Israel Strikes Syria’s Coast as Defense Minister Vows to Thwart Threats

BEIRUT — Israeli fighter jets carried out airstrikes early Friday on military sites and missile storage facilities in Syria’s coastal region, amid rising regional tensions and international calls for de-escalation. 

According to the Israeli military, the strikes targeted sites near Latakia that were storing shore-to-sea missiles, which Israel says pose a threat to both its own maritime security and international shipping in the Eastern Mediterranean. 

Syrian state media reported that one civilian was killed, and material damage was caused. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based monitoring group, said the strikes hit military barracks and weapons depots in both Latakia and Tartous. 

Israel’s Defense Minister, Yisrael Katz, defended the operation. “No party threatening Israel will enjoy immunity,” he said. “We will continue to act to protect our national security.” 

The strikes came just one day after U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack, speaking from Daramsuq (Damascus), urged Syria and Israel to consider a non-aggression pact. Barrack’s remarks marked a rare overture toward dialogue between the two countries, which remain officially at war. 

Since the toppling of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on December 8, Israel has stepped up its air campaign across Syria, citing the need to prevent advanced weaponry from falling into the hands of the country’s new leadership. Earlier this month, one Israeli strike reportedly targeted the vicinity of the presidential palace amid mounting sectarian unrest. 

The latest strikes underscore the fragility of the regional balance and the growing role of external actors in shaping Syria’s post-Assad future.