In recent days, an unprecedented wind of change has swept across the political scene in Syria. Rebel forces have succeeded in bringing down the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, who had ruled the country for 24 years in the Levant region. Forced to flee, Assad has sought refuge in Russia.
The announcement of the fall of President Assad was broadcast by rebel forces on state television, as he was leaving Damascus as opposition forces arrived in the capital. The rebels proclaimed the “liberation” of Damascus and the fall of the Assad regime, specifying that all detainees had been released.
Syrian state television broadcast an image captioned “the victory of the great Syrian revolution and the fall of the criminal Assad regime.” Simultaneously, Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Ghazi al-Jalali declared in a recorded message that his government was ready “to cooperate with any leadership chosen by the people.”
However, despite the appearance of victory, the country remains in a period of uncertainty. Alaa Ezz al-Din, former director of the Center for Military Studies, expressed his concerns about the situation in Syria. He stressed that the armed opposition factions are not in harmony with each other, and that each militia or armed group will control a certain area, leading to new clashes due to ideological and doctrinal differences.
He also indicated that the United States and Israel are monitoring the situation without direct intervention, allowing the warring factions to weaken each other. He predicted that Israel could exploit this chaos to strengthen its control over the Golan Heights, or even establish a buffer zone in the eastern Golan to secure it, with the possibility of annexing this region in the future, in order to realize its expansionist ambitions.
The division of Syria into several states, perhaps up to three, could be the consequence of the ongoing conflicts. This would lead to greater fragility and disintegration, which would serve the interests of the United States and Israel in the region.
According to Alaa Ezz al-Din, this is a difficult time, and solidarity from all is needed in Egypt and the Arab region. He stressed that the Arab future is bleak, with the destruction of Iraq, Syria and the Palestinian resistance.
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had left office and given instructions for a peaceful transfer of power after negotiations with the parties to the Syrian conflict. He said he was in contact with all factions of the Syrian opposition.
US President-elect Donald Trump said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had “fled his country” after losing the support of his Russian ally.
This series of events marks a major turning point in the history of Syria and the region, pointing to an uncertain and complex future for the war-ravaged country. The international community is closely monitoring the situation, while political and humanitarian challenges remain numerous for the actors involved.