Airstrikes Hit Syrian City Said to Be a Weapons Research Hub, Killing 18
New York TimesSep 02
Israeli Strike in Syria Kills Dozens
Above: Smoke caused by an Israeli missile attack rises from the city of Palmyra, central Syria, on Nov. 20, 2024. Image copyright: Str/Contributor/Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
The Facts
An Israeli strike on the Syrian city of Palmyra on Wednesday killed at least 36 people and wounded 50, with the UN saying it was the deadliest attack in the country to date. Syrian state media outlet SANA said that the strike hit residential buildings and an industrial zone. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that 79 Iran-backed fighters were killed in the strike.
The Israeli military did not confirm the attack, though Israel has launched regular strikes in Syria since the beginning of the country's civil war in 2011. Israeli attacks in Syria usually target sites and areas associated with Iranian-backed militias, but it rarely comments on such operations.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Though the situation in the region continues to escalate, the US has stood firm in its role as a mediator. Israel has every right to respond to the daily terror attacks it has seen since Oct. 7, 2023. However, it's in no one's interest for tensions to explode into a wider regional war. The US will continue to work toward regional stability.
Pro-Israel narrative
Amid ongoing terror from Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Iran, the world has turned its back on Israel. Whole stretches of the region have been taken hostage by Iran-backed terror groups, while Israel is fighting to liberate the Middle East. Indeed, Israel does not only have a right to defend itself — it has a right to win.
Pro-Palestine narrative
Israel is bombing several countries in the Middle East yet continues to play the victim. As it commits genocide in Gaza and works to destroy Lebanon — all in the name of "remaking the Middle East" — it will only create more problems for itself. Indeed, Israel's aggression will only lead to its further isolation.