The Action Group | Syria
Palestinian sources revealed new moves by the Syrian administration aimed at reorganizing the presence of Palestinian factions operating on its territory.
In a remarkable move, the administration assigned a person nicknamed “Abu Abdul Rahman al-Shami” to manage this sensitive file, which includes all factions, most notably the “Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command.”
The Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper quoted a source who preferred to remain anonymous as saying that “al-Shami” held a series of intensive meetings with leaders of Palestinian factions active in Syria.
The meetings addressed in-depth discussions of the conditions of these factions from various aspects, including the nature of their activities, their possession of weapons, their properties, and the locations of their camps spread across various Syrian regions.
During the meetings, “al-Shami” conveyed a clear and direct message from the Syrian administration, emphasizing several pivotal points.
The most prominent of these points is the need to hold accountable individuals involved in the murders of Syrian citizens, and to emphasize the importance of handing over all weapons and military equipment in the possession of Palestinian factions. The Syrian administration also emphasized the need to limit the role of these factions in the future to humanitarian and relief activities.
In a related context, the source revealed that some factions have already begun implementing these demands, most notably the “General Command.” He indicated that a number of the latter’s fighters have been arrested as part of a campaign to pursue those involved in previous violations and have been handed over to the Syrian government’s General Security Service.
Furthermore, the source reported that the Syrian authorities have taken practical steps to impose their control over the headquarters and offices of Palestinian factions that were considered loyal to the former regime in Damascus. These measures included seizing the headquarters of the Fatah-Intifada and Free Palestine movements, in addition to freezing their financial assets in Syrian banks.
These moves are an indication of a new direction by the Syrian administration toward organizing the presence of Palestinian factions on its territory and imposing state authority more firmly. The full ramifications of these measures on the future of Palestinian factions and their relations with the new Syrian government remain to be seen