Syrian state media reported that Israel had carried out airstrikes in two locations on Wednesday, as hostilities intensified following recent clashes and bombings.
The official SANA news agency reported that an Israeli airstrike hit near a scientific research building in Barzeh, a suburb of Damascus. The agency reported another Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of Hama in western Syria.
The Israeli military confirmed the strikes, saying in a statement late Wednesday that they targeted “military capabilities” at Syrian bases in Hama and T4, as well as other remaining military infrastructure in the Damascus area.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported an explosion near the scientific research building, saying the blast was “likely” caused by an Israeli strike.
Al Arabiya reported another Israeli strike near the T-4 military airport in Homs, located between Hama and Damascus.
مصادر العربية: غارة إسرائيلية على محيط مطار T4 العسكري في ريف حمص #قناة_العربية pic.twitter.com/DEm2dv2fHu
— العربية (@AlArabiya) April 2, 2025
Syrian authorities did not immediately comment on the airport strike.
A total of 20 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Syria this year, including five members of the government’s security forces and 13 civilians, according to the observatory.
Why it matters: Israel has escalated its strikes and incursions in Syria since the Islamist former rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham toppled President Bashar al-Assad in December. On Thursday, SANA reported that Israeli jets struck near the port and city of Lattakia. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that Israel targeted ammunition warehouses in the area.
On March 25, Israeli forces clashed with Syrians in the Daraa province. Israel also said they struck two military bases in the Homs province the same day.
The new Syrian government has repeatedly condemned Israel’s actions. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement last week that the attacks “will not deter Syrians from defending their rights and their land.”
Israel has expressed concern about Assad-era weapons falling into the hands of the new government, pointing to HTS’ past as an al-Qaeda affiliate. In February, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called HTS “a jihadist Islamist terror group.” HTS split from al-Qaeda in 2016.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has sought to convey that Syria is not a threat to Israel. He told Reuters last month, “We have announced from the first moments that Syria will not pose a threat to any state in the region or the world.”
In addition to the strikes, Israel moved its forces into the buffer zone between the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights and southern Syria in December, saying Damascus was no longer abiding by the 1974 border agreement after the collapse of Assad’s army. Israel has seized control of a number of areas in the vicinity of the Golan since then.