Syrian rebels close in on central city of Homs as thousands flee lightning advance
Syrian rebel forces are closing in on the central city of Homs as they push to take control of the country’s third-largest city, according to pro-government media and an opposition war monitor.
Insurgents in the Middle Eastern country entered the towns of Rastan and Talbiseh the day after they captured Syria’s fourth-largest city Hama.
It is part of a lightning offensive led by the jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), which said it will march on Homs and then the capital Damascus, where President Bashar al Assad has consolidated power.
Homs sits on a major crossroads in Syria, linking Damascus to the north and Syria’s Mediterranean coast provinces of Latakia and Tartus, where the majority back Mr Assad and where his ally Russia has a naval base and air base.
A map showing the advance of Syrian rebels towards Damascus
Insurgents have entered the towns of Rastan and Talbiseh
The capture of the two towns puts the rebels within three miles (5km) of Homs, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
“The battle of Homs is the mother of all battles and will decide who will rule Syria,” said the monitor’s chief, Rami Abdulrahman.
An image of Syrian President Bashar al Assad riddled with bullets at the provincial government office building in Hama. Pic: AP
The insurgents entered the towns without any resistance, according to pro-government Sham FM.
State news agency SANA quoted an unnamed military official saying Syrian and Russian air forces were attacking rebels in Hama province and had killed dozens of fighters.
The fall of Hama sent thousands of Homs residents loyal to Mr Assad fleeing towards Damascus and the coastal region, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Residents flee Hama with their belongings. Pics: AP
Future of Assad regime ‘all depends on Russia’
Whether or not Mr Assad’s regime falls now “all depends on Russia” and whether it continues to prop up the Syrian government, according to Dr Neil Quilliam, associate fellow at Chatham House.
He told Sky News that HTS had spent the last four years getting ready for its lightning campaign by “equipping, training and preparing itself”, in contrast to Mr Assad’s forces, which he said were “poorly resourced, poorly trained and demotivated”.
“Damascus is clearly in its sights and unless Russia comes in at the last minute, and given that the Russian embassy has told Russians to evacuate the country immediately, it seems that the regime may well fall,” he said.
“We could expect a much longer bloodier battle than we’ve seen at present,” he added. “I would think that the Assad regime will fall, but it all depends on Russia.”
Read more:
Who are the Syrian rebels?
On Thursday a Syrian rebel who took part in the offensive on Hama told Sky News the fight to push on will continue.
“Just as we liberated Aleppo and now Hama, we will proceed to Homs, and Damascus, and Deir el Zor,” he said.
He also claimed to have received support from the people in Hama.
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Celebrations in Syrian city as govt driven out
Government forces’ withdrawal ‘a tactical measure’
Syria’s defence minister said the withdrawal of government forces from Hama was a tactical measure and vowed the government would win back the areas it had lost.
General Ali Mahmoud Abbas said in a televised statement late on Thursday the insurgents, who he described as “takfiri” or Muslim extremists, were being backed by foreign countries – in an apparent reference to Turkey – the main backer of the opposition – and the United States.
“We are in a good position on the ground,” General Abbas added, saying the Syrian army’s withdrawal from Hama was “a temporary tactical measure and our forces are at the gates of Hama”.
He made the remarks before the rebels marched south of Hama towards Homs.
Analysis: The immense significance of rebel offensive
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Syria rebels ‘backed by foreign countries’
Elite Hezbollah forces cross into Syria
Iran has provided significant support to Mr Assad during the country’s 13-year civil war.
Elite forces from the Tehran-backed group Hezbollah have crossed into Syria from Lebanon overnight to take up positions in Homs, a Syrian military officer and two regional officials told Reuters news agency.
Meanwhile the head of the US-backed Syrian Kurdish forces said the Islamic State group, which captured and ruled over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before it was defeated by a US-led coalition in 2017, had taken control of some areas in eastern Syria.
“Due to the recent developments, there is increased movement by Islamic State mercenaries in the Syrian desert, in the south and west of Deir el Zor and the countryside of al Raqqa,” said the head of the force, Mazloum Abdi, making reference to areas in the east of the country.
It comes after rebels led by HTS and Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army captured much of Syria’s largest city of Aleppo last weekend, reigniting Syria’s civil war, after front lines had largely remained unchanged over the last four years.
