How did the Fatimids expand their influence in Syria and Palestine?

The Fatimid dynasty expanded its influence into Syria and Palestine primarily through military conquest and strategic territorial advancement following their takeover of Egypt in 969 CE.12

After establishing their capital in Cairo, the Fatimids pushed their forces across the Sinai Peninsula to secure control over Palestine and southern Syria. This expansion was part of a broader imperial strategy to challenge the Abbasid Caliphate and establish a universal Ismāʿīlī imamate.1

However, their hold on these regions was often precarious. Throughout the 10th and 11th centuries, the Fatimids faced persistent opposition from various groups, including the Qarmatians, Seljuq Turks, Byzantines, and local Bedouin tribes, which frequently turned the region into a battlefield. While the Fatimids managed to maintain influence for a time, their control was eventually disrupted by the Seljuq capture of Jerusalem in 1071 and the subsequent arrival of the Crusaders at the end of the 11th century.23