The Islamist rebels who drove the Syrian government forces from Aleppo and Hama in a large and rapid offensive are urgently trying to make a good impression on the local residents, at least to present themselves as better rulers than the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

A week after government forces were driven out of Aleppo, residents of Syria's second-largest city say life is "slowly returning to normal".

The curfew has been lifted, there is bread in the bakeries again, and uniformed people regulate the traffic at the main intersections. Cell phone signal and internet access have improved, through a network set up by rebel forces. This is confirmed by the statements of several residents of Aleppo and footage from a Reuters reporter.

The measures to normalize daily life are a key part of the campaign by Hayat al-Tahrir al-Sham, a terrorist group formerly known as the al-Nusra Front and part of the global al-Qaeda network. Analysts claim that the goal of HTS is to present itself as a more acceptable alternative to the Syrian administration and to gain even more support from the people in order to expand its influence and territories under control.

Under the leadership of Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the group has changed its name and is trying to raise its rating, but it still appears as a terrorist on the lists of the United Nations, the United States and Turkey.

Goodbye Al Qaeda

HTS split from al-Qaeda in 2016 and announced it "no longer poses a threat to the West". In the parts of Syria's Idlib province that were under the group's control, a civil administration called the Salvation Government has been established, which has been governing some 3 million people for five years. The regional government is formed after elections, the use of the Turkish lira is legalized, and the mobile phone network "Syria Fon" is established.

The authorities avoid an extreme interpretation of Sharia law.

But a big challenge is the expansion of power over Aleppo, a city with more than 2 million inhabitants and a rich history. Aleppo, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in history, until before the civil war was the largest in Syria and among the 20 largest cities in the Arab world.

The war did not drive Christians out of Aleppo, unlike many other places in Syria and across the region. On Sunday, they attended the liturgy, in which rebel fighters also participated. Other historical minorities - Armenians, Kurds and Shiites - remained in the city throughout the civil war. The new authorities not only did not expel foreign journalists, but also provide them with protection and regularly inform them with announcements.

– HTS knows how big the challenges are. In order to control so many people, there must be functional services - says Navar Shaban from the Istanbul Analytical Center Harmun.

Reporters report that not everything is so "rosy" under the rule of the Islamist rebels. Garbage piled up on the streets of Aleppo. The value of the Syrian pound fell from 22.000 to 15.000 per dollar. Citizens fear that they will not have enough water and fuel for heating during the winter.

There is bread, water more difficult

But despite the high prices, many are satisfied with the free movement and operation of green markets, bakeries and gas stations.

"Water is a problem, but the bakeries are doing better, maybe because of the improved distribution and the help they are getting," Saeed Hanaya, a 42-year-old minimarket owner, told Reuters.

HTS fighters in black uniforms opened centers on Thursday offering ex-servicemen and deserters with cards guaranteeing them protection from any retaliatory prosecution.

Al-Golani announced that the Salvation Government will not include Aleppo, but a transitional body will be formed, which will ask all fighters to withdraw from civilian areas.

The prominent prices of fuel at gas stations are also a novelty for residents, in Syrian pounds, Turkish liras and US dollars.

- HTS hopes to receive recognition from the international community because of the way it rules the territories it conquered - says Shaban.

The West reacts cautiously. The State Department said HTS remains on the US list of terrorist organizations and called for a "de-escalation process".

Hama remembers the Assad massacre

There are still no announcements about what will happen in the newly conquered city of Hama, but the rebels there can expect more support from the population. Residents still remember the massacre of February 1982, when forces under the command of then-president Hafez al-Assad, the father of current president Bashar al-Assad, killed between 10.000 and 40.000 people in Hama in one month. Rifat al-Assad, Hafaz's brother and commander of the artillery unit that destroyed the city, was nicknamed "The Butcher of Hama." As recently as this year, Rifat was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity for the massacre in Hama. An international warrant has been issued for him since 2021.

With about 1 million inhabitants, Hama is the fourth largest city in Syria. In 2011, the largest protests against the government of Bashar al-Assad began in it. Government forces retreated to the city in early 2012, but returned after a brutal offensive a few months later. The leader of the demonstration had his throat demonstratively cut.

Al Golani announced that the fighters under his command "will heal the wounds that have been bleeding for 40 years". The first move of the new authorities was to release all the prisoners.
The Islamist rebels are also slowly advancing towards Homs, the third largest city in Syria. Homs is the gateway to the sea for Damascus, which is 40 kilometers away, but also an important strategic center with two large refineries.

- If the rebels manage to capture Homs, they will have under their control three of the four largest cities in Syria and will cut off the capital from the coast - says Aaron Lund, an expert on Syria at the New York group "Century International".