The Israeli Air Force launched a strike on the headquarters of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization in Damascus as a response to the instability in Syria following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad by an al Qaeda-linked insurgency. Israeli forces were deployed to the demilitarized buffer zone with Syria, focusing on areas near the Syrian Golan Heights to prevent a ground invasion by jihadi elements. Israel conducted over 300 strikes in Syria after the regime change, targeting Assad regime air force bases and suspected chemical weapons sites.
Following the fall of the Assad regime, the new IDF Chief of Staff held a situational assessment in the buffer zone with Syria, ensuring the devastation of Syrian military capabilities to prevent advanced weaponry from falling into the wrong hands. Israel also set up checkpoints in Druze areas along the border to protect the Druze minority and has a deep interest in ensuring their safety. Concerns over the persecution of Alawites, Christians, Kurds, and Druze populations by the new Sunni Islamist government led by al-Sharaa have raised questions about regional stability.
The religious and sectarian violence in Syria, particularly in the wake of Assad’s overthrow, has validated Israel’s strategy of preventing the spillover of conflict and persecution of minorities into Israel. Hezbollah and Iranian factions continue to try to smuggle weapons into Syria, while Turkish imperialistic actions pose a potential threat of confrontation. Israel aims to keep Syria decentralized and weak, rather than under the leadership of jihadi forces. Jerusalem is pressuring the Trump administration to ensure Syria remains fragmented to counter Turkish influence.
Russia’s intervention in Syria on behalf of the Assad regime has created a complex dynamic in the region, with Israel aiming to avoid direct clashes and maintain a deconfliction mechanism with Moscow to prevent military encounters. Israel views Turkey as a hostile country due to its support for Hamas and backing of HTS, a Sunni Jihadi Islamist organization. Israel has learned from past experiences not to have illusions regarding Sunni Islamists, even when they claim to be moderate. The situation in Syria remains volatile, with Israel playing a crucial role in shaping the balance of power in the region.
