
According to a spokesman with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Israel’s long-standing campaign to drive Iran out of Syria is almost complete. For years, Iran has been building up its proxy—Hezbollah—at Israel’s northern border, and the IDF has worked tirelessly and mostly covertly to drive back the Islamic regime’s encroaching presence in the region.
The IDF said it has wiped out Iran’s ability to get weapons into the hands of Hezbollah. It has also destroyed Iran’s weapons-making capabilities in Syria and its ability to build bases there. And Israel has blocked Iran’s ability to bring in any weapons or reinforcements by way of the Mediterranean Sea or over any land routes.
The Israeli Air Force has had great success blowing up armaments intended for Hezbollah, effectively crippling their operations in Syria.
This week, Israel allegedly conducted a daytime strike—a rarity—on Damascus, where one Syrian soldier was injured. Israel is known for taking great pains to get the best intelligence possible to minimize loss of life (for Israel or the enemy) and maximize the destruction of the target. Last week, there was a strike near the Damascus airport. Typically, Israel neither confirms nor denies these military engagements.
“The Israeli enemy carried out an air aggression with rockets from the north of the occupied Palestinian territories, targeting some points in the vicinity of the city of Damascus,” reported the Syrian Arab News Agency.
One key player in Israel’s clean-up of Iran’s presence in Syria is Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has close ties with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Putin basically controls the air over the country. Political tensions over Israel’s assistance to Ukraine have strained Russian-Israeli relations, but Israel has apparently still had clearance to fly missions over Damascus and the region. And supposedly, al-Assad has also wanted Iran and Hezbollah out of his country, especially on the Golan and southern Syria.
Israel officials say the new concern is whether Hezbollah has been equipped and armed with Iranian drones like the ones Russia is using in Ukraine.
While we try to live in peace with our Arab neighbors, Israel has to remain ever vigilant—many want to see our destruction, but as believers in Messiah Yeshua, we know that God is on our side and has plans for Israel still! We are grateful for the technology of the Iron Dome and other defense systems, as well as our brave young men and women in the IDF…but our ultimate hope is always in God.
Ron Cantor
CEO of Tikkun Global
Tel Aviv, Israel