Israel prepares for “complete collapse” of Al-Assad regime, reports say
Shafaq News/ The collapse of the Al-Assad regime in Syria is a "dramatic shift" that could change the reality of the Middle East, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority (IBA) reported on Saturday.
The IBA quoted senior Israeli officials as saying, "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is preparing for the complete collapse of the Al-Assad regime in Syria," adding, "We have observed a mass escape of regime soldiers across Syria."
Furthermore, the authority cited senior Israeli security sources, who noted “the absence of significant intervention” from Iran, Russia, or Hezbollah, pointing out that “the Al-Assad regime has lost control of the border with Israel, which is now under near-total control of opposition groups.”
On Friday, Israel deployed additional ground and air forces on the border with Syria as opposition factions continued their rapid advance.
“The IDF is following the events and is prepared for any scenario in attack and defense,” the Israeli military said, affirming that it “will not allow a threat near Israel’s border, and will work to thwart any threat to the citizens of the State of Israel.”
These developments coincide with the announcement by Syrian opposition factions of the start of the “Battle of Homs” to gain control of the city and advance toward Damascus, held by President Bashar al-Assad.
Media reports indicated that the opposition factions entered the city of Homs from the northern and eastern axes.
The Syrian army reportedly withdrew from Darayya, Moadamiya al-Sham, and Jaramana in the Damascus countryside, with the armed opposition taking control of these areas.
