Israel Strikes Targets Near Damascus, Syria: Hezbollah Said to be Target

Israeli airstrikes targeted sites near the Syrian capital of Damascus on Monday, reportedly killing at least five people and wounding several others, according to state media and a war monitor.

The strikes, which occurred around midnight local time, are the latest in a series of Israeli attacks on Syrian soil in recent years.

The Syrian state news agency SANA reported that the strikes hit several targets, including military positions and a warehouse belonging to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said the strikes killed at least five people, including three Syrian soldiers and two Hezbollah fighters.

Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the strikes, but it has previously acknowledged carrying out similar attacks against Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria.

Hezbollah is a close ally of both Syria and Iran, which are both locked in a conflict with Israel.

Israel has repeatedly warned that it will not tolerate the presence of Hezbollah or other Iranian-backed forces near its border with Syria.

The airstrikes come amid heightened tensions between Israel and Hezbollah following the assassination of a Hezbollah commander in Syria last week.

Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate for the killing of its commander, and the airstrikes are seen as a potential trigger for further escalation between the two sides.

The strikes also come at a time when Israel is preparing for a potential change in government.

Longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a tough challenge in upcoming elections, and his main rival, Benny Gantz, has promised to take a more aggressive stance toward Iran and its allies.

The airstrikes are a reminder of the complex and dangerous situation in the Middle East, and they raise the specter of a wider conflict between Israel and its enemies.