LONDON — Israeli airstrikes in Syria are the “most violent” since 2012, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
According to the data from the organization that has been monitoring the war in Syria for over a decade, Israel has struck its neighbor more than 450 times since Bashar al-Assad fled last weekend, destroying Syria’s navy and countless air bases and military equipment along Syria’s coast.
Most recently, Israeli missiles have pounded Syrian missile warehouses and former army sites 75 times in attacks beginning on Saturday night near the cities of Hama, Homs, and the capital of Damascus, according to the group.
Last week, Israel’s military also seized control of the summit of Mount Hernon — part of a demilitarized buffer zone created as part of a 1974 ceasefire between the two countries.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted the move is temporary and necessary to secure stability on the border.
He has not yet given a timeline for Israel’s departure from the territory despite receiving backlash from the international community that the move violated a ceasefire agreement between the two countries and could constitute an exploitative land grab.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that the peacekeepers warned Israel its move would “constitute a violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement”, which stipulates there should be no soldiers in the area.
The head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the rebel group that led forces through Syria and claimed Damascus over the last weekend, called Israel’s territorial seizures “unwarranted”.
Speaking on Syria TV, Ahmed al-Sharaa, previously known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, added that, at the same time, the country could not afford to withstand any more conflict.
“Syria’s war-weary condition, after years of conflict and war, does not allow for new confrontations,” al-Sharaa said. “The priority at this stage is reconstruction and stability, not being drawn into disputes that could lead to further destruction.”
Last week, France urged Israel to withdraw from the buffer zone separating the two countries, echoing calls from Arab countries to respect Syria’s sovereignty.
Despite calls to retreat, Netanyahu argued that Israel’s strikes were necessary to stem the development of alleged “jihadi groups” that threatened Israeli security.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed his statement on Thursday, saying that Israel informed the Biden administration of its temporary presence in Syria to ensure this “vacuum isn’t filled by something bad”.
HTS currently have power in Syria. The group is a classified terrorist organisation in the US, UK and Europe over its links to al-Qaeda. In recent years, it has pursued a moderate stance and, since taking power from al-Assad, has promised to resume government services and pushed for moderate governance.
US officials confirmed on Saturday that they were in direct contact with HTS and several other countries. Blinken said he signed off on a set of principles meant to guide Syria’s transition to a peaceful, nonsectarian and inclusive country.
Currently, it is unclear how other foreign powers will protect their interests in Syria since the shock collapse of al-Assad’s regime. Russia, which has two military bases in the country, has not yet formally said what would happen with its forces based there.
Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler told local media that he didn’t think Russia would leave, saying, ” They’ll do everything they can to stay.”
Güler added that Turkey, who has long had links with the rebels that overtook Damascus, had offered Russia help in communication with Syria’s new leadership.
Currently, the transitional administration in Damascus announced that schools and universities were to start classes again on Sunday as the country. Authorities led by HTS said they aimed to re-establish public services to bring the country to a sense of normalcy. — Euronews