Turkish officials have disclosed to the US administration that neither they nor Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) had originally planned or anticipated the overthrow of Bashar Assad and Syria's capture, instead seizing an unexpected opportunity for success – information that US officials subsequently shared with Israel.
The Turkish explanation indicated their original strategy aimed only to modestly expand Mohammad al-Julani's organization's control around Aleppo in northern Syria, near the Turkish border. The unexpectedly rapid collapse of Aleppo and the disintegration of Syrian military forces prompted al-Julani and his supporters to push forward into additional regions of the country.
Simultaneously, contradictory reports emerge from Syria regarding the new leadership's approach toward minority communities. Images obtained by Israel Hayom from Homs show new leadership officials wearing ISIS insignia on their clothing. Additional photographs from Baniyas in northwestern Syria reveal HTS representatives requiring women to wear face-covering niqabs.
Contrasting with these developments, al-Julani personally met with Syrian Christian leadership representatives, repeating his pledge that the new administration would protect minority communities. Despite these assurances, the Kurdish leadership in northern Syria continues to report harassment from the new leadership.
Israel Hayom has obtained information about an extensive phone discussion between Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Ilham Ahmad, Foreign Minister of the Kurdish autonomous region in northern Syria. During their conversation, the Kurdish representative reported arbitrary arrests and executions of Kurdish citizens by the new leadership. Saar indicated he consistently raises Kurdish concerns during all his diplomatic conversations with international colleagues.
