Israel and Turkey seize the chance to shape Syria’s future post-Assad

But the invaders have starkly contrasting agendas. For its part, Ankara has thrown its weight behind the new transitional government that’s led by the Islamist-led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – a group Israel’s Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel labelled a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” last Sunday due to the faction’s roots in al-Qaeda.

“Israel is exploiting an opportunity to make sure the next Syrian government is essentially demilitarised and will pose no threat,” said Barbara Slavin, a distinguished Middle East fellow at the Stimson Centre foreign-affairs think tank in Washington.