Archiv: Al Nusra Front / Jabhat Fatah al-Sham / Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) / Al Kaida


18.01.2025 - 12:32 [ Middle East Eye ]

HTS raids and forced disappearances fuel fear in Syria’s Alawi heartlands

MEE is not aware of any evidence linking Assad’s departure to a deal with Israel. However, there have been reports suggesting that the former president shared sensitive military information with Israel in exchange for a guarantee of safe passage out of Syria.

Since the government collapsed, Israel has conducted hundreds of strikes on Syrian military positions nationwide and launched a ground invasion, capturing the entire buffer zone along the occupied Golan Heights and beyond.

The government, Hussem said, had the means to resist but chose not to, opting instead to flee and leave their officers to fend for themselves.

11.01.2025 - 12:05 [ Voice of the Cap - vocfm.co.za ]

Syria: Mayor accused of Assad association executed

A photo was circulated of what was said to be Kneneh’s body tied to a tree trunk with what appeared to be a gunshot wound on his forehead and blood on the ground.

A video was circulated showing children beating him with a stick and kicking him in the head while he was tied to the tree trunk.

07.01.2025 - 19:34 [ MintPressNews.com ]

Peace with Israel Tops the Agenda for Syria’s New Leaders

(January 3. 2025)

Although the majority of high-ranking officials in the HTS-led administration refrain from making categorical claims about Israel, they constantly stress that Iran and Hezbollah, not Israel, are Syria’s main enemies.
(…)
Ayman Al-Asimi, a senior member of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) and former spokesperson for the Syrian opposition delegations during the Astana talks, made headlines with his remarks to BBC Arabic. He stated unequivocally that Syria’s only opponent is Iran.

07.01.2025 - 19:23 [ MintPressNews.com ]

From ‘Terrorist’ to ‘Freedom Fighter’: How the West Rebranded Al-Qaeda’s Jolani as Syria’s ‘Woke’ New Leader

(December 12, 2024)

In 2003, he went to Iraq to fight against American forces. After three years of war, he was captured by the U.S. military and spent over five years in prison, including a stint at the notorious Abu Ghraib torture center.

While in Iraq, Jolani fought with ISIS and was even a deputy to its founder. Immediately upon release in 2011, ISIS sent him to Syria with a rumored $1 billion to found the Syrian wing of al-Qaeda and participate in the armed protest movement against Assad that arose out of the Arab Spring.

04.01.2025 - 16:07 [ NewArab.com ]

Controversy as Syria‘s de-facto ruler declines to shake hands with German FM Annalena Baerbock

Baerbock and her French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot visited Syria in a sign of support for the transitional government, where they expressed willingness to help the war-torn country after Bashar al-Assad’s regime was toppled last month, making them the first European officials to do so.

04.01.2025 - 16:02 [ MSN.com ]

German, French foreign ministers meet with Syria‘s HTS Islamist group

Syria‘s new de facto ruler and leader of the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) received an EU delegation led by German Foreign Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Friday.

01.01.2025 - 18:16 [ Antiwar.com ]

Foreign Jihadists Appointed to Senior Positions in New Syrian Military

Syrian sources told Reuters that the foreign fighters appointed to the military include Uyghurs, a Jordanian, a Turk, and an Albanian. “This is a small token of recognition for the sacrifices Islamist jihadists gave to our struggle for freedom from Assad’s oppression,” an HTS source told the media outlet.
(…)
HTS is still designated by the US as a foreign terrorist organization, but the Biden administration has celebrated its takeover of Syria. The US has also made clear it’s willing to work with the new government and its de facto leader, Abu Mohammad al-Julani, who has been going by his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa.

30.12.2024 - 15:48 [ Tagesschau ]

Heusgen: Deutschland soll in Syrien rasch Präsenz zeigen

„Wir sollten so schnell wie möglich unsere Botschaft wieder eröffnen und versuchen, die Protagonisten – die ursprünglich aus dem syrischen Ableger des Terrornetzwerks Al-Kaida hervorgegangen sind – in einem moderaten Kurs zu unterstützen“, sagte Heusgen dem Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland mit Blick auf die Islamistengruppe Haiat Tahrir al-Scham (HTS). Diese hatte Syriens Machthaber Baschar al-Assad nach einer Blitzoffensive gestürzt und führt nun mit einer Übergangsregierung das Land.

