As Israel hastens its attacks on Iranian proxies in Syria, amid the fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Syrian rebels in the north are resurging to ride these tailwinds with a significant offensive on government-controlled areas.
The rebel offensive, launched on Wednesday, was reported to have captured a Syrian military base and around 40 towns and villages controlled by the pro-Iranian Assad government.
The offensive represents a unification of anti-government rebel forces in Syria, combined with a deadly Israeli attack, and poses a significant threat to Assad.
Control of Aleppo–Syria’s second-largest city after the capital, Damascus, has suddenly become a global flashpoint, with rebel forces reported to be closing in fast on the city as of Thursday afternoon, EST.
This is the first major offensive in Syria since 2020.
Syrian rebel forces had named the offensive, the “Deterrence of Aggression”, partly in response to the Assad regime’s targeting of the rebel-held city of Idlib in which at least 30 civilians were killed.
Syrian rebel forces now feel emboldened, not only because of Israel’s attacks on Iranian proxies in Syria, but also because Israel has severely weakened Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Hezbollah was a key force for maintaining Assad’s grip on power.
The offensive comes amid a shaky ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon on Wednesday, with both sides claiming the other had violated the deal by Thursday.
Israel is likely interested in maintaining the current momentum in Syria, with the rebels taking advantage of Hezbollah’s increasing weakness. With Syria now another key flashpoint in the Israel-Gaza war, oil-giant Iraq has every reason to be nervous, torn apart by pro-Iranian and pro-Western forces.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
