Political analyst points to the prospect of Syria's disintegration

Syria may disintegrate into several separate territories amid internal factors and external influence of Turkey and Israel. This opinion was shared with Izvestia on January 3 by Ruslan Andreev, an expert of the Polylog Group and political consultant.

"De facto Syria is divided between several quasi-state entities whose borders are close to the borders established during the French mandate in the first half of the 20th century. It is impossible to predict the development of events, but so far the most likely scenario seems to be the division of Syria into several territories," he said.

According to the interlocutor of the publication, the main beneficiaries of the overthrow of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are Turkey and Israel. Thus, Israel has already taken advantage of the situation and expanded its control over the territory near the Golan Heights, the expert pointed out. "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" (HTS, a terrorist organization banned in Russia), in turn, controls only major urban centers and is trying to expand its sphere of influence, he added.

But the power crisis has also been exploited by the Kurds, who control northeastern Syria, as well as more radical Islamists linked to IS (recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in Russia).

Friend of my enemy: Israel's and Turkey's interests clash in Syria

Ankara is concerned about Tel Aviv's alleged contacts with Kurdish militias

The situation in Syria escalated as a result of a major attack by militias in Aleppo and Idlib, which began on November 28 and led to a Syrian army response against the militants.

Then, on December 9, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, after talks with the opposition, resigned as head of state and left the country, instructing a peaceful transfer of power.

On the same day, the national coalition of revolutionary and opposition forces in Syria said it was working on the formation of a transitional authority. In turn, Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi al-Jalali said that most of the ministers of the Syrian government remain in Damascus, and he himself is ready to cooperate with any elected leadership.

Against this backdrop, the IDF announced the deployment of forces along the Syrian border to ensure the safety of communities in the Golan Heights and Israeli citizens. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the demarcation agreement with Syria has been terminated due to the withdrawal of Syrian troops.