Mr Assad was able to cling to power largely through the help of his allies, Russia and Iran, though both countries and Hezbollah have been distracted by their own wars, with Russia preoccupied with its invasion of Ukraine since 2022 and Hezbollah in Lebanon suffering heavy losses in its war with Israel.
To the sound of mournful chants and the slow beat of drums, they march, whipping their backs with metal flails.
It is an ancient ceremony going back almost 14 centuries – the Shia commemoration of Ashura.
But this year in particular has poignant significance for Iranians.
The devout remember the betrayal and death of the Imam Hussein as if it happened yesterday.
Iranians gather ahead of Ashura
We filmed men and women weep as they worshipped at the Imamzadeh Saleh Shrine in northern Tehran.
The grandson of the Prophet Muhammad was killed by the armies of the Caliph Yazid in the seventh century Battle of Karbala.
Shia Muslims mark the anniversary every year and reflect on the virtue it celebrates – of resistance against oppression and injustice. But more so than ever this year, in the wake of Israel and America’s attacks on their country.
The story is one of prevailing over adversity and deception. A sense of betrayal is keenly felt here by people and officials.
Men and women weeped as they worshipped at the Imamzadeh Saleh Shrine
Many Iranians believe they were lured into pursuing diplomacy as part of a ruse by the US.
Iran believed it was making diplomatic progress in talks with America, which it hoped could lead to a deal. Then Israel launched its attacks and, instead of condemning them, the US joined in.
“Death to Israel” chants resounded outside the mosque in skies that for 12 days were filled with the sounds of Israeli jets.
There is a renewed sense of defiance here.
One man told us: “The lesson to be learned from Hussein is not to give in to oppression, even if it is the most powerful force in the world.”
‘I don’t think about Trump. Nobody likes him,’ one woman tells Sky News
A woman was dismissive about the US president.
“I don’t think about Trump. Nobody likes him. He always wants to attack too many countries.”
Pictures on billboards nearby link Imam Hussein’s story and current events. They show the seventh century imam on horseback alongside images of modern missiles and drones from the present day.
Other huge signs remember the dead. Iran says almost 1,000 people were killed in the strikes, many of them women and children.
Officially Iran is projecting defiance, but not closing the door to diplomacy.
Government spokeswoman Dr Fatemeh Mohajerani told Sky News that Israel should not even think about attacking again.
“We are very strong in defence, and as state officials have announced, this time Israel will receive an even stronger response compared to previous times. We hope that Israel will not make such a mistake.”
Dr Fatemeh Mohajerani said it would be a mistake for Israel to attack again
But there is also a hint of conciliation. Senior Iranian officials have told Sky News back-channel efforts are under way to explore new talks with the US.
Israel had hoped its attacks could topple the Iranian leadership. Those hopes proved unfounded. The government is in control here.
For many Iranians it seems quite the opposite happened – the 12-day war has brought them closer together.
World
Two security workers injured after grenades thrown at aid site, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says
Two American security workers in Gaza were injured after grenades were thrown during food distribution in Khan Younis, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has said.
In a statement, the US and Israeli-backed aid group said a targeted terrorist attack was carried out at one of its sites in southern Gaza on Saturday morning.
The two Americans injured “are receiving medical treatment and are in stable condition,” it said, adding that the delivery of aid was “otherwise successful” and that “no local aid workers or civilians were harmed”.
GHF didn’t say exactly when the incident happened but claimed Hamas was behind the attack, adding: “GHF has repeatedly warned of credible threats from Hamas, including explicit plans to target American personnel, Palestinian aid workers, and the civilians who rely on our sites for food.
“Today’s attack tragically affirms those warnings.”
Later, the aid group posted a picture on social media, which it said showed “fragments of a grenade packed with ball bearings” that was used in the attack.
Asked by Sky’s US partner network, NBC News, whether the two injured individuals were responsible for handing out aid or were responsible for providing security, GHF said they were “American security workers” and “two American veterans.”
The aid group did not provide specific evidence that Hamas was behind the attack.
The US and Israeli-backed group has been primarily responsible for aid distribution since Israel lifted its 11-week blockade of the Gaza Strip in May.
