Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah declared a “major victory” over forces “supported by the United States and Israel” amid unconfirmed ceasefire reports in southern Syria between rebel groups and forces loyal to the Syrian government.
“We are headed towards an important change and a major victory in southern Syria against all the armed militias, which are supported by the United States and are receiving aid from Israel. ISIS’s fate was foretold. The militias in southern Syria are collapsing and being defeated, and they have no horizon,” he Nasrallah.
Syrian government forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, as well as Iranian and Hezbollah forces, have been waging a campaign to regain rebel-held territory in the provinces of Daraa, Quneitra and parts of Sweida for the last week. The offensive has driven tens of thousands of people towards Jordan and thousands more towards the Israeli border in the Golan Heights. Many have feared that the offensive would trigger a humanitarian crisis as hundreds of thousands seek to flee the violence.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein said in a statement on Friday that there was “a grave risk that intensified fighting will see many civilians trapped.” He also condemned how civilians in Syria continue to be used as pawns by the various parties.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, Israeli soldiers have delivered approximately 50 tons of humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees fleeing the attacks by the government on Thursday night.
Supplies delivered under “Operation Good Neighbor” included some 300 tents, 13 tons of food, 15 tons of baby food, three pallets filled with medical equipment and medication, and 30 tons of clothing and shoes.
The aid was transferred to Syrian refugee camps in southern and central parts of the Syrian-held Golan Heights from four different entry points along the Israel-Syria border.
