Israel attacks Syria.

The Israeli military continues its airstrikes in Syria, amid efforts by the Syrian opposition military coalition to establish a transitional government after the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.

Is Israel launching intense airstrikes?

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announced yesterday (December 10) that it has recorded more than 300 Israeli airstrikes since opposition forces led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group overthrew Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last weekend, according to AFP. Security sources said that intense Israeli airstrikes continued targeting military facilities and air bases across Syria during the night of December 9 and the early morning of December 10, destroying dozens of helicopters, fighter jets, and property belonging to the presidential guard in and around the capital Damascus.

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Additionally, a Syrian security source yesterday accused Israeli soldiers of advancing into the city of Qatana, in southern Syria and about 25 km from Damascus, after Israel seized the UN-patroled buffer zone. This buffer zone separates the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights from Syria. However, the Israeli military denied the accusation of advancing into Qatana, according to Reuters.

A Syrian army helicopter was set ablaze after an Israeli attack outside the capital Damascus on December 9.

Israel has stated it will not participate in the conflict in Syria, arguing that its occupation of the buffer zone is a defensive move. Meanwhile, Iran, Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have condemned Israel's occupation of the buffer zone. Saudi Arabia stated that the move would "undermine the chances of restoring security to Syria," according to Reuters.

The opposition is pushing to form a government.

Following the overthrow of the al-Assad regime, Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali agreed on December 9 to hand over power to the Salvation Government, an opposition-led government based in northwestern Syria. Reuters, citing several sources, revealed that al-Jalali met with HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, to discuss the transitional government. Al-Jalali stated that the transfer of power could take several days. The transitional government will be headed by Salvation Government leader Mohamed al-Bashir, according to Al Jazeera.

Given this situation, governments in the region and in the West are trying to forge new links with HTS, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the US, the European Union, Türkiye, and the UN. Qatari diplomats reportedly spoke with HTS representatives on December 9th, according to Reuters, citing a source familiar with the matter.

An uncertain future awaits Syria after opposition forces overthrew President al-Assad.

Additionally, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on December 9 that Washington is seeking to reach out to opposition military groups that overthrew the al-Assad regime, as well as regional partners, to help initiate informal diplomacy. When asked whether the US would like to cooperate with HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, Miller declined to answer but did not rule out the possibility, according to Reuters.

Many European countries have stopped reviewing asylum applications from Syrians.

Several European countries announced on December 9th that they would temporarily suspend processing asylum applications from Syrians until further notice, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, the German Interior Ministry announced it would not process asylum applications until it had clearer information about the political developments in Syria. Germany is currently home to nearly one million Syrians, making it the largest Syrian community in Europe.

Other European countries such as the UK, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway have also announced a temporary suspension of processing asylum applications from Syrians.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/israel-tan-cong-syria-185241210201357101.htm