Who could have believed that the IDF would manage to virtually annihilate the Syrian army: its entire air defence system, warships, aircraft and helicopters, Scud missiles, and chemical weapon stockpiles — all without any resistance!?
The main event was the destruction of the strategic capabilities of the Syrian army. According to an IDF spokesperson, approximately 70–80% of Syria's strategic military potential was eliminated. The operation resulted in the destruction of:
1. Combat aircraft and helicopters: Entire squadrons of MiG-29s and Su-24s were completely destroyed.
2. Syrian Navy: Using long-range precision missiles, the Israeli Navy eliminated at least five missile boats and other vessels of the Syrian fleet. In total, 15 ships were present in the two attacked ports, effectively nullifying the combat power of the Syrian navy.
3. Weapons development centres: Major facilities for the development of chemical weapons, missiles, and other armaments located in the Damascus, Aleppo, and Masyaf areas were destroyed.
4. Missile depots: Arsenals of Scud ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and long-range munitions were obliterated.
5. Intelligence and electronic warfare systems: Completely neutralised.
6. Syrian air defence system: Approximately 200 anti-aircraft batteries were destroyed, including those that had protected Damascus and controlled the Golan Heights for years. Notably, due to the incredible density of Syrian air defence positions, this area was considered the most heavily guarded in the world. These systems had been significantly damaged (by at least a third) during the civil war but still posed a considerable threat to Israel. Now, their remnants have been eliminated. Some outdated air defence systems were seized by Kurdish rebels.
The operation, named „Hetz HaBashan“ („Arrow of Bashan“), commenced on Saturday evening. Notably, at the end of last week, as the Assad regime began to collapse, Israel's Prime Minister and Defence Minister instructed the military leadership to promptly secure strategically important positions beyond Israel's borders and destroy Syrian weaponry to prevent it from falling into the hands of radicals. The generals proposed waiting until the beginning of the week to assess the situation's development; however, the Prime Minister insisted on immediate action.
This decisive move allowed Israel not only to eliminate the threat but also to secure important positions. Had the decision been delayed, Israel would likely have missed the opportunity to achieve such extensive results. As a result of hundreds of combat sorties, the IDF destroyed approximately 320 key targets. The main phase of the operation is complete, but additional strikes are possible in the coming days.
Israeli forces continue to occupy strategically important positions within Syria, creating a security zone that enables a threat to Damascus (should Islamic extremists attempt to attack Israel). Currently, IDF troops are 35 km from the Syrian capital — just as close as during the Yom Kippur War.
From our perspective, this success embodies an incredible miracle, as promised to us by the Lubavitcher Rebbe King Moshiach.
Who could have believed that the IDF would manage to virtually annihilate the Syrian army: its entire air defence system, warships, aircraft and helicopters, Scud missiles, and chemical weapon stockpiles — all without any resistance!?
This is an astonishing and unbelievable miracle. In our opinion, it surpasses even the miracle of the victory of the „few against the many“ (which we recall on the eve of Chanukah), because in this remarkable event, which we have now witnessed, the Syrian army did not even offer resistance. They simply abandoned all their equipment. Therefore, the IDF destroyed all their armaments without risk or loss.