Palestinian health officials said Monday the death toll from the Israel-Hamas war, now in its 14th month, topped 45,000 people.

Ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad says he had no plans to leave the country after the fall of Damascus a week ago but the Russian military evacuated him after their base in western Syria came under

Ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad said he did not consider stepping down or fleeing the country, but remained until Russia requested his "immediate evacuation," according to a statement published on the Telegram account of the former Syrian Presidency.

Syria's Bashar al-Assad issued his first statement since being toppled from power, saying he was evacuated to Russia from the Hmeimim base on Dec. 8 as it came under drone attack, after leaving Damascus that morning with rebel fighters closing in.

Bashar al-Assad has said Russia forced him to flee Syria and that he wanted to continue fighting the “terrorist onslaught”.

In his first public comments since fleeing Syria and being evacuated to Russia, former leader Bashar al-Assad says his departure was unplanned. View on euronews