Syria’s new buffer zone or the birth of another permanent occupation?

The collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024 was supposed to mark the end of an era. After more than five decades of dynastic rule and nearly fourteen years of civil war, Syria finally stood before a rare historical opening: the possibility of rebuilding a shattered state, restoring sovereignty, and reconnecting with a regional order that had long treated the country as a battleground rather than a nation. Yet almost immediately after Assad’s fall, another reality emerged. While Damascus struggled to establish authority, Israel moved with extraordinary speed to reshape the strategic landscape of southern Syria. Within days, Israeli forces launched one of the largest air campaigns in their history against Syrian military infrastructure, targeting air defence systems, weapons […]