The Long-Term Effects of Israel's Syria Strikes

Israel’s persistent and escalating attacks – most notably the April 2025 strikes on targets adjacent to al-Shara’s presidential palace – look less preventative and more like an increasingly brazen attempt to goad Syria into a war. According to ACLED data, Israel launched 204 attacks on Syria causing 317 casualties between October 2023 and August 2024. Israeli attacks on Syria are not new, but their intensity is as Israeli bombings have at times occurred almost daily post-October 2023. From Israel’s perspective, a positive scenario in shaping Syria ’s future includes several key elements: the absence of the Iranian “axis of resistance” and its influence; a stable new regime that is not hostile to Israel and is even willing to hold diplomatic talks; and a functioning Syrian army capable of addressing threats from. Since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 Israeli military operations in Syria have escalated significantly, reaching fresh intensity in early 2025 . These operations have primarily targeted strategic military sites where groups linked to Iran and Hezbollah were present and active. Israeli airstrikes in Syria overnight between Wednesday and Thursday were aimed at striking “military capabilities that remained at the Syrian bases of Hama and T4, along with additional. Recent developments, including intensified Israeli airstrikes — reportedly numbering 480 between December 8 and December 10, 2024 — and territorial seizures by Israel , suggest a significant shift in the region’s dynamics. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), this unprecedented series of airstrikes has drastically altered the threat any future Syrian regime, including the newly emerging leadership of Hay ’ at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), could pose to Israel. As Syria struggles to rebuild after years of civil conflict, Israel ' s ongoing military actions are raising concerns about the long-term viability of the war - torn nation, experts say.