Post-Assad Israeli warplanes target Syrian facilities in over 310 airstrikes
Israeli warplanes have conducted extensive airstrikes across Syria, targeting various military facilities following the collapse of the Assad regime over the weekend. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have launched more than 310 strikes since the fall of Damascus on Sunday.
An aerial photo shows the destroyed buildings at the Yarmouk camp for Palestinian refugees in southern Damascus on December 10, 2024. The fall of president Bashar al-Assad has put Syria at a crossroads, after nearly 14 years of civil war sparked by his deadly crackdown on democracy protests. (Photo by Mohammed AL-RIFAI / AFP)(AFP)
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar cited, “That’s why we attack strategic weapons systems like, for example, remaining chemical weapons or long-range missiles and rockets.” These operations have focused on Syrian Army sites, including weapons depots, ammunition stockpiles, airports, naval bases, and research facilities.
Israel has stated that the airstrikes aim to prevent advanced weaponry from falling “into the hands of extremists” as Syria undergoes a transition to a post-Assad era. The SOHR reported that the strikes were concentrated in key regions such as Aleppo, Damascus, and Hama, with over 60 attacks occurring overnight between Monday and Tuesday. Several of the targeted sites have reportedly been completely destroyed.
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IDF denies reports of tanks near Damascus
Israel’s strikes follow the takeover of Damascus by Syrian rebel forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist opposition group.
Rami Abdul Rahman, founder of the SOHR, remarked that the strikes have “destroyed all the capabilities of the Syrian army” and “Syrian lands are being violated”, calling the situation dire for the nation’s sovereignty.
A spokesperson for IDF, however, told the BBC that reports of tanks near Damascus were “false” and “IDF troops are stationed within the buffer zone, as stated in the past.”
On Monday, the Israeli military released images of its troops operating within the demilitarized buffer zone in Syria, an area where UN peacekeepers are based.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarified that this action was a “temporary defensive position until a suitable arrangement is found.” He added, “If we can establish neighbourly relations and peaceful relations with the new forces emerging in Syria, that’s our desire. But if we do not, we will do whatever it takes to defend the State of Israel and the border of Israel.”
