Analysis: Is Israel dragging Syria into war?
Israel's war against the Lebanese " Hezbollah " will soon be in Syria also creates views about the possibility of being involved in this conflict . Its geographical proximity to Lebanon may cause the US-backed Jewish state to launch a stronger attack on the Levant.
Historically, Lebanon and Syria have been closely linked politically, economically and socially due to their shared border and cultural ties. This raises concerns that the war could spread beyond Lebanon's borders, not just by local forces, but also by global players such as Iran, the United States and Russia.
The conflicts in Syria and Lebanon have often overlapped . For example, the civil war in Syria had a devastating effect on Lebanon and started a period of serious economic crisis .
Also, over the last decade, Lebanon has received almost 1.5 million Syrian refugees . And it created great pressure on the country's infrastructure and public services. While the Israeli invaders are bombing Lebanon , the local population may flee to Syria and derail the situation in the already unstable country .
According to observers, Israel and Hezbollah 's war is already having a significant impact on Syria. According to reports , there are currently more than 250,000 Lebanese He fled to Shom . This movement is in Syria , which has not yet recovered from the previous unrest deepening the political-economic crisis.
In addition, Israel has repeatedly coordinated airstrikes on the territory of the country , targeting buildings and structures allegedly associated with " Hezbollah " and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Until now, official Damascus has only verbally condemned these strikes and refrained from retaliating against Israel . However, if Israel's military operations in Syrian airspace continue, it could eventually trigger a stronger response.
According to the Syrian leadership, direct intervention in the conflict in Lebanon does not correspond to its strategic interests. The government is still reeling from its internal problems: in particular, its authority in some areas remains controversial. A direct Syrian war with Israel would also undo the fragile gains made since the end of the civil war. There are also other negative effects of war. The new conflict is set to devastate the country, which is only just recovering from the civil war.
In particular, the Syrian government is afraid that the war against Israel will escalate internal uprisings. Some groups can take advantage of such chaos to regroup and become a serious threat to the government.
Until now, Syria has tried to stay out of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. In the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, Syria supported the Shiite movement diplomatically and logistically, but did not directly enter the battle. This strategic neutrality allows Syria to avoid the disastrous consequences of a direct war with Israel.
However, the country's limited resources are becoming more strained today as thousands of Lebanese refugees move to Syria.
It should be said that wars are by their very nature unpredictable. Therefore, it is safe to say that there is always a risk of the war in Lebanon spreading to the Levant.
In addition, Syria could become a battleground for proxy conflicts between Israel and Iran. If the Persian state avoids direct confrontation with the Zionists and attacks Israel through Syrian territory, the country may become involved in the war against its will.
