Lessons from Gaza: Can Syria Achieve Justice and Stability Under HTS?

UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen emphasized the importance of Syria’s new leadership, led by HTS, respecting the rights of all religious and ethnic groups to ensure stability and foster trust. While HTS has promised reforms and a cooperative interim government, many Syrians remain skeptical given its extremist past. The lifting of sanctions and HTS’s delisting as a terrorist organization hinge on its actions aligning with its promises. Pedersen also criticized Israel’s actions in Syria and urged foreign powers, including Turkey, to prioritize stability and prevent further displacement. He warned that failure to address justice for victims of the Assad regime and rebuild the country could lead to renewed strife or civil war.

Editor’s Note: While UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen emphasizes the importance of inclusivity and fairness, comparisons can be drawn with Israel’s activities in Gaza and the Golan Heights, which put doubt on the possibility of a peaceful transition. Gaza has long been subjected to Israeli blockades, bombings, and systematic resource shortages, destroying its infrastructure and worsening the humanitarian crisis.

Israel’s colonization of the Golan Heights highlights its expansionist policies, which have violated international law and restricted native populations’ rights. Similarly, the situation in Syria raises critical questions about external influence: who are these powers to dictate what should happen in the country? Western countries, struggling with their own Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies, have no moral high ground to impose solutions.

The push for regime change did not stem from Syria’s citizens but from external forces, resulting in policies that are likely to be anti-citizen at their core. With Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) focused on pleasing its Western backers, rather than addressing the needs of ordinary Syrians, Syria risks following a path where justice and stability remain elusive. Without serious international pressure, recognition of past atrocities, and a commitment to justice for victims, Syria’s prospects for stability appear grim. [See also: Global Silence Amid Allegations of Genocide in Gaza, Promises to the West, Neglect for Syrians, Syrians Ask for Peace as Israel Incursion Spreads to Hadar, Why is Israel Bombing Syria?]

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