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Israel and the United States continue to expand their military presence in Syria, taking advantage of the new situation in the war-torn country.
On December 22, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stormed Baath City in the southern governorate of al-Qunitra. The military gave the locals an advanced warning and asked them to prepare to hand over all of their weapons to Israeli troops.
Video footage posted to social networks showed a large IDF convoy with main battle tanks and armored bulldozers preparing to enter the city. No clashes were reported.
It’s worth noting that the IDF invaded Syria just hours after the fall of the Assad regime on December 8. In later days, it advanced in al-Quneitra as well as in the nearby governorates of Daraa and Rif Dimashq. In addition, hundreds of Israeli strikes hit the bases and equipment of the now dissolved Syrian Arab Army all over the country.
The new Syrian government, led by the Islamist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), condemned Israel’s moves, but took no actions.
While Israel is advancing in southern Syria, the U.S. is increasing its military presence in the northeastern region of the country.
Between December 21 and 22, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the arrival of large U.S. reinforcements, including more than 60 vehicles, to territories held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria through the al-Walid crossing with the Iraqi semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan and the Khrab al-Jir airstrip in the northeastern countryside of al-Hasakah.
A U.S. convoy was seen later on December 22 heading towards the town of Kobani in the eastern Aleppo countryside, a flashpoint between the SDF and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA).
Kurdish fighters clashed on the same day with the SNA near the Qarqozak Bridge, which is located to the southwest of Kobani. A Turkish drone strike also hit a wheat depot in the nearby town of Sarrin.
The latest moves by the U.S. indicate that Washington is determined to back the SDF, its main proxy in Syria, despite ongoing preparations by Turkey to move against the group. Kurdish officials have been in talks with HTS to ease the situation. However, everything indicates that a Turkish-led invasion of Kurdish-held territories is imminent.
Some two weeks after the fall of Assad, Israel and the U.S. appear to be posing the greatest threat to the unity and stability of future Syria. Both countries have been trying to take advantage of the situation in the country with no regard to people’s will.
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