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It comes after Sky News analysis showed GHF aid distributions are associated with a significant increase in deaths in Gaza.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, 600 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid from GHF sites as of 3 July, which charities and the UN have branded “death traps”.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press has reported that Israeli-backed American contractors guarding GHF aid centres in Gaza are using live ammunition and stun grenades.
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Contractors allege colleagues ‘fired on Palestinians’
GHF has vehemently denied the accusations, adding that it investigated AP’s allegations and found them to be “categorically false”.
Israel’s military added that it fires only warning shots and is investigating reports of civilian harm.
It denies deliberately shooting at any innocent civilians and says it’s examining how to reduce “friction with the population” in the areas surrounding the distribution centres.
Hamas has said it has “submitted its positive response” to the latest proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza to mediators.
The proposal for a 60-day ceasefire was presented by US President Donald Trump, who has been pushing hard for a deal to end the fighting in Gaza, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set to visit the White House next week to discuss a deal.
Mr Trump said Israel had agreed to his proposed ceasefire terms, and he urged Hamas to accept the deal as well.
Hamas’ “positive” response to the proposal had slightly different wording on three issues around humanitarian aid, the status of the Israeli Defence Forces inside Gaza and the language around guarantees beyond the 60-day ceasefire, a source with knowledge of the negotiations revealed.
But the source told Sky News: “Things are looking good.”
A woman cries after her son was killed while on his way to an aid distribution centre. Pic: AP/Jehad Alshrafi
Hamas said it is “fully prepared to immediately enter into a round of negotiations regarding the mechanism for implementing this framework” without elaborating on what needed to be worked out in the proposal’s implementation.
The US said during the ceasefire it would “work with all parties to end the war”.
A Hamas official said on condition of anonymity that the truce could start as early as next week.
An Israeli army tank advances in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel. Pic: AP/Leo Correa
But he added that talks were needed first to establish how many Palestinian prisoners would be released in return for each freed Israeli hostage and to specify the amount of humanitarian aid that will be allowed to enter Gaza during the ceasefire.
He said negotiations on a permanent ceasefire and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza in return for the release of the remaining hostages would start on the first day of the truce.
Hamas has been seeking guarantees that the 60-day ceasefire would lead to a total end to the nearly 21-month-old war, which caused previous rounds of negotiations to fail as Mr Netanyahu has insisted that Israel would continue fighting in Gaza to ensure the destruction of Hamas.
The Hamas official said that Mr Trump has guaranteed that the ceasefire will extend beyond 60 days if necessary to reach a peace deal, but there is no confirmation from the US of such a guarantee.
Speaking to journalists on Air Force One, Mr Trump welcomed Hamas’s “positive spirit” to the proposal, adding that there could be a ceasefire deal by next week.
Palestinians dispersing away from tear gas fired at an aid distribution site in Gaza. Pic: AP
A girl mourns the loss of her father, who was killed while heading to an aid distribution hub. Pic: AP/Jehad Alshrafi
Hamas also said it wants more aid to flow through the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies, which comes as the UN human rights officer said it recorded 613 Palestinians killed in Gaza within a month while trying to obtain aid.
Most of them were said to have been killed while trying to reach food distribution points by the controversial US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
The spokeswoman for the UN human rights office, Ravina Shamdasani, said the agency was not able to attribute responsibility for the killings, but added that “it is clear that the Israeli military has shelled and shot at Palestinians trying to reach the distribution points” operated by GHF.
Read more:
The man in the room acting as backchannel for Hamas in negotiations with US
GHF reacts to claims US contractors fired at Palestinians
Deaths in Gaza rise significantly when GHF distributes aid
Palestinians carry aid packages near the GHF distribution centre in Khan Younis. Pic: AP/Abdel Kareem Hana
Ms Shamdasani said that of the total tallied, 509 killings were “GHF-related”, meaning at or near its distribution sites.
The GHF accused the UN of taking its casualty figures “directly from the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry” and of trying “to falsely smear our effort”, which echoed statements to Sky News by the executive director of GHF, Johnnie Moore.
Mr Moore called the UN figures a “disinformation campaign” that is “meant to shut down our efforts” in the Gaza Strip.
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