What is Israel doing in the Golan Heights, along with its constant airstrikes on military bases, helicopters, and ships in Syria?
Jeremy HowellAhad, BBC World ServiceDecember 11, 2024
Pros and Cons of Israel’s Actions in Syria and the Golan Heights
Pros:
1. Preventing Extremist Threats:
Israel claims its airstrikes target military bases and weapon transfers to prevent them from falling into extremist hands.
2. Securing Strategic Positions:
Maintaining control of the Golan Heights provides Israel with a critical buffer zone for national security.
3. Weakening Opponents:
Israel’s operations disrupt the activities of hostile forces like Hezbollah and Iranian-backed groups in Syria.
4. Regional Stability (from Israel's Perspective):
The strikes aim to counterbalance Iranian influence and deter future threats near its borders.
Cons:
1. Risk of Escalation:
Continuous airstrikes could escalate tensions, potentially sparking a broader conflict in the region.
2. Civilian Impact:
Collateral damage from strikes risks harming civilians, worsening the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
3. Violation of Sovereignty:
Israel’s actions in Syria and the Golan Heights have faced criticism for violating international laws and Syrian sovereignty.
4. Strained Relations:
Persistent military actions could damage Israel’s diplomatic ties with neighboring countries and global powers.
Since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad's regime, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on "military targets" in Syria. In addition, the Israeli army has also occupied the UN-monitored demilitarized zone, or buffer zone, in the Golan Heights between Israel and Syria.
Israel says its ongoing military operations in Syria are aimed at ensuring the safety of Israeli civilians, but some experts claim that Israel is trying to take advantage of the opportunity to weaken one of its long-standing enemies (Syria).
Israel also confirmed a major attack on the Syrian fleet on Tuesday. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that its warplanes targeted the ports of Al-Bayda and Latakia on Monday night, where 15 Syrian naval ships were anchored.
So the important question is why is Israel constantly attacking Syria?
Why is Israel attacking Syria?
Scenes after the Israeli attack on the port of the Syrian coastal city of Latakia
The Israeli military said in a recent statement that its warplanes have carried out more than 350 airstrikes on multiple military and militant targets in various areas of Syria in the past few days.
Earlier, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which monitors the situation in Syria, said that the Israeli army had carried out 310 airstrikes on Syria since the rebels took control of Damascus on Sunday.
According to SOHR, the targets of these attacks were Syrian army installations in Aleppo and Damascus. The areas where the attacks were carried out include Aleppo, Hama, Damascus, Latakia, Tartus and other areas.
Rami Abdel Rahman is the founder of SOHR. He says that the Israeli attacks are aimed at destroying the fighting capacity of the Syrian army. He added that Syria's border and airspace are being continuously violated.
On the other hand, Israel also claims that its attacks are aimed at ensuring that chemical weapons in Syria do not fall into the hands of extremists.
Concerns about Israel's chemical weapons
Smoke is seen rising from the Mabiba chemical attack near Damascus in 2018.
Israel is concerned about who will now own former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s alleged chemical weapons stockpile.
There is no reliable information about where or how many chemical weapons are in Syria. However, it is certain that the former president had stockpiled chemical weapons.
On Monday, the UN weapons agency warned Syrian authorities that if they have chemical weapons, they need to secure them.
Eikk Selström, a former UN weapons inspector in Syria and a professor at Sweden’s Amaya University, says Israel is targeting Syria’s chemical weapons capability through airstrikes.
He said Israel is trying to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons assets. According to Cellstorm, these assets could be “people, facilities or weapons, anything.”
Bashar al-Assad’s army used sarin gas in an attack in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta in 2013, which reportedly killed more than 1,000 people.
The Syrian army is accused of using chemical weapons made of sarin gas and chlorine gas in other parts of the country.
Dr. Sellstrom says that the rebels who took over Syria may also have chemical weapons, as they are also accused of using chemical weapons against their opponents.
