Israel has attacked Syria more than 600 times over the past year

It has been a year since a lightning offensive by allied rebel groups led to the fall of Damascus, ending the 54-year reign of the al-Assad dynasty.

However, as the regime fell, Israel seized on the instability by significantly escalating its military campaign in Syria, targeting much of its neighbors’ military infrastructure, including major airports, air defense systems, fighter jets, and other strategic facilities.

Over the past year, Israel has launched more than 600 airstrikes, drones or artillery across Syria, with an average of nearly two strikes per day, according to a calculation by Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED).

The map below shows the Israeli attacks recorded by ACLED between December 8, 2024 and November 28, 2025.

Most Israeli strikes have been concentrated in the southern Syrian governorates of Quneitra, Deraa, and Damascus, accounting for nearly 80 percent of all recorded Israeli strikes.

• Quneitraadjacent to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, it has been attacked at least 232 times.

• Get out it was the second most targeted government, with 167 recorded attacks focusing on former regime military sites and suspected weapons convoys.

• Damascus governorate, which hosts major military highways and logistics centers, has been attacked at least 77 times. The city of Damascus, the capital, has been attacked at least 20 times.

Why does Israel attack Syria?

While Israel’s airstrikes have escalated this past year, it has been attacking Syria for years, justifying its actions by claiming to eliminate Iranian military installations.

Since the fall of al-Assad’s government, Israel claims it is trying to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of “extremists” – a term it has applied to a rotating list of actors, most recently Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the primary Syrian opposition group that led the operation to topple al-Assad.

Just four days after the fall of al-Assad, Israel announced that it had achieved total air superiority by destroying more than 80 percent of Syria’s air defense systems, in order to prevent the new Syrian state from posing any military threat.

Since taking power after the overthrow of al-Assad, President Ahmed al-Sharaa has consistently stated that his government does not seek any conflict with Israel and will not allow Syria to be used by foreign actors to launch attacks.

Israel captures more Syrian land

In the days following the fall of al-Assad, Israeli troops crossed into the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, which Israel has occupied since 1967, violating 1974. Ceasefire brokered by the UN agreement with Syria.

The Israeli military established several military outposts, including in Jabal al-Sheikh, in nearby villages, and in other areas of the demilitarized zone monitored by the United Nations, where it conducted frequent air raids and ground incursions.

Israel’s invasion of Syrian soil has drawn widespread international criticism. The UN, along with several Arab nations, condemned Israel’s actions as a violation of international law and a violation of Syria’s sovereignty.

Despite these condemnations, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in February that Israeli forces will remain in the area indefinitely to “protect Israeli citizens” and “prevent hostile entities from gaining a foothold” near the border.

To visualize the scale, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights cover 1,200sq km (463sq miles), an area roughly the size of New York City or Greater Manchester. The UN buffer zone covers another 235sq km (91sq miles), comparable to the size of the city of Baltimore. In addition, Israel seized about 420sq km (162sq miles) of Syrian land beyond the buffer zone, a territory roughly the size of Denver.

The slider below details the areas Israel has occupied over the past year.