Syria’s de facto leader has opened a two-day national dialogue conference on Syria’s political future. About 4,000 people are attending the talks in Damascus led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s transitional president and head of the rebel coalition that toppled longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad. On Monday, al-Sharaa pledged to work toward the establishment of a civilian state with a separation of powers and the rule of law. He also said the state would hold a monopoly on weapons. Al-Sharaa did not invite the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which controls large parts of northeastern Syria. The SDF is backed by the United States but opposed by Turkey.

Meanwhile, Syrians have taken to the streets to protest Israel’s announcement ordering the interim government to completely demilitarize several southern Syrian provinces. The protests erupted after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his forces would indefinitely hold Syrian territory it has occupied since Assad’s fall in December.