Syria's new authorities have appointed Murhaf Abu Qasra, the military chief of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as the defence minister in the transitional government. Abu Qasra, a former agronomist, led the armed wing of HTS for five years and played a key role in the offensive that ousted Bashar al-Assad. The new leadership of HTS has expressed its intention to dissolve its armed wing and integrate into the national forces. Abu Qasra also called on the international community to address Israeli strikes and incursions into Syrian territory.