Leading Syria’s bloody reconquest of the rebel stronghold in Aleppo was Hizballah, which, according to Yoram Schweitzer, is the “most professional” of the various ground forces fighting to maintain Bashar al-Assad’s rule. (Russia is fighting mainly from the air, and Iranian forces are present primarily in advisory and supporting roles.) Schweitzer argues that Hizballah must no longer be considered a terrorist or insurgent group but an army. (Interview by BICOM; audio available at the link below.)

Hizballah, through its deep involvement in the Syrian civil war, has shifted from a force of “resistance” into an occupying force [and has] totally aligned itself with the Assad regime, having shared in its brutality against the local population. To date it’s quite clear that Hizballah is a very focal player in the Syrian arena. Iran, of course, is running the show; Hizballah is totally committed and subject to Iranian policy. . . . . Hizballah is doing the hard work for the Iranians in Syria and is responsible for establishing new organizations composed of local volunteers and foreign fighters from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. . . .

Hizballah has virtually abandoned its “defensive” role against Israel—which it once boasted of so often—or at least put it aside temporarily. It is mainly focused in Syria and is immersed in this war. Hizballah knows that the results of this war will have concrete repercussions for its future in Lebanon and its connections to the regime of Assad. . . .

[Hizballah’s] experience in Syria has qualified it to become a better fighting force. Hizballah is no more merely an organization, it is an army. . . . In the past, it used to employ guerrilla and terrorist tactics, but now it’s fighting as an armed force with a very clear-cut structure. . . .

As for Israel, . . [it] is looking very soberly at what is going on in Syria. It looks at Hizballah’s expenses, resources invested, number of casualties, and the fact that Hizballah is immersed in the quagmire of Syria which prevents it from bothering Israel. [However], Hizballah is gaining more and more experience, it is being trained, being equipped, it has partnerships not only with Iran and Syria, which of course will guarantee their full support without any limitations, but also with Russia.

On Tuesday, representatives of Hamas met with their counterparts from Fatah—the faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) once led by Yasir Arafat that now governs parts of the West Bank—in Beijing to discuss possible reconciliation. While it is unlikely that these talks will yield any more progress than the many previous rounds, they constitute a significant step in China’s increasing attempts to involve itself in the Middle East on the side of Israel’s enemies.

By contrast, writes Tuvia Gering, Taiwan has been quick and consistent in its condemnations of Hamas and Iran and its expressions of sympathy with Israel:

Support from Taipei goes beyond words. Taiwan’s appointee in Tel Aviv and de-facto ambassador, Abby Lee, has been busy aiding hostage families, adopting the most affected kibbutzim in southern Israel, and volunteering with farmers. Taiwan recently pledged more than half a million dollars to Israel for critical initiatives, including medical and communications supplies for local municipalities. This follows earlier aid from Taiwan to an organization helping Israeli soldiers and families immediately after the October 7 attack.

The reasons why are not hard to fathom:

In many ways, Taiwan sees a reflection of itself in Israel—two vibrant democracies facing threats from hostile neighbors. Both nations wield substantial economic and technological prowess, and both heavily depend on U.S. military exports and diplomacy. Taipei also sees Israel as a “role model” for what Taiwan should aspire to be, citing its unwavering determination and capabilities to defend itself.

On a deeper level, Taiwanese leaders seem to view Israel’s war with Hamas and Iran as an extension of a greater struggle between democracy and autocracy.

Gering urges Israel to reciprocate these expressions of friendship and to take into account that “China has been going above and beyond to demonize the Jewish state in international forums.” Above all, he writes, Jerusalem should “take a firmer stance against China’s support for Hamas and Iran-backed terrorism, exposing the hypocrisy and repression that underpin its vision for a new global order.”