A serious warning sign for Israel: al-Julani’s new regime in Syria appears to be quietly enabling Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front to regroup and rebuild military presence near the Golan border.
According to Syrian sources, several months ago al-Julani’s faction, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, released hundreds of Hamas and Islamic Jihad prisoners who had been detained by Assad’s forces, including senior figures. Since the outbreak of Syria’s civil war in 2011, Assad had expelled Hamas’s leadership from Damascus. With Assad’s fall and jihadist rebels taking control, conditions now allow for a renewed foothold of these groups inside Syria.
The release of these fighters is already felt along Israel’s northern frontier. While Hamas and Islamic Jihad have not re-established offices in Damascus, there are clear signs of early military entrenchment under Julani’s watch. The IDF recently confirmed strikes against Hamas presence in southern Syria, targeting what appears to be the start of this buildup along the Israeli border.
This shift marks the potential rise of a hostile Sunni axis in Syria, contrasting with the previous focus on Iran’s Shiite axis. Cooperation between jihadist rebels, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad now threatens Israel more directly, especially as Turkey strengthens its involvement in rebuilding Julani’s new forces.