Deutschland solle dabei darauf verzichten, mit „dem erhobenen Zeigefinger aufzutreten“, sagte Heusgen weiter.

30.12.2024 - 09:31 [ Antiwar.com ]

Syria’s De Facto Leader Says It Will Take Four Years To Hold Elections

“The process of writing the constitution may take about three years, and we look forward to a constitution that lasts for the longest possible period, and this is a difficult and lengthy task,” Julani, the former leader of al-Qaeda in Syria, told Al-Arabiya. “Organizing elections may take four years; any valid elections will require a comprehensive population census.”

Julani and his group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is an offshoot of al-Qaeda, took over Syria after former President Bashar al-Assad fled on December 8. Julani has appointed HTS officials to senior positions in the new “transitional government,” including Anas Hassan Khattab, another former al-Qaeda commander who was named Syria’s intelligence chief.

26.12.2024 - 15:37 [ Viory Video / Youtube ]

Families of missing Syrian Army soldiers rally in Tartus amid claims some were imprisoned by HTS

Dec 25, 2024
Footage shows them holding banners and speaking with officials.

There was no response from the Tartus authorities or the HTS-led administration at time of publication.

26.12.2024 - 14:47 [ Hands off Syria / Youtube ]

Public protest in Damascus against the sectarian regime in Syria

(December 20, 2024)

First public protest in Damascus against the sectarian foreign occupation regime installed in Syria by the USA, Turkey the Israelis and their terrorist proxies. Video via Jenan Moussa on Twitter.

26.12.2024 - 14:42 [ APNews.com ]

Clashes between Islamists now in power in Syria and Assad’s supporters kill 6 fighters

In the capital, Damascus, Alawite protesters scuffled with Sunni counter-protesters and gunshots were heard. The Associated Press could not confirm details of the shooting.

Alawite protests also took place along the coast of Syria, in the city of Homs and the Hama countryside. Some called for the release of soldiers from the former Syrian army now imprisoned by the HTS.

26.12.2024 - 14:32 [ i24news.tv ]

14 killed in fresh clashes in Tartus, Syria

In other Syrian cities, however, demonstrations took place on Wednesday in areas populated by Alawites without any disturbance Former president Bashar al-Assad belongs to the Alawite sect, which has feared reprisals under the new government. Tens of thousands of Alawites demonstrated in the cities of Damascus, Homs, Latakia, Tartus, and Qardaha on the Syrian coast, following the spread of a video of a shrine being burned for the Alawites in Aleppo.

26.12.2024 - 13:11 [ PressTV.ir ]

Curfew declared in Damascus, several cities after violent clashes

Syrian media, quoting Interior Ministry officials, said over a dozen members of security forces were killed and 10 others injured during clashes in Tartus on Wednesday.

The clashes came after angry protests erupted in many cities across Syria, including Latakia and Homs.

22.12.2024 - 04:23 [ Antiwar.com ]

US Official Has ‘Good, Productive’ Meeting with al-Qaeda-Linked Julani in Damascus

Julani fought for al-Qaeda in Iraq against American soldiers during the Iraq War. He then founded al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, the al-Nusra Front. In recent years, he has attempted to soften his image by giving friendly interviews to Western journalists, often appearing in a suit and with a trimmed beard to obscure his jihadist ideology.

Leaf said of Julani after the meeting, who is also going by Ahmad al-Sharaa, “I heard him on his priorities, which are very much rooted in getting Syria on the road to economic recovery.”

“We’ve been hearing this for some time, some very pragmatic and moderate statements on various issues, from women’s rights to protection to equal rights for all communities,” she added. “It was a good first meeting. We will judge by deeds, not just by words.”

20.12.2024 - 19:47 [ New York Times ]

Senior U.S. Diplomats Arrive in Syria to Meet With Governing Militias

The State Department said early Friday that three senior American diplomats had arrived in Damascus, the capital of Syria, to meet with leaders of the militias that have seized control of the country, and to look for signs of the journalist Austin Tice and other missing U.S. citizens.

20.12.2024 - 07:20 [ Antiwar.com ]

Turkey, Allies Violate Extended Ceasefire With Syrian Kurds, Dozens Killed

Turkey and their allies, collectively known as the Syrian National Army (SNA), hold territory in Syria’s northeast, but have gained considerable influence having backed the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the takeover of most of the country. HTS officials are already suggesting that stamping out Kurdish separatists is a near-term goal, and that Turkish involvement in Syria’s reconstruction is a priority.

