Israel has confirmed its involvement in recent attacks on Syria’s naval fleet, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict. Videos verified by the BBC show explosions at Syria’s Latakia port, with extensive damage to ships and parts of the port.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), more than 310 strikes have been documented by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime on Sunday. The attacks reportedly include hundreds of airstrikes across Syria, targeting cities such as Aleppo, Damascus, and Hama.

Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, stated that the IDF’s goal is to “destroy strategic capabilities that threaten the State of Israel.” Katz also described the operation against Syria’s naval fleet as a “great success.”

IDF Operations Beyond the Buffer Zone

The IDF has confirmed that its troops are operating inside Syrian territory, going beyond the demilitarized buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. These operations aim to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of extremists as Syria transitions to a post-Assad era.

The SOHR reported that the attacks targeted various military facilities, including weapon warehouses, ammunition depots, airports, naval bases, and research centers. Many of these facilities were not just damaged but destroyed.

Rami Abdul Rahman, SOHR’s founder, described the strikes as having crippled “all the capabilities of the Syrian army,” further stating that “Syrian lands are being violated.”

Tensions Over the Golan Heights and Buffer Zone

The IDF’s entry into the buffer zone, an area established in 1974 as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Syria, has drawn criticism. Turkish officials condemned Israel’s actions as an “occupying mentality” during a sensitive period for Syria. The area is meant to separate Israeli and Syrian forces, and Israel’s unilateral annexation of the Golan Heights in 1981 has not been internationally recognized, though the U.S. did so in 2019.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel’s presence in the buffer zone is a “temporary defensive position,” emphasizing Israel’s right to defend its borders and citizens. Netanyahu also expressed hope for peaceful relations with the “new forces” emerging in Syria, but reaffirmed that Israel would take whatever steps necessary to protect its security.

Israel’s Concerns Over Chemical Weapons and Extremists

Israel’s primary concern, as articulated by Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, is preventing “strategic weapons systems,” such as chemical weapons and long-range missiles, from falling into extremist hands. This includes potential stockpiles of chemical weapons believed to have been kept by the Assad regime.

In response to these concerns, the UN’s chemical weapons watchdog urged Syrian authorities to ensure the safety of any suspected chemical weapon stockpiles.

The Fall of Assad’s Regime

The Israeli airstrikes come after the Syrian opposition, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), successfully captured Damascus and toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Assad’s family had held power in Syria since 1971. HTS fighters entered the capital early on Sunday, declaring Syria “free” on state television.

This turn of events has added further uncertainty to the region, with Israel’s actions signaling ongoing tension and instability as the Syrian civil war enters a new phase.

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For decades, Syria’s Assad dynasty cultivated an image of unshakable power. The phrase “Our leader forever,” often associated with Hafez al-Assad, symbolized his reign. Yet, behind this facade of permanence, the foundation of Assad’s rule has always been vulnerable.

Hafez al-Assad’s death in 2000 ended his physical presence but not the legacy of authoritarian rule, which his son, Bashar al-Assad, carried forward. Over the years, the regime faced significant threats, particularly during the 2011 Arab Spring, when protests and uprisings toppled autocrats across the Middle East. Bashar’s grip seemed precarious, yet he survived thanks to robust support from allies like Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia.

For much of the Syrian Civil War, the conflict appeared to be in a stalemate. Assad regained some semblance of legitimacy within Arab circles, even as Syria remained fractured, with US-backed Kurdish forces, Turkish-supported factions, and Israeli airstrikes all contributing to the chaos. Despite this fragmentation, Assad’s survival was seen by some as a victory.

This week, however, that illusion of stability was shattered. Rebels led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly linked to al-Qaeda, launched a stunning offensive from Idlib province. In just 72 hours, they reached the heart of Aleppo, sparking social media reports of collapsing government forces in northern Syria and advances toward Hama—a city infamous for the brutal crackdown led by Hafez al-Assad in 1982.

The swift unraveling of the regime’s defenses highlights a critical factor: the weakening support of its key allies.

• Hezbollah, once a vital player in propping up the Assad regime, has withdrawn most of its fighters to confront Israel, a move that has cost the group much of its senior leadership.
• Russia, which intervened militarily in Syria in 2015 to stabilize Assad’s rule, is now preoccupied with its war in Ukraine.
• Iran, whose bases and advisers in Syria have suffered repeated Israeli strikes, appears increasingly stretched.

