• Source: 2024 Israeli invasion of Syria

      • On 8 December 2024, Israel invaded the buffer zone between Syria and its Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and carried out an aerial campaign targeting the Syrian Army's military capabilities, following the fall of the Assad regime. The invasion marked the first Israeli occupation of Syria in over 50 years, since the ceasefire agreements, which were established in the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
      The Syrian civil war, which had erupted in 2012, saw rebel forces triumphing over the government forces of the Assad regime, and the consequent flight of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on 8 December 2024. During the events of that day, the Syrian Army abandoned its positions along the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) buffer area. Subsequently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that this had voided the 1974 border agreement with Syria, and ordered the Israeli military to take control of the Purple Line, a demilitarized zone from which Israeli forces had withdrawn in 1974, until a new agreement could be reached with the emerging Syrian government.
      Israel also launched extensive aerial and naval strikes on Syrian military targets across the country, under an operation codenamed Operation Arrow of Bashan (Hebrew: מבצע חץ הבשן, romanized: Mivtza Hetz HaBashan). Israel's campaign destroyed Syria's navy, and military capabilities, as well as chemical weapons stockpiles. Israel declared its military objectives to be: the full occupation of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force Zone, the establishment of a security zone free from heavy weaponry and military infrastructure, and the prevention of Iranian arms smuggling routes through Syria to Lebanon. Israel's campaign in Syria drew international condemnation: Syrian de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa criticized Israel's actions, saying they cannot justify their recent actions in Syria, but also stating that his country was not in a position to be drawn into a new conflict.


      Background



      Since the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel has occupied most of the Golan Heights region of Syria. After the Yom Kippur War in 1973, Israel and Syria agreed to a ceasefire which created the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which maintains a small buffer zone between the two countries. In 1981, Israel annexed the region, a move condemned by the United Nations and unrecognized by any country except the United States (recognized 2019). During its occupation, Israel has promoted Israeli settlement in the Heights.
      In November 2024, the United Nations accused Israel of violating the 1974 Disengagement Agreement in November with engineering work and battle tanks inside the demilitarized zone. UNDOF stated it had "repeatedly engaged with the IDF to protest the construction." Israel responded that it was "working to establish a barrier on Israeli territory exclusively in order to thwart a possible terrorist invasion and protect the security of Israel's borders," and that "Israeli and IDF officials maintain close contact with UN officials who are familiar with the threats in the region."
      In December 2024, the Syrian opposition launched a major offensive against the Syrian regime led by Bashar al-Assad. Following the fall of the Assad regime, Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli expressed apprehension at the opposition forces' political upheaval of the Syrian government, claiming that: "Most of Syria is now under the control of al-Qaeda and Daesh." He implored Israel to re-fortify its defensive line at Mount Hermon in Israeli-occupied Golan Heights based on 1974 borders in order to prevent potential attacks by the new regime.


      Israeli objectives


      On 9 December 2024, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued orders for military objectives in southern Syria. The IDF received four primary strategic objectives from Defense Minister Katz to conduct "in the immediate term":

      To secure complete control over the buffer zone and other nearby strategic positions in Syria.
      To establish a security zone extending beyond the buffer zone, focusing on removing all heavy weaponry and terrorist infrastructure that could post a threat to Israel, while establishing contact with local Druze communities and other regional communities.
      To immediately prevent the reestablishment of Iranian arms smuggling routes to Lebanon through Syrian territory and border crossings.
      To continue destroying strategic heavy weapons systems throughout Syria, including air defense networks, missile systems, and coastal defense installations.


