by Seth J. Frantzman
'From the walls of Aleppo, we saw Damascus liberated, and from the walls of this citadel, we saw the fighters in the heart of Damascus. For us, Aleppo was the gateway to entering all of Syria.'
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Syria is focusing on the anniversary of the offensive that began in late November 2024, which led to the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024. The Syrians are celebrating a victory. They do so amid the tensions with Israel that continue to dominate southern Syria near the Golan.
A deadly raid last week in the village of Beit Jinn led to the death of several Syrians and wounding of Israeli soldiers. However, Damascus is focused elsewhere. It is celebrating the liberation of Aleppo from Assad’s rule, which occurred a year ago.
The Syrian state media SANA noted that “Syrian provinces witnessed widespread mass gatherings on Friday marking the first anniversary of the Liberation Battle, ‘Deterring the Aggression,’ reaffirming national unity and rejecting division. The goal of Syrians now is to rebuild the country.
They also know there are hurdles. They know that the new Syrian government has tensions with the Druze in Sweida. There are also tensions with the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in eastern Syria, a force largely led by Kurds.
Syrians in the major cities of Aleppo, Hama, Homs, and Damascus are trying to focus on celebrating this week. “Participants emphasized their commitment to Syria’s territorial integrity and condemned all forms of division and separatist projects.
They expressed solidarity with the residents of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside, who were targeted early Friday by a "cowardly Israeli attack that claimed the lives of 13 civilians, injured dozens, and caused significant material damage,” SANA noted.
Celebrated Syria’s resolve to defend their rights, unity, and national sovereignty
As such, some Syrians have been chanting sectarian slogans. The tensions with Israel could boil over. There have also been recent clashes between Bedouin and Alawites in Homs. These are complex times for Syria. Critics say that the leadership in Damascus, largely made up of the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham members who swept Assad from power last year, is not doing enough to protect and incorporate minorities.SANA said that while people condemned the Israeli raid, they also celebrated Syria’s “resolve to defend their rights, unity, and national sovereignty, and to continue the country’s reconstruction following liberation from the Assad regime. Celebrating the anniversary is seen as a tribute to the martyrs, a reaffirmation of national cohesion, and a pledge that Syria’s unity will remain unshaken against all attempts at division.”
In Aleppo, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa told the gathering: “At moments like these, we remember the first hours of entering the city of Aleppo - hours in which we lost so much at its gates. Our people sacrificed dearly until we reached what we have achieved today.”
Syrian media noted he spoke about when “the heroes entered Aleppo to liberate its people from the fallen regime,” the city was reborn.
“From the walls of Aleppo, we saw Damascus liberated, and from the walls of this citadel, we saw the fighters in the heart of Damascus. For us, Aleppo was the gateway to entering all of Syria. After Aleppo was liberated, the prisons were opened and smiles returned to the faces of Syria’s children.” He said the liberation of Aleppo a year ago brought hope to the country. Aleppo fell in 2016 to the Syrian regime. It was one of the many cities that Syrian rebels had fought for during the civil war.
Seth J. Frantzman
Source: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-876629
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