Syrian conflict escalates: Israel poised for pre‑emptive action
Israel fears that Syrian rebels or pro-Iranian militias may seize the chemical weapons arsenal, which would pose a serious threat to the country, reports "Haaretz."
Israeli authorities are concerned about the possibility of the Syrian chemical weapons stockpile being taken over by rebels or pro-Iranian militias. Such a situation could pose a serious threat to Israel's security. The "Haaretz" portal reports that the Israeli army is considering the possibility of a pre-emptive strike if the threat becomes real.
An unexpected offensive by Syrian rebels has raised concerns in Israeli military circles. Israeli intelligence indicates that the position of President Bashar al-Assad is weakening, which Iran is exploiting by sending tens of thousands of fighters to Syria with the support of Russia. Currently, there are approximately 40,000 members of Iranian military groups in Syria.
Following a truce with Hezbollah, the Israeli army regularly conducts operations on the Syria-Lebanon border to prevent the smuggling of weapons to Hezbollah. Israel Defence Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari emphasised in an interview with Sky News that Israel monitors the situation in Syria and has identified weapons shipments sent by Iran. "Syria belongs to the Syrians," Hagari emphasised, adding that Israel will take action to prevent arms smuggling to Hezbollah.
Threat from chemical weapons
An international investigation by the OPCW revealed that Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons at least three times, including sarin and chlorine. These attacks occurred, among others, in 2017 in the city of Ltamenah. The BBC reports that from 2013 to 2018, Assad used chemical weapons at least 106 times. In the Ghouta attack, between 355 and 1,821 people were killed. Israeli officials fear that in the event of the collapse of the al-Assad regime, international terrorist organisations could take control of areas near the Israeli border, posing a new threat to the country.
