The Israeli military launched a series of airstrikes across southern Syria on Tuesday, citing a retaliatory response to rocket fire originating from Syrian territory into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The strikes, which targeted multiple areas in the governorates of Quneitra, Daraa, and rural Damascus, mark a notable escalation in regional tensions as Syria’s government and its allies question the Israeli narrative and call for international intervention.
In a statement released on its official channels, the Israeli army said its fighter jets struck military positions belonging to the Syrian regime in southern Syria. The statement declared the Syrian government “responsible for all actions occurring on its territory” and warned that continued aggression from Syrian soil would carry consequences. “The Israel Defense Forces will act against any threat to the State of Israel,” the military said.
Israeli media earlier reported that two rockets had been fired from Syria toward the Golan Heights, prompting the retaliatory operation. The army specified that the strikes targeted sites used for weapons deployment and storage under the control of the Syrian armed forces.
According to Syria’s state-run Al-Ikhbariyah television, Israeli aircraft carried out raids on Tel al-Sha’ar in the countryside of Quneitra, the vicinity of Izraa in central Daraa, and the areas of Saasa and Kanaker in rural Damascus. Local reports indicate that the strikes resulted in both human and material losses, though precise casualty figures remain unconfirmed.
In response, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, condemning the attacks as a “flagrant violation” of Syrian sovereignty and dismissing Israel’s justification for the strikes. “We have not yet confirmed the reports of rocket fire toward Israeli territory,” the statement read, adding that “certain actors are seeking to destabilize the region in pursuit of their own interests.”
“Syria has never been, and will never be, a threat to any party in the region,” the ministry emphasized, reiterating the government’s position that its top priority in the south remains the reassertion of state authority and the dismantling of all unauthorized armed groups.
Damascus also called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and act to halt Israeli attacks, urging support for efforts to restore stability and peace across Syria and the broader region.
Tuesday’s confrontation underscores the fragile security dynamic along the Syrian-Israeli frontier, where cross-border incidents—whether accidental or strategic—continue to risk wider escalation. While Israel has routinely struck targets in Syria over the past decade, claiming to counter Iranian entrenchment and weapons transfers to Hezbollah, this latest episode adds a new layer of complexity as the Syrian government asserts its post-conflict sovereignty and seeks broader regional reintegration.
Whether the rocket fire was an isolated incident or a signal of shifting dynamics in southern Syria remains unclear. But with tensions simmering and retaliatory rhetoric mounting, both sides appear poised for further confrontation—leaving regional actors and international observers increasingly concerned about the prospects of a new flashpoint emerging in an already volatile landscape.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
