Israel Demolishes Hama Airbase in Coordinated Campaign on Syria’s Military Infrastructure
[Damascus] Israeli airstrikes targeting various locations in Syria early Thursday resulted in the deaths of nine civilians, according to local sources who spoke to The Media Line. The strikes coincided with an incursion by Israeli forces into southern Syria. Two military airports were completely disabled following the bombardment of strategic sites in central Syria, namely Hama Military Airport and the T4 Military Airbase.
Official sources in Syria’s southern Daraa province confirmed to The Media Line that at least nine civilians were killed and several others injured in an initial toll after Israeli strikes targeted Harsh Sadd al-Jabiliyah, located between the city of Daraa and the town of Tsil in western Daraa. The attack was followed by an Israeli ground incursion into the area, with forces reportedly penetrating deeper than ever before.
Sources added that an Israeli force advanced into western rural Daraa before withdrawing to newly established positions inside Syrian territory. The operation coincided with intense reconnaissance drone activity over the adjacent Quneitra province and western Daraa.
Israeli military vehicles also pushed into Harsh Sadd al-Jabiliyah near the city of Nawa in western Daraa, while Israeli artillery targeted the slopes of Tell al-Jumou near Nawa with three shells. Fierce clashes erupted between the Israeli incursion forces and Syrian military units in rural Daraa, reportedly resulting in Israeli casualties that forced a retreat—an assertion the Israeli military has not confirmed. The strikes and clashes in Daraa occurred in parallel with Israeli air raids on strategic sites in Damascus, Homs, and Hama in central Syria.
A military source told The Media Line that the Israeli bombardment in central Syria caused multiple casualties and that more than 17 airstrikes hit Hama Military Airport, leading to extensive destruction of its infrastructure and contents. The source, speaking on the condition of anonymity for security reasons, disclosed that an Israeli airstrike also targeted the vicinity of the Scientific Research Center in the Barzeh district of Damascus, as well as areas near Hama.
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According to the source, over ten Israeli attacks on Hama Airport destroyed its runways, control tower, weapons depots, and aircraft hangars. “Israel completely destroyed Hama Airbase to ensure it cannot be used again. This is a systematic effort to dismantle the military capabilities of Syria’s key airbases,” the source asserted.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced Thursday that its forces had killed several militants during an overnight operation in the Tsil area of southern Syria. According to the Israeli army, the 474th Brigade carried out the mission, seizing weapons and destroying what it described as “terrorist infrastructure.” The Israeli military further stated that its forces had come under fire, prompting a response with air and ground strikes that resulted in the deaths of several armed combatants.
On Wednesday night, the Israeli army confirmed conducting airstrikes in Damascus, Hama, and Homs. A military statement declared, “In recent hours, we have struck military assets remaining in the areas of Hama and T4 Airbases in Syria, as well as military infrastructure in the Damascus region.” The statement emphasized that Israel would act decisively to “eliminate any threat to Israeli citizens.”
Since the ousting of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on December 8, Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes on military sites affiliated with the previous regime in Syria. In response, Syria’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the latest Israeli attacks, describing them in a Telegram statement as “a blatant violation of international law and Syrian sovereignty.”
“In a flagrant breach of international law, Israeli forces launched air raids on five different locations across the country within 30 minutes, causing the near-total destruction of Hama Military Airport and injuring dozens of civilians and military personnel,” the statement read. The ministry added that this “unjustified escalation is a deliberate attempt to destabilize Syria and prolong the suffering of its people.” The statement further called on the international community to “pressure Israel to halt its aggression and comply with international law.”
Following Assad’s downfall, the Israeli military advanced into the demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights, taking control of the area and expanding beyond it.
In February, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the complete demilitarization of southern Syria, warning that his government would not tolerate the presence of security forces affiliated with the new Syrian authorities near Israel’s borders.
For years, Israel has carried out airstrikes in Syria during Assad’s rule, targeting what it described as military facilities linked to Iran and arms shipments from Tehran to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
