Altered Photo Claims to Show Syrian and Israeli Flags in Idlib

Misbar investigated the circulating image and found the claim to be fake.

Misbar's team found that the image has been digitally altered. The original photograph, taken in 2012 in Suez, Egypt, depicted the Palestinian flag. At that time, Egyptians were protesting in solidarity with Syria in cities like Cairo, Alexandria, and Suez, following the Rastan massacre.

An analysis carried out on the 'Hive Moderation' site reveals that certain parts of the image have been slightly edited.

Opposition Forces Advance Towards Homs Amid Mass Exodus

Syrian Rebel forces have reportedly reached the outskirts of Homs, prompting thousands to flee the key city amidst an intense opposition offensive. In a brief statement posted on Telegram, fighters from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group urged Syrian government forces to defect. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) noted that many residents began evacuating overnight towards the western coast, where President Bashar al-Assad's regime retains control.

According to Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the U.K.-based monitoring group, opposition fighters seized the towns of Rastan and Talbiseh in the Homs governorate before advancing further towards Homs. Situated 46 km (29 miles) south of Hama, which HTS captured on Thursday, Homs serves as a crucial crossroads linking Damascus to Syria’s coastal regions. This development follows the opposition's recent capture of Aleppo, the country's second-largest city.

Syrian Rebel Forces Reach Homs, Threatening Assad’s Strategic Hold

On Friday, Syrian rebel forces announced their rapid advance has reached the central city of Homs, potentially positioning them to topple another key stronghold critical to President Bashar al-Assad's grip on power. The leading faction, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, declared on Telegram that their forces had liberated the last village on Homs's outskirts and were now at its walls. They called on government forces in Homs to defect.

Early Saturday, rebel sources reported capturing the southern city of Daraa near Jordan after negotiating a deal for army officials to retreat to Damascus. If the Sunni Muslim rebels seize Homs, it would sever Damascus's connection to the coast, a bastion of Assad's minority Alawite sect and home to Russian naval and air bases.

A Syrian army source indicated that any rebel advance from Homs's north would meet resistance from Iran-backed Hezbollah forces bolstering government defenses. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a U.K.-based monitoring group, noted that thousands began fleeing Homs on Thursday night, heading towards the coastal regions of Latakia and Tartus, which remain under government control. Coastal residents confirmed the arrival of thousands of people from Homs, fearing the rebels' swift progress.

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