Link to article: https://apnews.com/article/syria-israel-war-airstrikes-damascus-1f6dd957d1d6c8f610349e99cfed1a98
Syria’s state news agency states that 15 people and 16 were wounded during Israeli airstrikes targeting their capital, Damascus and a nearby suburb. The strikes came shortly before the adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, was to meet in the Syrian capital with representatives of Palestinian factions at the Iranian Embassy. Israel states that it was attacking infrastructure sites and command centers of the Islamic Jihad militant group in Syria and had successfully damaged operation points. Israel claims that these Iranian-backed forces (like Hezbollah) use Syria to transport weapons and hold strategic military positions. Hundreds of airstrikes have been launched in Syria in the past years by Israel to target Hezbollah and Syrian forces. Additionally, Israel has sent airstrikes towards Lebanon, but the U.N. states it will remain committed to keeping its peacekeeping force (UNIFIL) in all of its positions in southern Lebanon.
In the past years Israel has launched numerous airstrikes in Syria primarily to disrupt Hezbollah operations. They intend to prevent the trade of weapons to Hezbollah and to stop Iran’s military presence near Israel’s borders. The targeted areas in Syria were known to be locations of commanders from Hezbollah, Hamas, and Jihad. These attacks likely will increase tensions between Syria, Israel, and Iran perhaps leading to more conflict in the region as responses to Israel. This ongoing violence is causing many casualties and infrastructure damage which is looking like a humanitarian crisis (continuance of displacement and overall suffering). Everything happening in the middle east is very tragic because innocent and nonaffiliated people are caught in the crossfire- it’s really difficult to understand how so much killing and violence is with the goals of peace.
Israel has already justified their actions by stating it is for their national security and that these locations were strategic points. Syria, of course, will condemn the airstrikes, but it is uncertain how or if they will retaliate considering their ongoing civil war. It is possible that Iran provides aid to Syria or tries to gain other allies to support as their backed resistance group Hezbollah may do as well. Iran or Hezbollah could retaliate as well due to the attacks being targeted at them. A potential ally for Syria and Iran could be Russia. Overall, the UN continues to stress the amount of civilian casualties and push for diplomatic solutions and an end to hostilities that end peace. This event highlights the instability of a growing multipolar system in the world today. Many states are fighting to balance out the power of others as Israel is trying to lessen the power of Iran’s influence in Syria and Hezbollah.