US officials have been trying to reassure the Kurds that they don’t face any immediate threats to existence from Turkey’s allies, despite Turkish officials saying the “elimination” of the SDF’s largest faction, the YPG, is their strategic goal.

19.12.2024 - 15:15 [ Nachdenkseiten ]

Der Umsturz in Syrien, seine Hintergründe und möglichen Auswirkungen

Und was Israel angeht – auf kurze Sicht profitiert es wohl davon. Israel hat die Situation dazu genutzt, mehr Land zu besetzen, angeblich Waffenlager zerstört. Aber ich kann mir nicht vorstellen, dass ein islamischer Staat auf längere Sicht gut für Israel ist.

Vor einem guten Jahr hat sich in der israelischen Führung ein riesiger Wandel vollzogen. Ein wichtiges Ziel dieser neuen Strömung: Es darf keinen Palästinenserstaat geben. Man will einen durch und durch jüdischen Staat. Israels Bevölkerung ist zerrissen, was diese Themen angeht, fast am Rande eines Bürgerkrieges. Netanjahu ist autoritärer denn je, er hat alles persönlich unter Kontrolle.

Und es hat sich noch etwas drastisch verändert: Die Israelis in den 70er- und 80er-Jahren waren säkulare Europäer, diese Menschen an der Regierung heute sind alttestamentarisch. Sie sind nicht der Logik und der Ratio zugänglich, sondern sie fühlen sich ihrer quasi biblischen Vision verpflichtet. Da ist magisches Denken am Werk.
(…)
Für mich ist das eine Art geopolitisches Schneeballsystem. Netanjahu setzt alles daran, die Kämpfe am Laufen zu halten – würde man innehalten und das Ganze hinterfragen, würde das System kollabieren wie bei einem Schneeballsystem.

18.12.2024 - 03:03 [ Antiwar.com ]

US Launches More Airstrikes in Syria, Claims 12 ISIS Fighters Killed

Since Assad’s downfall, the US, Turkey, and Israel have all been bombing Syria. On December 8, the day Assad fled, the US launched heavy airstrikes in Syria, saying it hit 75 ISIS-related targets.

US officials justify the strikes by saying they don’t want ISIS to reconstitute itself following the regime change. But on the other hand, the US has supported the HTS takeover even though the group is designated by the US as a terrorist organization and has a similar ideology to ISIS.

The US has also made clear it has no intention of withdrawing the approximately 900 troops that it has occupying eastern Syria.

17.12.2024 - 22:16 [ Middle East Eye ]

Germany joins US, UK in making diplomatic contact with Syria‘s HTS

Germany plans talks with representatives of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Damascus on Tuesday, the foreign ministry said, joining the United States and Britain in establishing contact with the group after it led the overthrow of Syria‘s Bashar al-Assad.

16.12.2024 - 12:46 [ CBS News ]

After Assad‘s ouster in Syria, U.N. envoy calls for end to sanctions

The U.N. envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, told reporters in Damascus that setting Syria back on track after the past few tumultuous weeks will be helped by a speedy relief of sanctions.

„We can hopefully see a quick end to the sanctions so that we can see really a rallying around building of Syria,“ he said.

16.12.2024 - 12:20 [ Devdiscourse.com ]

EU‘s Diplomatic Shift: Direct Talks with Syria

In a significant development, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced that the bloc‘s top diplomat for Syria will head to Damascus on Monday to initiate contact with the new Syrian government.

16.12.2024 - 12:17 [ Middle East Eye ]

Lammy: UK had ‚diplomatic contact‘ with HTS

„Using all the channels that we have available, and those are diplomatic and, of course, intelligence-led channels, we seek to deal with HTS where we have to.“

On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States has had direct contact with HTS.

15.12.2024 - 09:11 [ Reuters ]

Exclusive: Russia pulling back but not out of Syria, sources say

The bases in Syria are an integral part of Russia‘s global military presence: the Tartous naval base is Russia‘s only Mediterranean repair and resupply hub, with Hmeimim a major staging post for military and mercenary activity in Africa.
Russia also has eavesdropping posts in Syria which were run alongside Syrian signals stations, according to Syrian military and Western intelligence sources.

