Wed Feb 26 03:50:28 UTC 2025: ## Israel Launches Air Strikes in Southern Syria After Netanyahu’s Demilitarization Call
**Jerusalem, February 26, 2025** – Israel carried out air strikes on military sites in southern Syria on Tuesday, targeting weapons and command centers, according to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The strikes followed a statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday demanding the complete demilitarization of southern Syria, citing concerns about the presence of forces from the new Islamist-led government and the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group near the Israeli border.
At least two people were killed in the strikes, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, although it was unable to confirm their identities. The IDF statement asserted that the presence of military forces and assets in southern Syria poses a threat to Israeli citizens.
The strikes targeted multiple locations, including a military unit’s headquarters southwest of Damascus and a military position in Daraa province, specifically Tell al-Hara, a strategically important hilltop. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported hearing loud explosions and witnessing warplanes over Damascus.
Participants in Syria’s national dialogue conference condemned Netanyahu’s statements and called on the international community to pressure Israel to cease its aggression. The strikes come after Israel’s increased military presence in the UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights following the recent change in Syrian leadership. Israel seized much of the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and later annexed it, a move largely unrecognized internationally. Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces will remain indefinitely in the buffer zone to protect Israeli communities. Israel has conducted numerous air strikes in Syria throughout its civil war, primarily targeting Iranian-linked groups.
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