Israel’s policy toward Syria is built on three pillars: occupation, destabilization and coercion. Its efforts to entrench this occupation are particularly evident in southern Syria and the Golan Heights. In these areas, Israel not only maintains a military presence in violation of international law but also conducts repeated airstrikes that perpetuate instability.
Israel’s campaign of occupation and destabilization in southern Syria has never truly ceased. Whenever the issue of ending Israel’s occupation or military presence is raised, the government in Tel Aviv responds with threats of military action against Damascus. Indeed, Jabal al-Sheikh, overlooking the Syrian capital, remains under Israeli occupation. Through this strategy, Israel uses the threat of further military escalation to pressure Damascus into tolerating its continued illegal military presence in Syria.
Looking back, Israel’s military campaign against Syria intensified dramatically after Dec. 8, 2024, with Israeli warplanes striking targets across virtually the entire country. The pace of these attacks declined somewhat beginning in January 2026. That month, Syrian and Israeli officials, under U.S. mediation, signed an agreement covering intelligence sharing, military de-escalation and economic cooperation in Paris.