He says that Bashar al-Assad had these weapons in order to create some balance of power in the conflict with Israel, but he never wanted to take the initiative to use them (against Israel). But now there is a completely different regime in Syria.
Dr. Sellstrom thinks that Israel will try to eliminate all the alleged chemical weapons in Syria.
What is Israel doing in the Golan Heights?
Israeli military vehicle in the Golan Heights
A few days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that his army had taken control of the UN-supervised demilitarized zone, or buffer zone, in the Golan Heights.
According to Netanyahu, the position is temporary and will remain in place “until an alternative arrangement is found.”
Professor Gilbert Achkar of SOAS University in London said that Israel says it wants to prevent any attacks on Israel similar to the one carried out by Hamas on October 7. “But this is an opportunity to move forward and prevent any other force that approaches the border of the occupied territory.”
The Israeli army’s occupation of the demilitarized zone in the Golan Heights has been strongly condemned by Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries. On Monday, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry called Israel’s move “an occupation of Syrian territory and a clear violation of the 1974 agreement.”
According to reports from Syria, the Israeli army has advanced far beyond the demilitarized zone and is only 25 kilometers from Damascus. Israeli military sources are denying this.
However, for the first time, the Israeli army has admitted that its forces have advanced a little beyond the buffer zone of the Golan Heights. But military spokesman Nadav Shoshani says that the Israeli army has not advanced much.
What is the Golan Heights and who controls it?
The Golan Heights is a territory in Syria that Israel has occupied since 1967.
The Golan Heights are spread over 1,200 square kilometers. They are located about 60 kilometers southwest of the Syrian capital, Damascus.
During the 1967 war, Syria attacked Israel from the Golan Heights, but Israel was able to repel the attack and in response, Israel occupied 1,200 kilometers of territory.
During the 1973 war, Syria tried to regain control of the hills but failed.
Later, in 1974, Syria and Israel signed a ceasefire agreement and since then, a UN observer force has been stationed there.
In 1981, Israel unilaterally declared the area its territory, but this move by Israel was not recognized internationally and was severely criticized.
There are about 30 Jewish settlements in the area and an estimated 20,000 Jewish settlers have moved here so far.
About 20,000 Syrian citizens also live in the area. In addition to its importance as a border between Syria and Israel, it also borders Lebanon on one side and Jordan on the other.
Are Israel's concerns justified?
The Israeli Prime Minister says that the Israeli army's occupation of the buffer zone established in the Golan Heights is temporary, but the withdrawal of the army depends on the behavior of the incoming Syrian government.
Netanyahu said he wanted to establish peaceful and neighborly relations with the incoming government in Syria.
“However, if that does not happen, we will take all possible measures to protect the state of Israel and its borders.”
Dr. H.A. Hillier of the London-based think tank Royal United Services Institute said there was a perception in Israel that Syrian forces might try to enter the Golan and that the Israeli army had moved further into the border to ensure that there was no possibility of that.
“However, Israel had previously occupied the Golan Heights as a defensive measure and then later consolidated its position. It could do so again.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has said that his army is carrying out airstrikes on Syrian military bases solely to defend its citizens.
He said that this is why Israel attacks strategic weapons systems, such as remaining chemical weapons or long-range missiles and rockets, so that they do not fall into the hands of extremists.
However, Professor Achkar does not believe that there are large-scale chemical weapons in Syria. According to him, they are only in two or three places. “But by carrying out more than 300 air strikes, you are trying to weaken the country (Syria) very much.”
He says that the Israelis see Bashar al-Assad as a “devil” who they know, but there is a lot of uncertainty about what will happen after Assad leaves.
“They fear that, like Libya, Syria will also be divided into different warring factions and a faction that is hostile to Israel will come to power.”
According to him, they want to prevent such a faction from using the weapons of the Syrian army against itself.
Related Topics
#Syria #Middle_East #Israel #War
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