Israel launches major airstrikes across Syria amid power shift following Assad’s fall

Israel carries around 250 airstrikes across Syria

In a dramatic escalation of regional tensions, Israeli warplanes conducted dozens of airstrikes across Syria, including in the capital, Damascus, targeting military installations and suspected chemical weapons facilities. The strikes follow the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime by rebel forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

Extensive airstrikes on military targets

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported around 250 airstrikes targeting military sites, weapons depots, and a facility linked to chemical weapons production. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the strikes were aimed at preventing advanced weaponry from falling “into the hands of extremists.”

Among the targets was a suspected rocket development facility in Damascus allegedly used by Iranian scientists. The strikes coincided with warnings from the UN’s Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) urging Syria to secure chemical weapons stockpiles amid the current political upheaval.

Chemical weapons concerns resurface

International concern over Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal has surged since Assad’s fall. Syria’s incomplete declaration of chemical stockpiles following the 2013 Ghouta sarin gas attack, which killed over 1,400 people, remains a global security issue.

Despite efforts by the OPCW and the UN, chemical weapons continued to be used in Syria during the civil war, with documented instances between 2014 and 2018. The OPCW announced on Monday that it had reached out to Syria’s new authorities to ensure the protection of all hazardous materials.

Israeli troop movements in the Golan Heights

The IDF confirmed deploying troops into the demilitarized buffer zone near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, citing the collapse of the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria following Assad’s ouster. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the military’s presence was a “temporary defensive measure.”

“Our only goal is to prevent strategic weapons from falling into hostile hands,” Netanyahu said, stressing Israel’s limited intentions. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz added that military operations would continue targeting missile systems and air defense installations if necessary.

The Golan Heights, a territory Israel captured from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed in 1981, has taken on renewed significance. Thousands of Israeli settlers and Syrian Druze residents now coexist in the contested region.

Rebels consolidate power amid regional shifts

HTS, now controlling Damascus, declared the fall of the “criminal Assad regime” after seizing the capital in a swift offensive. Rebel leaders vowed to pursue justice for human rights violations committed during Assad’s rule.

HTS announced plans to release the names of senior officials involved in war crimes and offered rewards for information on top military figures accused of torture and other abuses.

Global responses and regional security implications

The UN Security Council met on Monday to discuss Syria’s evolving crisis, emphasizing the need to preserve the country’s territorial integrity and protect civilians. “The Council is united on the need for humanitarian aid and peace efforts in Syria,” Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said.

Israel’s strikes in Syria have intensified since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict in October 2023, in response to cross-border attacks from Hezbollah and Iran-backed militias. Last month, an Israeli airstrike near Palmyra reportedly killed 68 fighters, including Syrian and foreign combatants linked to Iranian forces.

A new Middle East reality

Netanyahu described Assad’s fall as a “historic day in the Middle East.” He expressed hopes for “neighborly relations” with emerging authorities in Syria but warned that Israel would defend its borders if the new regime turned hostile.

“If peaceful relations are possible, we will extend a hand of peace. If not, we will do whatever it takes to protect our state,” Netanyahu said.

With Syria’s future hanging in the balance and the region’s geopolitical dynamics rapidly shifting, the next steps taken by international powers, neighboring countries, and emerging Syrian leaders will determine the future of this war-torn nation.

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