Major attack: Syria’s military arsenal bombed – what plan does Israel have?

The last time Israel almost completely destroyed the air force of an enemy neighboring country was in the Six-Day War in 1967. In the first hours of the war, most of Egypt’s airmen were bombed on the ground. After the rebel alliance came to power in its northern neighbor Syria, Israel not only destroyed the air force within 48 hours. But also the navy, anti-aircraft batteries, weapons production facilities and most strategic weapons such as Scud missiles. According to the Israeli army, cruise missiles as well as drones and tanks were also destroyed. This is up to 80 percent of the military capacity that the deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad had at his disposal, it was said.

Israel’s actions in Syria are met with mixed international response

The justification given for the major attack, which was unprecedented in Syria, was the concern that the weapons could “fall into the hands of terrorist elements.” Background: The victorious insurgents, who have been in charge in Damascus since the weekend, are led by Islamists.

Israel’s actions have met with a mixed response internationally. The chairman of the Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael Roth, said on Deutschlandfunk that he could well understand Israel’s actions. “The weapons of mass destruction that are in Syria, especially biological and chemical weapons, pose an immense danger,” said the SPD politician.

It cannot be in Israel’s interest for a possibly Islamist state to have its own extremely dangerous weapons. We must ensure that Syria does not pose a threat to the entire region, but also to Europe.

International law concerns

According to Roth, the approach is also questionable under international law. He said he did not think it was wise for Israeli soldiers to advance into Syrian territory. After Islamist rebels took control of Syria, Israel’s army moved troops into the buffer zone agreed in 1974 between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and the neighboring country, including on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon. This is a strategic vantage point overlooking large parts of Syria and Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that it was a temporary measure “until a suitable arrangement is found.” France called on Israel to withdraw from the zone and to respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

British Foreign Secretary sees “legitimate security concerns for Israel”

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, however, spoke of Israel’s “legitimate security concerns”, especially in a country that has “harboured” the terrorist organizations Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. What they want for Syria is “an inclusive society that supports everyone, but none of us can have anything to do with terrorist groups.”

Nitzan Nuriel, former head of the counterterrorism department in the Israeli prime minister’s office, told reporters: “In the worst case scenario, Syria could become the Somalia of the Middle East – this would mean many organizations fighting each other and none in the next few years There is stability.”

Based on the experience with Libya and Afghanistan, we know that “if a regime collapses and terrorist groups take control, there is a high probability that they will adopt and use advanced weapons systems.” Therefore, everything in Syria that potential rivals could use in the future was destroyed. It is hoped that the rebel alliance will reject possible overtures from Israel’s arch-enemy Iran – a close ally of Assad.

Rebels initially cautious about Israel

In Syria, the rebel group HTS under leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, has so far refrained from making any statements about Israel. The group did not comment on the massive Israeli bombings in the country or on movements of Israeli combat troops in the Syrian border area to the Golan Heights, which was annexed by Israel. HTS and the interim government of Mohammed al-Bashir are primarily concerned with establishing order in the areas under their control and sorting themselves out politically.

It is therefore unclear whether the rebels will accept the control of Israeli troops in the buffer zone. Al-Bashir said in an interview that he and his interim government had “no problems with states, parties or sects that have distanced themselves from Assad’s bloodthirsty regime.” Before Assad’s fall, Israel repeatedly attacked targets in his government areas. The fact that Israel and the rebels in Assad had a common enemy does not necessarily mean that they will now establish peaceful relations with one another.

Experts believe modus vivendi is possible

“Neither Israel nor HTS should seek mutual rapprochement,” writes the Crisis Group think tank. However, both could try to reduce tensions and serve the security interests of the other side – al-Sharaa may also be thinking of Israel’s allies in the West and, despite pressure from angry Syrians, has so far refrained from criticizing Israel’s attacks.