♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: funding for presentation of this program is provided by...

woman: a law partner rediscovers her grandmother's artistry and creates a trust to keep the craft alive. a raymond james financial advisor gets to know you, your passions and the way you enrich your community. life well planned. nicole: at bdo i feel like a true individual, people value me for me, they care about what i want, my needs, my career path, i matter here. announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. announcer: and now, "bbc news" katrina: i am caitriona perry in washington and this is bbc world

news america. syrians take to the streets to celebrate the downfall of the assad regime. these -- the israeli military is investigating after a surgeon was shot and killed in gaza as the airsikes continue. the president of france picks a new prime minister, the fourth this year alone. hello and you are welcome to world news america. the u. military flew an american man and imprisoned in syria for several months out of the country. the u.s. official said that travis timmerman was brought to u.s. troops at a syrian base and then was flown to jordan. he was attempting to pass through syria after -- through a spiritual journey before he was detained. the 29-year-old was among

thousands released by rebel forces after the fall of assad's regime. thousands of syrians have taken to the streets to celebrate the downfall of the regime, on what is being called victory day. images from damascus and other city show people gathering nearly a week after the president fled to moscow following a surprise military event. israel is signaling that it will temporarily signal troops at a u.n. buffer zone for several months to secure the border. our international editor, jeremy, reports. jeremy: this ancient city has seen countless upheavals over five millennia. for modern syria with its old flag restored, nothing matches the fall of the assads. the end of the week since -- without and assad in charge since 1970 brought thousands of syrians into the mosque to pray

for their relief --here relief. the chant is the people want the execution of a sawed. the regime's collapse are empowering a sense of optimism. for all of the people here, this puts the seal on it. this is absolute proof that they have won and the regime is gone. just flying one of these black white and green flags a couple of weeks ago could have gotten you arrested, jail time or even a bullet. the fighters of hts are still basking in their achievement. that whi flag used by syrian islamist fighters was behind the new prime minister in a broadcast. hts insists that it has renounced its former extremist

reit -- ideology. some syrians do not believe it. samir overwhelmed and back from britain is helping from it -- for a tolerant future. >> this is our country, not a sawed --assad's. he has been corrupting this country for 15 years but this is the people that will build the country. wish us luck, and please, leave us alone ok? we appreciate your support but we do not want anybody trying to interfere with our decisions. this is their decision. jeremy: syria's futurist is view of challenges. hts is an islamic group and what will that mean for girls and women. how do syrians get justice for the regime's crime. they meant it when they called for execution before the prayer. there new rulers told them to celebrate the blessed resolution -- revolution, so they did.

syrians understand that it will not be easy to overcome 16 -- 50 years of dictatorship and 16 of war. but this was a data siege -- sees and enjoy. thousands converged in the center of damascus and it is like an enormous weight has been lifted off the nation. i have never seen so many smiling people in syria. >> we are free and we are feeling the feeling of being free. >> i want the world to celebrate our freedom. north, south, east, west, we are free. jeremy: the fighters are bringing their kids and posing for photos with other people. when the party is overpeople needs to eat in an economy smashed by war and destruction. what did her daughter's need? >> they needed freedom, no taxes or stolen money. we wanted to be independent.

>> we want to be independent. syria is an independent country and nobody controls us and no one can rule us but the syrians. jeremy: it is to soon for firm answers but they set an agenda, ring the assads to justice, justice for all and syria is for syrians. katrina: for more on this, let us speak to the syrian peace activist, thankou for joining us on bbc news. we saw and heard so much joy and so many smiling faces and talking of freedom. you are speaking to us from the uae on your way to syria for the first time in over a decade. what will that be like for you? thank you for hosting me. actually you cannot mix all of these emotions together.

it is the joy, the happiness, the question mark of the future. the spirit of initiation, what we should do, and at the same time, what does it mean to start the process itself, the process of democracy and for a new syria. for me it has been 13 years that i have been out. and i cannot even imagine the emotion i will get once i am standing in damascus. katrina: just on that point you make about rebuilding syria, there is an awful lot of work for stabilization and so on. where does that need to begin? abir: conciliation. we need to put our focus into two main areas, conflict prevtion, which might happen because of all of these years of isolation.

syrians were isolated in different areas and authorities. and now we are all coming back together again. there is uncertainty of what will happen in the future. we do not know from where to start. we have been doing a lot of preparation, but in the reality, on the ground, what does this preparation take? how long? it takes us 13 years to get our freedom, so how lo will it take us to get our democracy, you know? and reconciliation, the second component after the conflict prevention. hopefully, we will come together and start designing and agreeing and talking and holding dialogue and what does the future of syria means for all syrians everywhere?

