US aircraft carrier strike group arrives in Middle East

The Political Affairs Department in Liberated Areas -- which is part of the rebel-run transitional authorities -- posted a statement on X on Thursday thanking nations for re-opening diplomatic missions in Damascus.

The statement expressed "thanks and gratitude" to Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman and Italy for re-opening their missions in the Syrian capital.

Turkey and Qatar, the department said, had given assurances that their missions will also re-open in the near future.

"The Syrian people will not forget" the steps taken, the department said. "We are hopeful of building good relations with all countries that respect the will of the people, the sovereignty of the Syrian state and the unity of its territories."

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a Wednesday post to X that the body supports "a smooth transition of power in Syria, with an inclusive political process in which the rights of all minorities will be fully respected."

Ongoing talks should pave "the way towards a united country with its territorial integrity fully reestablished," Guterres added.

"I fully trust the Syrian people to be able to choose their own destiny," he added, noting that special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen "is engaging all key actors to contribute to these objectives."

-ABC News' Jordana Miller

The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved resolutions demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Unlike U.N. Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, though they do reflect world opinion.

The 193-nation body voted 158-9, with 13 abstentions to demand an immediate ceasefire.

A second vote broke 159-9 with 11 abstentions in support of the agency known as UNRWA -- officially the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East -- which Israel has banned from operating on its territory and sought to undermine elsewhere.

The language of the ceasefire resolution adopted by the assembly on a ceasefire mirrors the text of a security council resolution vetoed by the U.S. on Nov. 20, which also demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

The U.S. objected to the resolution because it was not tied to an immediate release of hostages taken by Hamas militants during their Oct. 7, 2023, attack into southern Israel.

-ABC News' Somayeh Malekian

Israel will expedite the construction of a fence along the Jordan-Israel border, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in comments Wednesday.

"We have destroyed and severely damaged Khamenei's octopus arms in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria - I came here to make sure that Iran will not succeed in establishing an Iranian octopus arm on Israel's eastern front; we will quickly build the eastern fence and prevent Iranian plans to smuggle weapons into Israel through Jordan," Katz said while visiting the Jordan-Israel border.

"We will build the fence quickly. And we will ensure protection and prevent the growth of an octopus here in this place - even before it is established and in order to strengthen security and our control over this region of the country," he added.

-ABC News' Ellie Kaufman