Largest Israeli Air Campaign in 50 Years Targets Syria’s Military Infrastructure
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have carried out over 300 airstrikes in Syria since Sunday, marking Israel’s most extensive aerial campaign since the Yom Kippur War in 1972. Israeli media reported on Tuesday that the strikes are targeting air force bases and military installations, threatening to obliterate Syria’s air capabilities entirely.
Western intelligence sources confirmed the assault, with Israeli outlets noting that the Syrian Air Force could be completely neutralized within days. This would dramatically reduce the threat posed by the incoming Syrian government, which succeeded Bashar Assad after his ousting on Sunday.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the strikes, reiterating Israel’s focus on security. “We attacked strategic weapons systems—chemical weapons, long-range missiles—to prevent them from falling into extremist hands,” said Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. Defense Minister Israel Katz echoed the sentiment, confirming that strikes also targeted Iranian-backed militias and weapons stockpiles.
The strikes follow Assad’s flight from Damascus after a coalition of rebel forces toppled his regime, ending his family’s five-decade rule. Local reports described celebratory scenes in the capital, with banks reopening and life beginning to normalize.
Despite the heavy bombardment, an IDF spokesperson denied reports of ground forces advancing beyond the buffer zone near the Golan Heights. Jerusalem has framed its operations as “temporary measures” to ensure border security, a stance reportedly supported by the United States.
Critics, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, condemned the strikes, warning of regional instability. Meanwhile, rebuilding efforts in post-Assad Syria face monumental challenges as the country emerges from over a decade of war.
