On the 17th local time, in the western rural areas of Soudan Province in southern Syria, a conflict between local tribes and Druze armed groups occurred once again. From the evening of the 17th to the early hours of the 18th, Israeli forces launched another airstrike on Soudan Province.
Due to the current Syrian regime’s prohibition against travel to Damascus,
on the 17th, telephone contact was made with residents of Soudan City, Adham, who described the current situation in the city.
Reporters from the station interviewed Adham, a resident of Soudan City, who stated that water and electricity are currently out in the city, and mobile phone signals are sporadic.
Adham said that residents are still inspecting their destroyed homes, and streets are covered with burned-out houses and vehicles.
The casualty statistics caused by the conflict are still unclear. Meanwhile, kidnapping incidents are frequent, leaving many family members missing. The call ended abruptly, and Adham mentioned that there is no electricity in Soudan City, and he would accept an interview after finding power. However, he has not been able to reach him since then.
Israel’s Airstrikes in Syria Stir Up US Plans?
Israel has launched multiple days of attacks on Syria, raising concerns about escalating tensions between Israel and Syria. Middle Eastern experts believe that the Israeli government’s military strikes against the Syrian regime have multiple considerations both domestically and internationally. However, under the backdrop of the US government promoting normalization of relations between Israel and Arab countries,
Israel’s military actions may put the US in an awkward position.
Israel intervened in the armed conflict in southern Syria under the pretext of “protecting Syrian Druze people.”
Israel Seeks to Use Druze Quarter as a Security Barrier
Syrian political analyst Khalid al-Khalil stated that protecting the Druze quarter is merely a rhetorical excuse for Israel’s militarized actions. The primary goal is to isolate the Druze quarter from the Syrian regime, using it as a geographical and demographic barrier, thereby strengthening Israel’s control over the Golan Heights and seeking its own security interests.
Qatar’s Al Jazeera website analyzed that the Netanyahu government could leverage its actions against Syria to achieve new military victories, thereby alleviating internal governance pressures.
The New York Times website believes that the Netanyahu government has turned foreign warfare into a tool for maintaining the ruling coalition and achieving its own political objectives.
US Initiates Military Actions Against Syria to Serve Its Strategic Objectives in the Middle East
To serve the strategic goals of supporting Israel and containing Iran, the US government is currently vigorously promoting the normalization of relations between Israel and Arab countries such as Syria.
In May this year, President Trump met with Syrian regime leader Ahmed Salah after which he declared that Syria was willing to respond to its demands and achieve normalization with Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said at the end of June that Israel is open to establishing diplomatic relations with Lebanon and the Syrian regime, but explicitly rejected the withdrawal of the Golan Heights. In early July, Syrian media quoted Syrian regime sources saying that discussing normalization between Israel and Syria is premature under the current Israeli stance.
Syrian political analyst Abdullah Hamad believes that
Israel intends to use this military action to impose “coercive peace” on the Syrian regime
by forcing it to relinquish important demands such as the Golan Heights during future negotiations on normalizing relations between the two countries.
A CNN analysis article suggests that amidst the US attempt to promote adjustments in Israel-Syria relations,
the ongoing attacks by Israel on Syria will complicate the US’s attempts to orchestrate its Middle Eastern strategy.
The Economist in the UK stated that Israel’s “assertiveness” will only exacerbate the situation between Syria and Israel, making it difficult for both countries to achieve reconciliation as desired by the US within a short period.