By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
In a surprising development, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad asked for Israel’s help to quell the revolt within the country, a security official told Elaph, an online Arabic media outlet.
Israel responded with a demand to remove any Iranian forces from Syria before it would consider assistance, according to the report.
The message from Assad reached Israeli security officials through aides in Europe.
The Syrian opposition launched a major operation a few days ago in Aleppo and has advanced in several cities such as Hama, Idlib, and others.
The Syrian regime has retreated from areas controlled by the opposition.
In Aleppo and Hama, the Syrian military is relatively weak and is assisted by Iranian forces.
The opposition’s offensive began on Saturday, and by evening, the rebels had taken control of the city’s airport and historic citadel.
Except for a few northeastern districts still held by government forces and Iranian militias, the majority of Syria’s second-largest city is now under rebel control.
Since then, Damascus has sought to reclaim control using airstrikes, with both Syrian and Russian warplanes targeting rebel positions in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces.
Daniel Rakov, a senior research fellow for the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, wrote on X that the rebel attack on Syrian government forces in Aleppo is “ostensibly good for Israel.”
Rakov, an expert on Russian policy in the Middle East and retired IDF colonel, says the attacks in Syria can hinder assistance to Iran and Hezbollah.
He wrote, “The fall of northern Syria to the rebels undermines the infrastructure of both the Iranians and Hezbollah in the region, complicating their efforts to rebuild Hezbollah.”
Syrian President Bashar Assad will presumably be more concerned with fighting for the survival of his government than funding terror groups that threaten Israel.
“As Assad becomes more defensive, fighting for the survival of his regime, supporting Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon will take a backseat,” Rakov wrote.
Meanwhile, Israel will have more leverage to take action in Syria.
Rakov also noted that Moscow, Syria’s ally, found the attack by rebels “very embarrassing.”