New Israeli air strikes hit south of Damascus
The Israeli military has carried out more attacks on Syrian soil despite mounting condemnation from across the region.
New air strikes hit the town of al-Kiswah, south of Damascus, Syrian state media reported. There was no immediate confirmation on casualties or damage, but the target was reportedly a military base.
The Israeli army has hit Syria with about two dozen attacks in the past day, while its soldiers have expanded a ground invasion of the country. Israel bombed Syria frequently when the country was governed by President Bashar al-Assad, targeting the foothold established by his ally Iran during the civil war.
Syria accuses Israel of deadly ‘destabilization’ campaign
Syria has accused Israel of mounting a deadly “destabilization” effort after a wave of air strikes on military targets, including an airport, and a ground incursion killed at least 13 people.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said the dead were local fighters killed “while attempting to confront Israeli forces following calls by mosques in the area for jihad against the Israeli incursion”.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry said the strikes resulted in “near-total destruction” of a military airport in the central province of Hama that wounded dozens of civilians and soldiers.
“This unjustified escalation is a deliberate attempt to destabilize Syria and exacerbate the suffering of its people,” it said in a statement on Telegram.
Turkiye accuses Israel of ‘expansionist policies’
Israel must withdraw from Syria and stop harming stabilisation efforts there, Turkiye says.
“Israel has become the greatest threat to regional security” and is a “strategic destabiliser causing chaos and feeding terrorism”, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“Therefore, in order to establish security throughout the region, Israel must first abandon its expansionist policies, withdraw from the territories it occupies, and stop undermining efforts to establish stability in Syria,” it said.
“There was no provocation or assault directed at Israel from the Syrian field. These simultaneous attacks demonstrate a foreign policy understanding that thrives on conflict.”
