Latest Developments
Daylight Sortie Over Syrian Capital: The Israeli Air Force struck a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) command center in Damascus on March 13. The site, located in the Dummar suburb of the Syrian capital, was being used to plan attacks against Israel and entrench the Palestinian terrorist group in Syrian territory, according to the IDF. Defense Minister Israel Katz warned the transitional government in Syria against fostering such ties. “Anywhere that terror groups organize against Israel, the extremist Islamist leader Jolani will find air force jets hovering above,” Katz said, using the nom de guerre of Syrian transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
‘Thousands’ of Hamas, PIJ Operatives: The IDF’s latest strike in Damascus came after Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar warned on March 10 that “there are thousands of Hamas and [Palestinian] Islamic Jihad activists in Syria, and they want to set our border on fire and create another front against Israel.” Sa’ar added that Israel is “determined to prevent any recurrence of the events of October 7th in all sectors,” including Syria.
Indefinite Stay on Syrian Hermon: While leading a March 11 press tour of the Syrian Hermon, which the IDF seized along with the buffer zone east of the Golan Heights following the December 2024 ouster of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Katz said the deployment could last “for an unlimited amount of time.” Katz explained that the IDF’s objectives are to enforce the demilitarization of southern Syria for Sharaa “to see the IDF watching him” and to be ready to deal with “any of his threats or those of his jihadist friends.”
FDD Expert Response
“Recently, Israel stood alone in the West, warning against the rush to reengage with the Syrian regime. That caution proved more than justified when regime loyalists carried out brutal massacres against Syrian minorities. Israel is also right to target Palestinian terror groups like Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which for decades found safe haven under Assad’s rule — united by their shared Iranian patronage and deep-seated hostility toward Israel.” — Mark Dubowitz, CEO
“Compared to its branches in Gaza, the West Bank, and, to some extent, Lebanon, Palestinian Islamic Jihad keeps its military activities in Syria mainly out of the public eye. However, Israel appears to understand the group’s operations in the Levantine country. Today’s strike suggests that despite Syria’s regime change, Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s infrastructure there remains intact. Furthermore, Defense Minister Katz’s warning to Syria’s de facto leader was no coincidence; it not only signaled Israel’s ability to strike Damascus at will, but the statement’s timing implied that Syria’s leadership allowed Palestinian Islamic Jihad to continue operating within the country’s borders.” —Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal
“Ahmad al-Sharaa must ensure that groups like the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas are not permitted to operate in Syrian territory. These groups provoke hostilities, and if al-Sharaa is serious about building a stable state, he cannot allow Syria to become a sanctuary for terrorism.” —Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst
FDD Background and Analysis
“Massacres in Syria Expose New President’s Struggle to Govern,” by Ahmad Sharawi
“Why did Syria’s Kurds sign a deal with the new regime?” by Sinan Ciddi
“Israel Says Syrian Druze Permitted to Work in Golan Heights,” FDD Flash Brief
“Nascent Syrian Armed Group Emerges to Confront Israeli Forces”
Issues:
Israel Israel at War Jihadism Syria