Israel conducts airstrikes in an effort to ‘demilitarize’ Syria
Israel has carried out airstrikes in southern Syria, in response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's call for the total demilitarization of the area. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
**The Israeli Defense Minister Issues Warnings Amid Strikes on Syrian Military Targets**
Israeli warplanes have carried out airstrikes on military installations in southern Syria, particularly in regions near Damascus and the Deraa province, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for the complete demilitarization of the area.
On Tuesday night, the Israel Defense Forces targeted several Syrian “command centers” and “sites containing weapons” in Kiswah, located south of Damascus, and the Deraa province. Officials claimed that the existence of “military forces and assets in the southern part of Syria poses a threat to the citizens of Israel.”
A spokesperson for Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that the Israeli Air Force is “attacking strongly in southern Syria as part of the new policy we have defined to pacify southern Syria.” Katz further emphasized, “Any attempt by the Syrian regime forces and the country’s terrorist organizations to establish themselves in the security zone in southern Syria will be met with fire.”
The Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) assumed control in Damascus in December after a prolonged conflict against President Bashar al-Assad. This shift allowed the IDF to extend its presence beyond previous positions in the Golan Heights and secure the strategic Mount Hermon.
Netanyahu declared on Sunday that Israel would not permit HTS or the newly formed Syrian army to “enter the area south of Damascus.” He demanded, “We demand the complete demilitarization of southern Syria in the provinces of Quneitra, Deraa, and Suweida from the forces of the new regime,” adding that Israel “will not tolerate any threat to the Druze community in southern Syria.”
Israel has controlled the Golan Heights since 1967 after its victory over Syria and Egypt in the Six-Day War. Following the failed attempt by Damascus to reclaim the region in 1973, West Jerusalem officially annexed the territory in 1981—a move that remains unrecognized internationally. The UN Disengagement Observer Force has long maintained a buffer zone between Israeli-held territory and Syria.
As HTS seized control of Damascus, the IDF expanded into the buffer zone and, in some cases, advanced further into Syrian territory. Netanyahu visited IDF troops on Mount Hermon in mid-December, describing it as “an exciting historical moment.”
Currently, around 20,000 Jewish settlers reside in the Golan Heights, which is also home to a similar number of Syrian Druze. Approximately 30 Jewish settlements in the region are regarded as illegal under international law. In 2019, Washington recognized the Golan Heights as Israeli territory during President Donald Trump’s administration.
The new Syrian administration has consistently called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the establishment of UN forces in the buffer zone, with its most recent demand occurring just hours before Israel initiated its airstrikes.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
Israeli warplanes have carried out airstrikes on military installations in southern Syria, particularly in regions near Damascus and the Deraa province, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for the complete demilitarization of the area.
On Tuesday night, the Israel Defense Forces targeted several Syrian “command centers” and “sites containing weapons” in Kiswah, located south of Damascus, and the Deraa province. Officials claimed that the existence of “military forces and assets in the southern part of Syria poses a threat to the citizens of Israel.”
A spokesperson for Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that the Israeli Air Force is “attacking strongly in southern Syria as part of the new policy we have defined to pacify southern Syria.” Katz further emphasized, “Any attempt by the Syrian regime forces and the country’s terrorist organizations to establish themselves in the security zone in southern Syria will be met with fire.”
The Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) assumed control in Damascus in December after a prolonged conflict against President Bashar al-Assad. This shift allowed the IDF to extend its presence beyond previous positions in the Golan Heights and secure the strategic Mount Hermon.
Netanyahu declared on Sunday that Israel would not permit HTS or the newly formed Syrian army to “enter the area south of Damascus.” He demanded, “We demand the complete demilitarization of southern Syria in the provinces of Quneitra, Deraa, and Suweida from the forces of the new regime,” adding that Israel “will not tolerate any threat to the Druze community in southern Syria.”
Israel has controlled the Golan Heights since 1967 after its victory over Syria and Egypt in the Six-Day War. Following the failed attempt by Damascus to reclaim the region in 1973, West Jerusalem officially annexed the territory in 1981—a move that remains unrecognized internationally. The UN Disengagement Observer Force has long maintained a buffer zone between Israeli-held territory and Syria.
As HTS seized control of Damascus, the IDF expanded into the buffer zone and, in some cases, advanced further into Syrian territory. Netanyahu visited IDF troops on Mount Hermon in mid-December, describing it as “an exciting historical moment.”
Currently, around 20,000 Jewish settlers reside in the Golan Heights, which is also home to a similar number of Syrian Druze. Approximately 30 Jewish settlements in the region are regarded as illegal under international law. In 2019, Washington recognized the Golan Heights as Israeli territory during President Donald Trump’s administration.
The new Syrian administration has consistently called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the establishment of UN forces in the buffer zone, with its most recent demand occurring just hours before Israel initiated its airstrikes.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
