What is happening in Syria, and how can you be praying?

By Hunter Williamson

December 5, 2024

What is happening? 

Last week, the Syrian civil war reignited as armed groups opposed to the Syrian government launched a surprise offensive. Facing little resistance, they made massive gains, seizing Syria’s second largest city, Aleppo, and other government-controlled territory. Opposition groups continue to push east, capturing territory in the Aleppo countryside, while also advancing south into the city of Hama. 

Fighting has left at least 571 combatants and civilians dead, according to a UK-based monitoring group. The UN says that another 48,500 people in northwest Syria have been displaced. The numbers continue to increase as fighting persists.

The opposition assault took many by surprise, changing the frontlines of a war that had been largely frozen in recent years. Syria’s brutal civil war first erupted in 2011 after government forces cracked down on anti-government protests. Years of fighting fueled by foreign interference followed, leaving Syria fragmented and destroyed. Today, the country remains divided among opposition groups with various political leanings and ideologies; the Syrian government and its allies; and Kurdish-led forces. 

Who is fighting who? 

The main opposition group spearheading the assault is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The group has a controversial reputation. It was previously known as Jabhat Al-Nusra and had ties to Al Qaeda. It has since rebranded and renounced its ties with Al Qaeda, but analysts note that HTS still adheres to a hardline, conservative interpretation of Islam. HTS also has a history of seizing properties from minority groups like Christians and Druze and restricting religious freedoms and practices in territory that it controls in the northwest region of Idlib.

While HTS has returned seized properties to Christians and sought to reform its policies in a more multi-religious tolerant way, many question the group’s sincerity and worry about how minority groups in Aleppo and other recently captured territory might be treated. So far, there have been no reports of Christians being mistreated. 

In a statement issued on November 30, HTS Commander Abu Mohammad al-Jolani instructed fighters not to attack homes or properties. Telling his troops to be examples of tolerance and forgiveness, he ordered them to maintain security and stability in captured areas. 

Yet videos shared widely on social media have raised concerns that opposition forces may act differently on the ground. One video showed a fighter pushing over a Christmas tree in Aleppo. While the fighter was reportedly reprimanded and the tree was put back in place, other videos have emerged depicting opposition fighters ridiculing captured members of Kurdish-led forces. 

How can you be praying? 

It remains unclear how far and for how long HTS and other opposition factions will continue to advance. The situation remains fluid and rapidly changing. 

It is also unclear how many Christians still live in Aleppo. The civil war has displaced Christians and prompted others to leave Syria. The capture of Aleppo by opposition forces has reportedly prompted at least some of those remaining in the city to flee. Residents still in Aleppo, Christian and non-Christian alike, fear what may come next, especially as the Syrian government and its allies push back. Aleppo endured brutal fighting before, earning it the reputation of being Syria’s Stalingrad, before government forces finally took full control of the city in late 2016. The resurgence of fighting means more death and destruction in a country still suffering from a devastating earthquake in 2023 and 13 years of conflict that has killed more than half-a-million people and displaced 12 million others. As winter sets in, people will also face freezing temperatures, a challenge that will be particularly difficult for those who have been displaced. People who fled their homes quickly are in need of support, particularly clothes, food, and blankets. 

As the situation continues to unfold, residents of Aleppo and other parts of Syria are asking for prayers for:  

• An end to the fighting, the war, and destruction. 
• Protection for people threatened, in danger, and fleeing.  
• God to be with people in Aleppo as they pass through yet another period of fear, anxiety, and terror.