According to reliable foreign publications, Israel has recently destroyed the remaining chemical weapon stockpiles held by the Syrian regime to ensure its own security.
The military and political leadership of Israel views the dramatic changes in Syria as generally positive for Israel, at least in the near term. However, to safeguard the nation, the leadership decided that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would target and eliminate strategic weaponry — such as chemical weapons or long-range missiles — that could fall into the hands of insurgents. The IDF is also committed to thwarting any insurgent attacks on the Golan Heights.
In practice, IDF forces have entered the so-called neutral zone along the Syrian border — a strip unfortunately only a few hundred metres to a few kilometres wide—to prevent any insurgent activity near the Israeli frontier.
Historically, the Assad regime possessed approximately 1,000 tonnes of chemical weapons, posing a significant threat to Israel. However, by the grace and miracles of the Almighty, during an earlier phase of the Syrian civil war about a decade ago, the Assad regime made a fatal error by using chemical weapons against its own citizens. In response, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France launched hundreds of missiles and shells at numerous targets in Syria. Subsequently, the international Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) intervened and, according to assessments by the IDF’s intelligence directorate, neutralised 98 per cent of Syria’s chemical arsenal at that time.
These events are considered among the greatest miracles of the Syrian civil war, as nearly all of Assad’s chemical weapons were completely neutralised without any risk to Israel. As a result, about ten years ago, Israel decided to cease distributing gas masks and chemical weapon protective gear to its population. The two production lines manufacturing gas masks and chemical protection masks in Israel were shut down.
The remaining two per cent of Assad’s chemical weapons at that time no longer posed a real threat to Israel. The IDF, as we have now seen, had the capability to swiftly attack and neutralise these remnants stored in Syrian depots. Now, according to foreign media reports, these remaining two per cent have been destroyed.
It is also clear that, if necessary, additional airstrikes will be conducted. By the grace and miracles of the Almighty, our air force’s superiority in Syrian airspace is absolute. This means there are no difficulties in attacking and destroying other targets should the need arise.
Thus, the chemical weapon stockpiles once held by the Assad regime, which posed a serious threat to Israel, no longer exist.