The Israeli military conducted a series of airstrikes on Tuesday, targeting government forces in Syria and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. This escalation is part of Israel's efforts to secure its northern border.
The strikes in Syria marked a rare intervention against the new government, which is led by former Islamist rebels who ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad in December. Israel's actions followed days of deadly sectarian clashes in the southern region of Sweida, which began with confrontations between Bedouin groups and militias from the Druse minority.
In response to the violence, the Syrian government deployed forces to the Sweida area to restore order. However, these forces became involved in clashes with local Druse fighters, prompting Israel to carry out airstrikes over two consecutive days targeting government fighters.
Israel maintains close ties with its own Druse minority and has pledged to protect Druse communities in neighboring Syria. The recent clashes resulted in numerous casualties and represent the latest instance of sectarian violence in Syria, a country still grappling with the aftermath of a nearly 14-year civil war.
On Tuesday, the Syrian government and local Druse leaders reached an agreement to end the violence. Nonetheless, influential Druse leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri accused Syrian government forces of shelling the city of Sweida and urged local fighters to confront government security forces.
Syria’s defense minister, Murhaf Abu Qasra, subsequently announced that a full cease-fire had been established.
Since the Assad regime's fall seven months ago, Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes in Syria and has seized Syrian territory, citing the need to prevent hostile forces from establishing a presence near its borders. Recently, the Syrian government has initiated diplomatic contacts with Israel, seeking to mitigate tensions and violence with U.S. mediation.
In Lebanon, Israel's airstrikes targeted what it described as Hezbollah positions in the Bekaa Valley, a region that strongly supports the Iran-backed group. These attacks are part of an escalating campaign against Hezbollah, aimed at pressuring the group to disarm.
Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, stated that the airstrikes served as "a clear message" to both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government, indicating that Israel would respond with "maximum force" to any attempts by Hezbollah to restore its military capabilities.
Hezbollah is currently facing increasing pressure from the U.S. and Israel to disarm, a key requirement of a fragile cease-fire agreement signed in November that concluded Lebanon's deadliest war in decades.