Netanyahu’s Illegal Incursions: How Israel is Destabilizing Post-War Syria

posted on: Nov 26, 2025

“Our interests in the negotiations [with Syria] include demilitarizing southwestern Syria and preserving the safety of the Druze.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this just eight hours before the writing of this article. Through dozens of statements and actions, Netanyahu has made it clear that he and his genocidal government claim a right to involve themselves in Syria’s internal affairs and use military intervention and other measures to control Syria. This undermines Syria’s independence, breaks international law, belittles Syria’s new government, preventing them from making advancements since the 2024 Opposition Offensive, and exemplifies Israel’s illegal-acting interventionist government. But what do Netanyahu’s statements on the Sweida Province really mean? Why is he intervening militarily? What are his intentions?

Netanyahu’s Statements and Actions in Syria since the fall of the Assad Regime

Netanyahu has a track record of making aggressive remarks regarding Syria as a whole. Moreso, he has used the IDF to intervene in Syria directly, bombing inventory of the Syrian military, and making ground incursions past the UNDOF zone. Reasons as to why he has done what he did range from appointing himself as the “protector” of the Druze people to not trusting the new Syrian government. The truth is, neither of these claims nor any claims he has tried to make or will make have any legitimacy and do not validate his actions.

What is the UNDOF zone?

After the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, both sides had brokered ceasefires and agreements as to where new territorial lines would lay. In Syria, UN Resolution 350 defines these territorial lines, as well as an area of separation between the new Syrian and Israeli territorial lines, where a force called the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, run by the UN, would monitor the ceasefire between the two sides and ensure neither side would break the ceasefire. This includes attempting to engage in violence by bypassing the UNDOF zone and invading the other country on the ground.

Has Israel violated this UN Resolution?

 “We will not allow forces from the HTS organization or the new Syrian army to enter the area south of Damascus.” This statement follows countless Israeli airstrikes against Syrian weapons storage, weapons stockpiles, air bases, and Syria’s intelligence headquarters. Interventionism, defined by the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, is “characterized by the use or threat of force or coercion to alter a political or cultural situation nominally outside the intervenor’s moral or political jurisdiction. It commonly deals with a government’s interventions in other governments’ affairs…” So, yes, Israel has been in clear violation of UN Resolution 350.

After the fall of the Assad regime, Israel made a range of claims, including that the new government was unstable and may try to engage in a war against Israel. This was Israel’s justification as they began their ground incursion, bypassing the UNDOF zone and entering Syria’s Dara’a province. Ahmad al-Sharaa, Syria’s new president, and numerous other countries’ presidents, such as Türkiye’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, have condemned Israel’s invasion. Not only that, the United Nations themselves have called what Israel is doing a violation of international law, with one UN expert saying: “There is absolutely no legal basis under international law to preventively or preemptively disarm a country…” calling such acts “completely lawless.” 

What has been the world’s response to Israel’s actions?

Fortunately, the world has seen how Israel has violated resolutions in Syria and Palestine, and has condemned their actions. However, not much has been done about it. The UN is too weak to truly enforce any sort of ceasefire, as proven by the ease of Israel’s invasion since 2024. Syria is also not in a position to fight a war against any state, let alone one with the military capabilities of Israel. Israel knew this information, which is why they were so willing to immediately involve themselves in Syria’s new affairs since the revolution- they knew nobody would do anything about it. 

How does this affect Syria’s future as a state?

As any state that has just come out of a violent long civil war and revolution, Syria was struggling. Sectarian violence and differences reached an all-time high, theft was rampant as the police force had to rebuild, and the new government had to protect itself from being overthrown by loyalists of the old government. Syria was barely in a position to handle itself, let alone another force in Israel. Recollecting themselves and their people had to be the priority, as was rebuilding different sectors of the government and the military. Israel’s invasions and actions against Syria made this much harder than it could’ve been, and continue to make it harder as Israeli efforts make it near-impossible for Syria to build an independent military.

The Importance of the September UN General Assembly

The facts stated previously are what made the September UNGA very important. Speakers brought up Israel several times in reference to Syria and Palestine. Al-Sharaa condemned Israeli military actions against Syria, but did not call for action back. He made it clear that Syria was committed to the 1974 ceasefire lines and dialoguing with Israel and the UN to ensure all parts of that ceasefire are in place. This invalidates any Israeli argument that Syria’s new government has been aggressive and may try to engage in war with Israel, as Syria stays committed to peace in the region.

Want more articles like this? Sign up for our e-newsletter!

Check our blog here!