Netanyahu extends 'hand of peace’ to Syrians as Israeli jets strike Damascus
Israel has expanded its occupation of Syria following the fall of the Assad government, pushing into areas it had not been in since 1974
During a visit to the border area with Syria on 8 December, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Tel Aviv will “send a hand of peace” to all Syrians, several hours after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government and as Israel’s military invaded Syria and pounded it with airstrikes.
“This is a historic day for the Middle East. The collapse of the Assad regime, the tyranny in Damascus, offers great opportunity but also is fraught with significant dangers,” Netanyahu said.
“We send a hand of peace to all those beyond our border in Syria: to the Druze, to the Kurds, to the Christians, and to the Muslims who want to live in peace with Israel,” he added.
The comments came after Israel deployed tanks and troops to occupy the UN-monitored buffer zone in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights – also pushing into and occupying the unoccupied part of Mount Hermon.
Throughout Sunday afternoon, Israeli jets launched heavy air raids across the capital, Damascus, and other sites across Syria – targeting Syrian army sites, intelligence infrastructure, and weapons depots.
Dozens of Israeli airstrikes hit the Mazzeh Military Airport along with customs and intelligence buildings, the security square, the scientific research facility in Damascus, and defense laboratories.
Israel also officially withdrew from the 1974 Disengagement between Israel and Syria, the deal signed indirectly between Syria and Israel that officially ended the 1973 Arab–Israeli war. Israeli troops have now entered areas they have not been in since 1974.
Netanyahu’s comments follow the storming of Syria’s capital by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) extremists, after the cities of Aleppo, Hama, and Homs fell to the militants in less than two weeks.
There is documented evidence of Israel’s collaboration with the extremist opposition in Syria. Israel gave direct support to the Syrian Al-Qaeda affiliate, the Nusra Front – which became HTS in 2017 following a Qatari-sponsored rebranding.
The Israeli premier also said on Sunday that the fall of Syria is a “direct result of the blows we have inflicted on Iran and Hezbollah, the main supporters of the Assad regime,” taking credit for the collapse of the Syrian government.