Syrian President Assad’s Alleged Escape Deal with Israel

 

The dramatic fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad, ousted by rebel forces on December 8, has taken a startling turn with allegations that Assad handed over classified military intelligence to Israel before fleeing the country. 

According to a report published by the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet and echoed by global outlets, including Britain’s Daily Mail, Assad shared sensitive information about Syria’s military assets in exchange for a safe escape route, according to a report on Ynet News.

Per Hurriyet, the information provided by Assad included detailed maps of weapons stockpiles, missile launchers, and military hangars across Syria. The Ynet News report emphasized that the precision of Israel’s subsequent airstrikes on Syrian military infrastructure strongly suggests the data was both comprehensive and accurate. The Hurriyet report claimed that Israel guaranteed Assad a secure passage in return for this intelligence, a deal that underscores the fraught and complex dynamics of the Syrian civil war and its regional players.

Ynet News noted Turkish commentator Abdulkadir Selvi’s account, which added crucial context to the unfolding story. Selvi reported that Assad fled Damascus on the morning of December 8, escaping to Moscow via the Russian-operated Khmeimim Air Base. The evacuation was reportedly coordinated by Russia, after attempts to secure asylum in Iran and the UAE failed. According to Ynet News, Selvi claimed Assad had initially sought refuge in Tehran, but Iran refused him, and subsequent negotiations with the UAE also proved fruitless, leaving Russia as Assad’s last resort.

On December 7, as rebel forces closed in on Damascus, a critical summit was convened in Doha, according to Ynet News’ coverage of Selvi’s account. The meeting involved Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Selvi quoted Fidan as saying, “We met with the Russians and the Iranians in Doha and discussed a few topics. I prefer not to say more.” The Ynet News report highlighted this cryptic remark as indicative of the sensitive negotiations surrounding Assad’s fate.

Ynet News also detailed Selvi’s assertion that Assad’s decision to provide Israel with classified military intelligence was driven by a pressing need to secure his own safety. Selvi stated that Assad handed over these documents with precise coordinates of Syrian military assets, ensuring that Israeli strikes would avoid targeting his escape route. “Judging by the precision of Israel’s strikes on Syrian military assets following Assad’s fall, it seems Israel received highly accurate information,” Selvi wrote, as reported by Ynet News.

The implications of these developments are profound. If true, Assad’s alleged deal with Israel marks a stark reversal of his long-standing adversarial stance against the country. The Ynet News report placed an emphasis on how this episode could reshape perceptions of Assad’s legacy, illustrating the lengths to which embattled leaders may go to ensure their survival.

The fallout from these revelations could ripple across the region, affecting not only Syria’s future but also the broader geopolitical dynamics of the Middle East.