15.12.2024 - 07:31 [ New York Times ]

U.S. in Direct Contact With Rebels Who Took Over Syria

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said the United States was communicating directly with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the dominant rebel faction, despite its designation as a terrorist group.

13.12.2024 - 18:52 [ Jordan Times ]

Syria‘s new govt says to suspend constitution, parliament for three months

„A judicial and human rights committee will be established to examine the constitution and then introduce amendments,“ Obaida Arnaout told AFP.

The current constitution dates back to 2012 and does not specify Islam as the state religion.

Rebels led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham seized the capital Damascus on Sunday, sending Assad fleeing into exile.

13.12.2024 - 17:51 [ Jerusalem Post ]

Turkey-backed forces continue advance in northern Syria, defense ministry source says

Turkey-backed rebel forces are continuing their advance to „clear terrorism“ in northern Syria, a Turkish defense ministry source said on Thursday, referring to the forces‘ battle against Kurdish forces in the region.

Turkey has been telling the United States repeatedly that „a terrorist organization cannot be eliminated by using another terrorist organization,“ the source also said.

13.12.2024 - 17:49 [ Middle East Eye ]

Kurdish-led administration in northeastern Syria urges ‚unity‘ as Turkey presses assault

The Kurdish-led administration says it is willing to „unite“ with the new administration in Damascus, as it raises the flag of the opposition in the territories it controls in northeastern Syria.

Northeastern Syria, which is controlled by the People‘s Protection Units (YPG) and their US-backed affiliate the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has been under attack by Turkish forces since the ousting of Bashar al-Assad on Sunday.

11.12.2024 - 09:50 [ Middle East Eye ]

HTS-aligned forces seize critical oil field

Syrian media is reporting that Hay‘at Tahrir al-Sham-aligned forces have taken control of al-Taym oil field in the Deir Ezzor desert, which produces 5,000 barrels per day. Russian-backed forces had run the area.

11.12.2024 - 09:32 [ Times of Israel ]

Jihadist rebels capture eastern Syria’s Deir Ezzor from US-backed, Kurdish-led force

Insurgents who overthrew the Syrian government said Tuesday that they have wrested control of the eastern city of Deir Ezzor after intense battles with a Kurdish-led, US-backed force.

Hassan Abdul-Ghani, a senior commander of the jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which leads the insurgent alliance, said that the rebel forces completely took control of the city.

11.12.2024 - 08:15 [ Middle East Eye ]

Islamic State group fighters killed 54 people in Homs region: Syrian rights group


Islamic State (IS) group fighters on Tuesday killed at least 54 people in Syria‘s Homs region, all of whom are said to have been former members of the Bashar al-Assad government and tried to flee upon its collapse on Saturday.

The news comes from the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group, and follows a declaration by Hay‘at Tahrir al-Sham-led (HTS) rebels who took over Damascus and said that all those who were conscripted into the Syrian military would receive amnesty.

11.12.2024 - 08:13 [ Yahoo.com ]

Rebel Opposition Arrest Officers and Members of Military Between Hama and Homs

(December 9, 2024)

Footage Obada Jbara said he filmed between Hama and Homs shows Syrian rebels standing next to people lying on the ground, with their hands tied behind their backs, as civilians walk by.

11.12.2024 - 07:34 [ Middle East Eye ]

Germany, France ready to cooperate with new Syrian leadership

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron expressed their willingness to engage with Syria‘s new leadership, following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, under certain conditions, a statement from the German government revealed after a call between the two leaders.

11.12.2024 - 07:21 [ Washington Post ]

U.S. would recognize a Syrian government that comes from inclusive process, Blinken says

The U.S. government would “recognize and fully support” a future Syrian government that results from an inclusive and transparent transition process, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday, outlining a first set of principles regarding the Biden administration’s hopes to influence discussions over Syria’s future after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad.

10.12.2024 - 21:38 [ theIns.ru ]

“We were screwed over”: Russian propagandists fume over downfall of Assad regime in Syria

„I would ask myself the same question: do we even have intelligence services, do they work? And if they do, who’s ‘processing’ the results of their work? If this is some ‘masterstroke,’ a planned maneuver, then what’s happening with our troops in fallen Damascus, and what about the embassy?”

