Israel wants to form relations with the new Syrian government, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday (10), warning that Israel would respond with force to any security threats.
“If this regime allows Iran to re-entrench itself in Syria, or allows the transfer of Iranian or any other weapons to Hezbollah, or attacks us, we will respond ferociously and make it pay a heavy price,” Netanyahu said.
“What happened with the previous regime will happen with this regime too”, he added.
The prime minister also insisted that Israel does not intend to intervene in Syria’s internal affairs, but intends to guarantee its own security.
Netanyahu said he authorized the Air Force to strike military assets left behind by the Syrian Army to prevent them from falling into the hands of what he described as “jihadists.”
Understand the conflict in Syria
The Assad family regime was overthrown in Syria on December 8, after 50 years in power, when rebel groups took over the capital Damascus.
President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country and is in Moscow after gaining asylum, according to a source in Russia.
Syria’s civil war began during the Arab Spring in 2011, when the regime of Bashar al-Assad suppressed a pro-democracy uprising.
The country was plunged into full-scale conflict when a rebel force was formed, known as the Free Syrian Army, to fight government troops.
Furthermore, the Islamic State, a terrorist group, also managed to gain a foothold in the country and came to control 70% of Syrian territory.
Fighting escalated as other regional actors and world powers — from Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United States to Russia — joined in, escalating the country’s war into what some observers described as a “proxy war.”
Russia has allied with Bashar al-Assad’s government to combat the Islamic State and rebels, while the United States has led an international coalition to repel the terrorist group.
After a ceasefire agreement in 2020, the conflict remained largely “dormant”, with minor clashes between the rebels and the Assad regime.
More than 300,000 civilians have been killed in more than a decade of war, according to the UN, and millions of people have been displaced across the region.
This content was originally published in Israel “will respond fiercely” if Syria threatens its security, says Netanyahu on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
