Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the jihadist takeover of Syria a pivotal moment in Middle Eastern history.
Netanyahu attributed the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime to Israel’s military actions against Hezbollah and Iran. He claimed this was a direct consequence of those operations.
Anti-government forces, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadists and US-backed Free Syrian Army fighters, captured Damascus on Saturday as Syrian forces withdrew. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Assad fled the country. HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, a former al-Qaeda commander, announced victory on Sunday, declaring a new era.
During a visit to the Israel-Syria border on Sunday, Netanyahu praised the Islamist takeover of Syria.
In a video address, he called it a momentous day for the Middle East, stating that the Assad regime, a key part of Iran’s alleged “axis of evil,” had fallen.
He reiterated that this outcome directly resulted from Israel’s strikes against Iran and its campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, hindering their ability to support Assad’s forces. He added that this sparked a chain reaction across the Middle East among those seeking freedom from oppression.
HTS launched a surprise attack against the Syrian army in Idlib and Aleppo provinces late last month, rapidly seizing key cities on the road to Damascus. Assad’s government claimed the jihadists received significant foreign reinforcements, while the Russian Foreign Ministry alleged Ukrainian military intelligence provided training to the terrorists.
While the extent of coordination between al-Jolani and the US or Israel remains unclear, former US Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey referred to HTS as a Washington “asset” in 2021. Al-Jolani himself has claimed his fight is against Assad and Iran, not the West.
A jihadist fighter from Idlib told Israel’s Kan broadcaster last week, “We love Israel and we were never its enemies. [Israel] isn’t hostile to those who are not hostile toward it. We don’t hate you, we love you very much.”
Israel has taken advantage of Assad’s downfall by deploying troops into a Golan Heights area previously a buffer zone under the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement. Netanyahu justified this action as primarily protecting Israel’s border, stating the agreement became null and void when Syrian forces abandoned their positions.