On December 17, 2024, the Syrian National Socialist Party (SNSP) issued an official statement announcing the establishment of the “Southern Liberation Front” (on January 11, 2025, the name was changed to “The Islamic Resistance Front in Syria” – see details below).
According to the statement, this organization was established to protect the Syrian people and push Israel out of Syrian territory. The SNSP also voiced its objection to Israel’s presence and activities in Syria, criticizing the prevailing silence on this issue both within Syria and across the Arab world.
The statement was initially published on the party’s website and social media platforms, accompanied by the formation of dedicated groups on various networks. However, we did not find further clear indications of practical activity beyond these statements.
On January 9, 2025, the “Front for the Liberation of the South” issued its first official statement, presenting the “Front” as a resistance organization (“muqawama”) established to protect the residents of Syria. The statement claimed it was a local popular Syrian organization formed in response to the silence of Syria’s new government and its inaction against Israel (referred to in the statement as “the Israeli enemy” and “the Israeli occupation”). It further emphasized that this organization is not affiliated with any state, sect, or party, either within Syria or outside it.
At the end of the statement, a 48-hour ultimatum was given to Israel, demanding the withdrawal of its forces from Syria before they would take action against IDF forces.
Two days later, on January 11, 2025, the group issued a message on its Telegram channel with another threat against Israel. The message stated that members of the organization were monitoring IDF activity in southern Syria and were prepared to act against them.

On the same day, the group issued another statement announcing its name change to “People of bravery– The Islamic Resistance Front in Syria” (Awli al-Bass – Jabhat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya fi Suria), as well as unveiling its new emblem. Posters were also published showing alleged strikes against IDF soldiers as well as additional threats.
Analysis of the above reveals several interesting insights:
First, the SNSP is a longstanding secular movement with branches in Lebanon and Iraq. This party has supported the Assad regime, is allied with Hezbollah (and part of the March 8 Alliance in Lebanon), and is recognized as part of the pro-Iranian axis. The party’s military operatives have operated against the IDF since the days of the Security Zone in Lebanon (1980’s-1990’s) and during the last war against Hezbollah.
Another noteworthy aspect is the name and emblem of this organization. As early as October 2024, Naim Qassem used the phrase “Awli al-Bass” when referring to the war against Israel and in the context of preventing Israel’s activity and entrenchment in Lebanon. The term appears in the Quran in a verse describing brave individuals going to war. Qassem continued to use this phrase in additional speeches, including recently on January 4, 2025.
Alongside the name, the organization’s emblem features well-known motifs, the most prominent being a hand holding a Kalashnikov rifle (AK-47), with the aforementioned Quranic verse displayed above it. These motifs are well-known from other Iranian-backed organizations, such as the IRGC, Hezbollah, al-Nujaba, Kata’ib Hezbollah in Iraq, and others.
It can be assessed that this organization is linked to Iran and Hezbollah and operates under their influence. This also raises the question of whether this is a a new version of the Golan File?
It should be noted that Hezbollah’s Golan File unit, which operated in southern Syria near the Israeli border, consisted of local Syrians.
It is possible that this is an Iranian attempt to establish a local infrastructure for activity against Israel in southern Syria (or to rehabilitate a previous one). Alternatively, this could be an influence campaign aimed at both Israeli and local audiences. In this context, it is evident that Iran and Hezbollah seek to restore their influence and infrastructure in Syria and that they aim to destabilize the new regime and challenge Israel from this front.
In this context, it should be noted that since the fall of Assad’s regime and the disintegration of the Syrian army, a kind of political and security vacuum has emerged in southern Syria (as well as in other parts of the country). The lack of governance in the region has led Israel, the new Syrian regime, and local organizations to act in an attempt to address and exploit the situation to their advantage.
Israel has started operating in the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon to prevent hostile entities from entering the border area, Local organizations and militias have declared control over territories and worked to ensure stability, and the new regime in Syria has also sought to establish its control in the Quneitra and Daraa regions.
Additionally, during this period, there have been few statements in Syria regarding Israel and its activities in the country. Members of the new regime rarely addressed the issue, and when they did, they maintained a cautious and ambiguous tone. A similar trend was observed among local residents in southern Syria, whose attitudes appeared more ambivalent yet still relatively restrained (e.g., the Druze community in Hader expressed their willingness to cooperate with Israel while residents in southern Syria held demonstrations against IDF presence in the region).
It seems that the emergence of “The Islamic Resistance Front in Syria” comes against the backdrop of the vacuum in southern Syria and in an attempt to exploit it. At this stage, there is no evidence of significant activity by this organization. However, regardless of its nature, it is important to closely monitor its development, actions and the forces behind it.