Reports indicate that Israel has conducted over 300 airstrikes on Syria since the fall of Assad’s regime.

Israeli warplanes have reportedly carried out over 310 airstrikes across Syria, including in the capital, Damascus, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). These strikes have targeted various Syrian military sites, including weapon storage facilities, ammunition depots, airports, naval bases, and research centers. Israel asserts that these actions are aimed at preventing weapons from falling into the hands of extremists as Syria enters a post-Assad phase.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that Israeli airstrikes have targeted various locations across Aleppo, Damascus, and Hama, with more than 60 of these strikes occurring overnight between Monday and Tuesday. Many of the facilities struck have not just been damaged but entirely destroyed. Rami Abdul Rahman, SOHR’s founder, stated that the strikes have wiped out “all the capabilities of the Syrian army,” describing the situation as a violation of Syrian territory.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) denied reports suggesting their troops had entered Syrian territory, refuting claims of tanks near Damascus as “false.” An IDF spokesperson confirmed that Israeli troops remain within the buffer zone, as previously stated.

On Monday, the Israeli military released images of its forces crossing from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights into Syria’s demilitarized buffer zone, where UN peacekeepers are stationed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explained that the IDF’s seizure of Syrian positions in the zone was a “temporary defensive position until a suitable arrangement is found.” He added, “We aim to establish peaceful relations with the new forces emerging in Syria, but if not, we will take whatever actions necessary to protect Israel and its borders.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, when asked about the IDF strikes on Monday night, emphasized that Israel’s primary concern is defending its citizens. “That’s why we target strategic weapons systems, such as remaining chemical weapons or long-range missiles and rockets, to prevent them from falling into the hands of extremists,” he stated.

On the same day, the UN’s chemical weapons watchdog urged Syrian authorities to ensure the security of suspected chemical weapon stockpiles. While the exact number and locations of Syria’s chemical weapons remain unclear, it is believed that former President Bashar al-Assad had kept such stockpiles.

The Israeli strikes follow the capture of Syria’s capital, Damascus, by Syrian rebel forces over the weekend, which led to the toppling of Assad’s regime. Assad and his father had been in power since 1971. Forces led by the Islamist opposition group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) entered Damascus in the early hours of Sunday and appeared on state television to declare that Syria was now “free.”