On July 16, Israeli Defense Minister Katz stated: "The warning to Damascus by Israel has ended," and "the next step will be painful strikes." "The Israeli Defense Forces will conduct strong military operations in the southern part of Syria, in Suwayda province," and "until the forces that have attacked the Druze people are completely eliminated." He said that the Israeli army would protect the Druze people within Syria, and both Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and himself had made this commitment. After two warning airstrikes, the Israeli Air Force conducted a high-intensity bombing, destroying buildings in areas such as the General Staff headquarters, the Ministry of Defense, and the presidential palace in Damascus, the capital of Syria. The situation in the Syrian war has escalated seriously, and the war could expand on a large scale at any time.
Syria's "big president" Joulani, when leading the HTS armed forces in rebellion, had the Israeli Air Force bomb all kinds of high-tech weapons abandoned by the former Syrian government forces. Now the Israeli Air Force is entering without resistance. This is because the HTS armed forces do not accept the Russian-made Kornet-S1 and Buk air defense missiles left behind by the former Syrian government. Now Syria has no air defense at all. When the Russians were there, the Israeli Air Force dared not bomb the capital city of Damascus, which was once a no-fly zone. Now, the city of Damascus is no longer a target zone for the Israeli Air Force, and it can bomb freely.
Looking at the Israeli military's deployment actions, is this about preparing for a ground battle? For Israel, if it cannot beat the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, can it not beat the new Syrian army? The HTS armed forces have many drones, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, rocket launchers, and other military equipment, which are much stronger than the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. Moreover, their combat will is not weak. At that time, the HTS armed forces captured cities despite the Russian bombing. The Palestinian resistance group Hamas relies on years of local advantages, and its weapons are far worse. In fact, the combat willpower of the HTS armed forces may not be as high as that of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.
It is hard to crack Gaza, and this problem has been unsolvable for two years. Clearly, they want to tackle the Syrian question, which is easy, and expanding territory is right in front of them. Within Israel, seeing fewer deaths and more territorial expansion, the support rate of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu would surely soar! For the Israeli Defense Forces, temporarily stopping the attack on Gaza is indeed reasonable. What profit is there in Gaza? Killing only damages international reputation. It is better not to pursue a defeated enemy. On the contrary, when the Israeli army enters the southern part of Syria, the Druze people can provide manpower, fight against the HTS armed forces and foreign mercenaries, and it is definitely justified.
Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1837832664084484/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.