Some members of armed Syrian groups, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militants, are seen in the capital Damascus on December 8, 2024. (Photo by Getty Images)
Tel Aviv, December 8 (RHC)-- The Israeli media have revealed that the regime is in “direct contact” with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) armed group in Syria, which spearheaded an insurgency that led to the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government in Damascus.
Israel's leading news website Walla said in a report on Sunday that Tel Aviv has “direct and indirect contact” with numerous groups in Syria, including the HTS, adding, "At this stage, Israel wants armed elements not to approach the border [between Syria and the occupied territories].”
The revelation was made as the Israeli forces launched a foray into Syrian soil and entered the southwestern city of Quneitra near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights after militant groups took control of the Arab country.
The regime’s media also reported the entry of Israeli tanks into Khan Arnabeh, which is to the northeast of Quneitra and five kilometers from the border of the occupied Golan.
The occupation forces were reported to be digging a large trench on the Syrian border and have destroyed what they claim are weapons depots.
Earlier in the day, the Syrian militant groups raided the capital Damascus and took control of the city’s radio and television station as well as major military and security centers.
The armed groups, led by HTS militants, announced that they had fully captured the Syrian capital and confirmed reports of the fall of the Assad government.
HTS leader Ahmed al-Shar’a, known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, has called on Syrian people not to get close to government institutes and organizations until an official transfer of power takes place under the supervision of Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali, who said the government was ready to “extend its hand” to the opposition and hand over its functions to a transitional government.
Meanwhile, media reports said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed his cabinet to make no comments about the developments unfolding in Syria. Netanyahu has decided to prevent his ministers from making any statements regarding the developments in Syria without his prior approval, according to reports.
Syria has been gripped by foreign-sponsored militancy since March 2011.
The former Damascus government said the Western states and their regional allies were aiding terrorist groups to wreak havoc in the Arab country.
