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EXPERT COMMENT

Russia and Iran-backed militias are moving to prop up Bashar al-Assad, as opposition forces advance. But a political solution remains the only way to end the cycle of violence.

Just as Middle East observers exhaled in relief following the announcement of a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, Syria’s war reignited with startling intensity on 27 November. 

Syrian opposition groups launched a military offensive that delivered striking results, capturing hundreds of kilometres of territory across the governorates of Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama in a matter of days – reclaiming some areas and seizing others for the first time.

The timing and rapid progress of the offensive caught many observers off guard. But this escalation is a predictable outcome of the international community’s consistent failure to prioritize conflict resolution over conflict management.

Diplomacy has repeatedly failed to deliver security in northwest Syria, or accountability for violations by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In the absence of a political process, opposition forces turned to military means to address their grievances and safeguard their communities.

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