      Events




      = Ground offensive

      =

      Following the advance of the Syrian opposition in the south, Israel reinforced Division 210 and deployed additional troops to the Golan Heights to prevent any possible threats. When Syrian opposition forces first occupied the southern town of Hader, it was reported that the IDF had advanced further into the Golan Heights to repel an attack on a United Nations post in the area. Additionally, the IDF significantly reinforced its presence within the established buffer zone.
      On 8 December 2024, Israeli Army Radio reported that Israeli armored units, including main battle tanks, crossed the established border fence in the Golan Heights during early morning operations. Israeli Army Radio stated that the IDF and Northern Command initiated the operation in order to strengthen its "border" with Syria.
      The military advance extended into the Quneitra Governorate, with substantial forces entering the town of Khan Arnabah. Syrian media reported that Israeli forces had advanced into the city center of al-Baath. Following the advance into the Quneitra Governorate and the Syrian-controlled side of Mount Hermon by the Israeli Special Forces Shaldag Unit (Unit 5101), Netanyahu issued a statement saying that the 1974 ceasefire agreement had collapsed when Syrian soldiers abandoned their posts in the Golan Heights, and that the area was to be temporarily occupied to "ensure that no hostile force embeds itself next to the border of Israel." During the takeover, IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee announced a curfew in five Syrian villages, including Quneitra, ordering locals of the border towns to remain inside "until further notice." On 8 December 2024, Al Arabiya reported that Israel had taken control of Tell al-Hara. On 10 December correspondents for Al Jazeera and Enab Baladi reported Israeli tanks in several Syrian villages such as Beer Ajam. Although Israeli tanks were also reported as far as Qatana, 26 kilometres (16 mi) from Damascus an IDF spokesman insisted that "IDF forces are not advancing towards Damascus. This is not something we are doing or pursuing in any way" while acknowledging that, beyond the buffer zone, "a few additional points" had been seized. The Israeli Defense Minister also stated that Israel aims to establish a "sterile defence zone" in southern Syria to “prevent the establishment and organisation of terror in Syria”.
      On 11 December, orthodox Chabad Jews symbolically printed the Tanya, a central Chabad religious text, from a light truck on Syrian land, at the base of Mount Hermon, a short distance to the east of the purple line.
      On 12 December, Syrian residents of Hader, Hamidiya, and Umm Batna in Quneitra Governorate were displaced from their homes after the IDF entered with military vehicles, with Israeli troops subsequently probing Umm Batna in its entirety.
      From 12–13 December, Syrian sources reported that Israeli forces conducted formal meetings with local community representatives in the Yarmouk Basin area in southwestern Daraa Governorate, reportedly using loudspeakers and a low-flying drone to broadcast messages urging meetings and requirements. The Israeli military reportedly articulated specific security requirements for the local population, including the surrender of all weapons in the village, compliance with home search operations, and the prohibition of armed resistance against any military operations. Syrian sources also claimed that Israeli troops used loudspeakers to warn villagers in the area to evacuate their residences.
      On 15 December Al Jazeera reported that Israel attempted to depopulate several Syrian villages in the newly occupied part of the Golan Heights. After the residents declined, Israel began destroying the electricity and water networks in the villages to attempt to forcibly evict them. The Israeli government also declared that it would expand Israel settlements in the Golan Heights. Netanyahu announced plans to double the Golan Heights' population in a statement on the 15th, saying Israel would continue to hold onto it and that "Strengthening the Golan is strengthening the State of Israel."
      On 17 December, Netanyahu met with Defense Minister Israel Katz, Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi, commander of the Northern Command Ori Gordin, and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, where they held a security briefing and visited outposts at the summit. During a video statement filmed on the summit, Netanyahu said that the IDF would stay in Syria "until another solution ensuring Israel's security is found".


      = Airstrikes

      =
      On 8 December 2024, the Israeli Air Force conducted targeted operations against weapons storage facilities, which Israel considered strategic threats, across southern Syria to prevent them from falling into the hands of opposition forces. Israeli officials claimed that the targets included small stockpiles of chemical weapons, mainly mustard gas and VX gas, radar-equipped batteries, vehicles of Russian-made air defense missiles, and stockpiles of Scud missiles. The White Helmets reported that: "there was no evidence of unusual toxic fumes during the extinguishing of the fire, and no cases of suffocation were observed among civilians" Israel also reportedly launched airstrikes on Syrian intelligence and customs headquarters, with explosions reported at their locations in Damascus. Later, Israel also heavily shelled Mezzeh Air Base.
      In the early hours of 9 December 2024, Israel conducted several airstrikes across the Daraa and Suwayda Governorates in southern Syria. Six airstrikes were reported at an airbase north of Suwayda, while multiple others targeted ammo depots in Nawa and the Daraa countryside. By evening, the Israeli Air Force and Navy had struck naval assets in the Port of Latakia, and an alleged chemical weapons production center in Barzeh, and Qamishli Airport in northern Syria. These roughly 200 airstrikes, including strikes on Damascus, Daraa, Latakia, and Hama, destroyed dozens of fighter jets and helicopters in the first phase and the entire Syrian naval fleet in the second. An Israeli senior official said airstrikes "would persist in the coming days".
      In the morning of 10 December, photographs revealed sunken Osa-class missile boats in the Port of Latakia after overnight Israeli strikes. The IDF announced that its air force and navy conducted over 480 strikes in Syria in the span of 48 hours, 350 of which targeted airfields, anti-aircraft batteries, missiles, drones, fighter jets, tanks, and weapon production sites, destroying between 70% and 80% of Syria's strategic weapons. It added that 15 naval vessels were destroyed in strikes on Minet el-Beida and Latakia. Overnight on 16 December, Israel struck radar and air defense systems in Tartous and Damascus, with the strikes on Tartous using notably heavy munitions. In the eight days since the fall of the Assad government, Israel struck Syria around 600 times. Al Jazeera correspondent Resul Serdar said that "Israel is pursuing a strategy of diminishing this country’s air defence capability and also its air forces." A senior Israeli security source described it as the "largest air operation carried out by its air force in its history". A former rebel commander claimed that they will "need decades to rebuild a national Syrian army".


