Israeli violence against Syria escalates local hazards
Date
12/30/2024 6:31:52 AM
(MENAFN) Middle East expert Murad Sadygzade has warned that Israel’s increasing military presence in Syria could further destabilize the region. He predicted that Moscow is unlikely to mediate between the involved parties unless explicitly invited to do so. This escalation comes after Syrian opposition forces, led by the Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) Islamists, launched a surprise offensive earlier this month, swiftly taking over much of the country. government forces offered minimal resistance, and former President Bashar Assad fled to Russia, where he was granted asylum.
Following this, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) advanced from the Golan Heights, expanding their control over territory occupied since 1967. The 1974 disengagement agreement’s buffer zone is now effectively under Israeli control. Sadygzade, president of the Middle East Studies Center and a visiting lecturer at HSE University in Moscow, explained that since Hamas’s attack on Israel and the beginning of the Gaza military operation in 2023, the power balance in the Middle East has shifted. Israel has been weakening Iranian allies in the region, with Syria being one of the focal points in this broader geopolitical struggle.
He cautioned that Israeli aggression against Syria could lead to the country’s further fragmentation and could pave the way for the rise of radical groups, similar to ISIS, under the banner of resistance against Zionism. Sadygzade noted that while this situation is unlikely to affect Russia-Israel relations at the moment, Russia’s role as a security guarantor in Syria has diminished, with Turkey now playing a more dominant role. However, the trilateral Astana format, which includes Russia, Turkey, and Iran, might be beneficial in the future.
Echoing Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent comments, Sadygzade asserted that the removal of Assad does not constitute a failure for Russia, which has solidified its position in the region since 2015. Putin had also pointed out that Israel is currently the main beneficiary of the upheaval in Syria but emphasized Moscow's opposition to the seizure of Syrian territory.
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