An air assault killed 13 individuals in Damascus on Tuesday night, with Syrian officers laying the blame on Israel.
Israel didn’t take credit score for each assault however has admitted to finishing up a whole bunch of raids on targets in Syria.
Right here’s a short explainer on the dynamic between Syria and Israel over the past yr:
Why did no person hear about this?
As Israel’s army continues its battle on Gaza, Lebanon, the occupied West Financial institution and Yemen, the assaults on Syria have flown considerably beneath the radar.
Ostensibly an ally of the Iranian regime and a part of the bigger “axis of resistance”, the Syrian regime led by Bashar al-Assad has been conspicuously quiet for the reason that battle on Gaza started final October.
Regardless of this, Israel has attacked Syrian territory a number of instances over the past yr.
What number of instances did Israel bomb Syria within the final yr?
Greater than 220 instances since final October, based on NGO Armed Battle Location and Occasion Information (ACLED), which aggregates battle information.
The assaults got here through air raids and artillery assaults.
At the very least 104 of these assaults – which have killed at the least 296 individuals – have been since January, based on the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Israel has hit weapons depots, automobiles, and Iran-backed teams’ headquarters.
Probably the most important assault was in April when Israeli fighter jets hit the Iranian consular constructing in Syria’s capital Damascus, killing seven members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Among the many useless had been two generals who led the elite Quds Drive in Syria and Lebanon.
How did Syria reply?
The Syrian authorities have denounced Israeli assaults.
Some rockets have been fired at Israel from Syria, which Israel claims are largely by Iranian-backed teams.
In October 2023, the Israeli army hit Syrian army targets however didn’t accuse the Syrian army of getting fired rockets.
As Israel expanded its battle into Lebanon, and resistance teams from Iraq and Yemen bought concerned, Syria largely remained quiet.
Although such assaults are a transparent violation of a nation’s sovereignty, there was little to no response from the worldwide neighborhood.
Arab nations have condemned Israel’s assaults on Syria’s sovereignty in worldwide fora, as has the League of Arab States.
Russia has additionally condemned the assaults, with Overseas Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova saying Tuesday’s assault was a “gross violation of Syria’s sovereignty”, including: “It’s outrageous that such actions have develop into a routine follow utilized to Syria, Lebanon, and the Gaza Strip.”
China has additionally condemned Israel’s assault on Iran’s consular constructing, which beneath worldwide regulation violates the sovereignty of two nations.
Beijing’s assertion mentioned: “The safety of diplomatic establishments can’t be violated.”
How can Israel violate one other nation’s sovereignty like this?
Israel unilaterally claims it’s hitting Iranian or Iran-linked targets in Syria, apparently taking that as an affordable rationalization for its actions.
Moreover, america has additionally attacked places in Syria through the years, claiming to be focusing on a spread of “Iran-linked” locations and other people.
Israel has made statements to the impact that it’s going to proceed hanging nations and entities within the area, primarily based by itself analysis of who it sees as an “enemy”.
Did these assaults begin in October 2023?
No. The Israeli army has been hitting targets in Syria for many years, with a notable enhance since 2011.
In 2017, Israel additional escalated its assaults on Syria, with the most recent, most notable escalation coming after October 7, 2023.