Doha – Former Moroccan Head of Government Saad Dine El Othmani sparked controversy Sunday by praising the capture of Syria’s second-largest city of Aleppo by opposition forces, describing it as a “glorious return” of displaced Syrians to their homeland.
El Othmani, who previously served as Morocco’s foreign minister and Secretary General of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), took to Facebook to celebrate the lightning offensive that saw the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and allied rebel factions seize control of most of Aleppo for the first time since 2016.
“Glory to He who changes situations, events in Syria are accelerating… The displaced of yesterday from their cities and villages – who were children and young people – are returning victorious in the #Deterrence_of_Aggression operation, achieving a dream and hope they thought difficult,” El Othmani posted.
The former prime minister drew parallels between the Aleppo offensive, which the rebels are calling the “Deterrence of Aggression” and Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel dubbed the “Al-Aqsa Flood.”
“Deterrence of Aggression is like Al-Aqsa Flood, both seek freedom and dignity for their people,” El Othmani stated, adding that “today’s events will have a great impact on the future if intentions are sincere to God.”
The offensive, launched Wednesday by HTS – an internationally designated organization formerly linked to Al-Qaeda – alongside allied Syrian rebels, resulted in the capture of dozens of strategic locations before reaching Aleppo.
The rebels entered the city Friday and took control of most areas “without significant resistance,” according to a report by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOSDH).
By Sunday, opposition forces controlled Aleppo except for Kurdish-held districts, marking the first time since 2011 that the city has fallen from government control. The rebels have seized government buildings, prisons, and the international airport.
The offensive has claimed over 370 lives so far, according to SOSDH. Russian airstrikes killed five people near Aleppo University and four in Idlib on Sunday. Additionally, the rebels have imposed a 24-hour curfew in Aleppo.
Iran expressed strong support for the Syrian government, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi heading to Damascus and calling for coordination with Russia. The White House attributed the Syrian regime’s setback to “its refusal” to engage in political dialogue and its “dependence on Russia and Iran.”
Videos circulating on social media appear to show HTS attackers stepping on what many social media users are claiming is the Palestinian flag and removing a banner depicting the Al-Aqsa mosque. If true, these images would contradict El Othmani’s comparison between the Aleppo offensive and the Hamas resistance.
The northwestern region of Syria had maintained relative calm under a Moscow-Ankara brokered ceasefire following a regime offensive in March 2020. Currently, HTS and rebels control large parts of Idlib province and sections of Aleppo, Hama, and Lattakia provinces.
Read also: PJD’s Benkirane Renews Criticism of El Othmani’s Role in Israel Normalization
