New Damascus rulers’ passivity has strengthened Israel’s covetous eye on Syria
Israel is seeking to expand settlements in the Golan
TEHRAN – For decades the Israeli regime has pursued specific military and strategic goals in Syria.
Following the illegal occupation of Syria’s Golan Heights in 1967 and annexing two-thirds of the territory in 1981 (a move not recognized under international law), the regime had always sought to destabilize Syria.
Under former Presidents Hafez and Bashar al-Assad, Syria, with a strong army, served as a staunch supporter of Hezbollah and the Palestinian resistance movement in Gaza.
Former Syrian governments also refused to sever ties with the anti-Israeli resistance groups despite many Western offers to do so.
The collapse of the Syrian army in December 2024 following a decade-old battle with terrorists and foreign-armed militant groups, coupled with U.S. occupation and sanctions have provided a golden ticket for the Israeli military to expand the domains of its occupation of Syria.
The new government in Syria, a mix of armed groups that battled the former Syrian Arab Army, has shown little appetite to issue statements to condemn Israel’s expanding occupation and aggression in Syria, let alone resist the occupiers.
That has raised major question marks about Israel’s long-term intentions.
Apart from capturing the entire Golan Heights and expanding its occupation to southern parts of Syria, the Israeli regime is looking to consolidate and prolong its grip on the Syrian territory.
This is while Israel has maintained an aggressive military posture bombing 80% of Syrian military assets.
The prolonged instability in Syria has aligned with Israeli interests to ensure the Arab state remains fragmented and unable to pose a threat to Tel Aviv or support the resistance groups against the regime.
Israel seeks to exploit a much weaker Syria after the fall of Assad.
The regime also seeks to expand its goal of regional insecurity, using Syrian land as a hub, something consecutive Israeli governments had only dreamt of.
Another objective for Israel is to expand settlements in the Golan. The absence of a strong central Syrian authority has provided the regime with an opportunity to accelerate settlement construction in the occupied Golan Heights.
By integrating the Golan further into Israeli economy and infrastructure, Israel could solidify its de facto control, making any future negotiation over the territory increasingly difficult.
Without a unified government in Damascus to resist the ever-growing occupation, the Israelis could exploit a weaker Syria to strengthen its deterrence strategy and expand its military footprint, not only in the Golan but potentially in other strategically important areas in southern Syria.
Israeli ambitions in Syria are also shaped by the positions of its staunchest ally, Washington. The United States has historically supported illegal Israeli actions in Syria.
Washington’s recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights further emboldens Israeli plans to entrench its occupation and further destabilize the region.
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