The ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas escalated on Sunday (Oct 22), with Israeli airplanes striking portions of Gaza and even extending their operations to two airports in Syria. This was a huge breakthrough barely two weeks after Hamas launched a major onslaught on Israel, one of the most significant since the Jewish state’s founding in 1948. The current upheaval is intricately entwined with regional rivalries and long-standing divides, which determine the responses of various West Asian countries and individuals.
The triangle of Israel, Syria, and Hezbollah
\The recent airstrikes on Syria can be better understood in light of Israel’s complex connections with Hezbollah and Syria.
Israel’s worries
The Israeli government has yet to state explicitly why it launched the current strike on Syria. However, it is commonly assumed that these strikes are preventative measures to offset Hezbollah’s vows to begin a new front of attacks in the north, according to Reuters. The fact that Lebanon and Syria share northern borders with Israel adds to Israel’s concerns. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant organization based in Lebanon, has had periodic clashes with Israel in recent weeks, though it has not formally entered the war.
Israel and Hezbollah
Hezbollah, which was established in 1982, has a long history of resisting Israel and Western hegemony in West Asia. Furthermore, it has received backing from Russia and Iran and has actively supported the Assad administration during Syria’s civil conflict. The close links between this Shiite organization and Iran reflect the larger regional competition between Iran and Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia. According to the US, Iran gives significant financial support to Hezbollah and maintains a sizable force of thousands of fighters.
Syria’s historical attitude toward Israel
Syria has been a fervent opponent of Israel since its inception in 1948, aligning itself with the region’s overarching stance of Arab states. The two countries have a history of hostilities, notably the 1967 Six-Day War, which led to Israel’s annexation of Syria’s Golan Heights, which it still controls today.
Syria’s and Hezbollah’s Changing Relationship
The relationship between Hezbollah and Syria has varied over time, influenced by external factors. While both parties oppose Israel and Western influences and have allied with Russia, they have also had opposing objectives at times. After the Lebanese Civil War ended in 1990, Hezbollah was forced to acknowledge the presence of Syrian factions in Lebanon. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has been in power since 2000, has allowed Iran and Hezbollah’s Syrian Shia fighters to operate within his country.
Syria’s contribution to the present war
Syria has been brought into the conflict as a result of Israeli bombings on international airports in Damascus and Aleppo. These attacks caused damage and hindered airport operations, and are only one of many Israeli strikes on Syrian soil throughout the continuing conflict. Furthermore, Hezbollah has actively participated in the battle by attacking Israeli positions in the contested Chebaa Farms, near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Syria’s border.
Concerns and Consequences
The growing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, as well as Israel’s strikes on Syria, raise serious worries about the Gaza conflict’s direction. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given harsh warnings to Hezbollah, emphasizing the potentially disastrous repercussions of war. Hezbollah, which has a substantial military force and backing from sympathetic countries, remains a formidable actor in the region.
As the crisis enters its third week, there is rising concern about the possibility of an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza, as well as the possibility of spillover into neighboring nations. The acts of Hezbollah, in particular, have the potential to broaden the scope of the conflict, affecting neighboring countries in the volatile West Asian region.
The recent Israeli airstrikes on Syria amid the current Gaza crisis have far-reaching consequences for the area, as they are rooted in complicated regional dynamics including Israel, Hezbollah, and Syria. As the situation evolves, the West Asian region is at a crossroads, with the possibility of additional escalation and a broader scope of conflict that might encompass neighboring countries.