The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned Israeli strikes on Damascus and Aleppo international airports in a recent statement. It asserted that the attacks, aligning with the ongoing crimes of “occupying” authorities and their supporters, aim to distract from Israeli crimes against Palestinians.
Similarly, the Russian Foreign Ministry declared the strikes a “blatant violation of Syrian sovereignty and fundamental norms of international law.”
The Syrian “Ministry of Transport” has rerouted scheduled flights from Damascus and Aleppo to Latakia Airport following the Israeli strikes, which caused substantial material damage.
Syria has been entangled in a civil war since 2011, which has involved various national and international actors with diverse and often opposing interests. Syria’s landscape and the actors involved might have evolved, so the current specifics might differ from this general background.
Historically, relations between Syria and Israel have been tense. The two countries have fought multiple wars and have never established formal diplomatic relations. The Golan Heights, a region rich in water resources and fertile land, has been a significant point of contention. Israel captured it from Syria in 1967 and later annexed it, which Syria and much of the international community do not recognize. Syrian territory has often been a theater where Israeli airstrikes targeted positions of various groups, particularly Iranian-backed militias, due to Israel’s concerns about Iran’s military presence and influence in Syria.
The Syrian Civil War, which began in 2011 as part of the wider wave of the Arab Spring protests, morphed into a multi-sided conflict involving various domestic, regional, and international actors. It has caused significant humanitarian crises, including massive displacement of citizens both internally and as refugees in neighboring countries and beyond.
