The Syrian government in Damascus is considering relocating several ministries and vital institutions from the capital to inland cities amid concerns that the country could face a potential Israeli attack, according to a report by the Turkish newspaper Türkiye Gazetesi, citing Syrian sources.
A government official told the newspaper that Damascus is undergoing major changes to its military and political structure. The proposed plan reportedly includes moving at least three ministries to Aleppo and relocating the Ministry of Defense to Hama, while transferring certain strategic institutions currently based in Homs and Damascus to areas including Hama, Raqqa, and Deir ez-Zor.
According to the report, the plan involves distributing key institutions across an axis stretching from Hama and Aleppo to Hasakah, Deir ez-Zor, Idlib, and Raqqa, with priority given to locations close to the Turkish border.
The move is intended, according to the source, to strengthen operational flexibility in both the air and on the ground, while distributing political, military, economic, and administrative centers of power across inland regions. It would also make use of Turkey’s intelligence, ground, and air capabilities.
The Syrian government is also reportedly considering relocating strategically important institutions, including the Central Bank and agencies responsible for the oil, agriculture, water, and economic sectors, to areas such as Idlib, Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and Hasakah.
Israeli Movements and Fears of a Ground Operation
The report said Israel has expanded its control in southern Syria, with the demilitarized zone on the Golan Heights having been dismantled and Israeli forces advancing along the Quneitra-Damascus-Daraa axis. It also stated that the Israeli military had carried out 1,232 attacks on Syrian territory.
Citing Syrian security sources, the newspaper reported that Israel, which has conducted airstrikes and ground movements along the Damascus-Homs-Quneitra-Daraa axis, is preparing for a large-scale ground operation backed by air power.
In the same context, a Syrian source said recent Jordanian military movements should be viewed through an Israeli perspective, describing them as an “early warning.”
According to the Syrian account cited in the report, the Jordanian army’s movements and fortifications along the border are intended as precautionary measures against possible Israeli attacks and the potential displacement of at least one million people from the Quneitra and Daraa regions.
“Sofa 53” Corridor and Fears of Demographic Change
The report also addressed the “Sofa 53” area, describing it as a key element in Israeli movements. It said the corridor extending toward the Jordanian border could provide Israel with a land route closer to the Druze community in Sweida.
The newspaper also raised concerns about what it described as a medium- and long-term Israeli plan involving the relocation of new Jewish Druze settlers to areas that could be evacuated between the Golan Heights and Sweida, as part of what it characterized as a new wave of occupation.
The report added that the administration of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is aware of the details of Israeli movements but is avoiding direct confrontation because Syria lacks an air defense system.
According to the source, the new Syrian government has militarily abandoned the Daraa and Quneitra axis and is currently focusing on protecting political, military, and economic institutions by distributing them across inland areas, in anticipation of a possible confrontation with Israel. The report said Israeli forces had advanced to within 25 kilometers of Damascus.
Israeli Political Calculations and Turkey’s Role
The newspaper linked developments in southern Syria to Israel’s elections and coalition negotiations, suggesting that the possibility of the Yashar Party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, and its allies securing a majority without managing to form a government could give Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an opportunity to gain political advantages through the Iranian and Syrian files.
The report added that Netanyahu is seeking, according to the newspaper’s assessment, to exploit the current developments to expand Israel’s presence in southern Syria and bring Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, into a governing coalition. Lieberman was described as one of the strongest supporters of military expansion in southern Syria.
The report also highlighted Turkey’s role in the Syrian administration’s new strategy, describing Ankara as a central player in shaping Damascus’s future moves.
Among the proposals reportedly under consideration is joining the “Mecca Alliance,” with the newspaper pointing to increased communication between Ankara and Damascus over the issue.
These details and assessments remain attributed to the Turkish newspaper and the Syrian sources cited in its report. They have not been presented as officially announced Syrian government decisions or independently confirmed facts.
