Syria ousts longtime Palestinian militant leader in major policy shift

Syria has expelled Talal Naji, the long-standing leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), marking a significant shift in the country’s foreign policy from that of the previous Assad regime.

Naji, who is nearly 80 and partially blinded due to a past bombing, was briefly detained before being ordered to leave the country in recent weeks, according to Syrian and Palestinian sources. His current location remains unknown, Caliber.Az reports via Arab media.

"A political decision was taken to remove him," a Syrian security official stated. The official explained that Naji’s expulsion is part of a wider effort by Syria’s new leadership to distance itself from Palestinian factions that had been aligned with the ousted Bashar al-Assad government.

For many years, Syria had served as a hub for Palestinian armed groups, especially under the Assad family’s rule. However, following Bashar al-Assad’s downfall last year, President Ahmad al-Sharaa has been working to pivot the country away from Iranian influence and toward closer ties with Western powers.

Naji’s expulsion comes amid growing tensions between Iran and Israel and shortly after the United States conducted airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites - marking a formal entry into the conflict. The Syrian leadership appears to be leveraging these changes to seek Western support and normalize relations with the US, aiming to aid in rebuilding the nation after nearly 14 years of devastating war.

Al-Sharaa, a former rebel fighter who now leads a transitional government dominated by factions once opposed to Assad, met with US President Donald Trump last month. Trump reportedly encouraged Syria to reduce militant activity and consider joining the Abraham Accords, a US-led initiative to normalize relations between Arab states and Israel.

Unlike the Assad regime’s typically hostile rhetoric toward Israel, Sharaa has adopted a more pragmatic stance, largely refraining from condemning Israel’s ongoing incursions into Syrian territory. In March, he confirmed that indirect talks between Syria and Israel were underway to avoid conflict over the Golan Heights. During the Syrian uprising, the PFLP-GC played a major role in suppressing dissent within Palestinian refugee camps, acting as enforcers for Assad’s regime. 

In Assad’s final year, the group, backed by Iran, launched rocket and drone attacks on Israeli targets. Many Syrians and Palestinians have called for the group to be held accountable for its role alongside Assad during the civil war. This pressure led Syrian authorities to shut down facilities belonging to the PFLP-GC and other pro-Assad Palestinian factions. 

Officials said only Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah has been allowed to reopen some offices in recent weeks. A Palestinian security source confirmed Naji’s departure, highlighting the political sensitivities at play: "They couldn’t keep such a figure in jail while Israel keeps attacking Gaza. It would just help pile accusations against them that they are traitors."

Other smaller factions opposing Abbas, such as Fatah al-Intifada, the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front, and the Palestinian Liberation Front, have also been expelled or allowed to relocate to neighboring countries like Jordan, Lebanon, or possibly Iran.

By Naila Huseynova