The Assad regime’s survival for 53 years is remarkable, but it has come at a devastating cost. Decades of corruption and mismanagement have left Syria’s economy in ruins, even before the civil war. Since 2011, the conflict has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, displaced millions, and further eroded any semblance of normalcy for Syrians.

While the Assad dynasty has weathered numerous crises, nothing lasts forever. The events of the past week serve as a stark reminder that even the most entrenched regimes are not immune to collapse.

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Insurgents breached the western edge of Syria’s second-largest city, Aleppo, on Friday after detonating two car bombs and clashing with government forces, according to fighters and a Syria war monitor. This marks the first attack on Aleppo by opposition forces since 2016, when they were driven out of the city’s eastern neighborhoods after a brutal military campaign backed by Russia, Iran, and allied forces.

Witnesses in Aleppo reported that residents in the western neighborhoods have been fleeing amid heavy missile strikes and intense firefights. The government has not commented on the insurgents’ breach of the city’s defenses.

In response, Syria’s Armed Forces issued a statement confirming clashes with insurgents in the Aleppo and Idlib regions. They claimed to have destroyed several enemy drones and heavy weapons and vowed to repel the assault, accusing the insurgents of spreading false information about their gains.

Thousands of insurgents began advancing toward Aleppo after launching a surprise offensive on Wednesday. The insurgents have since captured several towns and villages along the way. This offensive comes as Iran-backed groups, who have supported the Syrian government since 2015, have been preoccupied with internal conflicts.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, reported that the insurgents detonated two car bombs on the western outskirts of Aleppo on Friday.

An insurgent commander posted a message on social media calling for Aleppo residents to support the advancing forces. Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency also reported that the insurgents had entered Aleppo’s city center, claiming they had breached government defenses along the Hamdaniyya, New Aleppo, and Zahra axes on the city’s outskirts. According to their report, the insurgents now control about 70 locations in Aleppo and Idlib provinces.

Earlier Friday, Syrian state media reported that insurgent projectiles struck student housing at Aleppo’s university, killing four people, including two students. To avoid clashes, public transportation to Aleppo was diverted from the main highway linking the city to Damascus.

Fighting also spread to the town of Saraqab in northwestern Idlib province, which is considered a key area for securing supply lines to Aleppo.

This offensive is one of the largest by opposition factions in recent months, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and is the most intense fighting in northwestern Syria since 2020, when government forces regained territory previously held by the opposition.

The Syrian Armed Forces claimed that the insurgents are violating a 2019 de-escalation agreement, which had been in place to reduce fighting in the region, the last major opposition stronghold in Syria. The war monitor reported that dozens of fighters from both sides have been killed since the battles began on Wednesday. The insurgents have seized more than 50 villages in their advance, which appears to have taken government forces by surprise.

The offensive comes amid escalating tensions involving Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group that has supported the Syrian government. Hezbollah has been engaged in conflict with Israel, which has also conducted attacks on Hezbollah and Iran-linked targets in Syria in recent weeks. The group was a key force in helping the government regain control of Aleppo during the 2016 battle.

On Friday, insurgents reported capturing the Scientific Research Center neighborhood, located about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from Aleppo’s western edge. However, government-linked media denied these claims.

Videos posted online by the insurgents showed them using drones in their advance, marking a new weapon in their arsenal. However, it’s unclear how extensively the drones were used in the fighting. Anadolu Agency reported that insurgents also attacked a military airbase southeast of Aleppo, destroying a helicopter and seizing heavy weapons and vehicles from government forces.

Aid groups have reported that the ongoing clashes have displaced thousands of families and disrupted essential services. The opposition forces claim that their offensive will pave the way for the return of displaced civilians who had fled previous government bombardments.

The 2016 battle for Aleppo was a significant turning point in the Syrian Civil War, with Russian and Iranian-backed government forces retaking the city after a months-long siege. Turkey, which has supported opposition forces, maintains a military presence in parts of northwestern Syria. Meanwhile, the U.S. has supported Kurdish forces in eastern Syria, primarily in the fight against ISIS militants.

As the fighting continues to intensify, the situation in Aleppo and surrounding areas remains volatile, with no clear end in sight.

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