Israel Bolsters Forces Along Syrian Frontier as Rebels Advance

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Facts

  • The Israeli military said on Friday that it was bolstering its forces along the border with Syria due to the rapid advance of rebel forces in the last week, adding that it is 'prepared for any scenario.' Defense Minister Israel Katz and military chief Herzi Halevi also held another assessment of the recent events in Syria.[1][2]
  • The move comes after rebel forces led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seized the city of Hama on Thursday after days of heavy fighting. Rebel forces are now pushing on the city of Homs, which connects the capital Damascus to Syria's coastal regions.[3][4]
  • The Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is directly supported by the US, moved into the city of Deir ez-Zor on Friday after government troops withdrew from the area toward Damascus. Iranian-backed armed groups have a strong presence in Deir ez-Zor, which is often seen as part of Iran's land corridor to Lebanon.[5][6][7]
  • In Syria's south, government forces also largely withdrew from the Quneitra, Daraa, and Suweida regions, which border Israel and Jordan. Rebel groups that lay dormant in the area for years have attacked government forces and seized territory.[8]
  • In 2019, Israel admitted that it has provided military support for armed groups in Syria along its border in the country's southern regions. Israel has also regularly bombed the country to counter the presence of Iran-backed groups in the country, though it rarely comments on these attacks.[9]
  • Iran has said that it would send support to bolster the Syrian government as the rebels continue to advance. Hezbollah also said it had sent some 'supervising forces' to help defend Homs. HTS is the current iteration of the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, though it says it has cut ties with the organization.[10][11][12]

Sources: [1]Timesofisrael (a), [2]Timesofisrael (b), [3]Associated Press, [4]BBC News, [5]ANF News, [6]AA, [7]The Washington Institute, [8]Middle East Eye, [9]Timesofisrael (c), [10]Reuters (a), [11]France 24 and [12]Reuters (b).

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Timesofisrael. Israel should do more to support the rebels in Syria, as they are fighting a common enemy. There are still secular and moderate factions within the opposition, and there will be many voices in a free Syria who will be open to normalizing relations with Israel. Israel should not sit on its hands and wait for events to unfold. Rather, it should actively support the Syrian revolution.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Jerusalem Post. Israel's interest in Syria is to see the Assad regime weakened but not defeated. Now that it is becoming increasingly likely that the Islamist rebels will overthrow the government and take power, Israel must begin to worry. Chaos in the region, especially when it's induced by Islamic radicals, has never been good for Israel, and it must bolster its defenses in the Golan Heights.
  • Pro-Iran narrative, as provided by Tehran Times. What is happening in Syria is a Western and Israeli-backed plot to weaken Iran and the axis of resistance. Though the Western media loves to fawn over the 'Syrian rebels,' in reality, Syria is facing a terrorist onslaught made up of jihadists and foreign fighters from across the world.