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The leader of Syria's most powerful rebel faction has indicated that his forces do not want new conflicts despite a wave of Israeli attacks on the country since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Abu Muhammad al-Julani, the leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, denounced what he called Israel's “flimsy” excuses for its air strikes, but said opposition fighters should not be distracted by it. Rebuilding the countryThis is according to an interview published on Syrian television loyal to the opposition.
The Israeli military campaign in Syria, which officials say has targeted the remnants of Assad's military forces and infrastructure, represents a test of Al-Julani's newfound strength as he faces the prospect of rebuilding a nation torn apart by 13 years of civil war.
Israel has Ground forces also moved From the occupied Golan Heights to seize territory inside and outside the former demilitarized zone inside Syria.
Al-Julani, who recently began calling himself Ahmed Al-Sharaa, called on the international community to “urgently intervene” to ensure Syria’s sovereignty. Al-Julani said: “Our priorities now are to meet people’s basic needs and work to achieve a more stable and just future.” An official in Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham confirmed his statements to the Financial Times.
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy said on Saturday that Israel was moving to prevent armed groups from establishing themselves near the border and that Israel was not seeking a permanent presence in the region. Syria.
The country is filled with depots of weapons and materials left behind by conscripted Syrian soldiers, who have largely fled their positions as the rebels, led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, advance towards Damascus.
He added: “We do not interfere in what is happening in Syria. “We have no intention of running Syria,” Halevy said. “We unequivocally intervene in what determines the security of Israeli citizens here.”
But Al-Julani told Syrian television that Israel had crossed the conflict lines and was threatening escalation, adding that diplomatic solutions were the only path to security.
A resident of the southern border town of Jabba told the Financial Times that an airstrike on Friday damaged the home of a family member who was a civilian, but there was an abandoned Syrian tank parked in front of it.
The Israeli moves also sparked widespread international condemnation, as Jordan and Egypt on Saturday issued a statement demanding that Israeli forces withdraw from Syrian territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday also put forward a plan to double the Israeli population in the Golan Heights, which Israel has occupied since 1967, citing threats from Syria.
“Strengthening the Golan Heights strengthens the State of Israel, and is especially important at this time,” he said in a statement issued by his office. “We'll continue to stick with it, make it thrive, and settle in.”
Other countries have begun to deal cautiously with Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which has appointed a transitional prime minister to lead the Syrian administration until March. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Saturday that Washington He was in direct contact with Hay'at Tahrir al-ShamWhile British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on Sunday that his country had also held “diplomatic contacts” with the group.
But experts warn that the US designation of the Al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group may limit its ability to engage with other countries, and Blinken hinted that the US could ease restrictions on Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. “We appreciate some of the positive words we have heard in recent days,” he said. “But what really matters is work and consistent work.”
The United States and others also worry that any chaos following Assad's collapse could allow ISIS to regroup. Last week, Turkish-backed rebel factions launched an attack against Kurdish militants in the east, who were armed by Washington to fight the extremist group.
Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Guler told reporters on Sunday that the Turkish military is ready to train and cooperate with the new government if it requests support.
But Guler added that “the Kurdish-led armed forces must be eliminated,” and claimed that the new government in Damascus shared the same goal.
Ankara's long-term support for Syrian rebels has made it one of the most influential powers since Assad's collapse. The Syrian Kurdish fighters are considered an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which has been waging an armed campaign for autonomy inside Türkiye for four decades.
Services have slowly returned to Syria over the past week. On Sunday, the first day of the week, schools reopened in Damascus and buses linking the different governorates resumed service.
To celebrate the fall of the regime, officials also removed customs duties on mobile phones and suspended passport renewal fees for six months.
