Syrian Rebels Near Israeli Border Ordered to Surrender to Regime Forces, Hezbollah

Pictured Above: An Israeli soldier patrols near the Israel-Syria border in the Golan Heights. Credit: IDF.

(JNS) Sunni rebel groups fighting the Syrian Army and the Iranian-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah near Israel’s border were ordered on Tuesday to surrender to regime forces within 72 hours.

“They were given 72 hours to surrender with fighters to go to [rebel-held] Idlib or those who want to stay have to reach a settlement,” an opposition official from the Free Syrian Army told Reuters.

The rebels, situated in southern Syria in the strategic area of Beit Jin, have been placed under siege by Syrian forces and Iranian-backed terror groups, which moved deeper into the area this week in Iran’s latest aggressive advancement in the region.

The Syrian forces and Iranian terror proxies moved near the Sunni rebel-controlled area with support from heavy artillery and aerial bombing. Beit Jin is the last remaining rebel-controlled enclave southwest of Damascus.

According to reports, Hezbollah has stated that Sunni rebels are negotiating the terms of their surrender.

The developments follow a recent surge in alleged Israeli strikes on targets in Syria, suggesting a new Israeli urgency to block Iran’s spread into the war-torn country. Without confirming any of the purported Israeli strikes, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly emphasized Israel’s oft-stated position that the Jewish state will not allow Iran to maintain a military presence in Syria.