Israeli Airstrikes Target Southern Syria Amid Rising Tensions

Late Tuesday night, Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes on military targets in southern Syria, including the town of Kisweh, located around 20 kilometers south of Damascus. The attack, confirmed by local security sources and Syria TV, resulted in blasts heard across the region. The strikes were part of a broader Israeli operation to ensure that Syrian regime forces and terrorist groups do not breach Israel's security buffer zone in southern Syria.

Israeli Military Objectives: Demilitarizing Southern Syria

Defense Minister Israel Katz stressed that these strikes were essential to maintaining Israel’s security. “We will not allow southern Syria to become southern Lebanon,” Katz declared, referencing Israel's ongoing efforts to prevent the establishment of enemy forces near its borders. “The Air Force is currently conducting powerful strikes in southern Syria as part of our new policy of demilitarizing the region,” he added, emphasizing that any attempts by Syrian regime forces or terrorist organizations to entrench themselves in southern Syria would be met with force.

Syrian reports indicate that at least two individuals were killed, and several others were injured in the airstrikes on Kisweh. The attacks primarily targeted military vehicles within the town. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the destruction of multiple military sites, including command centers and weapons storage locations. According to the IDF, the presence of these military assets in southern Syria posed a direct threat to Israeli civilians, prompting continued military operations to remove these dangers.

Continued IDF Operations in Judea and Samaria

In addition to the airstrikes in Syria, the IDF has also been engaged in counterterrorism operations within Judea and Samaria. On Tuesday, Israeli forces, in cooperation with Shin Bet, thwarted a terrorist plot involving a 100 kg bomb in Kabatiya. As part of this operation, the Nahal Brigade troops apprehended 15 suspected terrorists, dismantled explosives, and seized weapons. The ongoing counterterrorism operation, named Operation Iron Wall, has seen multiple successful strikes against terrorist cells in the West Bank, including a recent attack on a terror cell in a vehicle.