2023-10-12 16:23:29
Israel attacked Syria today, why? International media and Syrian state media reported that Israeli airstrikes hit the airports of Damascus and Aleppo, damaging the slopes. These are the first Israeli strikes against Syria since Hamas carried out attacks in southern Israel.
The Israeli airstrikes occurred as the Iranian Foreign Minister arrived in Syria for official meetings. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian’s plane had to turn around and turn back due to the impossibility of landing in Syria after the Israeli bombing of Damascus airport.
The Iranian Foreign Minister was traveling to Damascus at the start of a diplomatic tour between Lebanon, Iraq and Syria to deal with the crisis between Hamas and Israel.
It should be noted that just the day before, Israel had threatened military action against Syria if it supported Hamas. However, it is surprising to note that today Israel actually attacked Syria, without the Syrian government taking any action in favor of Hamas. The situation has reached a point where it appears that Tel Aviv is trying to expand the conflict by directly involving Iran.
In fact, the support provided by Iran to Syria is known, but this is due to its internal enemies who occupy part of its territory (with US and Western support in general, including Israel).
Accusations made against Iran by all sides, but not supported by any evidence, say that Hamas has been armed by Iran. But the evidence says otherwise.
In reality Hamas, the Palestinian organization operating in the Gaza Strip, is known for its arsenal of missiles, most of which they are locally produced.
Production uses basic materials such as exhaust pipes and simple metalworking machines, produce projectiles Unguided S-40 with a launch range of 40 kilometers. These missiles are enough to hit Israeli cities such as Ashkelon, Ashdod and Tel Aviv, endangering civilian lives.
To ensure the supply of the necessary materials, Hamas has relied primarily on sea routes. They import dual-use materials and weapons through the black market, often coming from Türkiye which, in some cases, transports weapons from Ukraine. This constant flow of materials is essential for the production of missiles and other offensive weapons.
underground infrastructure used by Hamas
To avoid Israeli air attacks, a significant portion of missile production and storage is located underground. This tactic aims to protect Hamas’ arsenal from possible air raids by ensuring that missiles are ready for use.
Local manufacturing and consistent supply are key to maintaining this arsenal. Despite the intense media bombardment that claims Iran is co-responsible and even primarily responsible for the Hamas attack, there is no tangible evidence of such involvement. Iran has mainly focused its support towards Syria and Hezbollah.
Iran has a very different ideology compared to the ideological background of Hamas
This aspect shouldn’t be too surprising. Despite the narrative spread by the media, Iran has consistently been in antithetical positions to Hamas during the Syrian war. Indeed, Iran actively fought against Hamas, which sided with radical Islamists, including ISIS and al Qaeda, while Shiite militias in Syria, the Syrian army and Hezbollah were on the opposite side.
Consequentially, It is highly unlikely that Iran has the capacity to supply weapons to Hamas. It is important to note that when Iran supplied Syria, it promptly attacked the supplies. It would therefore be inexplicable if he had not done the same against an enemy who is practically on his doorstep.
port in Gaza City
As already highlighted, the missiles used by Hamas are produced locally, while the small arms mainly follow the channels mentioned above. Iran is under severe international sanctions and receives very close attention from the international community. In contrast, other countries enjoy greater freedom of access to the area, making it even more unlikely that Iran will play a significant role in supplying weapons to Hamas.
These complex and often unacknowledged dynamics underline the need to carefully analyze the relationships between the various regional actors, avoiding generalizations and excessive simplifications.
#IsraelGaza #Iran #Syria #supporters #Hamas #Israel #attacks #Syria