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In Pursuit of a Demilitarized Zone in Southern Syria… Israeli Strikes Target Military Bases
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Ongoing Israeli operations in southern Syria reflect a clear strategy to establish a secure area that prevents threats near its borders
Israeli military operations have continued across multiple areas in Syria, with Israeli forces reported in the Yarmouk Basin region of western Daraa on Friday night, coinciding with airstrikes targeting military bases in central Syria.
According to the local news network "Daraa 24," an Israeli military unit, consisting of armored vehicles, "advanced into the northern outskirts of Maariya village in the Yarmouk Basin," while Israeli forces stationed at the Al-Jazeera military outpost fired illumination flares into the sky.
These ground movements were accompanied by intensive Israeli reconnaissance flights over the Yarmouk Basin and several other towns in Daraa and Quneitra, lasting for over an hour as part of continuous surveillance operations.
On Friday, the Israeli military announced that it had carried out airstrikes on two military bases in central Syria. A statement from the Israeli army confirmed that "Israeli forces recently targeted remaining strategic military capabilities at two Syrian bases in Palmyra and Tiyas," also known as T4 Airbase, located about 50 kilometers west of Palmyra.
Israeli military sources described the strikes as "extensive," asserting that they destroyed capabilities essential for maintaining Israeli aerial superiority in the region. Meanwhile, Israeli Army Radio reported that "initial reports indicated that two Syrian security personnel were injured in the attack."
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on military sites linked to the former government. Israel claims these attacks aim to prevent the old regime's weapons arsenal from falling into the hands of the new authorities.
Israeli operations have expanded to include the demilitarized zone between Israeli and Syrian forces in the Golan Heights, originating from the portion of the plateau that Israel has controlled since 1967 and formally annexed in 1981.
Last Tuesday night, Israeli jets struck a military site near Homs, targeting a missile battalion. Explosions were heard in the area, though there were no initial reports of casualties.
On February 23, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for southern Syria to be fully "demilitarized," warning that his government would not tolerate the deployment of the new Syrian government’s forces south of Damascus as Israel seeks to secure its borders.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry of Syria’s interim caretaker government condemned Tuesday’s Israeli airstrikes on Daraa, labeling them an "aggressive act" against Syria’s "stability." The ministry further stated that "these deliberate attacks, carried out without justification, highlight Israel’s complete disregard for international laws and norms."
