Israel's Airport Bombings In Syria: What We Know

On October 22, 2023, Israeli airstrikes targeted two Syrian international airports in Damascus and Aleppo, causing material damage and casualties, and forcing flights to be diverted to Latakia. This marked the second time Syrian airports were hit during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, with Israel expressing concerns about Iran potentially using Syrian airports to move military assets. The strikes on Syrian airports are believed to be preemptive actions by Israel to counter threats by Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant organization based in Lebanon, which has exchanged fire with Israel in recent weeks.

Israel's strikes on Damascus airport

Israel has been accused of striking airports in Syria, including Damascus International Airport. Syrian state media reported that, on 22 October 2023, Israeli air raids targeted the airports in Damascus and Aleppo, putting them out of service for the second time in two weeks. The strikes led to the death of a civilian worker at Damascus airport and wounded another. The Syrian army stated that its air defences intercepted Israeli missiles flying from the Golan Heights, resulting in only material losses. However, the extent of the damage to Damascus International Airport, the country's biggest civilian airport, was not disclosed.

Israel has not publicly confirmed responsibility for the attacks on the airports. However, Israel has for years carried out strikes against what it describes as Iranian-linked targets in Syria, including against Aleppo and Damascus airports. Israel launched the first air strikes on the two main airports in Syria shortly after the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, as it is concerned about new fronts being opened in the deadly conflict. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated that Israel is concerned that Iran could be utilising the airports to move military assets and use them against Israel.

The strikes on the airports in Syria occurred amid the Israel-Hamas war, which began in October 2023. During this conflict, Israel has conducted intense attacks on Gaza, resulting in the deaths of about 4,400 people, including many women and children. The Syrian government's invitation of Iranian officers to serve as military advisors since 2011 has further escalated tensions in the region.

In addition to the attacks on airports, Israel conducted an airstrike on the Iranian embassy complex in Damascus, Syria, on 1 April 2024, destroying the building housing its consular section. Sixteen people were killed in the strike, including Iranian and Syrian civilians and military personnel. The attack took place during heightened tensions between Israel and Iran and amidst the Israel-Hamas war and the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

Israel's strikes on Aleppo airport

Israel has carried out strikes on Syria's Aleppo International Airport, with the most recent one occurring on 25 October 2023. This was the fourth strike on the airport in a fortnight, according to the Syrian defence ministry. The runway was targeted, and the airport was put out of service.

The Israeli strikes on Aleppo airport are part of a series of air raids on Syrian airports and air bases, including Damascus International Airport. These raids are an escalation of a low-intensity conflict with the goal of curbing Iran's increasing influence in Syria. Iran has expanded its military presence in Syria and has a foothold in most state-controlled areas, as well as command over thousands of militia and paramilitary group members, according to Western intelligence sources.

Israel rarely comments on individual strikes in Syria, but it has stated that it will not allow Iran, an arch-foe that backs the Assad government, to expand its presence in the country. Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria over more than a decade, primarily targeting Iranian-sponsored weapons transfers, personnel deployments, and Hezbollah fighters.

The strikes on Aleppo airport have had significant impacts, including disrupting humanitarian aid shipments to the region. The airport in Aleppo had suffered widespread destruction during Syria's civil war and was again heavily damaged in a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in February 2023. The Syrian transport ministry was forced to reroute flights carrying aid for those affected by the earthquake to other airports in the region.

The Israel-Syria-Hezbollah triangle

Israel has repeatedly targeted airports in Syria, including in Damascus and Aleppo, amid its conflict with Hamas. This is due to concerns about Iran potentially utilising Syrian airports to move military assets against Israel. This conflict is part of a broader Middle Eastern crisis, with Israel also engaging in hostilities with Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite political party and paramilitary group backed by Iran.

Hezbollah has been a key player in the region, receiving Iranian funding to fight the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. It justifies its attacks on Israel by citing allegations of Lebanese prisoners in Israel and continued Israeli control of the Shebaa Farms region. The elimination of Israel has been a primary goal for Hezbollah since its inception.

