Israel experienced an unexpected rise in regional tensions on Tuesday evening when Syria and Yemen launched simultaneous attacks, marking a sharp upsurge in hostilities amid ongoing Middle Eastern unrest.
Syrian Rockets Aim for Golan Heights
At approximately 8:00 PM local time on January 24, two rockets were fired from southern Syria, landing in open areas near Israel-controlled Golan Heights. Although no casualties were reported, this marked the first rocket fire from Syrian territory since President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December 2024. A newly formed group called Martyr Mohammed Deif Brigades claimed responsibility via social media but their legitimacy remains unverified (yahoo.com, apnews, and reuters all covered the story).
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded with artillery strikes and air raids against Syrian military positions in Daraa Province near Quneitra and Daraa Province itself near Daraa Town, Syrian state media reported significant damages and casualties caused by these strikes; these can be found on several news platforms such as FT.com, APN News Service and Reuter’s.com for example.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated, “Israel holds Syria directly responsible for any threats emanating from their territory” and warned of a full response against any further aggression from Syrian territory. (en.wikipedia.org; +5; apnews.com and timesofisrael.com all contain this info)
Houthi Missile Intercepted Over Central Israel
Shortly after Syria launched rockets on Israel, Israeli Defense Force intercepted and shot down a ballistic missile launched from Yemen by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels claiming responsibility. Their missile was meant to target Jaffa, in solidarity with Palestinians during ongoing hostilities in Gaza. timesofisrael.com/ +2/ @Haaretz +2 | Reuter’s +5 @Reuters | HindustanTimes.com
IDF officials confirmed a successful interception with no reported injuries or damage, marking another in a string of Houthi attacks on Israeli territory since late 2023 when hostilities escalated into full scale war in Gaza. TimesofIsrael.comot ft.comBoth websites contain further information.
Regional Implications The simultaneous attacks from Syria and Yemen provide further proof of the region’s intricate web of alliances and hostilities, particularly Israel’s military action in Gaza that has caused condemnations and reprisal attacks from various groups aligned with Iran – Houthis in Yemen as well as factions within Syria – both allied against Israeli actions.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry denied involvement in the rocket attack and condemned Israeli retaliatory strikes as having caused “significant human and material losses”. They can be found at aljazeera.com/, APNews.com, hindustantimes.com etc.
United States officials recently lifted sanctions on Syria to push towards normalizing relations, but were alarmed by an increase in hostilities between both nations. President Ahmed al-Sharaa of Syria called for a return to the 1974 ceasefire agreement while emphasizing mutual respect as a cornerstone for peace. (FT.com +5 | AAP News | I24News TV.
As tensions escalate in Syria and Lebanon, the international community remains vigilant, encouraging restraint and dialogue to help avoid further escalation of an already volatile situation.