“Egypt is following the situation in Syria with grave concern and highlights its support for the sovereignty and integrity of the brotherly state and people,” read a statement issued by Egypt’s Foreign Ministry after the fall of Bashar Al-Assad this week.

Mohamed Hegazi, former deputy to Egypt foreign minister, told Al-Ahram Weekly that the fall of the regime presents a historic opportunity for Syria to choose a consensual government.

It is obvious, he said, that domestic forces in Syria and the countries of the region want to create a stable situation that does not undermine the territorial integrity and unity of Syria.

“What is needed most,” he told the Weekly, “is an all-inclusive, all Syrian formula and non-intervention by regional and international powers.”

UNSC Resolution 2254, which endorsed a roadmap for peace in Syria under UN supervision, could help guarantee a peaceful transfer of power, he added.

The selection of Mohamed Al-Bashir to form a new government is regarded by some observers as a positive step. The announcement came on Monday, following a meeting attended by Al-Bashir, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohamed Al-Golani, the commander of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), and former prime minister Mohamed Al-Jalali.

A diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity said it is too early to say whether a politically stable Syria will emerge.

While agreement on Al-Bashir leading the transitional government was a good step, he cautioned that the Syrian opposition is diverse, and it remains to be seen whether opposition groups will be able to bury their differences.

Political science professor Ahmed Youssef warned of the possible destabilising effects of the fall of the Syrian regime on Egypt and the region: the repercussions, he said, already include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration that the 1974 border agreement with Syria has collapsed.

Cairo denounced the Israeli move in a statement issued on Monday which characterised Israel’s deployment of forces into its northern neighbour “as occupation of Syrian lands and a violation of the 1974 agreement”.

Cairo also called on the UNSC to take a decisive stand against Israeli aggression towards Syria.

In addition to cancelling the 1974 agreement, Israel has carried out more than 150 air strikes against Syrian army positions since the fall of the Al-Assad regime in an attempt to destroy Syrian military capabilities.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the goal of the strikes is to “destroy heavy strategic weapons throughout Syria, including surface-to-air missiles, air defence systems, surface-to-surface missiles, cruise missiles, long-range rockets, and coastal missiles.”

On Monday, Netanyahu said the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel for almost 60 years, would remain part of Israel “for eternity”.

Youssef also pointed out that the HTS has long been listed as a terrorist organisation by multiple states, and that Al-Golani himself has a $10 million bounty on his head.

The US declared that it will “wait and see” what happens before deciding whether or not to remove the HTS designation, while the UK government said it was actively considering whether to remove the HTS from its list of terrorist organisations.

The fall of the Syrian regime has highlighted changes in the balance of power in the region, with the speed with which the Al-Assad regime collapsed partly a result of the regime’s backers lacking the resources to intervene.

“Russia and Iran are both caught up in their own conflicts and were unable to continue to support Bashar Al-Assad,” points out Hegazi. Russia is tied up in its war with Ukraine, and the capacities of Iranian-backed Hizbullah have been seriously degraded by Israel. At the same time, Turkey, backed by the US, continued to support the Syrian opposition.

The Syrian regime collapsed after a 12-day lightning offensive by rebel factions, led by the HTS. Last week the group seized Aleppo, Syria’s second city: two days later Damascus fell into their hands, ending more than 50 years of rule by the Al-Assad family.

The fall of Syria’s totalitarian regime, argued Youssef, is a clear marker of Ankara’s growing influence in the region, and also a result of internal weaknesses.

“The regime clearly realised the weakness of its position. It was in no position to confront the opposition or oppose a peaceful transfer of power. It is even possible that there was a behind-the-curtain agreement between Al-Assad and the opposition to leave the country,” says Youssef.