The leader of the Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Ahmed al-Sharaa, has spoken for the first time about Israeli military operations in Syria. Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, stated he wants to avoid unnecessary conflicts, describing Syria as exhausted.
He accused Israel of using false pretenses to justify its attacks, as Syria focuses on rebuilding after the fall of the Assad regime. HTS took control of much of Syria a week ago, ending the Assad dictatorship.
Israel claims its attacks aim to prevent weapons from reaching extremists, having bombed numerous sites in Syria. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar noted targets included chemical weapon storage and missile sites.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 446 Israeli air strikes since HTS took power, including 61 last night targeting missile storage near Damascus and Hama’s military airfield. Following HTS’s takeover, the Israeli army entered the buffer zone with Syria, citing security concerns for the occupied Golan Heights.
Israel’s presence in the zone, established in the 1970s, was defended by Prime Minister Netanyahu as necessary due to regime changes in Syria. Israel maintains it does not intend to remain in the buffer zone.
Source: NOS