US airlifted weapons into Syria 21 days prior to attacks
US military sent material aid into Syria 21 days ago, Rebel leader al-Julani killed along with many militants in Russian, Syrian counterstrikes, as rebels approach Hama.
Leader of Syrian rebel group Abu Mohammad al-Julani killed in Russian airstrike in Aleppo — report
The leader of the Islamist group that swept into the Syrian city of Aleppo yesterday has been killed in a Russian airstrike, according to unconfirmed Arab media reports.
Earlier today, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air force had carried out strikes on Syrian rebels in support of the country’s army, Russian news agencies reported.
Ahmed Hussein al-Shar’a, known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani (or Golani, indicating he was born in the Golan Heights), is wanted by the United States as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, with a $10 million bounty on his head.
His group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, once known as the Nusra Front, is designated a terrorist group by the US, Russia, Turkey and other states. Syrian President Bashar Assad is a close Moscow ally.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/leader-of-syrian-rebel-group-killed-in-russian-airstrike-in-aleppo-report/
Dozens of militants killed, wounded in strikes by Russian, Syrian air forces — agency
According to SANA, Syrian air defense systems shot down a terrorists’ drone over the city of Masyaf in the Hama governorate
BEIRUT, December 1. /TASS/. Dozens of terrorists have been killed as a result of joint strikes by Russian and Syrian air forces on the settlement of al-Safira in the Aleppo governorate, the SANA news agency reported, citing a source in the Syrian defense ministry.
"Dozens of terrorists were either killed or wounded in al-Safira’s suburbs in the Aleppo governorate after joint airstrikes delivered by the Russian and Syrian air forces," the source was quoted as saying.
According to SANA, Syrian air defense systems shot down a terrorists’ drone over the city of Masyaf in the Hama governorate.
The Syrian army command reported on November 28 that units of the Jabhat al-Nusra extremist group (outlawed in Russia) had staged a large-scale attack on Syria’s northern governorates the day prior. The terrorists attempted to seize a number of neighborhoods and military facilities and attacked the positions of government forces. The Syrian army launched an operation to repel the attack.
On November 30, the Syrian army command said that government forces were delivering strikes on terrorists’ positions in Aleppo and were expecting reinforcement. According to the Syrian defense ministry, the army had to regroup when repelling the attack by terrorists on Aleppo to save the lives of civilians and its troops and is getting prepared for a counterattack.
https://tass.com/world/1880433
Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire takes effect, with both uncertainties and positive signals: experts
By Shen Sheng
A cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect on Wednesday, with experts saying that the temporary halt may face uncertainty during implementation but the cease-fire itself offers a positive signal for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, though broader peace needs further efforts.
The cease-fire that started early Wednesday calls for an initial two-month halt to fighting and requires Hezbollah to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops are to return to their side of the border. An international panel led by the US will monitor compliance, said the AP.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday there were three reasons to pursue a cease-fire - to focus on Iran, replenish depleted arms supplies and give the army a rest, and finally to isolate Hamas, Reuters reported.
Hezbollah has not formally commented on the cease-fire but senior official Hassan Fadlallah told Lebanon's Al Jadeed TV that while it supported the extension of the Lebanese state's authority, the group would emerge from the war stronger.
On the day the cease-fire agreement took effect, clashes continued between the two sides, raising doubts about its effectiveness.
According to the Al-Manar correspondent in southern Lebanon, Israeli occupation forces fired five artillery shells toward Fatima Gate in the Lebanese border town of Kfar Kila, aiming to intimidate Lebanese citizens attempting to enter the village. Meanwhile, the Israeli military stated on Wednesday that Israeli forces fired at several vehicles carrying suspects to prevent them from entering a no-go zone in Lebanese territory, and the suspects subsequently withdrew, Reuters reported.
UN Resolution 1701 is at the heart of the Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire deal, according to the AP. Resolution 1701 was supposed to complete Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon and ensure Hezbollah would move north of the Litani River, keeping the area exclusively under the Lebanese military and UN peacekeepers.
Ding long, Professor at Middle East Studies Institute, Shanghai International Studies University, pointed out that Israel retains the authority to determine whether the other party has violated the agreement, which could lead to disputes and potential military actions during its implementation.
