Tehran – Israel’s recent surge in military strikes against Syria has attracted fierce international condemnation and has cast a harsh light on the dangerous design of the Arab state’s regime.
On Wednesday, Israel targeted major Damascus sites, including the Syrian Defense Headquarters and areas near the Presidential Palace, under the stated justification to protect Syrian Druze minority. Israel sees this minority. This minority is considered a potential ally in conflict with Syrian HTS forces at Druze Heartland in Sweida. However, the Druze community itself has historically refused Israeli intervention.
The repulsion against Israel’s attacks is fast and united. The Persian Gulf Cooperation Association (GCC), representing six of the Persian Gulf countries, has denounced the strike on “the strongest conditions.” GCC Executive Director Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi branded the air campaign as a “serious violation” of Syrian sovereignty, violations of international law and serious threats to regional security and stability. He halted these “irresponsible escalations,” calling for urgent international intervention to hold perpetrators accountable, and urged the protection of Syrian sovereignty in line with the UN Charter.
Lebanon President Joseph Own has accused the attack of “a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the brother Arab state.” He warned that Israeli attacks would continue, only burning more tensions and instability across the region. Lebanon has expressed full solidarity with Syria and urged the global community to put pressure on them to end these violations.
Turkish Foreign Ministry accused Israel of trying to hamper Syria’s quest for peace and security through these strikes.
Yemen’s Ansarlah described the attack as part of a clear infringement of Syrian territorial integrity and part of Israel’s broader strategy to fragment Islamic countries and expand its advantage.
Palestinian Islamic jihad denounced the strike as an offensive move aimed at expanding territory through power and fear.
These recent attacks remind us of Israel’s December attacks. After the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad on December 8th, Israeli forces launched more than 600 airstrikes across Syria. Targets included air defense systems, missile depots and naval bases in Tartus. At the same time, Israeli forces violated the unsupervised buffer zone in Golan Heights, which had been occupied since 1967. At the time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to enhance the presence of settlers in the region, highlighting Israel’s expansionist ambitions.
A fresh wave of attack shows Israel’s determination to assert itself as a power of the dominant region, pursuing its long-standing dream of “great Israel.” Advertised by a hard-line figure, such as Bezalel Smotrich’s far-right finance minister, this controversial vision envisages extending Israeli sovereignty over Palestine and nearby Arab territories, including Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Smotrich openly called for the expansion of this “Jewish state” in October 2024.
Critics also view Israel’s bombing campaign in Syria as a calculated distraction from brutal military action in Gaza.
In short, Israel’s intensifying strikes against Syria not only threaten regional stability, but also exposes underlying ambitions to promote military attacks. It continues to make the Middle East uncertain and complicate the prospects for perpetuating peace.