Israeli airstrikes escalate in south Syria, Syrian gov't condemns violations

DAMASCUS - Israeli airstrikes intensified in southern Syria on Tuesday night, targeting multiple military sites following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent remarks calling for a demilitarized south Syria.

The Syrian interim government condemned the attacks, calling them a blatant violation of Syria's sovereignty.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), at least four people were killed as Israeli warplanes launched four airstrikes targeting the Syrian Army's First Division headquarters in Al-Kiswah, south of Damascus. The facility is known to house military tanks and command units.

Further explosions were reported in Izraa, Daraa province, where Israeli forces struck Brigade 112, another key military installation in southern Syria.

Additionally, Israeli warplanes and drones bombed positions near the Syria-Lebanon border, particularly in Juroud Nabi Sheet, opposite the Syrian town of Serghaya in rural Damascus, the SOHR reported.

The observatory added that an earlier Israeli drone strike in the same area killed two unidentified individuals.

The Israeli escalation follows Netanyahu's Sunday speech, in which he said: "We will not allow HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) forces or the new Syrian army to enter the area south of Damascus ... We demand full demilitarization of southern Syria."

His statements triggered widespread protests across Syria, particularly in Sweida, Daraa, Damascus and Quneitra, where demonstrators rejected Israeli interference in Syria's internal affairs.

In Damascus, protesters gathered outside the United Nations office, demanding an international response.

Khair Ghazali, a Syrian citizen, said: "We are here to send a message rejecting Netanyahu's statements. As Syrians, we are one people, capable of solving our problems without foreign interference."

Syrian writer Rami Kousa added: "It is our duty to stand against any attempt to undermine our sovereignty, whether by Israel or any other country trying to impose an occupation-like role."

As Israeli strikes continued, Syria's interim government reaffirmed its sovereignty, condemning Israeli aggression in the final statement of the Syrian National Dialogue Conference, which concluded Tuesday.

The statement, read by Huda Al-Atassi, a member of the National Dialogue Committee, emphasized Syria's territorial integrity and called for an immediate and unconditional Israeli withdrawal.

"We condemn Israel's incursion into Syrian land as a flagrant violation of Syria's sovereignty. We reject Netanyahu's provocative statements and call on the international community to take responsibility and pressure Israel to halt its aggression," said the statement.

The conference, attended by interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani, also reaffirmed Syria's stance against any partitioning or external military influence in the country.

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee confirmed the airstrikes, saying that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targeted military sites in southern Syria, including command centers and weapons storage facilities.

"The presence of military assets and armed forces in southern Syria poses a threat to Israeli citizens, and the IDF will continue operations to eliminate any such threats," Adraee posted on the social platform X.

The situation in Syria remains fragile as the Syrian interim government works to consolidate control over its territory following the fall of Bashar al-Assad government in December 2024.