Israel Claims Victory And Territory Beyond Golan Heights
December 9, 2024—The 24-year reign of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria is over. Assad fled to Russia as opposition forces closed in on the capital, Damascus.
The victors are Islamist Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, also called Muhammad al-Jawlani, an affiliate of al Qaeda and other terrorist groups, and the Israeli government.
Just prior to overtaking the capital, Jolani gave an exclusive interview with CNN. He said he wanted to free Syria from Iranian influence and set up an Islamic government with institutional structures to establish order for the state.
Terrorist Designation
Jolani (also spelled “Jawlani”) is considered a terrorist by the United Nations, United States, and Europe. According to the UN, he led the Al-Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant, also called the Jabhat Fath al-Sham—a group aligned with al-Qaeda (al-Qaida). In 2017, the group created Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) “as a vehicle to advance its position in the Syrian insurgency.”
Speaking to a crowd after capturing Damascus, Jolani said the victory “marked a new history for the region” for “the entire Islamic nation.”
The U.S. government has HTS listed on its terror watchlist and includes a number of alias names for the group.
A Win for Israel
Meanwhile, Israeli defense forces seized territory Northeast of the occupied Golan Heights and carried out air strikes against Syrian military bases, equipment, and warfare centers.
Addressing the public X on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took credit for the collapse of the Assad regime calling it “a direct result of the strong blows we have delivered to Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran.”
It was a strategic win for Israel to take down the Iran-affiliated Assad regime, which was seen as facilitating arms sales to Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.
