Liwa al-Quds was founded in 2013 as a pro-government militia, reportedly with the support of the
Air Force Intelligence Directorate.
Syrian opposition supporters regarded them as
Shabiha. By the beginning of 2015, the group had suffered 200 killed and over 400 wounded since its establishment. The group supported the Syrian Army in its effort to reopen the main supply line to Aleppo in late 2015. By mid-2016, it had become one of the most important pro-government paramilitary groups in
Aleppo Governorate. On 20 June 2016, the group took part in a
prisoner exchange with three rebel factions, namely the
Sultan Murad Division, the
Muntasir Billah Brigade, and the
Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement, in coordination with
Ahrar al-Sham. In May 2018 Liwa al-Quds was fighting against the ISIL pocket in the desert of
Deir ez-Zor Governorate as a part of joint operation with the
NDF and SAA forces. Liwa al-Quds captured the village of Faydat Umm Muwaynah. In July 2018, Samer Rafe, a prominent commander of the militia, was arrested in Latakia after a
firefight with government forces. He had previously been arrested on charges of robbery in Aleppo, confessed to the charges, and served a prison term of one year before being released. In the first half of 2019, Liwa al-Quds suffered heavy casualties on multiple fronts, most notably during
Operation Dawn of Idlib. As of 2019, the Liwa al-Quds had more than 1,100 fighters killed during the Syrian civil war. In March 2024, IS fighters ambushed a Liwa al-Quds vehicle carrying ammunition and guns in eastern Homs countryside, killing the three guards and capturing the cargo. Liwa al-Quds was among the loyalist units which unsuccessfully tried to halt the
2024 Syrian opposition offensives. As
rebels advanced into Aleppo, Liwa al-Quds retreated from its local base in the Neirab camp without organizing resistance on 30 November. After the
fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the
Syrian transitional government demanded that all Palestinian armed groups in Syria disarm themselves, dissolve their military formations, and instead focus on political and charitable work. == Composition ==