On February 25, Israeli warplanes struck a town south of Damascus, striking the town of Kisweh approximately 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Syria’s capital.

/Additional Israeli air raids hit Daraa, another town in the southern province, with at least four airstrikes, igniting a fire at an arms depot.

The Israeli forces said in a statement that it attacked military targets including headquarters and sites which it said contained weapons.

The bombing came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded the complete demilitarisation of southern Syria, stating that Israeli troops would remain in the area for an “indefinite” period.

After Assad’s ousting, Israel advanced into an UN-monitored demilitarized zone in Syria, breaching the 1974 disengagement agreement.

The recent Israeli incursion has been met with anger from the local Syrian population in Damascus, where protesters took to streets to demand retaliation from the Syrian authority.

Although Israeli authorities claim their actions are intended to prevent hostile forces from establishing a foothold near their borders, analysts say that this strategy could backfire.

The Al Sharaa government’s continued silence might create space for emerging insurgent groups to turn their focus on Israel.

“Israel’s Iron Fist approach has been a guarantee for decades of protracted conflicts and violent non-state actors,” says Andreas Krieg, a security expert from King’s College London. He says that the situation could escalate into “a second Lebanon scenario, where the border is very insecure.”

So far, Syria’s response to the recent Israeli bombing has been one of condemnation without military escalation.

Ahmed Al Sharaa, Syria’s de facto leader, has denounced Israel’s repeated attacks but maintains that Syria, given its current situation, cannot afford to engage in a new conflict.

Although Israel cites security threats to justify its occupation of Syrian territory, many view its actions as part of a broader strategy to reshape Syria’s internal dynamics and expand its regional influence.

Recent reports indicate that Israeli officials have already initiated engagement with Syrian Druze leaders in the occupied Golan Heights, whom Israeli officials, including Netanyahu and Katz, described as part of the “friendly populations in the region.”

As part of its ongoing strategy to cultivate support for its de facto rule in the region, Israeli authorities have already introduced employment programs targeting the Syrian Druze community in the region, offering wages of approximately $100 per day for labour in construction as well as agriculture.

Violating buffer zones

The Golan Heights, a territory in southern Syria that spreads over 1,800 square km has been illegally annexed by Israel since 1981.

A UN Security Council Resolution 497 states that the Golan Heights remains Syrian territory under international law despite Israel’s annexation.

Israeli forces’ advancement into the United Nations-monitored buffer zone adjacent to the occupied Golan Heights began following Assad’s fall in December 2024.

Since then, Israel has also seized additional territories within the Quneitra Governorate, an area that lies in a UN-patrolled buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights.

This included strategic locations such as Mount Hermon and several villages like Jubata al-Khashab and Hader.

Satellite imagery indicates that Israel has constructed seven military installations between Mount Hermon and Tel Kodna, featuring soldier barracks and logistical support facilities.

Despite Israel’s attempts to present itself as an ally, local residents have overwhelmingly rejected its presence, viewing it as an extension of occupation.

When Israel advanced into Quneitra, residents reported feeling frustrated, both by the Israeli advances and by the lack of action from Syria’s new authorities and the international community. 

Local resistance

Efforts to resist have also been met with force.

In the village of Rafid, located within the buffer zone, the Israeli military demolished two civilian homes, a grove of trees, and a former Syrian army outpost.

When Israeli officers attempted to present themselves as allies, the village’s mayor, Omar Mahmoud Ismail, rejected their overtures outright.

“I am your friend,” an Israeli officer told him.

“I told him, ‘You are not my friend,’” Ismail recounted. 

“If you were, you wouldn’t enter like this.”