Israel Launches Major Airstrikes On Syria's Coast For 1st Time In Nearly A Month
Israel has attacked Syria for the first time in nearly a month. The last known airstrikes were May 3rd, but on Friday night major strikes rocked Syria's coastal area.
State news agency SANA says that one civilian was killed 'as a result of an Israeli occupation airstrike targeting the vicinity of Zama'. Social media videos showed large fireballs lighting up the night sky.
The Israeli military offered quick and rare confirmation that it had 'struck weapon storage facilities containing coastal missiles that posed a threat to international and Israeli maritime freedom of navigation, in the Latakia area of Syria.'
Huge spoke plumes were seen over Tartus in the strike aftermath, and it should be noted that the coastal city is also home to Russia's lone Mediterranean naval base, which has yet to be completely packed up amid negotiations with the new Jolani regime.
'In addition, components of surface-to-air missiles were struck,' the Israeli military (IDF) statement further stated, vowing that the IDF will 'continue to operate to maintain freedom of action in the region, in order to carry out its missions and will act to remove any threat to the State of Israel and its citizens.'
The irony of the timing is that the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) government has been teasing the possibility of peace and normalization with Israel, despite Israeli forces currently occupying large swathes of southern Syria, even well beyond the Golan Heights.
The new post-Assad government has mostly shrugged off the Israeli attacks, which soon after Assad's ouster came in the hundreds, as Tel Aviv sought to destroy any and all military hardware left by the former Syrian Arab Army.
Israel bombed Syria's naval defences a few hours ago. Not a single word of condemnation from the new regime, who continues to beg for normalisation. The 'revolution' was fought by those who want to surrendering to Israel and against those who fight it. pic.twitter.com/yfVAB7HbZ9 — Syrian Girl (@Partisangirl) May 31, 2025
Tensions have been rising between Israel and Turkey over the 'spoils' in Syria. Turkey's military has sought to set up anti-air defenses for the new regime, reportedly in the center of the country – in Palmyra – which Israel has tried to thwart through bombing raids.
Prior to Assad's ouster, Israel said it repeatedly bombed Syria for 'counter-Iran' operations, but at this point the divide-and-rule policy of keeping Syria as weak and fractured as possible has certainly become more clear.
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