As Israel continues strikes targeting military sites in Damascus, including underground rocket depots, Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani has a message for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader, in an interview with the Syrian news channel, said Israel had "no more excuses" to carry out airstrikes in Syria. He added that the IDF attacks had crossed the red line and were threatening an unjustified escalation in the region.
"Israel's excuses for entering Syria no longer exist. After the Iranians' departure, there are no more excuses for any foreign intervention in Syria. The exhausted Syrian situation after years of war and conflicts does not allow for entering into any new conflicts," Julani was quoted by The Jerusalem Post.
His reaction comes as IDF, post Bashar al-Assad's toppling, began targetting chemical weapons sites, missiles, air defences, air force and navy targets, to prevent them from falling into the hands of the rebel groups.
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However, Julani immediately clarified that he had no intention to drag Syria into conflicts that would cause further destruction. His priority was reconstruction and stability.
Julani then targeted Iran for turning his country into an attack platform, but said there would be no future enmity. "We were able to end the Iranian presence in Syria, but we do not hold enmity towards the Iranian people. Our problem was with the policies that harmed our country," the HTS leader added.
On his equations with Russia, Julani trod a cautious line, refusing to address any provocative questions. Though he blamed the Russian air force for "targeting Syrian civilians during the civil war", he said the revolution was an "opportunity to re-evaluate the [Russian] relationship with Syria in a way that serves common interests."
He also claimed to be working to meet the basic needs of Syrians and slammed Assad for "plundering the country," stating that Assad let his people starve despite abundant food.
He accused the Assad dynasty of building a "tax farm" designed to extract wealth from its subjects instead of supporting them. "There was a systematic destruction of the agricultural, industrial, and banking sectors. The regime did not build a state, but rather a farm, and the extent of the thefts was large. Documents will be presented to prove this."
