Following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria due to rapid offensives by rebels, Israel has intensified its airstrikes in the country. On Tuesday, Israeli forces conducted airstrikes on multiple Syrian military bases. Meanwhile, several Syrian sources have reported that Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) tanks have reached near Damascus.
Israel claimed that these strikes targeted bases to prevent Syrian military weapons from falling into the hands of adversaries after Assad’s fall. However, Tel Aviv denied reports that Israeli forces had entered Syrian territory beyond the designated buffer zone near the border.
For the first time since Assad’s fall last Sunday (December 8), all public and private banks in Damascus reopened on Tuesday, aiming to restore normalcy to daily life.
According to a Reuters report, workers in Damascus are cleaning streets, and traffic on some roads has increased. Shops are reopening, and construction workers are repairing a central square in the city.
Unable to withstand the rebel onslaught, Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia with his family on Sunday, ending over five decades of rule by the Assad family in Syria. Shortly after his fall, Israeli forces entered the buffer zone near the Syrian border for the first time in 50 years. Israel claimed this move was temporary and aimed at ensuring border security.
However, international media reports suggest that taking advantage of the security collapse following Assad’s fall, Israeli military forces reached areas near Damascus on Tuesday.
Three security sources told Reuters on Tuesday that Israeli forces crossed the buffer zone. One Syrian source reported that Israeli forces had already reached the town of Qatana, a few kilometers east of the buffer zone and close to Damascus International Airport.
Despite these reports, an IDF spokesperson stated that their forces had not left the demilitarized zone (DMZ). An IDF official dismissed media reports about tanks advancing toward Damascus as false, asserting that Israeli forces were only stationed in the buffer zone.
Israel has said it does not seek conflict with Syria’s new authorities. However, to prevent Syrian military weapons from falling into hostile hands, Israeli forces have been targeting military positions across Syria over the past three days. On Monday night alone, Israel reportedly conducted over 200 airstrikes on military installations in Syria.
Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia condemned Israel’s incursion and airstrikes in Syria. Riyadh warned that such actions could jeopardize prospects for restoring security in Syria.