Israeli military incursions into Syria have reached about 26 miles southwest of Damascus, Syrian security sources said on Tuesday, after Israel captured a buffer zone in southern Syria and began airstrikes against Syrian army and air bases overnight. Announced.
Israel's military operation in Syria comes two days after the surprise overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad by a rebel alliance left the Syrian people, regional countries and world powers wondering what would happen next.
Syrian security sources said Israeli forces had arrived in Qatana. Katana is located about nine miles inside Syrian territory, east of the Demilitarized Zone that separates Syria from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The Israeli military declined to comment.
Israel has not been involved in the Syrian conflict, insisting that its occupation of the buffer zone is a defensive measure.
Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia condemned the invasion. Saudi Arabia said the move “undermines any chance of restoring security in Syria.”
Heavy Israeli airstrikes against military installations and air bases across Syria continued throughout the night, with dozens of helicopters and jets attacking targets in and around Damascus, regional security sources and officers in the now-defunct Syrian army said. Republican Guard assets were also destroyed.
A rough tally of 200 raids left no Syrian military assets, they said.
Israel said the airstrikes would continue for several days, but told the U.N. Security Council it was not intervening in the Syrian conflict. He said he had taken “limited and temporary measures” solely to protect safety.
The U.N. Security Council met behind closed doors late Monday, but diplomats said they were disappointed in the quick 12-day toppling of Assad after years of stalemate in the 13-year civil war. He also said he was shocked.
“Everyone was surprised, including members of parliament. Therefore, we have to wait and see and assess how the situation will develop,” Russia's UN Ambassador Vasily Neventsia said. spoke to reporters after the meeting.
Russia played a major role in supporting the Assad regime and helping fight the rebels. The Syrian leader fled Damascus for Moscow on Sunday, ending more than 50 years of brutal rule by his family.
With celebrations still in the air in Damascus, Assad's Prime Minister Mohammad Jalali agreed on Monday to hand over power to a rebel-led rescue government based in rebel-held areas of northwestern Syria.
hollowed out
The rebels' main commander, Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, met with Jalali and Vice President Faisal Mekdad to discuss an interim government, people familiar with the discussions said. told Reuters. Jalali said the extradition could take several days to carry out.
Al-Jazeera TV reported that Mohamed Al-Bashir, who led the rescue government, will head the transitional authority.
The strong advance of the militia alliance led by the former al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) marks a generational turning point for the Middle East.
The civil war that began in 2011 has killed hundreds of thousands of people, sparked the biggest refugee crisis of modern times, left cities in ruins from bombings, rural areas depopulated and economies hollowed out by global sanctions.
However, the rebel alliance has not communicated its plans for Syria's future, and there is no template for such a transition in this troubled region.
Oil prices rose more than 1% on Monday, analysts said, partly due to concerns that instability in Syria, which is not a major oil producer, could escalate tensions in the region.
“This is an incredible moment for the Syrian people,” U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood said in New York. “We are now focused on determining how the situation will play out. Will there be a governing authority in Syria that respects the rights and dignity of the Syrian people?”
The United States is seeking ways to engage with the Syrian rebels and is reaching out to regional partners such as Turkey to begin informal diplomacy, Washington said.
Qatari diplomats met with HTS on Monday, an official briefed on the development told Reuters, as regional countries scrambled to make contact with the group.
There were temporary signs that order was being restored. Syrian banks are scheduled to reopen on Tuesday, and the oil ministry called on all employees in the sector to come to work on Tuesday, adding that protection will be provided to ensure their safety.
Reuters reporters witnessed four small buses carrying staff arriving at the Central Bank of Syria for their first shift since the fall of the Assad regime, disembarking and entering the building.
“It's a new change, a new day, a new year, a new life,” said Sumaira Al Muqri.
Golani has vowed to rebuild Syria, and HTS has spent years trying to soften its image to reassure foreign and Syrian minorities.
However, fear of retaliation remained. HTS said it will not hesitate to hold accountable security and military officials involved in torturing Syrian citizens as criminals and murderers.
“We will publish a list containing the names of top officials involved in the torture of Syrian citizens,” Golani said in a statement. “Rewards are available for those who provide information about military and security officials involved in war crimes.''
HTS has been designated a terrorist organization by many countries and the United Nations, and its governance status is uncertain.
“The Syrian people expect to establish a state of freedom, equality, rule of law and democracy, and we will rebuild the country, rebuild what was destroyed, and rebuild the future of Syria, a better future. “We will join efforts to improve the situation in Syria,” the UN said. Ambassador Kousei al-Dahak told reporters.
