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A series of reportedly leaked documents found following Bashar al-Assad's regime collapse have revealed a covert channel of communication between Syria and Israel.

Although the papers have not been independently verified, they bear the official Syrian Arab Republic letterheads and intelligence branch stamps.

Photographs of the alleged documents by several journalists in Syria and pan-Arab .

The contents of the reported documents challenge the long-standing narrative that the Assad government was a steadfast opponent of Israel, instead portraying its alleged complicity in Israeli military operations against Iranian targets.

Israeli warnings to Syria

Among the alleged leaked documents is a letter from Israel urging Syria to curb the flow of Iranian and Hezbollah military assets.

An operative, codenamed "Moses" communicated directly with former Syrian Defence Minister Lt. Gen. Ali Mahmoud Abbas, relaying specific warnings about Hamas activities and their implications.��The messages were then reportedly forwarded to the former National Security Bureau head Ali Mamlouk, according to the leaked documents.

In an alarming message dated 8 April 2023, the official reported that Hamas had launched rockets from the Golan Heights, demanding that Syria halt such preparations or face dire consequences.

Israel's warnings escalated, stating that previous measures were merely a "warning shot", and that if Syrian cooperation with Iran continued, retaliatory actions would follow, according to the documents.

Coordinated military operations

On 7 May 2023, Israeli forces targeted weapon depots linked to Syrian command structures, as part of a strategy to dismantle Iranian military capabilities in Syria.

The documents state that Assad's regime not only received intelligence from Israel but also actively coordinated attacks against Iranian positions.

"Supporting Hezbollah’s air defence capabilities is an act against Israel. This only serves Hezbollah’s interests, while causing harm to your military," a letter in the documents said.

While Assad's government has long positioned itself as a "resistance" leader in the Arab world, these documents exposed that the regime was sharing intelligence with Israel and even facilitating military operations against Iranian militias.

This duplicity raises questions about the true nature of Syria's alliances and the extent of its cooperation with Israel.

Iran's post-Assad strategy

While Iran's future relations with Syria remain uncertain, Tehran has expressed a desire to maintain ties, but its success may hinge on the approach of opposition groups towards Israel.

Iranian officials have called for respect for Syria's sovereignty, emphasising the importance of distancing from Israeli influence.

Iran said it wants to maintain relations with Syria after the fall of major ally Bashar al-Assad, but that opposition groups’ approach towards Israel would be crucial.

Teheran has not commented on reports about a direct line of dialogue with the armed groups that toppled the Assad regime.

On Tuesday, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani called for “respect for Syria’s territorial integrity” and said the Syrian people should decide their own fate.

Commenting on Iran’s future relations with Syria, she said that “their distance from the Zionist regime” would be an important deciding factor.