katrina: obviously the interim prime minister in place from the hst party. what do you think of what you have seen or heard from him so far? do you have any concerns about the direction that syria will go for now. we heard jeremy's report about concern for women and girls? abir: the services on the ground, it seems to be moving quickly, which is good that people on the ground could find their basic needs at least. not in the best scenarios, but, even better than before. further future, like all of the syrians, yes we have concerns. we want to see women in the political level and we do not have any guarantee until now. we will lean on experience with the woman advisory board and the

support of the u.n.. we will also lean on all of the brave women who were inside syria, asking for justice for the last 15 years. so, it is completely vague. we do not know. we do not know how, but at least now .0 started. katrina: you mentioned the u.n., what role is there now for the wider international community? for other syrians living abroad? abir: as you heard from the people, we want our independence. and we want us to close the door, sit together and start the dialog. less international interference in our political processes, as much as we could move forward in a better way. so, less interference, more

ownership to the syrians, facilitating a dialogue for us to speak and to talk, and to design the process of the transition. this is the best support that we could have from the international community. facilitation more than managing the crisis itself. katrina: thank you so much for speaking to us on bbc news, and best wishes for your travel back to syria. elsewhere, u.s. secretary of state antony blinken is making his diplomatic rounds urging countries in the region to support a peaceful transition of power in syria. it is his 12th visit to the middle east since the war between israel and hamas erued last year. during an unannounced visit to iraq he met the iraqi prime minister to discuss syria's political transition. sec. blinken: as syria

transitions from the assad dictator save -- dictatorship to a hopeful democracy it does so i away -- in a way that helps minorities and produces a nonsectarian government and does not become a platform for terrorism. katrina: in gaza the health ministry says that more than 80 people have been killed in israeli attacks in the past day alone as international efforts to secure a cease-fire continue. at least 30 people were killed in an israeli air raid on a post office which was sheltering displaced palestinians. a warning, the details of this report are distressing. >> we woke up to the sound of massive explosion unlike anything we had heard. we had heard missiles but this was a barrel bomb. we ran down to the screams of

the people and their cry for help. we tried to rescue the neighbors but there was no electricity so we had to rescue using the light of the mobile phone. when we reached the place the sight major skin crawl. the martyrs were scattered, more than 10 of them. katrina: in northern gaza palestinian surgeon was shot dead as he traveled. the israeli military is investigating the -- the incident. israel does not allow journalists unrestricted access to gaza. our correspondent reports from jerusalem. >> already injured this is a doctor speaking last month, reported to be the last orthopedic surgeon in northern gaza. a grandfather who came out of retirement to help during the war. save us, it says on the placard. it did not work. patient, one of the tanks fired

on him directly. unfortunately he was killed instantly. >> some witnesses say he was shot by a drone. the israeli military says it is investigating. this is the hospital in northern gaza, where he did much of his work. it has few supplies, few doctors, but endless patients. the area has been under siege and bombardment by israeli forces for months. in an effort they say to stop hamas from regrouping. israel does not allow foreign journalists unrestricted access to gaza. >> they are under continued bombardment. >> from jerusalem i got through to the main united nations aid agency. >> it is devastating for his family, for people in the north who is relying on so few doctors and resources available.

hospitals in the gaza strip are not hospitals. they keep using the term partially functioning. if you and i were to step into the hospitals you would not recognize anything to resemble a hospital. there is no sanitation and hardly any doctors. there is no medical equipment. patients are dying needlessly. >> much of northern gaza is an apocalyptic wasteland but israel's offensive is not over. katrina: the president of france, emmanuel macron named francois beyrou as the new prime minister. this follows the collapse of the government. he was under pressure to select a leader th could satisfy the demands of a broad coalition and passed a budget. france has been in political turmoil since the president called a snap parliamentary

election in july. the english -- the incoming prime ministeraid that reducing debt was not only a priority but a moral obligation. >> many people were saying we do not run a political campaign on the question of debt and i strongly believe more than level -- more than ever and i was laughing about this before taking the microphone that debt is also a moral problem, not a financial problem. because, thinking that bypassing on the debt and the burden of the debt to our children rather than taking care of it ourselves is something that is very, very bad. katrina: hugh has more from paris. hugh: he has a very well-known figure and has been in politics for 40 years, a minister back in the early 90's.

he is a centrist, a man from the very start of his career has said that there needs to be a middle way, a third way between the left and the right. and he now runs a party it -- that represents that. he has a precursor of emmanuel macron and it is no surprise that they are allies. he has been closely behind macron, and now he has been named as prime minister at a time when the prime minister's job in france is very important. the president is losing and prime minister is drawing more power from parliament and becoming more important in the political set up. the task is daunting, which is to try and form a government, he has to do that first. and then try to get agreement on a budget. he faces the same big problems and the arithmetic of parliament that his predecessor did.

