The Lebanese Prime Minister meets the Syrian President

On Saturday, the Lebanese Prime Minister headed to the Syrian capital, Damascus, on his first official visit to meet the new government there, after clashes along the common border between the two countries led to the injury of a number of Lebanese soldiers last week.

On Saturday afternoon, Prime Minister Najib Mikati made a phone call with the Prime Minister of the new Syrian government, Ahmed Al-Sharaa. According to To the office of the Lebanese Prime Minister. Mr. Sharaa leads Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist group that led the blitz that toppled the decades-long rule of Bashar al-Assad, the former Syrian president, last month.

Mr. Mikati’s visit comes after the election of Joseph Aoun as President of Lebanon this week after two years when the position was vacant. Mr. Aoun is scheduled to soon begin consultations on nominating a new prime minister next week.

In Syria, Mr. Al-Sharaa faces the challenge of imposing order on a country that has been so Devastated by 14 years of civil war Which led to its division into multiple warring regions and stimulated a The spread of armed groups.

Lebanon, like other countries bordering Syria, fears that internal chaos will spread to its territory. Last week, at least five Lebanese soldiers were injured in clashes along the Syrian border after Syrian militants opened fire on Lebanese soldiers. The Lebanese army said that its forces were trying to close an illegal border crossing in the area.

Mr. Mikati spoke by phone with Mr. Al-Sharaa after the events. During the call, Mr. Al-Sharaa pledged that “the Syrian authorities are doing everything necessary to restore calm on the border and prevent a recurrence,” Mr. Mikati’s office said at the time.

Further highlighting these challenges, Syrian state media announced on Saturday that security forces arrested people accused of belonging to the Islamic State who were planning to commit a major attack in Damascus.

The two men had planned to use explosives inside the shrine of Sayyida Zeinab, a holy site revered particularly by Shiite Muslims on the outskirts of Damascus, according to SANA, the government-controlled outlet.

While the US-led international coalition has largely defeated ISIS in its former strongholds in Iraq and Syria, the group remains active in some areas, and continues to inspire attacks online.

Here’s what else is happening in the region:

• Ceasefire talks in Gaza: Efforts to reach a truce in the Gaza war that would release the remaining hostages continue in the Qatari capital, Doha. Steve Witkoff, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s next envoy to the Middle East, meet Friday evening with Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, Prime Minister of Qatar. The two sides discussed “efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip,” among other issues, according to the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Qatar and Egypt mediate between Israel and Hamas – which refuse to negotiate directly – with the help of the United States.

• Rockets from Gaza: Over the course of more than 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas, Palestinian militants are still firing munitions from the Gaza Strip, although Israeli and American officials say the group’s military capacity has deteriorated significantly. Sirens sounded in the Israeli border area of ​​Kerem Shalom on Saturday after a rocket was fired from southern Gaza; The Israeli army said it was successfully intercepted.