Israeli missiles struck central Syria on Sunday, killing at least five people and injuring nineteen others, according to reports from state media SANA. The attack targeted locations near the city of Masyaf, west of Hama, causing a fire and significant material damage. SANA’s sources indicated that the Israeli offensive originated from Lebanese airspace, with some missiles reportedly intercepted by Syrian air defences.
The assault, described by an unnamed Syrian security official as an “aerial aggression,” involved Israeli jets launching strikes from Lebanese territory, likely to avoid Syrian airspace where Russian and U.S. forces are present. Syrian air defences managed to shoot down some of the incoming missiles, but the attack still resulted in civilian casualties, as confirmed by the director of Masyaf’s public hospital.
Throughout Syria’s prolonged civil war, Israel has frequently conducted air raids targeting sites associated with Iranian interests, but it rarely confirms these operations. This latest attack occurs against a backdrop of rising regional tensions, particularly in light of recent events involving Iran.
Iran has pledged retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July. Despite this vow, no direct Iranian counterattack has occurred more than 40 days after the incident. Mohsen Chizari, a senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), stated that Iran’s response would come “in due time.” In April, Iran had launched a significant drone and missile attack on Israel in retaliation for the Israeli bombing of an Iranian diplomatic facility in Damascus. Israeli and U.S. air defences successfully intercepted most of the projectiles, mitigating the impact of the assault.
Additionally, Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group allied with Iran, carried out an attack on Israel on August 25 in response to an Israeli air raid that killed one of its senior commanders in Beirut. The Israeli military claimed to have thwarted Hezbollah’s operation with a preemptive strike, but Hezbollah asserted that it successfully targeted an Israeli military intelligence site near Tel Aviv.
The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has intensified, with frequent cross-border exchanges. Hezbollah has vowed to continue its attacks on Israeli military positions and the Golan Heights in support of Palestinians in Gaza. The ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza has resulted in over 40,900 fatalities. Both Hezbollah and Israeli officials have indicated that the hostilities are expected to persist, with Israel threatening to escalate its military actions if necessary.
