Ex-chief of Israeli military intelligence shows support for prevailing 'chaos' in Syria

The former head of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate has voiced his support for what he called the “power struggle” in Syria amid heavy fighting between Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham militants and armed opposition groups, noting that the “chaos” benefits the Tel Aviv regime.

“The chaos in Syria is beneficial. Let them fight each other. But Israel should remain silent on this matter and not make any public statements. It should act calmly,” Tamir Hayman said in an interview with the Israeli Army Radio on Thursday.

As the director of the so-called Institute for National Security Studies, Hayman acknowledged the benefits of the conflict among Syria's different factions, but stressed that Israel must maintain a low profile and stay quiet.

“We wish victory to all forces, but we must do one thing, do this silently, and not talk about it,” he added.

Hayman stated that, although there seems to be a power struggle in Syria in the short term, the new HTS administration is making efforts to expand its authority.

“Everyone is fighting each other. An agreement with the Kurds on the first day, a massacre against the Alawites on the second day, and a threat to the Druze on the third day... All this chaos in addition to an Israeli attack on the south... All this chaos is somewhat good for Israel,” he explained. 

According to the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 1,383 civilians have been killed in the recent wave of violence in Syria's western coastal region. 

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Fighting between HTS militants and loyalists of the former government erupted on March 6, after earlier tensions escalated into reported mass killings.

The bloodshed began when militants attempted to detain an individual in Beit Ana village of the Jableh district in Latakia Governorate, but were ambushed by armed Bashar al-Assad supporters.

In response, the HTS administration launched violent crackdowns in Alawite strongholds in the western coastal region.

Meanwhile, Israel has carried out an airstrike on the outskirts of Damascus and its tanks have advanced into the southwestern Quneitra region in the latest aggression against Syria since the fall of Assad. 

According to reports, Israeli aircraft targeted a residential building in the northwest of the Syrian capital on Thursday.

A short video published by the Israeli military showed an explosion at the edge of a building followed by thick plumes of smoke. Local paramedics said at least three people were wounded in the latest assault.

A series of Israeli aerial raids also hit the town of Kiswah, south of Damascus, and several parts of Dara'a province.

Israeli military forces captured the UN-patrolled buffer zone in the Golan Heights hours after armed groups took control of Damascus on December 8, 2024.

Since then, the Israeli military has been launching airstrikes against military installations, facilities, and arsenals belonging to Syria’s now-defunct army.

Israel has been widely and vehemently condemned over the termination of the 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria, and exploiting the chaos in the Arab nation in the wake of Assad’s downfall to make a land grab.

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