In the name of solidarity with the Palestinian cause, the Assad regime long positioned itself as a steadfast ally of resistance against Israeli occupation. The regime accepted Palestinian refugees, gave fiery speeches against Israel, and framed itself as a pillar of the so-called “Axis of Resistance”—an alliance of Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah that claims to oppose Israeli occupation. However, beneath this facade lies a history of systematic oppression, betrayal, and violence against Palestinian groups and individuals. Recent revelations, newly accessible testimonies, and uncovered documents provide damning evidence of the Assad regime’s atrocities against Palestinians – a stark contradiction to its proclaimed support.
A Legacy of Repression
Despite its rhetoric, the Assad regime consistently suppressed Palestinian movements, using its intelligence services to spy on, imprison, and torture them. From its inception, the regime’s intelligence units targeted Palestinian groups, especially those advocating for independence or challenging the Assad family’s dominance. The Palestine Branch, in particular, became a tool to dismantle or neutralize movements deemed politically inconvenient.
Institutions such as the Palestine Branch (Branch 235), a notorious intelligence-run prison in Damascus, were key to the regime’s mechanisms of systemic repression against Palestinians, including resistance fighters and their supporters. Originally established in 1969 under Hafez al-Assad’s leadership, the Palestine Branch expanded its mandate over the decades, targeting not only Palestinian movements but also Syrians, Lebanese, and others deemed a threat to the regime.
While the branch’s name deceptively suggests a commitment to the Palestinian cause, it became a site of institutionalized torture, arbitrary detention, and even executions. Rather than championing Palestinian aspirations, the Assads used their intelligence and security apparatus to spy on, infiltrate, and silence Palestinian groups. As one survivor put it, “The only link between the Palestine we know and the Palestine Branch is the blood of martyrs here and there.”
The branch’s activities peaked during pivotal moments in Palestinian history, such as the Lebanese Civil War and the 1983 split within Fatah. Resistance fighters and activists were routinely rounded up, tortured, or killed. Even Hamas, a group allegedly supported by the regime for years, fell victim to Assad’s duplicity. Reports reveal that 94 Hamas members were executed in Syrian prisons without trial, and directives to arrest those associated with Hamas remained in effect until the regime’s fall in December of 2024.
Such actions not only decimated Palestinian movements but also undermined the broader Palestinian cause. By turning a supposed sanctuary into a slaughterhouse, the Assad regime betrayed the trust of countless Palestinians who sought refuge within Syria’s borders.
“A Human Slaughterhouse”
Firsthand accounts and documents found after the fall of the Assad regime paint a horrifying picture of the violence within the Palestine Branch. Survivors recount being blindfolded, tortured, and coerced into false confessions under inhumane conditions. Yasir, a former detainee who later joined the revolution, described being beaten with metal tools and hung upside down until he bled. “They didn’t care about anything except forcing prisoners to incriminate themselves so they could negotiate a price for their release,” he said.
In many cases, those who could not be “ransomed” simply languished in overcrowded cells or faced death. Newly discovered prisoner records reveal the extent of the brutality. One room contained personal effects of detainees – ID cards, prosthetic limbs, and even crutches – alongside grim carvings on cell walls that chronicled prisoners’ suffering. Mold-covered blankets, stagnant sewage, and the pervasive stench of death were among the prison’s notorious trappings.
The conditions in the Palestine Branch mirrored those of other infamous detention centers like Sednaya and Mezzeh prisons. Estimates indicate that over 700 Palestinians died under torture in Assad’s prisons since the Syrian revolution began in 2011. Thousands more remain unaccounted for, their fates unknown.
Meanwhile, the liberation of prisons has brought long-awaited hope to the families of those who disappeared by Assad’s regime. The release of Palestinians like Ibrahim Freihat, who disappeared for 17 years, and Bashar Yahya, for 39 years, represents a bittersweet triumph amid the unfolding revelations. While families celebrate their return, they are acutely aware of the regime’s betrayal and the enduring questions about the fate of countless others still missing.
Israeli Collaboration
The collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime has uncovered startling revelations that further dismantle the myth of the regime’s alleged role as a steadfast member of the “Axis of Resistance.” Leaked documents and testimonies reveal covert collaboration between Assad’s intelligence apparatus and Israeli officials, a revelation that starkly contrasts the regime’s decades-long narrative of opposing Israeli aggression.
These documents, bearing the official seals of regime intelligence, detail communications with Israeli operatives. One exchange included an Israeli demand to curtail Iranian and Hezbollah activities within Syrian territory, paired with veiled threats of retaliation. Another document outlined the regime’s alleged facilitation of Israeli military strikes targeting Iranian assets within Syria, exposing a pragmatic collaboration designed to preserve the regime’s power at the expense of its purported alliances.
For decades, the Assad regime has placated Israel while simultaneously leveraging its alliances with Iran and Hezbollah to project itself as a champion of the Palestinian cause. However, the regime’s actions tell a different story. The revelations of collaboration with Israel further demonstrate the regime’s duplicity, suggesting that it exploited the Palestinian cause to mask its authoritarian practices and justify alliances that served its survival rather than resistance to Israeli occupation – whether in Palestine or Syria.
Some posit Assad’s cooperation was simply a desperate move to survive. They claim he offered intelligence to Israel in exchange for allowing his regime to remain in power. However, this theory ignores a fundamental truth: Assad’s regime never prioritized Palestinian liberation. Instead, it used the Palestinian cause as a tool for propaganda while working behind the scenes to protect its own interests.
The exposure of Bashar al-Assad’s covert dealings with Israel casts his regime’s resistance rhetoric as a facade, a tool used to consolidate power while systematically oppressing those it claimed to support. As Syria embarks on a transitional journey, these revelations present an opportunity to forge alliances grounded in genuine resistance and reformative justice for decades of exploitation and brutality.
Inactive & Ineffective Allies
Despite these revelations, Iran and Hezbollah—Assad’s closest allies in the so-called Axis of Resistance—have remained silent. This silence speaks volumes, commitment to the Palestinian struggle, would require condemnation of Assad’s collaboration with Israel. Instead, they continued to support the defunct regime.
Iran has attempted to distance itself from Assad’s downfall, with officials insisting that any new Syrian government must remain aligned against Israel to maintain Iranian support. However, as post-Assad Syria begins its transition, many Palestinians and Syrians have come to see Iran and Hezbollah as opportunistic players who backed a dictator at the expense of the very people they claimed to defend.
Towards Justice & Reconciliation
For Palestinians and Syrians alike, the Assad regime’s downfall marks the beginning of a long journey toward healing and reconstruction. As Yasir, the former detainee, remarked, “Thank God that some prisoners were liberated… Everyone hopes that things go well.”
However, hope alone is not enough. The systematic oppression and betrayal perpetrated by the Assad regime must not be forgotten. Only through transparency, accountability, and a commitment to justice can the wounds inflicted on Palestinians and Syrians begin to heal. The myth of the Axis of Resistance is shattered, leaving behind a grim legacy of betrayal and suffering.