10.12.2024 - 21:32 [ Reuters ]

Syria‘s Assad is in Moscow after deal on military bases: Russian state media

(December 9, 2024)

Syrian opposition leaders had agreed to guarantee the safety of Russian military bases and diplomatic institutions in Syria, the source told news agencies.

10.12.2024 - 21:02 [ Reuters ]

Exclusive: Qatar opens contacts with Syria‘s HTS group, source says

(December 9, 2024)

Qatar‘s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters requests for comment about the contacts with HTS, a group formerly allied with Al Qaeda and which is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., European Union, Turkey and the U.N.

10.12.2024 - 20:50 [ theArabWeekly.com ]

Qatar’s Syrian endgame

(December 4,2024)

One has to decide to what extent such notions as reconciliation, appeasement or friendship have any reliable meaning when dealing with Qatar or Turkey.

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, with its well-known loyalty to both Turkey and Qatar, could not have moved its troops without Qatari instructions.

Funding for the Free Syrian Army is part of a budget allocated by Doha since the Qatari leadership decided to overthrow President Assad at the beginning of the civil war.

10.12.2024 - 02:57 [ Middle East Eye ]

Hamas hails ‚freedom and justice‘ gained by Syrians after Assad‘s fall

With the eruption of the Syrian revolution in 2011, Hamas chose to remain neutral in the civil strife that followed, putting it at odds with Damascus.

By 2012, the group’s leadership were forced to leave Syria after being pressured to publicly support Assad, a position they refused to take.

The group eventually voiced its support for the Syrian revolution, effectively severing its ties with Assad.

Nearly 10 years later, Hamas restored relations with Assad’s government, sending a delegation to meet the toppled president in the Syrian capital in 2022.

08.12.2024 - 22:10 [ C-SPAN / Youtube ]

President Biden on Situation in Syria: „At long last the Assad regime has fallen.“

President Biden: „After 13 years of civil war in Syria, more than half a century of brutal authoritarian rule by Bashar al-Assad and his father before him, rebel forces have forced Assad to resign his office, flee the country.“

08.12.2024 - 18:45 [ Fox News ]

Syria Gunmen storm Iranian embassy in Damascus as Russia claims Assad left ‚instructions‘ to ‚transfer power‘

Iranian state television reported on the embassy incident, saying they did not believe the gunmen were affiliated with the wider rebel group that took the city. (…)

Russia‘s Foreign Ministry said in a Telegram post Sunday that Assad left Syria following negotiations with rebel groups, and that the long-time Syrian leader had left „instructions“ to „transfer power peacefully.“ The Russian ministry said the Kremlin was not directly involved in those discussions.

08.12.2024 - 18:30 [ Tehran Times ]

Syrian army command tells officers that Assad‘s rule has ended

The unnamed officer made the remarks to Reuters on Sunday after reports said President Assad had flown out of Damascus for an unknown destination.

Meanwhile, the militants declared that they had captured the capital, announcing the fall of the Assad government.

08.12.2024 - 02:00 [ Antiwar.com ]

Jake Sullivan Says US Won’t ‘Cry’ About the Pressure Syria Is Facing from Al-Qaeda-Linked Fighters

(December 2, 2024)

US officials have not been shy in the past about their preference for HTS and its leader, Abu Mohammad al-Julani, over other factions in Syria. James Jeffrey, an American diplomat who served as a special envoy to Syria under the Trump administration from 2018-2020, said in a 2021 interview that HTS was “an asset” to the US’s strategy in Idlib, a northwestern Syrian province that’s been under HTS control since 2017.

07.12.2024 - 23:08 [ Telegraph.co.uk ]

Assad’s family ‘flees’ to Russia – but Kremlin won’t come to Syrian leader’s rescue

(December 6, 2024)

Bashar al-Assad’s family fled to Russia in the days after rebel forces launched a shock offensive that captured swathes of territory across northern Syria, it has been revealed.

It comes after a source close to the Kremlin told Bloomberg News that Moscow had no plans to rescue the Syrian president, with Vladimir Putin said to be disgusted by reports of regime troops fleeing their positions. (…)

Egyptian and Jordanian officials are understood to have urged the Syrian president to leave the country and form a government-in-exile.

