By Ihsan Muhammad
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Military analysts indicate that the bombardment of Damascus and Aleppo International airports came in response to the entering of military equipment coming from Iran through Syria to support the Iranian militias against Israel.
Syria is considered a leading supporter of the Palestinian factions, primarily Hamas. On Oct. 7, Hamas militants launched a series of sudden attacks against Israel, killing hundreds and capturing more than 100 hostages along the border of the Gaza Strip. Israel declared war in response and conducted intense retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza in addition to launching attacks beyond its borders and bombing the Aleppo and Damascus International airports.
Omar Rahmoun, a member of the Syrian government’s Reconciliation Committee in Syria, told North Press, “The Syrian stance is in general supportive of the Palestinian resistance.”
He noted that Syria has a “clear and obvious position and stands with the resistance and the Palestinian people by supporting al-Qassam Brigades [the military wing of Hamas] in their latest war.”
Rahmoun also mentioned when a delegation of Hamas leaders visited Damascus a year ago and met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The visit took place following a mediation by Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah to restore ties that had been severed with the start of the Syrian crisis as Hamas supported the Syrian opposition factions against the Syrian government.
“This dispute is in the past. Syria now genuinely confronts Israel and supports the [Palestinian] factions in general, including Hamas as part of these factions,” Rahmoun added.
He stressed that Iran supports Hamas, which in return expresses continuous gratitude to Iran for supporting the Islamic resistance in general and Hamas in particular.
During the Syrian war, Syria turned inward and “no longer had the time or resources to play the role of mediator or to provide support. Hamas’s opposition of the Syrian state also led to a change in Syria’s stance in relation to providing support,” Rahmoun noted.
Rahmoun said that now the Syrian position is clear and “supports the resistance, not to mention the support from Iran, which can only reach Hamas via Syria.”
Rahmoun believes “supporting Hamas is not easy and will lead to repercussions on Syria. Anyone who supports Hamas is subjected to sanctions by the US.” For many years now, Syria has been subjected to sanctions under the Caesar Act imposed by the US, as well as sanctions from Western countries.
According to Rahmoun, Syria’s continued support for “the resistance” will “lead to increased embargo and sanctions from the West.”
Different viewpoint
However, Hussam al-Barem, a journalist and political researcher, said, “Al-Assad’s regime cannot support Hamas, and this is what Bashar al-Assad himself stated months ago when he said they [Hamas] failed us. We will not support them even though we received them many times in our territories.”
Al-Barem emphasized in a conversation with North Press that “The relationship was direct between Hamas and the al-Assad regime. Since the days of Hafez al-Assad, the Regime used to provide them with shelter and politically used them in political negotiations with Israel.”
He pointed out that “The Syrian regime did not need to communicate with Hamas through the Iranians. There were direct channels. Iran also directly contacted with Hamas, which implied diverse logistical, military, scientific and technical support on all levels.”
Al-Barem further added, “Iran assisted Hamas in Syria by training its militants, but provided greater and more effective support in the Gaza Strip via smuggling many technologies through Syria into the Gaza Strip.”