International
Israel Targets Syrian Naval Fleet Amid Post-Assad Turmoil
Israel has confirmed it conducted strikes against Syria’s naval fleet, causing significant damage. Earlier, video footage showing explosions at the port of Latakia, where numerous ships and parts of the port appear to have been extensively destroyed.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reports over 310 Israeli strikes since the collapse of the Assad regime on Sunday. In addition, Israeli warplanes have reportedly launched hundreds of airstrikes across Syria, targeting key locations, including the capital, Damascus.
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Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, stated the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) aimed to “eliminate strategic capabilities that pose a threat to the State of Israel.” Katz described the operation against Syria’s naval fleet as a “resounding success.”
The IDF also confirmed the presence of its troops operating beyond the demilitarized buffer zone in Syria, near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. It said these operations were necessary to prevent weapons from falling “into the hands of extremists” as Syria navigates a post-Assad transition.
The SOHR documented widespread strikes across Aleppo, Damascus, and Hama, with over 60 strikes reported overnight between Monday and Tuesday alone. Targets included military installations such as weapon warehouses, ammunition depots, airports, naval bases, and research centres. Many facilities were reportedly not just damaged but completely destroyed.
SOHR founder Rami Abdul Rahman claimed the strikes had “destroyed all the capabilities of the Syrian army,” accusing Israel of violating Syrian sovereignty.
Meanwhile, the IDF denied claims that tanks were advancing on Damascus, clarifying that troops stationed within the Area of Separation near the buffer zone had only extended to “a few additional points” beyond this area.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the temporary seizure of Syrian positions in the buffer zone, stating it was a defensive measure. “If we can establish peaceful relations with new forces in Syria, we will. If not, we will act decisively to protect Israel’s borders,” Netanyahu said.
Turkey’s foreign ministry condemned Israel’s actions in the buffer zone, calling them an “occupying mentality” during a critical moment for Syria’s peace and stability. The buffer zone, established under a 1974 ceasefire, is intended to separate Israeli and Syrian forces. Israel’s unilateral annexation of the Golan Heights in 1981 remains unrecognized internationally, except by the U.S. in 2019.
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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar defended the strikes, stating their primary purpose was to protect Israeli citizens by targeting “strategic weapons systems,” including chemical weapons and long-range missiles.
The UN’s chemical weapons watchdog, meanwhile, urged Syrian authorities to secure suspected stockpiles. The extent and locations of Syria’s chemical weapons remain unclear, though they are believed to have been stockpiled under the Assad regime.
The escalation follows the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government over the weekend when rebel fighters, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), captured Damascus. Declaring Syria “free” on state television, the group marked the end of Assad’s decades-long family rule.
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