Israeli air raids in Northwest Syria reportedly target Hezbollah weapon stores, escalating tensions

At least 36 people died in Israeli air strikes in northwest Syria, Aleppo, with reports indicating the presence of Hezbollah fighters among the casualties. Syria’s defence ministry stated that Israeli planes targeted various locations in the Aleppo countryside early Friday. A UK-based monitoring group identified one of the hit sites as a Hezbollah militant group’s weapons depot, describing the victims as “regime soldiers.”

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), known for its extensive contact network within Syria, reported this incident as the deadliest attack on Syrian forces by Israel to date. Reuters, referencing security sources, added that five Hezbollah fighters were among those killed, raising the death toll to 38.

The defence ministry of Syria also mentioned civilian casualties and Syrian military personnel in the strikes. It highlighted the concurrent drone attacks by “terrorist organizations” on Aleppo city and its surroundings, though details were sparse.

Injuries, some severe, resulted from the alleged Israeli strikes, according to SOHR. The strikes notably damaged a weapons warehouse near Aleppo International Airport and targeted Syrian air defence facilities in Al-Saferah, southeast of Aleppo city. Explosions also resonated in Kafr Joum, western Aleppo.

Israel, which has conducted numerous strikes on Syria since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, targets groups aligned with Iran, including the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The frequency of these strikes has increased following Hamas’s attacks on Israel on October 7, leading to an Israeli military offensive in Gaza.

Hezbollah, in response, has launched multiple rocket attacks against Israel from southern Lebanon. Israel, in turn, has targeted Hezbollah and other militant factions in Lebanon. This cycle of violence underscores the complex geopolitical tensions in the region, involving multiple state and non-state actors.