"You should not be afraid of the new Syria", the rebel leader's message to the West

Nga A2 CNN
2024-12-10 16:19:00 | Bota

"You should not be afraid of the new Syria", the rebel leader's

The head of the Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) rebel group has spoken to a Western media outlet for the first time since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, telling Sky News that the world should not fear the new Syrian government.

Abu Mohammed al Jolani said there will be no "return to panic" . Asked by Sky's international editor Zein Ja'Far what his message is to foreign countries, the rebel leader said "their fear is unnecessary, God willing" .

" The country will be rebuilt. The fear was of the presence of the regime. The country is moving towards development and reconstruction, it is moving towards stability ", Jolani added.

The HTS leader made his announcement outside the Imam al Shafi'i mosque in Damascus, where he had prayed since he was a young man. Jolani also said that the Syrian people are " tired of war " and are not ready for another one.

" The source of our fear was from the Iranian militias, Hezbollah and the regime that carried out the massacres we are seeing today. So their removal is the solution for Syria. The current situation will not allow a return to panic ," he underlined.

While Jolani was speaking to the Western media, Israel destroyed the Syrian military fleet overnight. This was confirmed by Israel's Defense Minister, Israel Katz.

The operation appeared to be part of a wider campaign to eliminate strategic threats to Israel and came after the IDF targeted air bases and scientific laboratories in Syria.

Katz, who was visiting a naval base in Haifa, warned Syrian rebel leaders who follow Assad that their path will end as the fallen leader.

He also said he had ordered the army to create a "sterile defense zone" in southern Syria without a permanent Israeli presence. " This is being done to prevent any terrorist threat to Israel ," he said. (A2 Televizion)

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