Beirut (AFP) – Experts say Syria is avoiding getting drawn into the Gaza battle regardless of an assault on Iran’s Damascus consulate blamed on Israel that threatens to spark a regional conflagration. .
Publication date: 26/04/2024 – 12:09 Modification date: 26/04/2024 – 12:07
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The authorities of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is looking for to strike a fragile steadiness between Russia and Iran, which have sustained 13 years of civil warfare and helped restore misplaced territory.
Syria is a part of the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” an alliance of Iran-backed teams that has launched assaults on the Islamic Republic’s arch-enemy Israel and its alleged property since October.
But Russia, one other main ally, maintains diplomatic relations with Israel and promotes stability in southern Syria, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
“Israel has clearly warned Assad that if Syria is used towards them, it is going to destroy his regime,” mentioned a Western diplomat who requested anonymity as a result of he isn’t licensed to talk to the media. the official mentioned.
In current months, Syria has seen a sequence of assaults on Iranian targets, with Israeli assaults extensively blamed, culminating within the April 1 raid on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, which led to the Iranian revolution. Seven defenders (together with two generals) have been killed.
In response to this assault, Iran launched its first-ever direct missile and drone assault towards Israel on April 13-14, heightening tensions within the area.
The assault additionally prompted Iran to scale back its navy presence throughout southern Syria, notably in areas bordering the Golan, sources near Hezbollah and warfare screens advised AFP.
Russian and UAE affect
“Russia and the United Arab Emirates have been urging[Assad]to remain out of the battle,” mentioned Andrew Tabler of the Washington Institute.
Syria rejoined the Arab world final yr and has sought improved ties with the rich Gulf state in hopes of receiving assist with reconstruction funds, however Western sanctions are prone to deter funding.
In 2018, the United Arab Emirates re-established relations with Syria and has been on the forefront of reintegrating Damascus.
Syria seems to be heeding calls from Russia and the UAE, with its border with the Golan Heights remaining comparatively calm regardless of a number of assaults by Hezbollah-allied fighters.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights warfare monitoring group mentioned for the reason that begin of the Gaza warfare, solely 26 rocket assaults from Syria have focused the Golan Island, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967 and annexed in 1981. ing.
Most landed in open areas, “which is seen in Washington and elsewhere as a form of code that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad needs to distance himself from the Gaza battle,” Tabler mentioned.
“President Assad needs Arab and Western nations to pay the value for restraint, and Russia is pushing him down this path.”
Tricky relationship with Hamas
Earlier this month, Russia’s Ministry of Defense introduced that it had arrange extra positions within the Syrian a part of the Golan Heights to “monitor the ceasefire and promote de-escalation.”
Large demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians within the Gaza Strip have been held in a number of Arab capitals, whereas just a few small pro-Palestinian rallies have been seen in Damascus, witnesses mentioned.
Syria has a tough relationship with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose onslaught on southern Israel on October 7 triggered the warfare.
Hamas and Assad reconciled in 2022, a decade after the militant teams, lengthy allies of Damascus, severed ties over the crackdown on primarily Sunni protests that sparked Syria’s civil warfare.
Hamas is a Sunni Islamist group with origins in Egypt that comes from the identical ideological sect because the Muslim Brotherhood, which Syria considers terrorists.
“The regime hates Hamas and has no intention of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood. A victory for the Muslim Brotherhood will solely strengthen our associates in Syria,” the diplomat mentioned.
Hamas introduced final yr that it will flip a brand new leaf with the Syrian authorities, however Assad felt it was nonetheless “too early” to speak about normalization.
© 2024 AFP