The aftermath of Hamas's attack on Israel on 7 October continues to fan the flames of tension in Syria. This is evident through sporadic mortar attacks originating from Syrian territory, targeting the occupied Golan Heights, and prompting retaliatory responses from Israel.
Furthermore, US assets in Syria have frequently come under fire from Iranian-backed militias in response to President Biden's biased support for Israel in its war on Gaza.
Notably, Russia, which maintains diplomatic ties with Israel, Iran, and the al-Assad regime, does not appear to be publicly engaged in diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation — a stance that may not be entirely surprising for many.
While it is not actively seeking the Israel-Hamas conflict to evolve into a regional war, Moscow is emerging as a major beneficiary of these escalations. Its gains encompass maintaining pressure on the US to withdraw from Syria and a weakening of support and attention for Ukraine.
In contrast to decades of largely frozen frontlines, rocket attacks from southern Syria toward the occupied Golan Heights have resurfaced in the past three weeks.
The latest incident in this series of cross-border skirmishes was reported on 29 October, where at least two rocket shells from western Dara'a targeted Israel. In response, Tel Aviv has targeted not only the sources of the attacks but also other locations across the country to disrupt Iranian weapons supply routes to its allies in Syria or through it.
