Oman’s Al Watan newspaper says the game has changed on the battlefield in Syria. The position of players has also changed after they got fed up with the game rules and used all their cards. The players, whether supporters, funders or terrorism incubators, are disappointed and looking for new ways. While the international political game continues, hundreds of thousands of Syrian civilians have fled their homes in different parts of the city of Aleppo in the recent week.

“This is a dangerous game, especially with the growing calls by war-makers, funders and supporters for an international military intervention. Will Aleppo be the spark of a Middle East war? If this happens, catastrophic consequences will affect all, including the big players, who fund terrorism of all its forms, with an aim to reshape the region.”

However, the change in the balance of power in Aleppo city and the North Aleppo governorates seems to have propelled the major players in this war game to accept political solutions, especially with the Syrian military troops making more progress on the ground.

Jordan’s Al Ghad newspaper argues that the new wave of refugees into Turkey due to the hellish Russian bombardment and the heavy use of barrel bombs might be repeated in Dera’a on the Jordanian-Syrian border.

The paper said there are no guarantees that the Aleppo scenario will not be repeated in Dera’a. All signs indicate that a large-scale offensive by the Syrian regime forces is likely to happen in the southern areas near the Jordanian borders. “This scenario necessarily means that hundreds of thousands of new refugees will flee to the Jordanian borders, which will put the kingdom under intense international pressure, exactly like what happened with Turkey, which received the largest refugee flows recently.”

Lebanon’s An Nahar newspaper asks: Will Russia encourage Syrian President Bashar Al Assad to recapture Aleppo under its aerial military support? And what will be the reaction of the United States and Turkey? “It seems that US President Barack Obama and his administration have no clear plans and decisions regarding the Syrian crisis, neither care about the Syrian people. The US has pressurised the Syrian opposition to take part in the Geneva peace talks and negotiations between the Syrian regime and the opposition. But, the talks were postponed at a time when the regime forces launched a massive offensive, with the help of the Russian aerial bombardment, to recapture Aleppo.

“Obviously, the regime does not care about the negotiations, and was planning with its Russian and Iranian allies to begin the battle of recapturing Aleppo.”

The coming 48 hours are critical, and will reveal whether Turkey and Saudi Arabia will intervene militarily.

Another issue highlighted this week in the Arab media was Israel’s escalation of measures against the Palestinian people.

Sharjah-based Arabic daily Al Khaleej said the recent military measures by the Zionist government against Palestinians in the West Bank remind us of all fascist and Nazi measures that were embraced by the racist regime in South Africa against black people.

“However, these measures are not strange, as the Zionist entity has been exercising the policy of suppression, siege and genocide against the Palestinian people.

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the government will set up more military barriers and checkpoints as well as intensify patrols and increase the number of troops around the Palestinian cities and villages to tighten its grip and blockade and prevent the youths from engaging in the current uprising.

“He said the government is in the planning stages of a multi-year project to surround the entirety of Israel with security barriers to defend against what he called ‘wild beasts’ in the region.

“Despite all these repressive measures, the Palestinian people have proved over the past few decades that they are able to be steadfast and continue their struggle regardless of the size of sacrifices and even if they remain alone in this battle of freedom until they liberate their land.”

Al Quds Al Arabi says that despite Israel’s ongoing oppressive measures and brutal crimes, there are signs that the Palestinian people are about to reach a point of explosion, especially with the Netanyahu government’s criminal escalation on more than one level.

“It is not strange that the Palestinian situation is on the edge of explosion in view of the international silence and the flagrant Arab ignorance, to impose itself once again on the global political agenda and capture headlines and newscasts, which have almost forgotten this country — the last stronghold of resistance against the last occupation in human history.”