The body of Muhannad Akrad, one of three people killed in Israeli airstrikes on March 17, 2025, is carried for burial at the Omary mosque in Daraa, southern Syria (Omar Sanadiki/AP)
Demanding “Demilitarization”, Israel Bombs Southern Syria
UPDATE, MAR 27:
Israel has fired missiles on a warehouse in the port of Latakia in western Syria.
The Israelis reportedly targeted an ammunition warehouse with six missiles overnight. No casualties have been reported.
The White Harbor area was also struck on December 10.
ORIGINAL ENTRY, MAR 25: Israel is continuing deadly attacks inside Syria, despite the fall of the Assad regime last December.
In the latest killing, at least five people were slain by shelling of the town of Kuwayya, west of Daraa city in southern Syria.
Israel Defense Forces maintained that they had “identified several terrorists who opened fire” in southern Syria, with troops returning the fire and jets carrying out strikes.
The Israeli military said earlier that it had launched airstrikes on the Tadmur and T-4 airbases in central Syria, without reporting any casualties.
The Israelis appeared to be referring to attacks which they carried out last Friday.
NEW – #Israel launched airstrikes on #Palmyra & T4 airports in the #Homs desert tonight.
Note that #Turkey has a proposal in with #Damascus to use T4 (& Shayrat AB) to deploy fighter jets to re-establish air sovereignty in #Syria — i.e. challenge #Israel. pic.twitter.com/D1amCIHBbh
— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) March 21, 2025
On March 17, three people were killed and 25 wounded when the Israelis hit an abandoned army barracks near a residential area in Daraa.
Israeli forces are also pursuing ground occupations as they more territory in southwest Syria. In the past 12 days, they have carried out at least 22 incursions.
Throughout the uprising against the Assad regime from March 2011, Israel launched airstrikes on regime, Iranian, and Hezbollah positions. The Netanyahu Government claimed it was intercepting Tehran’s weapons transfers to Hezbollah and demanding Iran’s withdrawal, as it also assassinated Iranian commanders and officials.
But after the sudden fall of Assad, Israel has maintained attacks on military facilities and other sites, as well as consolidating the occupation in the southwest.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday, during alongside Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in Jerusalem, “Military actions must be proportionate, and Israeli strikes into Syria and Lebanon risk further escalation.”
Kallas said Israel’s attacks were “unnecessary because Syria is right now not attacking Israel and that feeds more radicalization that is also against Israel”.
[Editor’s Note: To restate — the Assad regime did not use chemical weapons for defense against Israel but against Syrians.]
“A pro-Assad distortion of the situation in Syria — the “millions displaced” happened under the Assad regime’s deadly repression of the Syrian uprising; the oilfields in the northeast, while secured in part by the US presence, were controlled by the Kurdish authority — and now by the Syrian Government; the chemical weapons, now dismantled, were used by the Assad regime on civilians; and the Syrian Government controls the northwest, part of which was held by anti-Assad forces since 2015”
Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal was built up as a counter to Israel’s WMDs. Its loss means Syria is vulnerable to all-out attack:
https://www.reuters.com/article/world/syria-s-chemical-weapons-program-was-built-to-counter-israel-idUSBRE97R0GM/
Many Christians fled during the Syrian uprising:
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/09/17/syria-s-christians-a-disappearing-community_6726315_4.html
US troops are still controlling Syrian oil fields despite the agreement with the Kurdish statelet. The one positive development that could emerge is an elected and representative government but the new president has ruled out elections any time soon: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/syria-sharaa-constitution-assad-islamist-hts-damascus-kurdish-rcna196392
[Editor’s Note: A pro-Assad distortion of the situation in Syria — the “millions displaced” happened under the Assad regime’s deadly repression of the Syrian uprising; the oilfields in the northeast, while secured in part by the US presence, were controlled by the Kurdish authority — and now by the Syrian Government; the chemical weapons, now dismantled, were used by the Assad regime on civilians; and the Syrian Government controls the northwest, part of which was held by anti-Assad forces since 2015.]
So, as the “transitional” government in Damascus has been formed, let us review the outcome of the civil war and insurrection against Assad:
1. Millions displaced, internally and externally, especially religious minorities like Christians, Shia, Alawites and Druze:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/15/the-streets-are-empty-no-one-dares-go-outside-syrias-alawites-terrorised-by-revenge-killings
2. The industrial base has been almost completely devastated and the country’s oilfields remain under the control of U.S forces:
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241231-us-troops-continue-illegal-occupation-of-syrian-oil-fields-warns-minister/
“In 2010, prior to the conflict, Syria produced 390,000 barrels of oil per day, accounting for a fifth of its GDP and half of its exports. Current production has plummeted to merely 40,000 barrels per day as of 2023.
Donald Trump openly acknowledged the occupation in 2020, stating: “I left troops to take the oil. I took the oil. The only troops I have in Syria are taking the oil.”
3. The strategic chemical weapons arsenal has been dismantled.
4. Israel, already occupying the Golan, has now extended its territorial occupation in Syria.
5. Turkey, already occupying Hatay Province, is in complete control of the northern border region.
The result is a country led by an unelected former Al-Qaeda operative which has no ability to stand up for itself and defend its own sovereignty.