The Syrian government collapsed after a surprise rebel offensive.
Rebel forces in Syria captured the capital Damascus and toppled the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in a lightning-quick advance across the country.
As Assad resigned and fled Syria, rebel forces moved into Damascus as citizens celebrated there and in the streets of Aleppo, where the rebel offensive began 11 days ago.
Meanwhile, the ceasefire in Lebanon is holding despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets, which Israeli officials say are responses to ceasefire violations by the Iranian-backed militant group.
The Israel Defense Forces continued its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza, particularly in the north of the devastated Palestinian territory.
Tensions also remain high between Israel and Iran after tit-for-tat long-range strikes in recent months and threats of further military action from both sides.
President Joe Biden is "closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria," White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said in a post on X.
The rebel military operations command in Syria claims the president is no longer in the capital, writing: "We declare the city of Damascus free of the tyrant Bashar al-Assad.”
There is no independent verification of the claim.
The rebel forces, led by group HTS, took over four cities across the country in 24 hours before advancing into the capital.
-ABC News' Kirit Radia
Rebel forces in Syria said they were advancing into the capital Damascus after capturing four other cities in the past 24 hours as a lightning advance by insurgents continued, threatening President Bashar al-Assad's grip on power.
In the early hours of Sunday morning local time, the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, said on the Telegram messaging app, that rebel forces had entered Damascus and reached Sednaya prison, a government facility dubbed the "human slaughterhouse" by the human rights group Amnesty International.
Overall, the insurgent group claimed credit for taking control of four other Syrian cities over the past day -- Homs, Daraa, Queinetra and Sweida -- in a series of rapid advances.
Hamas has released a propaganda Saturday video featuring an Israeli hostage, Matan Zangauker, speaking to the camera.
The video was similar to the one released last week featuring American Israeli hostage Edan Alexander.
Zangauker, was taken captive from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023, along with his partner Ilana Gritzewsky Camhi, according to the advocacy group Hostage Families Forum. Camhi was released last year as part of a hostage deal, Hostage Families Forum said.
"The release of Matan's video, coming just one week after Edan Alexander's, provides further evidence that after more than 420 days in captivity, there are hostages still alive and enduring severe suffering. Through these 420 days of ongoing abuse, malnutrition, and confinement in darkness, the critical need to secure the return of all 100 remaining hostages becomes more urgent with each passing hour," the group said in a statement.
Zangauker's mother, Einav, echoed this request in a statement.
"Any deal that does not return everyone is a death sentence for the rest. Netanyahu: End the war, bring everyone back!!!" she said.
-ABC News' Savir Zyara and Victoria Beaulé