A US official said the Lebanese army is expected to deploy 5,000 troops to the south under the agreement, the BBC reported. However, questions remain about their role in enforcing the cease-fire, and whether they would confront Hezbollah if needed, which would have the potential to exacerbate tensions in a country where sectarian divisions run deep.
Apart from the issues of military capability and oversight mechanisms, Ding said that the current agreement is temporary, with a 60-day duration, rather than a long-term or permanent reconciliation agreement, which may lead to challenges and uncertainties during its implementation.
The agreement marks the first glimmer of peace in the Middle East in a year and holds positive significance for regional stability. It may offer a positive signal for the future direction of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but broader peace solutions will require further efforts, Ding noted.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202411/1323901.shtml
Syrian rebels push towards Hama as government forces launch counterattacks
Russian and Syrian jets reportedly attack Idlib city on fifth day of opposition’s surprise advance in northwest Syria.
Government forces under the control of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have also been fortifying the northern province of Hama, according to the Syrian state news agency, SANA. It reported the army overnight pushed back opposition fighters in its northern countryside. Forces there were being resupplied with heavy equipment and rocket launchers, according to SANA.
On Sunday, United Nations special envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, appealed for all stakeholders in the conflict to immediately seek a political resolution.
“The latest developments pose severe risks to civilians and have serious implications for regional and international peace and security,” he said.
The fighting marks the most significant turn in years in the Syrian war, which began with popular uprisings across the country in 2011. Since 2020, the front lines had largely been stagnant with an array of rebel groups largely contained to a small portion of Idlib province.
But on Friday, opposition fighters led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) enteredAleppo, prompting government forces to withdraw from the strategically significant city of more than 2 million people.
The rebels have since claimed several strategic victories, including taking control of the supply-line town of Khansir, Aleppo Industrial City, Aleppo’s military academy and the field artillery college.
Formerly known as al-Nusra Front, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda, HTS has distanced itself from the group while becoming the strongest opposition movement in northwestern Syria.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is still considered a “terrorist” organisation by the United States, Syria and Russia.
Push towards Hama
In his first public comments since the start of the offensive, released late on Saturday, al-Assad said his forces will continue to defend the government’s “stability and territorial integrity against terrorists and their supporters”.
He said Syria is able to defeat the rebel groups no matter how much their attacks intensify.
But reporting from the Turkish-Syrian border, Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu said rebel forces remained on the outskirts of Hama and are “trying to counter the Syrian government forces there”.
“The villages, towns that have been taken by the opposition, sometimes the Syrian government forces take them back,” she said. “So there is an exchange of [control]. Still, it’s very dynamic, very volatile on the ground.”
The government said air strikes on opposition-controlled areas were targeting weapon depots and rebel strongholds.
However, the United Kingdom-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Russian strikes hit camps for displaced people on Sunday, killing eight civilians and wounding 50.
The Syrian Civil Defence, which operates in opposition-held areas, also reported a series of attacks on Aleppo, including the Aleppo University Hospital in the centre of the city. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.
Years of war in Syria have created one of the world’s largest displacement crises with thousands more people reported displaced in the latest fighting.
Fears of ‘scorched earth’
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Razan Saffour, a British-Syrian human rights activist with family in Aleppo, said that while there is relative stability in Aleppo, there is fear over the response from government and Russian forces.
Russia’s military intervention in the country starting in 2015 as well as Iran’s two years earlier helped to turn the tide of the war in favour of al-Assad. Russia’s aerial bombardments of Aleppo then helped government forces take full control of the city in 2016.
“We’re speaking about rebel groups who are gaining Syrian territory at a very, very fast pace, but at the same time, they don’t have air defences,” she said.
“And when we’ve seen this happen [previously], … the al-Assad regime, Russia and their ally Iran responded with a scorched earth policy.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was to travel to Damascus on Sunday, telling reporters Tehran would back al-Assad.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan also expressed solidarity with al-Assad in recent calls with him.
Still, Saffour said that beyond the confusion and fear, there is also a sense of anticipation among some residents of Aleppo who had lived for years under government control.
“We’re very apprehensive, but we’re also very excited and very hopeful to see what’s going to come next,” she said.