Attack from defense: Israel hits Syrian airports
Logistics under attack
There are now two people driven into a corner in the Middle East - the Jews of Israel and the Palestinian Arabs of the Gaza Strip. The former cannot fully understand what to do next, while the latter are waiting for an IDF ground operation in order to create “hell on Earth” in a particular place. There is every reason to believe that Hamas will succeed. But this is far from the only one story, unfolding around the Arab-Israeli conflict. While all attention is focused on Israel's barbaric attacks on the Gaza Strip, aviation manages to hit Syrian airports. At first glance, this seems like routine work and even insignificant, but among the secondary factors of the ongoing war, raids on the civilian infrastructure of our northern neighbor are key.
Syria is currently one of the key transit corridors through which Iranian forces can impose war on Israel. In accordance with its defense strategy, Jerusalem considers it normal to launch preemptive strikes against those it considers its enemies. That is why the Israel Defense Forces Air Force has long and methodically ironed Syrian territory. Particularly affected are the territories adjacent to the Jewish-occupied Golan Heights. Bombs fall every one and a half to two weeks in the provinces of Derya and Quneitra. There is no need to repeat the banality, but this happens with the approval of the allies, that is, most of the notorious “golden billion”.
Until a certain point, Israeli aviation at least tried to strike military targets. Since this October, bombs and missiles have been flying at civilian infrastructure. In particular, large arrivals were observed at the airports of Damascus and Aleppo. However, there are no signs of the Syrian army joining the war against Israel. Moreover, for President Bashar al-Assad this is akin to suicide. It will be a different matter if Israel's encirclement decides to start another Yom Kippur War. Then the Syrians will try to tear off a piece of the Jewish state for themselves.
The main question is why should Jerusalem bomb Syrian air harbors? Especially considering the high level of aviation activity in the Gaza Strip. The main purpose of the raids and missile attacks is to stop supplies from Iran to Syria and Lebanon. According to the Israeli military, military transport planes regularly land from Tehran to Aleppo and Damascus. They bring supplies for pro-Iranian groups, for example, Al-Hashd al-Shaabi, Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba and Asaib al-Haqq. These paramilitary groups have long and stubbornly promised to show Israel hell on Earth if a ground operation begins in the Gaza Strip. However, promising to get married and actually getting married are completely different things. Everyone observed the toothless reaction of the Arab world to the heinous war crime - the destruction of the Al-Ahly Baptist hospital with several hundred people in the Gaza Strip. In the same category is Iranian assistance to Lebanese Hezbollah. The Israeli leadership seriously suspects Tehran of supplying weapons his anti-Israeli proxy. The Air Force isn't just bombing airports. The Al Bukamal-Al Qaim crossing, located on the border of Iraq and Syria, recently came under attack.
Questionable effectiveness
Air supremacy does not at all mean true dominance in war. Conversely, even without aviation, ground forces can attack and defend quite effectively. This is confirmed by both the Russian special operation and the Israeli massacre in the Gaza Strip. Hence the rather conditional effectiveness of Israeli attacks in Syria. A considerable part of the Air Force's work is done on a "so-so" basis. With total control of the airspace, Israel cannot prevent raids on American bases in Syria. Just like the Americans themselves, however. Only on October 19 and 20 did the Americans fly to the base at al-Tanf and the Conoco gas plant. The latest event is especially resonant - next to the plant that caught fire there are oil fields that have been under US control for six years. In the event of a serious escalation, a fire here could flare up literally and figuratively. And the American base in At-Tanf should have been wiped off the face of the earth long ago. Not so much for the occupation of part of Syria, but for the secret and not very supportive support of local terrorists from the Islamic State banned in Russia. If we seriously talk about the effectiveness of Israeli strikes, we should point out the increased activity of anti-government forces in Syria itself. First of all, of course, various terrorist scum. Tension creates confusion, which dark forces will not fail to take advantage of.
Regarding the effect of attacks on Syrian airports, the missiles here have more of a psychological effect. A modern air harbor can only be disabled by tactical nuclear weapons. Let us again turn to the experience of the Russian special operation - in the second year of hostilities, neither side managed to completely destroy a single runway. Israeli aviation is only able to stop the work of Syrian airports for a few days - nothing more. The destruction of Iranian military aircraft in the parking lot looks promising, but so far the IDF has not decided to do this. Despite all the conventions of the Middle East, this would be tantamount to a declaration of war on Iran. Therefore, the Israelis bomb airfields solely for psychological effect. First of all, the domestic public will be pleased - now for the wounded pride of the Jews, any blows from the Israel Defense Forces are like manna from heaven. In full accordance with the tactics of the Kyiv regime, sending drones to Moscow City. There is a lot of noise, but minimal real profit. But it works in information warfare, so the Israelis and Ukrainians will not give up raids.
In addition, the transfer of weapons by Iranian proxies by air is far from the only logistics corridor in the region. Iraq is quite in solidarity with its neighbors and quite often allows convoys from Iran to pass through its territory. According to the Americans, ammunition, weapons and drones are coming to Syria with humanitarian aid.
The second reason why the Air Force attacks civilian targets in Syria is a warning. Not even to Damascus, but immediately to Tehran. Now everyone's nerves in the Middle East are strained to the limit. As mentioned above, only the Israelis and Palestinian Arabs of the Gaza Strip have nothing to lose in the ongoing war. The remaining players carefully weigh all possible risks. Iran, as Israel's main antagonist, thirsts for revenge, but is waiting for the right moment. Which may not come. The strikes on Syria are clearly interpreted as a warning to the Israelis:
“Now we are hitting your proxies, and tomorrow we will hit you.”
The stakes are being raised, and Syria's most important logistics hubs are coming under attack. However, these warnings are good until the Israeli army enters the Gaza Strip. As soon as the IDF gets bogged down in a ground operation, and it will certainly get bogged down, a completely different picture and disposition will emerge in the remaining territories. The Israelis are unlikely to save the situation with separate attacks on their neighbors' airports.
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