Footage circulated by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades—the military wing of Hamas—shows the Syrian revolution flag, which was adopted as the flag of the Syrian state after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, inside one of the tunnels in Gaza. The footage chronicles the combat path of fallen fighter Mahmoud Muhammad Shabana, the son of Muhammad Shabana, commander of the Rafah Brigade, and a fighter in the Raid al-Attar Battalion (“Yabna”), part of the same brigade. The flag was shown in the Rafah tunnels during the “Al-Aqsa Flood” war.
Users drew attention to the symbolic significance of the flag’s appearance. In their view, it was more than a random image, reflecting solidarity between the Syrian and Palestinian peoples and their shared aspirations for freedom and justice. One activist wrote that the flag, raised in the darkness of the tunnels and under siege, symbolizes the unity of free people’s self-sacrifice and confirms the shared cause of Gaza and the Levant (historic Syria). He added that Palestinian and Syrian blood flows through the same artery, while the image carries a “message of steadfastness and pride”: the choice of resistance and freedom comes above all else, and the dawn of the future will break through from these tunnels toward every land that rejects injustice and oppression.
A comment was also circulated on social media: “The Syrian revolution flag—and today, the flag of the Syrian state—appears in the tunnels of Gaza’s mujahideen.” Its author noted that Syrians and Palestinians “have always been brothers in faith and conviction,” wished them relief, an end to their suffering, and a swift victory and liberation from the occupier—just as, in his words, God granted Syrians deliverance from the tyrant of the Levant. The comment became part of the broader reaction to the image’s symbolism.
The appearance of the flag is being discussed amid heightened attention to material published by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades about their fighters and the tunnels used during the war in the Gaza Strip. Such publications document stages of their journey and reveal details from the battlefield that had long remained out of sight. The image of the Syrian flag in the Rafah tunnels continues to attract attention and active discussion because of its symbolism, associated with solidarity, resistance, and liberation.
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What is the “Syrian revolution flag,” when did it emerge, and why was it adopted as the flag of the Syrian state after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime? — The “Syrian revolution flag” is a green, white, and black horizontal tricolor with three red stars in the center of the white stripe. Its history goes back to the flag of the Syrian Republic, adopted in 1932 while the country was under the French Mandate. The same flag was used after independence until 1958 and again from 1961 to 1963. Since 2011, participants in the Syrian revolution and the opposition have used it as their symbol, setting it against the red, white, and black flag with two green stars associated with Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the Ba’ath Party. After the regime fell, Syria’s new authorities adopted this flag as the official state flag to emphasize a break with the previous government, draw on the historical continuity of an independent Syria, and unite various opposition forces around a common symbol.
What does the term “Sham” mean in the Syrian and Arab context, and which historical territories does it encompass? — In the Arab and Syrian context, “Sham” (Arabic: الشام, al-Sham) refers to the historic Levant, or Greater Syria (Bilad al-Sham). Etymologically, the name is linked to the notion of the “left” side: when looking eastward from Arabia, the Levant lies to the left, while Yemen lies to the right. In a narrow sense, “Sham” may refer to Damascus (Dimashq al-Sham). In a broader sense, Bilad al-Sham encompasses the territories of modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, and Israel. Historically, it also included parts of southern Turkey—such as Hatay/İskenderun—and the Sinai Peninsula. During the early Islamic period, it was a province of the Caliphate divided into military districts (junds): Damascus, Homs, Jordan, and Palestine, later joined by Qinnasrin. After World War I and the Sykes–Picot Agreement, the region was divided into the modern states; today, “Sham” is therefore used mainly as a historical, cultural, and political concept rather than an official name.
Full version: The Syrian Revolution Flag in al-Qassam’s Gaza Tunnels: What Is the Story?