On Dec. 3, 1086, Malik Shah, one of the leading Turkish-Islamic rulers, took over Aleppo. Some 938 years later, the liberation of Aleppo is celebrated on the same day. Of course, there is a huge difference between the situation of the geography of Syria at that time and today. Although Tutush, who was in control of Damascus back then, came close to taking the city from the emir of Aleppo after his victory. However, Tutush was Malik Shah’s brother and upon his order, he left Aleppo in favor of Malik Shah. There was not even a shred of such brotherly relations between former regime leader Bashar Assad and the Syrian opposition. Today's Syria is neither powerful nor protected from enemies as it was during the Seljuk Empire. Instead, the Assad regime was being humiliated under bombardment.
Indeed, Israel spent 2024 bombing Damascus, as it has done for years. On Jan. 20, Israel carried out one of the most notorious attacks of the year on the borders of Damascus, bombing a building where Iranian generals were staying and killing five commanders, including the Quds Force Syrian intelligence commander Hajj Sadiq Umidzadeh. On Jan. 29, it was reported that Israel had hit Iranian targets in Damascus once again, killing seven people.
On Feb. 2, Israel targeted the headquarters of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard south of Damascus, killing Iranian military advisor Said Alidadi. On Feb. 7 and 10, Israel's bombings of Damascus made the news again. On Feb. 21, it was reported that Israel hit a building in the Kafr Sousa area south of Damascus, killing three more Iranian commanders. This area had also been bombed by Israel on Feb. 19, 2023 – almost exactly one year earlier – resulting in five deaths. In 2008, Israel bombed this area as well, killing Hezbollah's top commander, Imad Moughniyah. On Feb. 28, Israel bombed Damascus again, creating a scene of flames at night.
On March 17, Israel bombed an Iranian weapons depot in Damascus, and on March 19, it targeted Hezbollah sites. On March 24-28 and March 31, there were further reports and images of Israel bombing Hezbollah targets in Damascus.
On April 1, one of the most daring attacks of the year occurred when Israel bombed the Iranian Consulate in Damascus. Seven key Iranians were killed, including the chief of staff of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria and Lebanon, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi. Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei himself attended the funeral of the dead. A U.S. official, speaking to CNN, said that they were on high alert against a potential attack from Iran, and Israeli embassies in seven countries were evacuated. But Israel did not stop. News of bombings continued on April 7 and 14. April 14 was also the day Iran launched a drone attack on Israel at midnight. On April 15, the Russian ambassador to the U.N. remarked, “Syria is constantly being bombed by Israel.”
In the Israeli attack on May 2, eight regime soldiers were injured. On May 9 and June 27, Israel bombed Iranian targets in Damascus. On July 9, Israel hit a vehicle carrying Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's former close guard Haji Emin in Damascus, killing two people in the vehicle. Reports also indicate bombings on July 14 and 31.
According to an Al-Jazeera report on Aug. 1, Israel had carried out more than 17,000 attacks in the Middle East since Oct. 7, 144 of which were in Syria. In August, Israel continued its attacks around Damascus. On Aug. 3, it bombed a vehicle on the Damascus-Beirut road and again on Aug. 28, bombing another vehicle on the same route and adding four more people to its death toll.
On Sept. 8, Israel bombed various Syrian cities, including Damascus. On Sept. 9, it continued to bomb Damascus simultaneously with Lebanon and Palestine. On Sept. 29, Israel continued to target Iranian sites in Damascus.
On Oct. 1, a female journalist named Safaa Ahmed was killed in Damascus. Other individuals were killed in a series of bombings in the first few days of October. On Oct. 8, Israel carried out one of its most notorious attacks of the year, targeting a building frequented by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah leaders. Initially reported as seven dead, the death toll was later updated to 13. The bombing occurred near the Iranian Embassy. On Oct. 9, a young Syrian doctor named Rahaf was killed when an Israeli bomb hit her house. Israel continued to target specific sites on Oct. 17 and 21. On Oct. 24, it attacked Iranian and Hezbollah targets in the Kafr Sousa area.
On Nov. 4, Israeli warplanes hit a farm in the Sayyida Zeinab district of Damascus. On Nov. 10, Israel bombed the southern suburbs of Damascus, killing at least five people. On Nov. 14, it bombed several buildings in Damascus, killing at least 15 people.
This list, though not exhaustive, provides a chronological account of the attacks carried out by Israel on the regime capital, Damascus, according to media reports in 2024. Even though this account may have some gaps, it does not exaggerate and clearly shows that the Assad regime has brought destruction to his country, not only through his own cruelty but also due to his incompetence. It also undeniably demonstrates that the Assad regime is a weak and helpless one, allowing Israel to bomb and carry out operations whenever it desires.
Speaking to Sky News after the anti-regime forces took Damascus, former MI6 chief Sir John Sawers said the Israelis were watching carefully, in a state of uncertainty and would plan for the worst-case scenario. He also mentioned that Türkiye was now the main force in Syria and that Israel would have to come to terms with Türkiye. France 24's Jerusalem correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky similarly said that the Israelis were "extremely cautious."
However, it is also clear that Israel now has an opportunity to seize some territory from Syria. At this point, a struggle seems inevitable. Still, the Israeli side has been negatively affected by Assad’s fall. They have published articles from the Jerusalem Post to Arutz Sheva, stating they would prefer a weakened Assad regime over the current situation. It is easy to understand why, especially when looking at the chronology provided above.
The hope is that Israel will soon be unable to bomb the capital, Damascus, and other Syrian cities with the same impunity. In fact, Israel’s main excuse for its bombings has been to target Iranian and Hezbollah sites and it is clear that this rationale will no longer stand if they are removed. On the other hand, if Israel continues such operations, it risks direct conflict with Türkiye, which would be a difficult scenario for them. Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Simone Leaden stated, “Turkey and Erdoğan have really created this situation, where they're just pushing and pushing and the House of Cards has collapsed.” In short, the balance of power in the region needs to be reassessed. According to Sawers' prediction, Türkiye will now be the most influential power in the region.