Collapse of Assad's government fuels Israeli occupation and strikes on Syria
The collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime has thrown Syria into chaos, and Israel is swiftly capitalising on the situation.
Exploiting the instability on its northern border, Israel is pushing forward with its expansionist agenda, invading into and occupying more Syrian land, particularly in the Golan Heights area.
In a clear act of territorial aggression, Israel recently seized a 400-square-kilometre area in Syria's demilitarised buffer zone, established by the United Nations in 1974 following the ceasefire between Israel and Syria.
This zone, once patrolled by UN peacekeepers to maintain peace, is now under Israeli military control.
With Syrian forces absent from the region, Israel justifies its actions as a means of securing its northern border, but many view it as a calculated land grab.
Israeli forces have also advanced further into southern Syria, reaching approximately 25 km from Damascus, including the area of Qatana, which lies 10 km inside Syria's border.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry condemned Israel’s actions as violations of international law, accusing Israel of exploiting Syria’s instability to extend its territorial control. Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights, seized during the 1967 Six-Day War, remains unrecognised by most of the international community.
Israeli Airstrikes and escalating violence
Israel's aggression is not limited to territorial occupation. The Israeli military has conducted over 100 airstrikes in Syria in recent weeks, targeting military sites, including facilities linked to chemical weapons production and missile development.
These strikes, which have killed at least 68 people, including Syrian soldiers and foreign fighters, exacerbate Syria’s instability. Israel’s claims of targeting only "extremists" obscure its broader objective of solidifying its occupation of Syrian territories, particularly the Golan Heights.
The ongoing violence is part of a broader pattern of military action by Israel, including its deadly war on Gaza, which has claimed over 44,700 lives since October last year, mostly women and children.
Lebanese health authorities have also report edthat since October 2023, Israeli airstrikes and attacks on Lebanon have resulted in over 4,000 deaths and more than 16,500 injuries. Additionally, more than one million people have been displaced due to the ongoing violence.
In a significant move last month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, charging them with war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Furthermore, Israel is now facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza, with an Amnesty International investigation also concluding that Israel's military actions amount to genocide against Palestinians in the region.