Israeli Military Strikes Targets in Southern Syria
On March 20, Xinhua News Agency reported from Jerusalem (reporters Feng Guorui and Pang Xinyi) that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement saying that on the same day, they carried out strikes against military infrastructure related to the Syrian transitional government in southern Syria.
The statement indicated that the targets of the IDF included a military command center and an arms depot located in southern Syria. The IDF claimed that this strike was in response to the attack on Druze civilians in southern Syria on the 19th.
After the dramatic changes in the Syrian political situation in December 2024, Israel, citing "self-defense," deployed troops to occupy the Golan Heights buffer zone and further encroach on adjacent areas, insisting that it would only withdraw its forces after reaching a new agreement with the Syrian side to "ensure Israel's security." Israel is also seeking to cooperate with the Druze, who make up the majority of the population in southern Syria's Suwayda Province, to establish a so-called "defensive zone" in southern Syria, and has publicly demanded the "complete demilitarization" of Suwayda and the other two provinces in southern Syria.
Israeli Defense Forces conducted airstrikes on military infrastructure in southern Syria on March 20, 2024, targeting a military command center and a weapons depot. This action was in response to an attack on Druze civilians the previous day. Israel aims to establish a 'defensive zone' in southern Syria and has occupied the Golan Heights buffer zone since December 2024.
- Israeli Defense Forces struck military infrastructure in southern Syria on March 20, 2024.
- Targets included a military command center and a weapons depot.
- The strikes were in response to an attack on Druze civilians on March 19, 2024.
- Israel claims the strikes are part of self-defense measures.
- Israel seeks to establish a 'defensive zone' in southern Syria in cooperation with the Druze population.