Hamas, the Sunni jihadist group ruling Gaza, applauded the overthrow of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an al-Qaeda-linked terrorist organization. In a statement Monday, Hamas hailed the “aspirations for freedom and justice” of the Syrian people and urged national unity. HTS’s November campaign rapidly toppled Assad’s forces, leading to his flight to Moscow over the weekend.
HTS, formerly the Nusra Front, has waged a decade-long insurgency against Assad’s Iran-backed regime. Its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, aims to rebuild Syria as an Islamist state. The U.S. still offers a $10 million bounty for information on al-Jolani due to his terrorist ties.
Hamas’s support for HTS marks a shift in its historically neutral stance toward Syria’s civil war, influenced by conflicting alliances with Sunni jihadists and Iran. While praising HTS’s success, Hamas framed its message around solidarity with the Syrian people, avoiding direct mention of HTS or Assad. The group previously sought reconciliation with Assad under Iranian mediation but now distances itself from his regime’s collapse.
Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which had defended Assad, reacted with alarm. Hezbollah described the loss of Damascus as a “major, dangerous transformation” and vowed continued resistance against HTS. Assad’s military disintegrated under the swift HTS advance, with soldiers abandoning posts as jihadist forces entered Damascus.
The Taliban also congratulated HTS, urging the establishment of a functional Islamic government and a general amnesty for Assad loyalists. In a statement, the Taliban called for Syria’s stability through governance that unites the population and avoids foreign interference.
The rapid fall of Assad highlights the evolving dynamics in the Middle East, as Sunni jihadist factions celebrate newfound dominance in Syria while Shiite actors like Hezbollah scramble to recalibrate.
