A year has passed since Syrian opposition forces launched their major offensive from the rebel-held province of Idlib, a campaign that ultimately brought down Bashar al-Assad’s six-decade rule.
On Nov. 27, 2024, fighters led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) pushed south from Idlib into regime-controlled parts of Aleppo, seizing dozens of villages before entering Aleppo city on Nov. 29.
Within four days, they captured at least 1,000 square kilometers across Aleppo and Idlib, dealing a significant blow to government forces.
Simultaneously, the opposition took the strategic town of Saraqib at the junction of the M4 and M5 highways, advancing toward Hama.
Despite heavy Russian and regime airstrikes between Nov. 27 and Dec. 2 that killed at least 81 civilians and wounded 300, opposition groups reached central Hama on Dec. 5 and soon pushed into Homs province, capturing key towns on the road to the provincial capital. By Dec. 6, fighters had entered western Homs.
In the south, Druze-majority Suwayda fell to local anti-regime groups on Dec. 7, followed the same day by Daraa — birthplace of the 2011 uprising — and neighboring Quneitra.
On Dec. 8, regime control collapsed in Damascus. Rebel units stormed the notorious Sednaya Prison, freeing detainees, marking the end of the Baath Party’s 61-year rule. Assad fled to Russia.
Nearly a year on, Syria’s new president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, has sought to stabilize the country, making notable gains in economic recovery, diplomacy and international visibility.
On the first anniversary of Assad’s fall, Dec. 8, celebrations are expected both across Syria and among displaced Syrians living abroad, marking the milestone of the civil war’s turning point.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has claimed that the defense establishment is preparing for potential cross-border attacks from Syrian forces or foreign militias, including Iran-backed groups and the Houthis, targeting Israeli communities in the Golan Heights or threatening the Syrian Druze population.
Speaking at a closed Knesset committee meeting, Katz said no progress should be expected toward security arrangements or normalization with Damascus.
He stressed that the Israeli Defense Forces has contingency plans in place, including border closures, if attacks on the Druze mountainous region resume.
Katz claimed the Houthis are now operating in Syria and have considered a potential ground advance into the Golan.
Israeli troops have held positions in southern Syria since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.
