The Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militants of the ruling regime in Syria have desecrated the tomb of leading Palestinian figure Ahmed Jibril in Damascus as they continue to target resistance figures and factions in the Arab country.
The Resistance News Network reported on Sunday that the militants wrote on Jibril’s tomb, “Curse your soul”—a phrase used by the Israeli regime against Palestinian resistance leaders who have sacrificed their lives for the Palestinian cause.
This comes as the head of the HTS-led administration in Syria, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has expressed readiness to normalize ties between Damascus and Tel Aviv.
Jibril, the head and founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), died of an illness in Damascus on July 7, 2021.
Born in 1938, Jibril founded the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command in 1968 after breaking away from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Known as Abu Jihad, he was one of the oldest and most prominent Palestinian military leaders, who believed in the “armed struggle to liberate Palestine.”
He was famous for his opposition to any Palestinian negotiations with Israel.
The Popular Front – General Command carried out several operations against the Israeli occupation, most notably the famous “Night of the Gliders” in 1987.
He administered two deals to swap prisoners with Israel in 1979 and 1985, according to which around 1,200 Palestinians were released from Israeli jails.
He was a notable supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government in its fight against terrorists and militants wreaking havoc in Syria since 2011.
The HTS, a former branch of al-Qaeda, along with other militants, seized control of Damascus on December 8, 2024, forcing Assad, a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, to leave the country.
The HTS administration has since been accused of flagrant violations of human rights in Syria, particularly against minorities, namely Syria’s Alawite minority, drawing widespread condemnations from the international community.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently described how the Israeli military helped the HTS takeover of Syria in December.