      Reactions




      = Involved parties

      =
      Israel: Israel's government said it was conducting a temporary military operation, that the United States had been notified prior to going in, and that the State of Israel "does not interfere in the domestic conflict within Syria". The IDF said that they "may end up staying there for the foreseeable future". Yair Lapid, the Leader of the Opposition, supported the operation but criticized Netanyahu's management, saying: "I would not have gone to the border to make provocative statements to the press and put us in conflict with the new Syrian government."
      Syria: Ahmed al-Sharaa declared that they're committed to the 1974 agreement and that they don't want any conflict whether with Israel or any other country. He also stated that they won't let Syria to be used to attack other countries such as Israel.


      = International

      =
      Israel's campaign drew international condemnation:

      Arab League: The Arab League condemned "attempts to expand occupation in the Golan Heights or to unilaterally nullify the 1974 disengagement agreement, actions that flagrantly violate international law."
      Egypt: Egypt condemned Israel for "exploiting Syria's current instability to expand its occupation and impose a new fait accompli, a clear violation of international law."
      France: The Foreign ministry asked Israel "to withdraw from the zone and to respect Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity", describing the military deployment as a violation of the 1974 agreement.
      Iran: The Foreign Ministry spokesman said that "This aggression is a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter," and "We demand an immediate response from the UN Security Council to stop the aggression and hold the occupation regime accountable"
      Iraq: The Foreign ministry issued a statement condemning the Israeli attacks on Syria as an "action [that] is a blatant violation of international law and relevant international resolutions" and called on the UN Security Council to "fulfill its responsibilities by condemning this blatant aggression and taking necessary measures to end these violations."
      Jordan: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi condemned the move, stating that "it violates international law".
      Pakistan: The spokesperson for the Foreign office asserted that the move was a serious violation of international law and a dangerous development in an already volatile region. and also expressed full support for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity and called for immediate international action to end Israel's violations.
      Qatar: Qatar condemned the Israeli incursion, which it considered "a dangerous development; a blatant attack on the sovereignty and unity of Syria; and a flagrant violation of international law."
      Saudi Arabia: The Foreign ministry denounced Israel's activities, stating that it will "ruin Syria's chance of restoring its security."
      Turkey: President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that "I say it clearly that the path the Israeli government insists on and obstinately maintains is, in fact, not a true path. Security cannot be achieved by spilling more blood, by dropping more bombs on innocent civilians. This applies not only to Gaza and Palestine, but also to Syria. The foreign ministry strongly condemned Israel's entry into the buffer zone between Israel and Syria and its advance into Syrian territory. The ministry also added that Israel's actions showed an "occupation mentality", especially at a critical time when peace and stability in Syria were on the way. Turkey reiterated its support for the Syria's sovereignty, political unity and territorial integrity.
      United Nations: Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that Israel expanding its occupation was a violation of the 1974 agreement. On 10 December, Dujarric stated that: "We're against these types of attacks. I think this is a turning point for Syria. It should not be used by its neighbors to encroach on the territory of Syria."
      United Arab Emirates: The foreign ministry condemned Israel occupying the buffer zone.
      United States: State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said that "Every country has the right to take action against terrorist organizations and every country, I think, would be worried about a possible vacuum that could be filled by terrorist organizations on its border," stating that the Israeli incursion "is a temporary action that they have taken in response to actions by the Syrian military to withdraw from that area." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that "The stated purpose of those actions by the Israelis is to try to make sure that the military equipment that's been abandoned by the Syrian army doesn't fall into the wrong hands -- terrorists, extremists, et cetera. But we'll be talking -- we're already talking -- to Israel, we're talking to others, about the way ahead".


      Analysis


      In an Al Jazeera English interview, Robert Geist Pinfold – lecturer in International Peace and Security at Durham University – stated, "The Golan Heights is supposed to be a buffer zone to protect the rest of Israel. So now what Israel is doing is basically arguing that it needs a buffer zone, to protect its buffer zone, that's protecting the rest of Israel, and you have to wonder where does all this end." Residents of the region expressed similar comments, saying that they're not sure how long Israel will stay, especially if they plan to keep the borders quiet "by force." Others agreed that the future is uncertain, given that the situation has "changed completely." Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert disagreed, saying that Israel has "enough problems to deal with", let alone expanding the buffer zone further.


      See also


      Quneitra Governorate clashes (2012–2014)
      August 2024 Nabatieh attack
      2024 Masyaf raid
      Syria missile strikes (September 2018)
      Syria missile strikes (August 2019)
      November 2019 Israeli missile strikes in Syria
      Syria missile strikes (January 2021)
      Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus
      2023 Israel strikes in Syria
      2023 Damascus airstrike
      2024 Homs airstrikes


      Notes




      References

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