Anti-government forces in Syria say they have taken full control of a major city in the central part of the country, as fighting continues against government troops.

The rebels announced that they had taken over the city of Hama on Thursday.

The Syrian government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, acknowledged the rebels' advances. The military announced the redeployment of troops outside Hama to preserve civilian lives and prevent urban combat.

The rebels are poised to advance toward the city of Homs, which lies about 40 kilometers south of Hama and serves as a critical gateway to the capital, Damascus.

The Assad administration has reportedly moved over 200 military vehicles to Homs to strengthen defenses.

Anti-government forces in Syria are rapidly expanding their influence as the Shia Muslim group Hezbollah is weakening amid fighting against Israeli troops, and the Russian military is focusing on its invasion of Ukraine. Hezbollah and Russia have been providing military support to the Assad administration.

The US news site Axios on Thursday quoted Israeli intelligence officials as saying that they were startled by a faster-than-expected collapse of the Syrian army's defense lines.

Axios also quoted a US official as saying that the Assad administration is not believed to be in immediate danger. But the official said this is the "biggest challenge for the Assad regime in the last decade."