welcome to newsday. i'm katie silver. the leader of the rebel group which now controls large parts of syria has told the bbc the country is exhausted by war, and poses no threat. the un estimates 100,000 refugees have already returned to the country. ahmed al—sharaa said western sanctions had to be lifted for more syrians to come back. in one of his first television interviews since his forces toppled president assad two weeks ago, ahmed al—sharaa also called for the west to stop designating his group, hayat tahrir al—sham or hts, as a terrorist organisation. hts, which split from al-qaeda in 2016, says it is no longer a jihadist or extremist group. he says they do not target civilians, and consider themselves victims of the assad regime. our international editor, jeremy bowen, sat down with ahmad al—shaara in damascus. the de facto leader of syria, ahmed al—sharaa, chose to do the interview in

the presidential palace built by the assads. he told me he wasn't surprised that the old regime collapsed so quickly. syrians, he said, needed to keep calm to tackle all the problems they face. you've made a lot of promises, you've said you will respect the mosaic of different sectarian groups here in syria — minorities as well. are you going to keep those promises? translation: the syrian . population has lived together for thousands of years. we're going to discuss all of it. we're going to have dialogue and make sure everyone is represented. the old regime always played on sectarian divisions, but we won't. we were welcomed in all the big cities by all the sects. i think the revolution can contain everybody. so this isn't going to be some kind of a caliphate,

or you're not going to make syria into a country like afghanistan? because you know there are people who say that maybe you want to behave like the taliban. translation: there are many differences between syria - and the taliban. the way we govern is different. afghanistan is a tribal community. syria is completely different. the peoplejust don't think in the same way. the syrian government and their ruling system will be in line with syria's history and culture. so the culture of syria includes rights for women, it includes education for women, it includes tolerance for people drinking alcohol? is that all acceptable to you? translation: when it comes to women's education, - of course. we have had universities in idlib for more than eight years. i think the percentage of women in universities is more than 60%.

and alcohol? there are many things ijust don't have the right to talk about, because they are legal issues. there will be a syrian committee of legal experts to write a constitution. they will decide, and any ruler or president will have to follow the law. let's talk about wider issues that you face. first of all, this country is broken. there is a massive amount of destruction. the economy is destroyed. there are huge debts. how do you begin to start dealing with all of that when the country is under sanctions and when major powers around the world and the united nations say that you are the leader of a terrorist group? that's a political classification. we haven't committed any crimes thatjustify calling us a terrorist group. in the last 14 years,

we haven't targeted any civilians or civilian areas or civilian targets. i understand some countries will be worried by that designation, but it's not true. now, after all that has happened, sanctions must be lifted, because they were targeted at the old regime. the victim and the oppressor should not be treated in the same way. i'm joined by a i'mjoined bya member of i'm joined by a member of the syrian parliament of the bashar al—assad's father. he served as al—assad's father. he served as a senior advisor to hafiz and bashir�*s governments but split with the regime and now lives in dubai. thank you forjoining me. now, iunderstand in dubai. thank you forjoining me. now, i understand that you told bashar al—assad in 2010 the regime was going to fall at some point. are you surprised it took as long as it did?

thank you very much for receiving me. actually, i'm surprised it took so long. and the main factor in this was the extreme brutality of the regime from one side, and the immense help that came from russia and iran, bombarding and killing people, to crush this, and the third factor was deals between russia, turkiye, to surrender aleppo and many cities, just in terms of — regarding deals between the two countries. find between the two countries. and of course. _ between the two countries. and of course, though, _ between the two countries. and of course, though, when it did happen, it was very quick. you're now planning to return to syria. what are your plans there? what are you hoping for? we're hoping to build a kind of barrage of civil society forces and parties, and syndicates. labour unions, just to defend democracy. because as you

understand — as i understand from mr — the interview, his perception about the syrian people is just — the syrian people is just — the syrian people is just divided among sects, that means we're returning to structure of the ottoman empire where every sect was free to do whatever they want. it is an alliance between christian religious people, sheikhs, just to govern their societies. but not giving any place for syndicates, for civil society movements, for parties, for any perception of islam that could be different from the hayat tahrir al—sham perception. you hear them speaking about the constitution, and then the constitution, and then the

constitution would be written by him and then voted about in this very difficult condition that means he is intending, really, to use the ideology and say the ideology of the syrian state is islam and accordingly, he can go on from here, to any kind of religious state, taking in account some interests of the sects but never having — he didn't mention till now the notion of democracy. he didn't mention the notion of human rights. so everything is for him — as we read — till now, is still very, very doubtful. i was going to say — not sure if you have met ahmed al sharaa, but do you believe when he says

the country is exhausted and not interested in conflict with the west? i not interested in conflict with the west?— not interested in conflict with the west? ., �* ~ the west? i don't think he can succeed in _ the west? i don't think he can succeed in his _ the west? i don't think he can succeed in his leverages, - the west? i don't think he can| succeed in his leverages, even with his perception of the religious state, he can't succeed unless he got leverages for the economy, and actually he's in direct confrontation in terms of ideology and in terms of perception of the governments of the city, of the state, with the syrian bureaucracy which is very much the middle class of the cities, and second, with the business society, where yesterday, the day before yesterday, in a big meeting about — among business societies here in dubai, and actually the perception, prevailing perception is we need a liberal economy, without any pressure, without any limit for the capabilities of the business society to invest.

