Syria is in the midst of a crisis with multiple competing powers vying for control. One needs a road map to identify all the players involved in the power struggle. In a surprise offensive, Syrian opposition forces entered Aleppo, Syria, for the first time in eight years. President Bashar al-Assad has ruled Syria since 2000. The offensive began on November 25, 2024. Iran wields considerable influence over various armed groups in the conflict. Iran-backed groups in the Middle East include Hezbollah in Lebanon, the most powerful of the groups; Hamas in Gaza; the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group and the Popular Mobilizations Units (PMU) of Iraq, as well as several Shiite groups in Syria.

Russia is another player in this Middle East conflict, providing support to the Syrian Assad Arab army. Russians launched air attacks against Syrian armed opposition forces in Aleppo and Idlib provinces. Both Russia and Iran are key allies of Syria. Since the 2020 ceasefire agreement, the situation had remained dormant until this new attack by rebels against the Assad regime. What is President Assad’s stance on this re-ignited conflict? Assad has vowed that Syria will continue “to defend its stability and territorial integrity in the face of all terrorists and their supporters.” The question remains: how capable is the government of countering this attack? Rebels are in control of Aleppo, key sites, and the airport.

Compounding the situation are recent attacks on hospitals. The Syrian Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, shared images showing the wreckage of healthcare facilities. The White Helmets protested, saying, “Targeting hospitals and healthcare facilities protected under international humanitarian law is a war crime and a severe violation aimed at denying civilians access to medical care.” The United Nations secretary-general expressed grave concern over this resurgence of violence. He said, “Syrians have endured the conflict for nearly 14 years. They deserve a political horizon that delivers a peaceful future – not more bloodshed.”

Let us pray for:

Peace in the Middle East. Chances for peace are minimal, with so many competing groups vying for power (The Bible, Psalm 122:6, John 14:27).

Groups attempting to broker peaceful solutions to be successful (The Bible, Matthew 5:9).

Christian Believers in this war-torn country take advantage of this frightening time to share the story of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice upon the cross for “whosoever believes “(The Bible, Mark 16:15).

  

SOURCES:

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/29/world/syria-rebels-aleppo-war-intl
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/live-updates-syria-civil-war-israel-gaza-hamas-iran-hezbollah-lebanon-rcna182389