Israel eyes pre‑emptive strike amid Syrian chemical weapon fears
Israel is concerned that Syrian rebels or pro-Iranian militias might seize the chemical weapons arsenal, posing a serious threat to the country, reports "Haaretz."
Israeli authorities worry about the possibility of the Syrian chemical weapons stockpile falling into the hands of rebels or pro-Iranian groups, which could significantly threaten Israel's security. The "Haaretz" portal mentions that the Israeli army is contemplating a pre-emptive strike if this threat becomes imminent.
A surprise offensive by Syrian rebels has heightened concerns within Israeli military circles. Israeli intelligence suggests that President Bashar al-Assad's position is weakening, with Iran taking advantage by sending tens of thousands of fighters to Syria, supported by Russia. Currently, there are about 40,000 members of Iranian military groups in Syria.
Following a truce with Hezbollah, the Israeli army has been regularly carrying out operations on the Syria-Lebanon border to prevent weapon smuggling to Hezbollah. Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, emphasized in an interview with Sky News that Israel is closely monitoring the situation in Syria and has identified arms shipments sent by Iran. "Syria belongs to the Syrians," Hagari stressed, adding that Israel will act to prevent arms smuggling to Hezbollah.
Threat from chemical weapons
An international investigation by the OPCW found that Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons at least three times, including sarin and chlorine. These attacks occurred, among others, in 2017 on the city of Ltamenah. BBC reports indicate that between 2013 and 2018, Assad deployed chemical weapons at least 106 times. In the Ghouta attack, between 355 and 1,821 people were killed. Israeli officials worry that if the al-Assad regime collapses, international terrorist organizations could control areas near the Israeli border, creating a new threat to the country.
