Israel’s recent airstrikes on military sites in Homs, Latakia, and northwest Syria raise questions about the messages they carry, especially as they coincided with diplomatic movements between Damascus and Tel Aviv mediated by the United States in Paris.
Analysts suggest that Tel Aviv is attempting to balance direct military pressure on the ground with a negotiation track that has yet to show whether it will produce lasting agreements or simply represent a new stage in Israel’s “carrot-and-stick” policy toward Syria. Are these strikes a precursor to agreements enforced by force, or an attempt to establish facts on the ground before any deal?
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A +963 correspondent reported that late Monday night, Israeli warplanes conducted a series of strikes on military sites in Homs and Latakia. Targets included a facility in Shanshar south of Homs, an air defense battalion in the Al-Auras area, and a military barracks in Saqoubin, north of Latakia. The strikes caused explosions at the targeted sites, with no immediate reports of casualties.
Targeted Strikes and Messages of Force
An Israeli security source told Al-Hadath channel that the airstrikes targeted Turkish-made missiles and air defense equipment recently transferred to Homs.
He added, “Israel is in talks with Syrian authorities on security arrangements, but what President Ahmad Al-Sharaa does not understand in negotiations, he will understand by force.”
He explained that Damascus is attempting to evade under external pressures, while accusing Ankara of “provoking Israel toward military confrontation.”
The source emphasized that Israel remains committed to its demand to “disarm southern Syria,” noting that Syria’s fragile internal situation poses a potential threat to Israeli security, justifying continued pre-emptive strikes.
The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attacks in an official statement, describing them as “a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter,” and called on the Security Council to take a “clear and firm” stance to halt the repeated Israeli aggressions.
Damascus stressed that these attacks threaten regional security and stability and hinder reconstruction efforts in Syria.
The strikes coincided with Israeli reports of a new meeting in Paris this week between Dermer and Al-Shebani, continuing previous rounds aimed at reducing tensions in southern Syria and reviving disengagement agreements.
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Escalation Meets Negotiation
Syrian political analyst Sadruddin Al-Yafi, based in Germany, told +963 that the strikes are linked to pressures on the Syrian government ahead of the expected Paris meeting between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shebani and his Israeli counterpart Ron Dermer.
He explained that previous meetings between President Al-Sharaa and U.S. President Donald Trump, followed by discussions on lifting sanctions and supporting stability, “raised Israeli concern over losing its traditional role of keeping the region in tension.”
Al-Yafi noted that targeting Turkish equipment “reflects growing Israeli concern over Turkish influence in Syria,” adding that Israel’s primary goal is to impose a security agreement on its own terms, which may not be achievable.
He concluded that President Al-Sharaa upcoming address to the UN General Assembly will likely call on the international community to halt “ongoing Israeli violations” and support Syria’s reconstruction efforts.
Airstrikes in the Context of Negotiations
At the same time, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported that delegations from Syria and Israel met in Paris under U.S. mediation to focus on de-escalation and activate the 1974 disengagement agreement.
Syrian government sources said the talks also addressed humanitarian conditions in southern Syria and ways to support stability in Suwayda, with both parties reaffirming Syria’s territorial integrity and rejecting any division projects.
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Pre-emptive Conditions
Meanwhile, Major General Mohamed Abdel Wahid, Regional Security Advisor in Cairo, told +963 that “the Israeli airstrikes represent an attempt to impose preconditions on negotiations.”
He explained, “The success of any settlement requires a balance of interests ensuring mutual gain, whereas Israel seeks to enforce a peace equation by force.”
Abdel Wahid added that “these attacks weaken the Syrian government’s position in the eyes of its people, giving the impression it is under external pressure, which undermines its legitimacy.”
