Escalating Tensions: Israeli Strikes in Syria, Shifting Regional Dynamics

By Abigail Bedard

The effects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continue to extend into the wider region and beyond. In an uncharacteristic move, the Israeli government took credit for recent airstrikes in Syria. It has been noted that the Israel does not typically respond to claims regarding its actions in Syria; however, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) recently issued a statement via X, detailing the military operation: 

Two IDF strikes were recently carried out in Syria: Ahmad Al-Jabr, a terrorist in Hezbollah’s ‘Golan Terrorist Network’, Hezbollah’s terror cell in Syria, was eliminated in the area of Quneitra. Additionally, in the area of Al Rafeed in southern Syria, the IDF struck a terrorist who advanced terrorist activities against the State of Israel and operated with Iranian cooperation and direction. 

Syria’s state news agency released a statement blaming Israel for the attacks nearly a week before the IDF took credit for the strikes. In a letter released on Friday, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar thanked Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah for his support in the war with Israel. Sinwar commended Hezbollah’s military efforts, stating, “Your blessed actions have expressed your solidarity on the fronts of the Axis of Resistance, supporting and engaging in the battle”. The “Axis of Resistance” is an Iranian-lead network of militant groups that include Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and several Shi’ite groups in Iraq and Syria. Whether this praise might invoke further action on the part of Hezbollah is yet to be seen.

To the Southwest, Israel and Egypt have remained at odds over the fate of the Philadelphi corridor, a narrow strip of land along Gaza’s border with Egypt.  The IDF took control of the corridor back in May and insist they must maintain control, citing claims that Hamas uses tunnels into Egypt to smuggle weapons. Egypt has strongly refuted these claims, stating that it sealed and destroyed these tunnels on the Egyptian side of the border nearly 10 years ago.  Egypt maintains that Israel must withdraw from the corridor, in accordance with the 1979 peace treaty between the two countries. Israel’s withdrawal from the corridor, and Gaza as a whole, is also one of Hamas’s key demands for a ceasefire deal. It is unlikely that any ceasefire deal will be reached until this critical issue is resolved.

Over 3,000 miles away, Spain hosted high-level officials from several European and Muslim countries to discuss the implementation of a two-state solution as an end to the conflict in Israel and the Palestinian territories. A two-state solution is not a new proposition, having first been proposed by the United Nations back in 1947; however, it has never been successfully implemented. Reuters news reported those in attendance included the Foreign Ministers of Slovenia and Norway, “European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and members of the Arab-Islamic Contact Group for Gaza that includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey”. Notably, Israel was not invited to attend the meeting; however, Spain’s Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares stated, “We will be delighted to see Israel at any table where peace and the two-state solution are discussed”.