In the aftermath of intense sectarian fighting, the eerily silent streets of Syria's southern province of Sweida are filled with the stench of decaying bodies left uncollected for days amid scenes of charred buildings and burned-out cars.

Hosam Saraya, who had returned to Syria to aid his ill father, was executed along with other members of his family. Their killings were captured on video recorded by the gunmen.

(Reuters) -Syrian and Israeli officials agreed to meet again after no final accord was reached in U.S.-mediated talks in Paris on de-escalating the conflict in southern Syria, state-run Ekhbariya TV reported on Saturday, citing a diplomatic source.

"Trust must exist first and foremost," Syrian Democratic Council representative to the U.S. Sinam Mohamad told Newsweek.

A Reuters investigation has found the new president's brother, Hazem al-Sharaa, along with a sanctioned Australian are in charge of untangling corruption. But to do so, they're making deals with businessmen many Syrians associate with years of ill-gotten gains.

Syria under President Ahmad Sharaa remains far from achieving genuine national reconciliation, a meaningful political settlement and unity, analysts say.

Seven months of relative calm in Syria came to a bloody end last week, when what began as local skirmishes escalated into the worst fighting since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad in December.

Kate Adie introduces stories from Syria, Lebanon, Chile, Pakistan and France.

Sky News' Alex Crawford reported from Sweida in Syria, a city torn apart by tribal and political warfare, with civilians trapped in the crossfire.

Syrian rescuers and war monitors say an explosion at an ammunition depot in the country's north killed at least seven people and wounded scores.