A senior Syrian rebel official has revealed that last week�s surprise offensive against Syria�s military coincided with the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the timing, according to the rebel leader�identified by Israel�s Channel 12 only as �Y��was calculated to counter the anticipated movement of Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters fleeing from Lebanon into Syria.

The rebel official said that the renewed offensive against Syrian President Bashar Assad�s forces aims to prevent Hezbollah from establishing a permanent presence in the region. �We will not allow Iran�s proxies to entrench themselves in our liberated areas,� he said, referring to territories under rebel control in provinces like Idlib and Aleppo.

The official said the rebels� broader goal is to overthrow the Assad regime and create a unified Syria that would maintain peaceful relations with its neighbors, including Israel. �It will be a country based on equality and justice for all Syrian citizens without exception,� he added.

Exiled Syrian opposition leader Fahad Al Masri also called on Israel to take decisive action against Iran and its proxies in Syria. �We urge the Israeli leadership to strike Iranian-backed militia positions in Homs, Damascus, and near the Lebanon border,� Al Masri told Channel 12. �This will weaken Hezbollah and Iran�s influence in Syria.�

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)