Jerusalem is constantly monitoring the situation in Syria, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, after Sunni jihadist rebels over the weekend took control of Aleppo, the country’s second-largest city.
“We are determined to both protect the vital interests of the State of Israel and preserve the achievements of the war,” Netanyahu told Israel Defense Forces recruits at the Tel Hashomer induction center in Ramat Gan.
The premier scheduled a special discussion regarding the developments in Syria, set to take place on Sunday night. The meeting was to also focus on the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Jerusalem is treating the rebels’ and jihadists’ advances in Syria with caution, with intelligence warning that the developments could ultimately spell trouble for the Jewish state.
Intelligence chiefs cautioned that the possible collapse of the regime led by President Bashar Assad had the potential to create a situation of turmoil in which threats against Israel could develop.
Meanwhile, Syrian rebel fighter Suhail Mohammed Hamoud (“Abu TOW”)—a member of the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army—told Israel’s Kan News public broadcaster on Saturday that Jerusalem should “worry about Iran and Hezbollah. We’re taking care of them.” He added, “Brother, you should be afraid of Bashar al-Assad, Iran and Hezbollah” rather than the Sunni rebels.
Suhail Mohammed Hamoud, also known by his nom de guerre Abu TOW, Syrian rebel fighter and former military officer to @kann_news:
— Jewish News Syndicate (@JNS_org) December 1, 2024
"Brother, you should be afraid of Bashar al-Assad, Iran and Hezbollah (not us)."
Extra, Extra ➤ https://t.co/2f9hiU9e0I pic.twitter.com/65SdQUQE3V
Syrian opposition forces stormed the Iranian consulate in Aleppo as part of their advance into the city, Tehran’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Saturday, after footage on social media showed fighters in the building.
The lightning offensive marked the first time that Aleppo fell from Damascus’s control since the start of the civil war in 2011.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed on Saturday that the rebels’ surprise offensive was part of “a plot by the Israeli regime and the U.S. to undermine regional security,” Iran’s IRNA broadcaster reported.
In a call with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Araghchi urged “enhanced cooperation among Iran, Russia and regional countries, particularly Syria’s neighbors, to thwart this conspiracy,” the report continued.
Araghchi touched down in Damascus on Sunday in a show of support for the Assad regime, the Iran International opposition outlet reported.
