with Israel.

-ABC News' Joe Simonetti

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that his nation has no interest in conflict with the incoming Syrian government, though indicated that Israeli airstrikes and occupation of Syrian territory will continue.

"We have no interest in a conflict with Syria," Netanyahu said in a statement. "We will determine Israeli policy regarding Syria according to the reality on the ground."

"I recall that for decades Syria was an active enemy state toward Israel," he said. "It has attacked us repeatedly."

Speaking of former President Bashar Assad's close ties with Iran and its proxies, Netanyahu continued, "It allowed others to attack us from its territory. It allowed Iran to arm Hezbollah through its territory."

The prime minister issued the statement after another night of heavy airstrikes across Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday there have been around 473 Israeli airstrikes on the country since Assad's fall on Dec. 8.

"Over the course of several days, we have destroyed the capabilities that the Assad regime took decades to build," Netanyahu said. "We have also struck the weapons supply routes through Syria to Hezbollah."

Netanyahu said he and Defense Minister Israel Katz had instructed the Israel Defense Forces "to thwart the potential threats from Syria and prevent terrorist elements from taking control close to our border," a reference to Israeli occupation of a buffer zone between the two nations established in a 1974 peace deal.

"We are committed to preventing the rearming of Hezbollah," Netanyahu said. "This is a prolonged test for Israel, which we must meet, and which we will meet. I unequivocally declare to Hezbollah and to Iran: In order to prevent you from attacking us, we will continue to take action against you as necessary, in every arena and at all times."

Over the weekend, Netanyahu's government also approved a plan to double the territory of the Golan Heights, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967 but is still recognized as Syrian territory by the vast majority of the international community.

"We will continue to hold onto it, cause it to blossom and settle in it," Netanyahu said.

Israel unilaterally annexed the strategic area -- which overlooks Damascus from the southwest -- in 1981. The U.S. recognized Israeli sovereignty over the region in 2019.

-ABC News' Joe Simonetti

The U.S. Embassy in Damascus -- which suspended operations in 2012 -- said in a Monday post to X that the "security situation in Syria continues to be volatile and unpredictable with armed conflict and terrorism throughout the country."

U.S. citizens, it said, "should depart Syria if possible. U.S. citizens who are unable to depart should prepare contingency plans for emergency situations and be prepared to shelter in place for extended periods."

U.S. officials have said they are in touch with the most prominent rebel groups now building a transition government after toppling former president Bashar Assad's regime, but the eventual shape of U.S.-Syrian relations remains unclear.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham -- the most prominent of the rebel groupings -- has roots in al-Qaeda and is still listed as a terrorist organization in the U.S. and European Union. Its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, is still the subject of a $10 million U.S. bounty.

The U.S. government "is unable to provide any routine or emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in Syria," the embassy said. "U.S. citizens in Syria who are in need of emergency assistance to depart should contact the U.S. Embassy in the country they plan to enter."

The embassy urged citizens in Syria to be "prepared to shelter in place should the situation deteriorate" and to ensure access to all required travel documents.