According to the freeing reports, the newly formed cabinet primarily comprises Sharaa's close allies, indicating a consolidation of power. Key figures such as Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani and Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra retained their posts. Anas Khattab, the former intelligence chief, was appointed Interior Minister.
In appointments aimed at broader representation, veteran opposition figure Hind Kabawat, a member of Syria's Christian minority, was named Social Affairs and Labor Minister, marking the first female appointment by Sharaa. Raed al-Saleh, head of the White Helmets rescue organization, was appointed Minister of Emergency Situations and Disasters.
This government formation follows Sharaa's appointment as interim President in January and the recent enactment of a constitutional declaration establishing a five-year transitional period. The announcement, delayed from early March, comes amid international calls for an inclusive Syrian transition and concerns following recent sectarian violence between Alawite communities and Sunni-linked militias.
Despite pledges by the new Islamist-led authorities to protect minorities, some experts, rights groups, and mainly Kurds and their allies have raised concerns that the transitional framework concentrates excessive power in Sharaa's hands and may not offer sufficient protections for Syria's diverse communities as the country attempts to rebuild.