We will end our live coverage of the toppling of Assad's regime in Syria here.

Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire on Sunday after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, putting an end to the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule.

Joyful crowds gathered in central squares in Damascus, waving the Syrian revolutionary flag.

Questions have arisen about the future of the country and the wider region, with the Syrian rebel chief saying it is too late to turn back now.

Assad's whereabouts remain unknown, but a Russian official said he had fled Syria.

You can learn more about the rebels who took part in the dismantling of the Assad regime in our explainer piece.

And you can stay up to date with the latest in our article below and by downloading the ABC News app.

Thank you for joining us.

Rebel commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani said in a statement read on Syria's state TV after his forces took over Damascus that there is no room for turning back and the group is determined to continue the path they started in 2011 during the Arab Spring.

"The future is ours," Mr Golani's statement said.

Reuters

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad on Sunday as an "historic day" that followed the blows delivered by Israel against Assad's supporters Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

On a visit to the area near the border with Syria, he said he had ordered Israeli forces to seize areas in the buffer zone to ensure Israel's security.

"We will not allow any hostile force to establish itself on our border," he said.

Reuters

Groups of Syrians strolled through the palaces of President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday following his ouster, wandering from room to room, posing for photographs, and with some taking items of furniture or ornaments.

Video obtained by Reuters showed people entering the Al-Rawda Presidential Palace, as children ran through the grand rooms and men slid a large trunk across the ornate floor.

Several men carried smart chairs over their shoulders. In a storeroom, cupboards had been ransacked and objects strewn across the floor.

Video of another palace, the Muhajreen Palace, verified by Reuters, showed groups of men and women walking across a white marble floor and through tall wooden doors. A man carried a vase in his hand, and a large cabinet stood empty with its doors ajar.

Reuters

Saudi Arabia has been communicating with all regional actors on Syria and is determined to do what is possible to avoid a chaotic outcome for the country, a Saudi official told Reuters on Sunday.

"We have been in contact with all actors in the region. We are in constant communication with Türkiye and every stakeholder involved," the official said, adding that the kingdom was not aware of Assad's whereabouts.

Jordan's King Abdullah on Sunday urged the avoidance of any conflict in Syria that might lead to chaos and stressed the need to protect the security of his country's northern neighbour, according to a statement published by the Royal Hashemite Court.

Reuters

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday welcomed news of the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and said France will remain committed to the security of all in the Middle East.

"The barbaric state has fallen. Finally. I pay tribute to the Syrian people, to their courage, to their patience. In this moment of uncertainty, I wish them peace, freedom and unity," Macron said in a post on X social media.

"France will remain committed to the security of all in the Middle East."

Reuters

Egypt has called on all parties in Syria to preserve the capabilities of the state and national institutions, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Sunday.

The foreign ministry, in the first comments on the situation in Syria from an Arab government, said it was following the situation with great care, affirming its support for the Syrian people and the country's sovereignty and unity.

Reuters

The Lebanese army said on Sunday it was reinforcing its presence on the border with neighbouring Syria.

"In light of rapid developments and delicate circumstances that the region is going through… units tasked with monitoring and controlling the northern and eastern borders have been reinforced, in conjunction with tightening surveillance measures," the army said in a statement.

Reporting with AFP

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had left office and departed the country after giving orders there be a peaceful handover of power.

In a statement, the ministry did not say where Assad was now and said Russia has not taken part in the talks around his departure.

"As a result of negotiations between [Bashar al-Assad] and a number of participants in the armed conflict on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, he decided to resign from the presidency and left the country, giving instructions for a peaceful transfer of power.

"Russia did not participate in these negotiations," the ministry said.

The statement said Moscow was extremely worried.

"We urge all parties involved to refrain from the use of violence and to resolve all issues of governance through political means," the statement said.

"In that regard, the Russian Federation is in contact with all groups of the Syrian opposition."

It said Russia's military bases in Syria had been put on a state of high alert, but that there was no serious threat to them at this point in time.

It said Moscow was in touch with all Syrian opposition groups and urged all sides to refrain from violence.

Reuters

Syrian rebels announced on Sunday a curfew in Damascus starting 4pm (12am AEDT) local time until 5am (1pm).

That is just over an hour away from now.