Israeli Strikes in Syria Result in 14 Deaths and 40 Injuries, Reports Say

In overnight Israeli airstrikes in Syria, the number of fatalities has now increased to 14, with more than 40 individuals reported injured, according to Syrian state media on Monday.

The strikes, which targeted multiple locations in central Syria late Sunday, resulted in damage to a highway in Hama province and ignited fires in the area, as reported by the Syrian state news agency SANA. Initial death figures from the Masyaf National Hospital in western Hama province indicated that four individuals had died.

However, SANA later reported, citing the head of the hospital, Faysal Haydar, that the death toll had risen significantly to 14, with 43 others wounded. A U.K.-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, confirmed that at least four of those killed were civilians.

One of the targets was a scientific research center in Maysaf, while others were aimed at locations identified as being occupied by Iranian militias and experts involved in weapon development in Syria. Local reports also indicated that strikes were conducted around the coastal city of Tartous.

So far, there has been no official response from the Israeli military regarding these strikes. Israel has been known to carry out numerous airstrikes targeting sites within government-controlled areas of Syria in recent years. However, the country typically avoids acknowledging or discussing these operations. The strikes usually focus on Syrian military targets and Iranian-backed groups.

Israel has consistently articulated its commitment to preventing Iranian military entrenchment in Syria, particularly as the country serves as a vital corridor for Iran to supply weapons to Hezbollah, a militant group based in Lebanon.

Over the past 11 months, Hezbollah has been engaged in ongoing clashes with Israeli forces, intensified by Israel’s military operations against Hamas in Gaza, which is an ally of Hezbollah.