if you are asking me to say what are the odds of him getting a successful budget, they are very small indeed. certainly a budget if it is to have meaning, a meaningful budget would be to take tough decisions on cutting spending and so on. it is exactly those tough decisions which would provoke the uproar in parliament and are quite likely to brg him down. katrina: the former u.s. house speaker nancy pelosi is in the hospital after sustaining injuries in a fall during an official trip to luxembourg. the 84-year-old is receiving what they call xo treatment and is continuing to work according to her spokesperson. her injury comes days after outgoi senate majority leader mitch mcconnell suffered minor injuries after a fall at the u.s. capitol. the u.s. special envoy to neural cash to northern ireland says that he is extremely proud of the progress that northern

ireland has made. and that it means -- and some time to develop further. he was appointed two years ago to focus on the economic development of the country. speaking to bbc news on his final day in office he said he is aware of the concerns that those on the island have about the impact of president-elect trump's trade policies and said without speaking for mr. trump that he felt he had warm feelings for the island. joe: i am proud of the progress that northern ireland has made in the first minister deputy and the government deserves credit for their success. all of the pieces are in place. the piece that northern ireland needs is time. what i hear over and over again from executives from the united states and all over the world is the extent to the which they know about the opportunities they are excited about it, they just need to see time and the

institutions fction. they need to get a bit more time and track record underneath them. they recognize that all of the pieces are in place. that is where part of my work is focused, promoting the story of northern ireland so people understand how far they have come not just in the year's show -- year or so but the 25 years post the good friday agreement. and then once you get the folks there and they see it they walk around belfast and look at the harbor and understand the proposition that you can see from all six counties, they are eager to present -- to participate. >> when you talk about the companies that want to wait and see, do they have a concern about where northern ireland is now? joe: i do not think there is a concern. understanding for those executives in cpanies that do not have a major presence already, if you're asking them or hoping they would invest 250 million pounds in a new factory

or billions of dollars for electronics, that is investment that those companies will recruit. that is not one year or two years, that is a one or two decade return which means they have to have clarity that the future is strong and sound for decades to come, not just a couple of months. that has to -- they need time to have that pan out. whate have seen so far from this deputy first minister approaching the job with different visions and backgrounds but approaching the challenges together and standing up behind microphones together and saying there is enough space in northern ireland for the different visions to still advance some of the challenges that they both confront. >> you were in northern asked -- northern ireland on your last trip after the election. i am sure you heard the concerns that people right across the island have about the trade policies as they have been

articulated so far by president-elect donald trump in terms of tariffs and american companies being located on the island of ireland. what do you say about those concerns? joe: the pathway forward has yet to be determined and the presence of aleppo -- the president-elect made a number of pronouncements over the course of his first term and the campaign and now. take him at his word and then you have to understand that there are some things that he has said that he has not been able to follow through. because you have to take legislation for it to take effect. understand the direction that the presidenhas articulated and the opportunity then in which an all ireland economy can help contribute to the goals that president trump has articulated. there is a robust series of ways that could happen.

you also know that the president and i cannot speak for him or his administration. he is familiar with ireland and has a club there. in his prior administration he appointed in envoy to northern ireland. i think he has warm feelings for the isla, and i've expected future of the island is a bright one. >> donald trump did appoint an envoy. would you be encouraging him to continue that and to appoint another special envoy? joe: yes, i'm sure he would want to put his own stamp on it. look, this position has been perhaps one of the few in american -- american politics that has enjoyed robust bipartisan support. democratic and republican administrations have put in envoy in this position and they all collaborate. anytime i called one of my predecessors democrat or

republican from the recent ones in mick mulvaney to the first and senator mitchell, they always answer the call and they always try to help and say less -- say yes. this is something here in u.s. domestic politics that does not get put in one frame or another but how can we leverage the power of the united states government and the people that feel tied to the place, how do we give assistance? i expect that the president will do the same thing. he did a couple of years ago. >> in terms of what is next for you and yourself, a member of your extended family, robert f. kennedy, jr. will be in the administration and has been nominated as secretary for health and human services in the ministration albion under a republican president. -- albiet under a republican president. jo it is unlikely that i will be serving this administration. i wish -- the elections -- the

president ran on one and we have our distances -- differences. the president's success is the success of the united states and i wish them well. there are some differences and we will see how those play in overtime. it has been an incredible honor for me to serve president biden in this capacity. katrina: joe kennedy iii speaking a little earlier. you can keep up to date with all of the news on our website, bbc.com/news or any time your favorite social media platform. that is it for today. i am caitriona perry. thank you for watching bbc world news america. take announcer: funding for presentation of this program is provided by... financial services firm, raymond james.

announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: get the free pbs app now and stream the best of pbs.

good evening. geoff gref i'm geoff bennett. amna: and i'm amna nawaz. and syrians return to their home.