On December 15, 2024, Israel launched a series of airstrikes in Syria, targeting military installations. The strikes were reportedly in response to an earlier attack, which Israel attributes to Iran-backed militias in Syria. The exchange marks a continuance of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, which often plays out in the battlefields of Syria.
The Israeli military stated they had struck targets in the suburbs of Damascus and in the southern region of Syria. They mentioned hitting arms depots, military facilities, and posts of Iran-backed militias. Israel's defense forces have been on high alert due to increased tensions along the northern frontiers with Syria and Lebanon.
Although Israel has not often openly admitted to carrying out strikes in Syria, it has been widely reported that they have conducted hundreds of raids in the past decade. These are primarily aimed at preventing the establishment of a permanent Iranian military presence in Syria and at halting the transfer of advanced weapons to Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese group.
On the other side, Iran-backed militias in Syria have repeatedly launched rockets into Israel, prompting retaliatory strikes. The escalating exchanges have heightened fears of a larger regional conflict.
The Syrian state news agency reported that the Israeli strikes had caused material damage but did not confirm any casualties. Meanwhile, the Israeli military reported no casualties or damage from the earlier rocket fire from Syria.
This recent exchange of attacks underscores the volatile situation in the Middle East, with Israel and Iran engaging in a shadow war that threatens to escalate into a larger conflict. It also highlights the complex geopolitical landscape in Syria, where foreign powers such as Israel, Iran, and Russia are involved in a myriad of conflicts. It remains to be seen how this situation will evolve and what impact it will have on the already tense regional dynamics.