07.12.2024 - 21:48 [ Le Monde ]

Syrian rebels say they are encircling Damascus

Daraa and Quneitra are near the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, where Israel said it was boosting its troop presence, and Jordan, which late Friday urged its citizens to leave Syria „as soon as possible.“

Iraq allowed hundreds of troops from the Syrian army in, some of them wounded, amid the offensive, according to two Iraqi security sources speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP). The soldiers from President Bashar al-Assad‘s forces „have fled the front lines“ and entered Iraq through the Al-Qaim border crossing, said one senior security official, adding that „the wounded have been hospitalized“ in the area.

07.12.2024 - 21:21 [ Middle East Eye ]

Israel says it‘s repelling attack on UN peacekeepers in occupied Golan Heights

According to Israel, a UN post on the edge of the UN-patrolled buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights came under attack.

„The [Israeli army] is currently assisting the UN forces in repelling the attack,“ Israel said.

07.12.2024 - 21:12 [ Jerusalem Post ]

IDF calls troops to Golan as rebels force Syrian army from border province

On Friday, the military completed a General Staff exercise in the northern Jordan Valley and the southern Golan Heights.

During the exercise, General Staff readiness was drilled by the Operations Directorate, by both air and land, to assess response time and reaction to an emerging incident in real time.

07.12.2024 - 16:59 [ United Nations Security Council ]

Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force for the period from 4 September to 19 November 2014

(01.12.2014)

5. In view of the heavy fighting, which was approaching close to the UNDOF headquarters at Camp Faouar and the mission’s positions in the central part of the area of separation, the Force Commander briefed both parties early in September on the Force’s plans to relocate its personnel and assets should the Nusra Front or other extremist fighters who posed a clear threat to the mission endanger the safety and security of the United Nations personnel. It should be noted here that from information posted on social media as well as in the course of its efforts to secure the release of the peacekeepers, the United Nations learned that its personnel had been taken and held by members of the Nusra Front. There were indications that the Nusra Front intended to detain additional UNDOF personnel and take from UNDOF more weapons and vehicles as opportunities arose. (…)

12. Crossing of the ceasefire line by civilians, primarily shepherds, was observed on an almost daily basis. On 24 October, United Nations observation post 73 observed 12 IDF soldiers who detained one civilian between the Alpha line and the Israeli technical fence south-east of the observation post and subsequently took him away. IDF informed UNDOF that they released the person within one hour at the same location. On 27 October, position 80 observed two IDF soldiers east of the technical fence returning from the direction of the Alpha line towards the technical fence. UNDOF observed IDF opening the technical fence gate and letting two individuals pass from the Bravo to the Alpha side. Following the evacuation of UNDOF personnel from position 85 on 28 August, UNDOF sporadically observed armed members of the opposition interacting with IDF across the ceasefire line in the vicinity of United Nations position 85.

07.12.2024 - 16:53 [ UN Tribune ]

UN Peacekeepers Observe IDF Interacting With Al Nusra in Golan

(4.12.2014)

UN troops monitoring the 1974 ceasefire between Israel and Syria have witnessed interactions between members of the Israeli Defence Forces and the Al Nusra Front who have taken over a large part of the Golan Heights.

07.12.2024 - 16:40 [ Times of Israel ]

Syria rebels appear to credit Israeli strikes on Hezbollah with aiding shock advance

(December 2, 2024)

“They accuse us of cooperating with you because we were quite happy when you attacked Hezbollah, really happy, and we’re glad that you won,” the source said.

Both said the rebels had no issue with Israel. “We love Israel and we were never its enemies,” the man from the Idlib area said. “[Israel] isn’t hostile to those who are not hostile toward it. We don’t hate you, we love you very much.”

07.12.2024 - 16:30 [ Ben Norton / Geopoliticaleconomy.com ]

Al-Qaeda-linked ‘rebels’ in Syria say they ‘love Israel’. USA gave them billions in weapons & support

The United States spent billions over years arming and training militants in Syria, many linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS.

Current US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan admitted back in 2012 that “AQ [Al-Qaeda] is on our side in Syria”.

07.12.2024 - 15:59 [ theCradle.co/ ]

Turkish-backed extremists ‚headed to Damascus‘ says Erdogan

“We do not want escalation to continue in the region,” the Turkish president claimed.

“Idlib, Hama, and Homs are in the hands of the Syrian opposition, and they are continuing towards Damascus. We extended our hand to Bashar al-Assad but he did not respond,” he added.