Syria's political changes continue to run at a good clip.

This week, Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa signed a ceasefire deal with the Kurdish-led authority, the Syrian Democratic Forces, in the country's northeast.

The agreement marks an end to hostilities between Turkish-backed Syrian forces and US-backed Kurdish forces.

It also outlines the merger of the Kurdish forces into the Syrian army, which has been a key obstacle since al-Sharaa announced the dissolution of all armed forces in Syria, including his own Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militia, or HTS, in favor of a new, unified Syrian force.

Furthermore, it brings some 30% of previously Kurdish-controlled area at the border with Iraq and Turkey under the control of the central government.

"The agreement between Damascus and the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces is a major step towards reunifying Syria," Nanar Hawach, a senior analyst for Syria at the conflict prevention organization International Crisis Group, told DW.

"However, the timing of the deal is also important," he added.

"Not only has Israel been intervening in the south of Syria, it has also been trying to drive a wedge between Damascus and minorities, especially the Kurds and the Druze," Hawach told DW.

"The recent massacres [of Syria's Alawite minority by government forces] on the coast really pushed for this agreement," he added.

This view is echoed by Charles Lister, senior fellow........

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