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Against Hezbollah.. "Fourth Division" Takes Measures to Avoid Tel Aviv's Anger
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Prohibiting the hosting of Hezbollah elements and Iranian militias reflects the Syrian regime's confusion in managing its relationships with allies, and its effort to avoid direct confrontation with I
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights revealed a series of precautionary measures taken by the Fourth Division, led by Major General Maher al-Assad, brother of Syrian regime president Bashar al-Assad, in a clear attempt to avoid repeated Israeli strikes, reflecting a state of confusion and weakness within the Syrian regime.
Observatory sources explained that the Division's leadership issued strict orders banning the transfer of weapons or hosting elements from Lebanese Hezbollah and Iranian militias inside its headquarters and bases. This highlights the confusion in Syrian regime policies and its frantic pursuit to avoid any provocation to Israel, even if at the expense of its relations with regional allies.
In a move reflecting further retreat, the Fourth Division prevented its forces deployed in Syrian areas from targeting the American or Israeli presence in the Golan. This decision comes in the wake of an Israeli targeting of a villa belonging to the Division near the town of Yaafour in rural Damascus at the end of last September, confirming the fragility of the regime's position and its inability to respond to Israeli aggressions.
The Fourth Division forces are distributed in the governorates of Damascus and its countryside, with a presence in Idlib and points in Deir ez-Zor. This wide spread makes it a potential target for Israeli strikes, which prompted it to take these defensive measures.
In a related context, the Syrian Observatory monitored intensive Israeli military movements near the border strip between Quneitra governorate and the Syrian Golan. These movements consisted of a large number of Israeli tanks and military vehicles stationed in the Golan Heights, in an explicit threat to the forces present on Syrian territory.
In a notable development, Israel has begun opening corridors in the Syrian Golan and detonating minefields along the ceasefire line several times over the past months, coinciding with the escalation of Israeli targeting, indicating Tel Aviv's determination to impose a new reality in the region.
Analysts view these developments as revealing the Syrian regime's inability to protect its territories and allies, highlighting the erosion of its ability to maneuver in the regional conflict, and confirming the deterioration of its influence in sensitive border areas, which may open the door to more foreign interventions in Syrian affairs.
Levant-Agencies
