The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday released footage and details of a massive airstrike carried out earlier this week in southern Syria, the most extensive Israeli operation in the country in more than two months.
According to the IDF, 22 fighter jets participated in the strikes, which targeted dozens of sites linked to the Syrian military. The operation involved the deployment of more than 60 munitions against radar installations, surveillance equipment used for aerial intelligence gathering, command centers, and military facilities containing weapons and vehicles.
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
“The presence of these capabilities in southern Syria poses a threat to Israel and IDF operations,” the military said in a statement. “These targets were attacked to remove future threats.”
Syrian reports indicated that at least 41 targets were struck in rural areas near Damascus, with additional strikes taking place elsewhere. The attack, which occurred earlier this week, was the largest Israeli airstrike in Syria since early January.
Growing threats in the region
IDF disclosed details of the strike amid heightened security concerns over evolving threats in Syria. Israeli analysts warned that recent attacks by jihadist forces against Alawite communities in western Syria indicate an emerging security challenge that requires close monitoring.
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Beyond jihadist elements gaining control in Syria, Israeli officials were also concerned about broader regional instability. There are fears that Syria could become a base for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives seeking to launch attacks on Israeli communities in the Golan Heights and northern Israel.
Footage of the Israeli attacks earlier this week
According to Israeli assessments, jihadist groups freed senior Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives from Syrian prisons during the early days of the country’s civil war. These militants, previously jailed by former President Bashar Assad to prevent them from drawing Syria into conflict with Israel, may now be planning attacks.
Israeli intelligence was also monitoring the possibility that Turkey could provide military assistance to these groups, further complicating the region’s security landscape.
Syria remains in a state of political uncertainty under President Ahmed al-Sharaa as his administration seeks to assert control over the country amid ongoing conflict and foreign involvement. The shifting power dynamics and continued presence of armed factions have heightened concerns in Israel about the potential for new threats emerging from Syrian territory.