there's so many different groups. there have been fears about waves of sectarian violence. you yourself are going back. can you tell me if you feel safe?— you feel safe? not totally safe. nu _ you feel safe? not totally safe. till now _ you feel safe? not totally safe. till now i _ you feel safe? not totally safe. till now i think - you feel safe? not totally i safe. till now i think there's many questions about people that have been oppressed to say what he would like to hear, and we're not sure about their acceptance of the — if we make any activities there, political activities, to defend democracy. i will give you an example. even the coalition of the syrian opposition, they were not allowed to come as an institution into damascus. they don't want to have any political party or political representation. it is a military dominance. thank you

forjoining _ military dominance. thank you forjoining me _ military dominance. thank you forjoining me on _ military dominance. thank you forjoining me on the - forjoining me on the programme. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.

the us along with arab states acting a mediators is pushing for a deal to end the gaza war. negotiations are under way with reports that both sides are getting closer to reducing their differences on most key issues. blinken says he remains hopeful of reaching a ceasefire. meanwhile, the conflict in gaza continues, the health ministry there says more than 45,000 health ministry there says more than 115,000 palestinians have been killed in gaza since israel launched its offensive there in october last year. over the last 1a months, thousands have israelis have

been out protesting, demanding the remaining hostages still being held in gaza are released. there are still 96 hostages held in gaza. israel believes 62 of them are still alive. so for more, i'm joined by jonathan, seniorfellow so for more, i'm joined by jonathan, senior fellow at the foundation for defence of democracies and the former spokesperson for the israeli defence forces. thank you for joining me. iwant defence forces. thank you for joining me. i want to address the question of hopes of a ceasefire, both sides saying they may be inching closer. but they may be inching closer. but the israeli cabinet is split on the israeli cabinet is split on the merits of the deal. do you think that binyamin netanyahu can get this over the line, and does he want to? for can get this over the line, and does he want to?— does he want to? for me, there's — does he want to? for me, there's no _ does he want to? for me, there's no doubt - does he want to? for me, there's no doubt that - i does he want to? for me, i there's no doubt that - first there's no doubt that — first of all, good morning and thank you for having me — of course we all want our israeli brothers and sisters home. and it's a matter of defeating hamas and achieving our military goals and our diplomatic goals. and of course, getting the hostages home. forthese

course, getting the hostages home. for these last 1a months, what hamas has been doing is basically using the hostages in order to stay alive and to prevent hamas from falling and to prevent hamas from being eradicated from the gaza strip. that is really what it is about. i hope that now enough military and diplomatic pressure has been applied on hamas and on their political backers, on egypt, on turkiye, and on qatar, in order to send that message that enough is enough, enough suffering, enough, enough suffering, enough unjust suffering of israeli civilians and frankly, enough suffering for gazans. enough suffering for gaza ns. hamas enough suffering for gazans. hamas is the organisation that's perpetrating the suffering here, and hamas has the power to end it. the moment that hamas will surrender, israelis will go home, and the situation for palestinians will start toll improve. it's within their power to do so, and hopefully we'll see change in the coming future.— hopefully we'll see change in the coming future. without a doubt it does _ the coming future. without a doubt it does seem - the coming future. without a doubt it does seem like - the coming future. without a l doubt it does seem like there's political pressure on both

sides. we heard political pressure directed towards israel from the likes of the united nations, various governments around the world. i wonder if you think a ceasefire could be brokered, or you're just pushing in the sense that hamas will step down? ida. hamas will step down? no, definitely- _ hamas will step down? no, definitely. i— hamas will step down? no, definitely. i mean, - hamas will step down? no, definitely. i mean, any- hamas will step down? iifr, definitely. i mean, any end to war and military conflict is usually achieved by some kind of political or diplomatic agreement. i don't think the war in gaza is going to end any differently. it all depends on the terms. what kind of terms will be accepted on the ground, and what kind of reality will israelis have and what kind of security assurances will israel have that this monstrosity, this organisation, hamas, that came across our borders and butchered israeli citizens and took our people hostage, it will never happen again. that's the israeli focus and that's what the state of israel launched the offensive in order to achieve. 0nce launched the offensive in order to achieve. once that is within reach, then of course i believe

there will be a ceasefire agreement and i think that will have good chances of holding as well. in have good chances of holding as well. ., have good chances of holding as well. . ., , well. in the meantime, as negotiations _ well. in the meantime, as negotiations continue - well. in the meantime, as| negotiations continue with politicians, winter is approaching. there's fears of famine in gaza. is israel doing approaching. there's fears of famine in gaza. is israel doing enough to get aid to the people enough to get aid to the people there? i there? i enough to get aid to the people there? ., ~ , ~ enough to get aid to the people there? . ~ , ~ ., there? i frankly think that israel is — enough to get aid to the people there? ., ~ , ~ enough to get aid to the people there? . ~ , ~ ., there? i frankly think that israel is — there? i frankly think that there? i frankly think that israel is doing _ there? i frankly think that israel is doing above - there? i frankly think that israel is doing _ there? i frankly think that israel is doing above - there? i frankly think that israel is doing above andl israel is doing above and beyond what is needed and what israel is doing above andl israel is doing above and beyond what is needed and what is required of a combatant in is required of a combatant in order to supply humanitarian order to supply humanitarian aid. there's four open aid. there's four open crossings from israel into the crossings from 1528 00 gaza strip where hundreds of truck loads are providing humanitarian goods every day. the serious issue in gaza is that hamas uses the humanitarian aid as a leverage of control over the population. but israel is working together with various international organisations, some of them un, some of them not un, and simply flooding the gaza strip with food, with blankets, with fuel, with all of the basic

necessities, granted, the situation in gaza is fears of