Israel launched airstrikes at the Syrian capital city of Damascus in the early hours of Sunday morning, killing several civilians. This is the latest development in an ongoing shadow war between Israel and Iran, who have been actively expanding their influence by supporting the Syrian regime.
The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) has declined to comment on the strikes.
Syrian state news agency SANA reported strikes against the Kafar Sousa neighbourhood, where the targeting of a military base in the midst of a densely-populated district has resulted in the deaths of 4 civilians and 1 soldier, leaving 15 others injured. Orient News, a Syrian opposition news site, claims that bases south of Damascus were also struck. Among them was Sayyida Zainab, where it was reported that Hezbollah had developed a base in January, close to the Shia shrine of the same name. Damascus International Airport and Mezzeh Military Airport were also targeted.
Media reports out of Israel suggest the IDF may have been taking offensive steps. The Times of Israel reported the arrival of numerous large Iranian cargo planes in Syria since the disaster struck, feeding speculations that Iran was utilising the humanitarian response to the earthquake as a cover to ship military supplies to the Lebanese and Syrian branches of Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, Russia’s foreign ministry has strongly condemned Israel’s actions. “We strongly urge the Israeli side to stop armed provocations against the Syrian Arab Republic and refrain from steps that are fraught with dangerous consequences for the entire region,” spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. Russia is a key backer of the Syrian regime and the primary controller of Syrian airspace. Tacit coordination between Russia and Syria is believed to be a chief reason for Israel’s hesitance in supplying arms to Ukraine.
On Sunday, Netanyahu all but alluded to the strikes on Damascus, opening a cabinet meeting with the comment, “on the Iranian front, our efforts are unceasing for the simple reason that Iran’s acts of aggression are unceasing.” The Israeli prime minister referenced an attack on a Liberian-flagged tanker Campo Square, which was struck by ‘an airborne object’ in the Arabian Sea on February 10th. Belonging to a shipping company controlled by Israeli magnate Eyal Ofer, Netanyahu placed the blame squarely on Iran, saying the action “harmed the international freedom of navigation.”
Iran meanwhile continues to blame Israel for a drone attack on its central city of Isfahan, a centre for missile production and nuclear research, a fact which some U.S. officials confirm. With Israel having a long-standing policy of unilateral strikes against Iranian nuclear and missile capabilities, and with claims circulating that Iran now has sufficient enriched uranium for nuclear weapons, the undeclared war may be set to see further trading of blows.
