Egyptian Abu al-Fath al-Farghali, a prominent Hayat Tahrir al-Sham hard-liner, resigned via Telegram from the group’s Shura Council.

As a religious scholar on the council, Farghali issued a fatwa calling on HTS members to kill anyone associated with the Free Syrian Army-affiliated National Front’s factions, according to a leaked 2018 recording. Giving instructions to HTS’ fighters, Farghali was heard to say, “Kill whoever is fighting," "Kill them in support of your religion," and "Kill them even if they are withdrawing.”

An HTS source who declined to be named told Al-Monitor, “Farghali was dismissed from his post in the religious council due to his intransigence. The decision to dismiss him was made after he rejected the leadership’s decision to transfer him to another position within HTS. HTS’ goal behind the decision to dismiss him is to prevent the internal divide or instability that Farghali was creating.” 

The source added, “Farghali may go to Turkey or stay in Idlib, because he cannot go to the northern countryside, which is held by the Syrian National Army’s factions, against whom he issued the fatwa.”