The Syrian civil war has entered a critical phase, with rebels gaining significant ground against the Assad regime. On Saturday, Syrian opposition forces, spearheaded by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and its leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani, announced their capture of Quneitra province, located near the Israeli border. Reuters corroborated the development, citing rebel sources and a Syrian government official. Concurrently, Sunni rebels reported taking control of Al-Sanamayn, a city in the rural Daraa region in southern Syria.
Rebels announce 'liberation' of Quneitra
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based opposition group, further confirmed the Assad regime had lost control of Daraa province. Earlier, the Syrian army announced a “redeployment” of its forces in Daraa and As-Suwayda in southern Syria. Meanwhile, the opposition-aligned news outlet "Voice of the Capital" reported the withdrawal of Assad’s troops and Iranian-backed militias from Palmyra in central Syria and parts of the expansive Syrian desert. The outlet also noted that Hezbollah had pulled its forces from rural areas of Quneitra, even as sources close to the Shiite militant group revealed it had deployed 2,000 fighters to Syria to bolster Assad’s forces.
In a related development, Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hadath channel, citing an Iraqi security source, reported that hundreds of pro-Iranian militia members had retreated from Syria toward the Al-Qaim border crossing, which connects Syria and Iraq. Separately, reports from southern Syria indicated rebels negotiated with Assad regime forces to secure control of the Al-Thaala airport near As-Suwayda without any armed confrontation.
Rebel drag statue of Assad's father in Daraa
The battle for Homs looms large. According to Rami Abdul Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, control of Homs could determine the conflict’s trajectory. “Once Homs falls, the regime will collapse,” he remarked. Capturing Homs would allow rebels to sever the primary route to Syria’s coastal regions, a stronghold of the Alawite-dominated regime. Rebel forces have already reached the gates of Homs, issuing what they described as a “final call” for Assad’s forces to defect before they enter the city.
This surge in rebel advances follows the Assad regime’s recent losses. Over the past week, Sunni rebels captured Aleppo and Hama, bringing them closer to Homs. Even before the potential fall of Homs, the Syrian opposition achieved a symbolic milestone by entering the city of Daraa for the first time since 2011, the year the uprising against Assad began. Rebel leaders disclosed that their takeover of Daraa, near the Jordanian border, was facilitated by an agreement allowing regime forces a safe withdrawal while avoiding encounters with Assad’s senior officials.
Amid these developments, the Wall Street Journal reported that Egyptian and Jordanian officials urged Assad to leave the country and establish a government-in-exile. While Assad remains in Syria, many of his family members have reportedly relocated. According to the report, based on Arab and security sources, Assad’s wife Asma and their children recently left for Russia, while other family members have sought refuge in the UAE.
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Israel, closely monitoring developments on its northern border, has increased its military presence in the Golan Heights. Israeli Defense Forces announced the deployment of additional infantry, armored, and engineering units, alongside reinforcements sent earlier. An IDF spokesperson emphasized that the measures aim to strengthen the region’s defenses and prepare for various scenarios. “IDF is monitoring events and preparing for any situation, both offensively and defensively. It will not tolerate threats near Israel’s border and will act to neutralize any risk to its citizens.”