Arrest of prominent leaders in the "Islamic Jihad Movement" in Syria.
Syrian security forces have arrested two leaders of the Islamic Jihad Movement, Khaled Khaled (the general official of the movement in Syria) and Abu Ali Yasser al-Zafari (the organizational committee official), last Sunday night, without providing clear reasons or issuing any official statement explaining the background of the decision.
The arrest came at a highly sensitive time, coinciding with the visit of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Damascus, the first of its kind in 16 years, where he met with Syrian President for the transitional phase, Ahmed al-Shar'a, according to "The Working Group for Palestinians in Syria".
Complex Political and International Context
Analysts believe that this step may reflect the escalating international pressure on Syria, especially from the United States, which conditions the lifting of sanctions on Damascus on restricting the activities of armed Palestinian factions on its territories and ceasing the use of Syrian territories as a launching point for any military operations.
This incident is the first of its kind since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, as Syria has not previously witnessed arrests of prominent Palestinian leaders from factions that maintained their presence during the war years without openly siding with the opposition.
Urgent Contacts for Release... Islamic Jihad Expresses Regret
Palestinian sources revealed intensive contacts at high levels between Palestinian and Arab leaders, inside and outside Syria, to ensure the release of the detainees. However, Syrian authorities continue to remain silent amid conflicting reports about the motives behind the arrests.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, April 22, the Islamic Jihad Movement expressed "deep regret" over the continued detention of its leaders, describing the arrest as "inconsistent with the fraternal relationship" between the movement and the Syrian government.
The statement called on Damascus to "immediately release them," pointing out that the detainees had "made great efforts in supporting the Palestinian cause and assisting refugees during the most difficult stages of the war."
Questions about Future Relations
In a parallel response, the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the movement, affirmed that its weapons "are directed only against the Israeli occupation," reminding that some of its fighters were martyred on Syrian soil "defending Palestine."
Observers believe that this step may indicate a potential shift in Damascus's policy towards Palestinian factions, as part of its efforts to regain its regional status and lift Western sanctions, which may lead it to reconsider its traditional alliances.
It is worth noting that the headquarters of the Islamic Jihad in Damascus have previously been targeted by Israeli airstrikes, the most prominent of which was the targeting of the Secretary-General's house, Ziyad al-Nakhalah, in March 2025, and the killing of leaders Abdul Aziz al-Minawi and Rasmi Abu Issa in November 2024.
Unknown Fate and Denial of Release
In a related context, Hamas and Islamic Jihad denied reports claiming that the Syrian authorities had released Palestinian detainees from the previous regime era.
A source in Hamas confirmed that the fate of the former detainees remains unknown, indicating that they "either died under torture or in mysterious circumstances."
As the Palestinian and Syrian circles await an official reaction from Damascus, questions remain about whether these arrests represent the beginning of a new
