Israel launched airstrikes on western Syria late Friday, targeting sites in Latakia and Tartous, in what marked its first aerial assault on the country in nearly a month.

The attack came just a day after a top US envoy suggested that tensions between Israel and Syria could be resolved through dialogue.

According to Syria’s state media, one person was killed and three others wounded in the Latakia strike. The state-run SANA news agency reported that three sites were hit in the Latakia and Tartous countryside.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights attributed the strikes to Israeli jets, citing military facilities near the Mediterranean coast as the targets.

The Israeli military confirmed the operation, stating it had struck coastal missile storage facilities and components of air defense systems it said threatened both Israeli and international maritime traffic. Israel reiterated it would act decisively to remove any regional threats.

The airstrikes follow Syria’s recent acknowledgement of indirect talks with Israel—discussions aimed at reducing longstanding hostility. These efforts were echoed by US envoy Thomas Barrack, who visited Damascus on Thursday and described the conflict as “solvable,” calling for a non-aggression pact and renewed dialogue over borders.

Despite the new diplomatic gestures, tensions remain deeply rooted. Israel and Syria have technically been in a state of war since 1948, with hostilities intensifying during the 1967 conflict and Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights.

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government, Israel has expanded its presence near the Syrian border, citing security concerns over Syria’s interim administration led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa—an authority it deems hostile.

While al-Sharaa has not commented on possible normalization, he has expressed support for a return to the 1974 ceasefire terms and reactivation of the UN-monitored buffer zone in the Golan.

Source: Al Jazeera

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