On Thursday, Syrian insurgents claimed to have entered parts of the central city of Hama after intense clashes with government forces that had lasted for three days on the city’s outskirts. While Syrian state media confirmed violent clashes in the eastern areas of Hama, they denied that insurgents had breached the city itself. The city of Hama has remained under full government control throughout the ongoing civil war, which began in March 2011. Its capture would be a significant blow to President Bashar Assad's regime.

The offensive against Hama is being led by the jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, as well as the Syrian National Army, an umbrella group of Turkish-backed militias. Their recent capture of Aleppo, Syria's largest city and a historic business hub, marked a major victory for Assad's opponents and reignited fighting in a conflict that had largely been at a stalemate for the past few years.

Aleppo had been under government control since 2016 after a Russian-backed offensive pushed out opposition forces. The renewed fighting in Syria has displaced tens of thousands of people since the insurgents launched a surprise offensive on November 27, 2024. The insurgents reported advancing toward Hama’s center, with claims that they have secured positions in several neighborhoods, including Sawaaeq and Zahiriyeh. If Hama falls, it could signify the beginning of the regime’s decline, according to opposition war monitors.

Hama is a key city strategically located at the crossroads of Syria’s north, center, east, and west. It is approximately 200 kilometers from the capital, Damascus, and near the coastal province of Latakia, a stronghold of Assad's support. Hama's historical significance also stems from the 1982 massacre, where thousands were killed by security forces under Assad's late father, Hafez Assad, to crush a Muslim Brotherhood uprising.