Syria disarms militias and sends positive signal to Israel – media

Syria has transferred HTS Turkish commander Omar Chiptchi from the border with Israel to Hama, which analysts see as a signal to Jerusalem. The reshuffle is linked to army reform and the integration of militias.

Syria has carried out personnel changes in its military leadership that, according to analysts, could simultaneously address internal issues and send a signal to Israel. A key and most radical commander of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Omar Chiptchi, also known as Mukhtar al-Turki, was moved from areas bordering Israel to the country's interior—he now heads the 62nd Division in Hama. Previously, Chiptchi commanded the 44th Division in the Daraa and Quneitra provinces opposite the Golan Heights, and then the 70th Division in Damascus. Israeli security services had long been monitoring him due to his radical background and anti-Israel rhetoric. Experts at Türkiye Today note that his redeployment to Hama appears to be a deliberate and encouraging step amid Damascus's attempts to establish a security mechanism with Jerusalem. The transfer also has an internal explanation: the 62nd Division historically consists of fighters from the Sultan Suleiman Shah faction, who remained personally loyal to commander Muhammad al-Jassim (Abu Amsha), recently 'promoted' to deputy commander of the Central Corps, effectively stripping him of direct leadership. Syria's Defense Ministry hopes to use Chiptchi's experience to integrate former militiamen into the regular army, and the appointment of a Turkish officer is intended to reassure Ankara. The reshuffle coincided with Syrian forces being put on high alert on August 4, which turned out to be a large-scale reform rather than mutinies. Damascus seeks to shift the center of gravity from loyalty to field commanders to unified state discipline. For Israel, the result is practical: one of the most problematic figures on the Golan Heights border is gone.