Syrian authorities have arrested two senior leaders of the Palestinian faction Islamic Jihad, according to a statement from the group’s armed wing, the Al Quds Brigades, and confirmation from Syrian officials.
Khaled Khaled, the head of Islamic Jihad’s operations in Syria, and Yasser al-Zafari, the head of its organizational committee, have been in custody for five days, the Al Quds Brigades said Tuesday. The group expressed disappointment, stating the detentions occurred “without any explanation of the reasons” and in a manner they “would not have hoped to see from brothers,” demanding their immediate release.
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A Syrian interior ministry official confirmed the arrests but did not elaborate on the reasons behind the detentions.
Islamic Jihad, which participated alongside Hamas in the October 2023 attacks on Israel from Gaza, has historically maintained operational hubs in Syria and Lebanon with support from Iran. However, the recent geopolitical shifts in the region, particularly after the ouster of Iran-allied Syrian leader Bashar Assad and the weakening of Lebanon’s Hezbollah due to Israeli military operations, have created uncertainty for such groups.
Syria’s new Islamist leadership, having severed diplomatic ties with Tehran, appears eager to improve relations with the international community and lift heavy sanctions imposed following its devastating 14-year civil war. Reuters previously reported that one of the conditions set by the United States for partial sanctions relief was distancing from Iran-backed Palestinian factions.