Waking up to the news that the savage regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had fallen marked a monumental moment in the history of the Middle East.
For 54 years, Syria has been under the rule of the Alawite-minority Assad family after Assad’s father, Hafez Assad, took power in 1970. Since the elder Assad’s death in 2000, his son has ruled Israel’s northern neighbor with an iron first, clinging to power in the Sunni-majority country.
Since Syria’s civil war erupted in 2011, Assad has suppressed insurrections by rebels by using extreme methods, including chemical weapons in 2013 on opposition-controlled suburbs of Damascus. The attacks led to the death of hundreds of civilians. In 2017, Assad carried out another chemical attack on rebels in Khan Shaykhun, between Aleppo and Damascus.
Assad’s forces killed hundreds of thousands of civilians, and millions have been displaced, some internally and some abroad, creating one of the world’ largest refugee crises.
Following the toppling of his regime early on Sunday as rebel forces entered Damascus without a fight from the Syrian military, one of the heartening developments was reading the social-media posts of exiled Syrians rejoicing and planning their return to their “free” country.
There are certainly no tears shed in Israel over Assad’s demise. In addition to his war crimes against humanity, he was a sworn opponent of Israel’s existence and allowed Iran to commandeer his country to funnel weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
With the rebels, led by Abu Mohammed al-Julani, set to take control of the war-torn country, however, the old adage of whether it’s better to cope with the devil you know comes into play.
The likelihood that Syria will emerge as a stable country that doesn’t present a threat to Israel is slim, but there is one major benefit of the regime change and its implications. Assad’s fall is one more domino in the crumbling of Iran’s influence in the region and in the increasing isolation of Hamas in Gaza. That opens the door a crack for the chances of a deal to be reached to free the remaining 100 hostages held by Hamas.
Hamas has already lost its on-the-ground ally, Hezbollah, which left its Gaza comrades out to dry when it agreed to a ceasefire with Israel late last month. Iran’s role as a spiritual ally to Hamas has also been greatly diminished, as Tehran’s weakness has been exposed threefold: its decision not to retaliate against Israel for the October 25 attack on its military facilities, its “defeat” in Lebanon with the tremendous loss its proxy Hezbollah suffered at the hands of Israel, and its abandonment of Assad in his time of need.
With the precarious ceasefire in the North holding for the time being, Hamas is more alone than ever in its fight against Israel as it struggles to survive. At its lowest point, the time for a hostage deal is ripe, and there appears to be movement from both sides after weeks of inactivity.
According to a Walla report, Israel has given to Hamas, through Egyptian mediators, an updated version of a proposal that involves the release of the remaining 100 hostages. The deal offers a ceasefire with Hamas that would last 42 to 60 days. During this period, Hamas would release female hostages, male hostages over 50, and hostages in critical medical condition. Israel would release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including those serving life sentences, in exchange.
Hamas signals commitment to cooperation
Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri last week said Hamas was ready for a deal. “We are committed to cooperating with any effort to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, and we are interested in ending the aggression against our people,” he said, according to Arab media reports.
The recent release of two videos made by Hamas of hostages Eden Alexander and Matan Zangauker further indicate that Hamas is feeling pressure and desperately wants a deal.
Now is the time for Jerusalem to grasp the opportunity and push forward for a deal – whether it’s a partial release, as detailed last week, including women, children, the elderly and infirm; or optimally, a comprehensive package that will release all of the hostages, install a new government in Gaza, and bring our troops home.
If Assad’s downfall turns out to hasten the return of Israeli hostages, it will be an ironic – and wonderful – twist to the legacy of a man who will go down in history as a bloodthirsty mutation and stain on humanity.
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