The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Israel launched airstrikes targeting a "residential building" west of the Syrian capital on Saturday, amid information about the assassination of individuals from non-Syrian nationalities. Meanwhile, state media reported that Syrian air defenses intercepted an "Israeli aerial attack." Over the past years, Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes in Syria, primarily targeting Iranian objectives and those of Hezbollah, including warehouses and shipments of weapons and ammunition, as well as Syrian military sites. However, these strikes have intensified following the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip after an unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7.
The Syrian Observatory stated that the "Israeli attack" on Saturday targeted a "residential building west of the Syrian capital Damascus." The Observatory, which is based in Britain and has a wide network of sources inside Syria, reported hearing the sounds of "violent explosions," including in the area of Deir Ezzor in the Damascus governorate. The Syrian News Agency (SANA) quoted a military source stating that around 1:05 AM on Saturday, "the Israeli enemy launched an aerial attack from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan, targeting several points in the Damascus countryside." The agency added, "Our air defense systems intercepted the missiles of the attack and shot down some of them, causing some material losses."
The Observatory noted that the strikes occurred after an area near a military airport west of Damascus was hit by a rocket attack on Friday, while the Syrian Ministry of Defense stated that drones had entered Syrian airspace from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The Observatory had previously reported that an area near the Mezzeh military airport was targeted, without indicating the source of the attack, adding, "There are sites belonging to Hezbollah and Iranian militias there."
This comes as 11 people were killed, including seven civilians and two fighters from Hezbollah, in an Israeli airstrike targeting the city of Homs in central Syria, according to a new toll reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Wednesday, while Damascus reported that the bombardment resulted in casualties among civilians. Israel rarely confirms executing these strikes, but it reiterates that it will counter what it describes as Iranian efforts to entrench its military presence in Syria.
