Stating that Israel has “no intention of interfering” in Syria’s internal affairs, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned to take “necessary” measures if the current regime allows Iran to re-establish itself in Syria or transfers weapons to Hezbollah.
“We have no intention of interfering in Syria’s internal affairs. However, we do intend to do what is necessary for our security. As such, I approve the Air Force bombing of strategic military capabilities left by Syrian military. So that they will not fall into the hands of the jihadists. This is similar to what the British Air Force did when it bombed the fleet of the Vichy regime, which was cooperating with the Nazis, so that it would not fall into the Nazis’ hands,” Netanyahu said in a video address on Tuesday.
“We want to have relations with the new regime in Syria, but if this regime allows Iran to re-establish itself in Syria, or allow the transfer of Iranian weapons, or weapons of any kind to Hezbollah or attack us, we will respond forcefully and we will exact a heavy price. What happened to the previous regime will also happen to this one,” he added.
On Sunday, when the Syrian rebels entered Damascus, forcing President Bashar al-Assad to flee from the country, ending his over two-decade rule in the country, Netanyahu hailed the collapse calling it a “historic day” for the Middle East region.
Netanyahu had further acknowledged that while the collapse presents great opportunities, it also poses significant dangers. He extended a ‘hand of peace’ for all beyond Israeli borders to live in peace with Israel.
Netanyahu had also shared a video on X and stated, “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. 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.”
Following the Syrian Army abandoning its positions, Netanyahu on Sunday said that he had ordered the Israeli Army to take over these positions to ensure that no hostile force embeds itself right next to the border of Israel.
“This collapse is a direct result of our forceful action against Hezbollah and Iran, Assad’s main supporters. It set off a chain reaction of all those who want to free themselves from this tyranny and its suppression. But it also means we have to take action against possible threats. One of them is the collapse of the Separation of Forces agreement from 1974 between Israel and Syria. This agreement held for 50 years. Last night it collapsed,” he had said.
Notably, the head of Syria’s main opposition group abroad Hadi al-Bahra Syrian said on Sunday that Damascus is now “without Bashar al-Assad.”