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated in October 2023, with Hezbollah launching rockets and artillery at Israeli positions in solidarity with Palestinians following the Hamas attack on Israel. Israel retaliated with drone strikes, airstrikes, and artillery shells, causing extensive displacement in both Israel and Lebanon.

The conflict has resulted in casualties on both sides, with thousands of people displaced and infrastructure damaged. A ceasefire agreement was reached in November 2024, requiring Hezbollah to move its fighters away from the Israeli border. However, tensions remain high, and the complex dynamics between Israel, Syria, and Hezbollah continue to shape the broader Middle Eastern crisis.

Syria's historical stance on Israel

Syria and Israel have had a tumultuous relationship since the establishment of Israel in 1948, with the two countries engaging in several wars and conflicts over the years. Syria has never recognised Israel as a legitimate state and does not accept Israeli passports as valid for entry into Syrian territory. Israel, in turn, regards Syria as a hostile state and generally prohibits its citizens from travelling there. The two countries have never established formal diplomatic relations and have had virtually no economic or cultural ties.

One of the main issues separating the two countries is the dispute over the Golan Heights, which has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. Syria has sought to regain control of the Golan Heights, while Israel has refused to relinquish its claim to the territory. This dispute has been a major obstacle in peace negotiations between the two countries.

In recent years, the Syrian Civil War, which began in 2011, has further strained relations between Syria and Israel. Israel has intervened in the conflict, carrying out airstrikes and other military operations against Iranian and Hezbollah forces within Syria. Israel has also provided humanitarian aid to victims of the Syrian Civil War through operations such as Operation Good Neighbor.

While Israel has officially maintained a neutral stance in the Syrian Civil War, it has expressed a preference for regime change in Syria, believing that the departure of Bashar al-Assad from power is preferable. However, Israel is concerned about the potential for Iranian influence in any new government that could emerge in Syria. Overall, the complex history and ongoing tensions between Syria and Israel continue to shape their relationship today.

The evolving relationship between Hezbollah and Syria

The relationship between Hezbollah and Syria has been characterised by resilience amid shifting power dynamics. Both sides have pursued their own political priorities with little regard for the other's interests, and their relationship has been defined at various points by mutual distrust and conflicting goals.

Hezbollah has long been an ally of the Ba'ath government of Syria, ruled by the Al-Assad family. Hezbollah has served as a strategic arm of Iran in the region, playing a key role in the Iran-Israel and Iran-Saudi Arabia proxy conflicts. During the Lebanese Civil War, Syria's ties with Iran and role in the conflict allowed Hezbollah's rise to power. However, as Hezbollah's influence expanded, it came at the expense of Syria's local Shia ally. After the civil war ended in 1990, Hezbollah acquiesced to Syrian control, and its attention turned to fighting Israel's military occupation of southern Lebanon.

In 2005, Syrian forces withdrew from Lebanon, making Hezbollah the primary decision-maker on the ground for the Syria-Hezbollah-Iran alliance. Hezbollah's main concern became safeguarding its weapons, guaranteeing a leading role in national politics, and protecting Iranian and Syrian interests against the United States and its allies. In 2011, Hezbollah began operating in Syria on a limited and clandestine basis, and in 2012, it openly intervened in the Syrian Civil War, actively supporting Syrian government forces and deploying troops. By 2013, Hezbollah fighters were operating openly and in significant numbers across the border, enabling the regime to regain control of rebel-held areas and improving the effectiveness of pro-regime forces.

Hezbollah's involvement in Syria has had a significant impact, both on the battlefield and in Lebanon, where growing sectarian tensions have undermined security and stability. The group's role has been critical in defeating Syrian rebels and has strengthened its position in the region. However, its image in the Arab world, especially in Syria and Lebanon, has been tarnished due to its sectarian activities during the Syrian Civil War.

Since 2015, the Assad regime has used Russia's military support to rebalance its relationship with Hezbollah and curb the party's encroachment on Syrian society. Russia's intervention in 2015 injected a new variable into the Syrian regime's dealings with Hezbollah and Iran, giving the regime an opportunity to reassert itself and reverse its marginalisation. As the war comes to a close, Syria hopes to further rebalance its relationship with Hezbollah by exploiting Russia's presence and returning to the ties that existed before the war.

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