The head of Syria’s most powerful rebel faction has signalled that his forces do not want new conflicts despite a wave of Israeli attacks on the country since the toppling of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, condemned what he called Israel’s “flimsy” excuses for its air strikes but said the rebels must not get distracted from rebuilding the country, according to an interview published by the pro-opposition Syria TV.
Israel’s military campaign in Syria, which officials say has targeted the remnants of Assad’s military forces and infrastructure, has tested Jolani’s newfound power as he faces the prospect of reconstructing a nation shattered by 13 years of civil war.