Israel's military actions inside Syria raise tensions

Heightened tensions and stalled reconciliation efforts between Israel and Syria are the results of recent Israeli military actions inside Syrian territory.

Last month, Qassim Hamadeh's village of Beit Jin in southwestern Syria was the site of a deadly raid. Hamadeh awoke to gunfire and explosions, and within hours, he had lost two sons, a daughter-in-law, and two grandsons, ages 4 and 10. They were among 13 villagers killed by Israeli forces that day.

According to Israel, its troops raided the village – as they have done before – to apprehend members of a militant group allegedly planning attacks against Israel. The Israeli military stated that militants fired upon the troops, wounding six soldiers, which led to return fire and air support.

That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. Hamadeh, like other Beit Jin residents, disputes Israel's claims of militant activity in the village. The villagers say they confronted the Israeli soldiers, who they viewed as invaders, and were met with tank and artillery fire, followed by a drone strike. The government in Damascus has called the incident a “massacre.”

The increased Israeli presence in Syria is adding to the tensions.

A possible thaw in relations between Israel and Syria seemed possible last December after Sunni Islamist-led rebels ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad, an ally of Iran, Israel’s main regional adversary.

Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, stated his desire to avoid conflict with Israel. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. Israel remained suspicious of al-Sharaa due to his militant background and his group's history of aligning with al-Qaida.

In response, Israeli forces mobilized into the U.N.-mandated buffer zone in southern Syria, adjacent to the Golan Heights, territory captured from Syria in 1967 and later annexed by Israel – a move not internationally recognized. Checkpoints and military installations, including on a hilltop overlooking Syria, were erected. Landing pads were also constructed on nearby Mt. Hermon. Reconnaissance drones frequently fly over Syrian towns, and residents report seeing Israeli tanks and Humvees patrolling the area.

Israel maintains that its presence is a temporary measure to clear out pro-Assad elements and militants, protecting Israel from attacks. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. there has been no indication of an imminent withdrawal. Talks between the two countries aimed at reaching a security agreement have so far been unproductive.

The ongoing situation in Lebanon, which borders both Israel and Syria, and the two-year war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, have fueled Syrian concerns that Israel intends to seize land in southern Syria permanently.

Despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that ended the latest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah over a year ago, Israeli forces maintain a presence in southern Lebanon. That war began a day after Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, with Hezbollah firing rockets into Israel in solidarity with Hamas. Israeli operations in Lebanon, which included widespread bombardment and a ground incursion, significantly weakened Hezbollah.

Currently, Israel controls five hilltop positions in southern Lebanon, conducts near-daily airstrikes against alleged Hezbollah targets, and flies reconnaissance drones over the country, sometimes carrying out overnight ground incursions.

In Gaza, where a U.S.-brokered truce has been implemented between Israel and Hamas, similar buffer zones under Israeli control are planned, even after Israel eventually withdraws from the majority of the territory it still occupies.

During a recent meeting in Doha, Qatar, al-Sharaa accused Israel of using fabricated threats to justify its aggressive actions. He stated that all countries support an Israeli withdrawal from Syria to pre-Assad lines, which he believes is the only way for both countries to achieve safety.

Since Assad's removal, the new leadership in Damascus has faced numerous challenges. Al-Sharaa’s government has struggled to implement a deal with Kurdish-led authorities in northeast Syria, and large parts of southern Sweida province are under the de facto control of the Druze religious minority, following clashes with local Bedouin clans in mid-July. Syrian government forces intervened, siding with the Bedouins, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths, mostly Druze. Approximately half of the world's one million Druze live in Syria. Most of the remainder live in Lebanon and Israel, including the Golan Heights.

Israel, which presents itself as a defender of the Druze, has also reached out to Kurds in Syria, despite criticism from many Syrian Druze regarding Israel's intentions.

Michael Young, Senior Editor at the Beirut-based Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, believes that Israel is pursuing a dangerous strategy. He added that it contradicts the positions of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and even the United States, which are all in agreement that a unified and fairly strong Syrian state is the desired outcome.

After visiting Israeli troops wounded in Beit Jin, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel seeks a “demilitarized buffer zone from Damascus to the (U.N.) buffer zone,” including Mt. Hermon. He added that an agreement with the Syrians is possible, but Israel will stand by its principles in any case.

Netanyahu's strategy has been met with international disapproval, including from Washington, which supports al-Sharaa's efforts to consolidate control across Syria.

Israel’s operations in southern Syria have even drawn public criticism from President Trump, who has taken al-Sharaa, once on Washington’s terror list, under his wing. Trump stated that it is important for Israel to maintain a strong dialogue with Syria and to avoid actions that could interfere with Syria's evolution into a prosperous state.

Syria is expected to be a topic of discussion when Netanyahu visits the U.S. to meet with Trump later this month.

Experts doubt that Israel will withdraw from Syria anytime soon, given the new government in Damascus has little leverage against Israel’s stronger military.

Issam al-Reiss, a military advisor with the Syrian research group ETANA, said that setting up landing pads suggests a long-term presence.

Hamadeh, the laborer from Beit Jin, said he can no longer bear the situation after losing five family members. He stated that Israel strikes, destroys, and kills at will, without being held accountable.